Tyler End, CEO and Co-Founder of Retirable, who is a Certified Financial Planner, had someone come in [to his office] a couple of years ago. They said, “‘Hey, we really want to buy a house,’ but they had all these little debts [that could impact their interest rates],” said End.
Explore More: 7 Worst States To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According to Real Estate Agents
Read More: 7 Reasons You Must Speak To a Financial Advisor Before Spending $50,000 or More
“They had a couple of credit cards they weren’t paying off on time; there were car loans, and stuff like that, and pretty high interest rates.”
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End told them, “Before you buy this house, you want to get all this stuff in order.”
The clients had a substantial amount of money in their investment accounts, considerable money in their checking accounts, but they were carrying all these debts, said End.
“We came up with a strategy where we, one by one, focused on using their funds and prioritized those debt payments.
“We knocked four or five of those credit lines off, and before they applied for their mortgage, they were able to get a better interest rate.” The client bought a house this year.
This scenario is just one of many ways financial advisors help their clients get all their ducks in a row, so they can lock in lower interest rates and make better financial decisions before investing in a home purchase. Here are five reasons why you should speak to a financial advisor before you buy a home in the next five years.
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1. Gets the Best Financial Outcome By Planning Early
When you’re thinking of buying a home is the time you should start talking to a financial advisor. The sooner, the better, said End.
“A lot of what you need to get the best financial outcome of the purchase, a financial advisor is going to help you with.”
End said that the right ratio of your savings should be going toward paying down debt, saving for retirement, and building up a cash or checking account so you can put down a bigger down payment.
Check Out: Mortgage Rates Are Dropping: 20 Housing Markets With the Most Affordable Home Prices
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2. Helps You Make Optimal Use of Your Money
Every time money comes in, ask yourself these questions:
Should I put it in my emergency fund checking or savings?
Should I save it for retirement or lock it into an IRA or 401K?
Or should I use it to pay down debt?
“If your goal is to buy a house in five years, a financial advisor [will] tell you the optimal use for those dollars,” said End.
3. Shows You How To Reach Your Home Buying Goals
A financial advisor can give you a strategy for paying down debt, so it lowers your credit ratio and you’ll get a better credit rating for the mortgage, said End.
“Having a bigger down payment as your mortgage payment will be less when you actually buy the house;
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End said that if you’re putting too much in your retirement accounts, you might have to delay buying a house because you won’t have enough [money] in your bank accounts for the minimum down payment.
“If you know what that goal is, the financial advisor is going to help you get there and tell you the best way to do it.”
4. Explains the “Real” Cost of Buying a Home
People don’t necessarily budget appropriately when they think of buying a house; they get hung up on the mortgage, but that’s just one piece of it, End said.
A financial advisor can help you understand the realistic costs associated with owning a home.
“What we see often is people saying, ‘Okay I’m paying $3,000 for rent, so I’ll just have a mortgage that’s $3,000,’ but it’s not the same thing,” End said.
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“Then you have to figure property taxes, homeowners insurance…then there are a lot of carrying costs associated with owning a home, not just upgrades but repairs.”
5. Advises You How To Set Up a Liquid Emergency Fund
A financial advisor can recommend strategies for saving your money that can be accessed and turned into cash right away. Certain financial products might yield a higher interest rate, but you won’t be able to access your money when you need it in any emergency.
End said people have told him they used a CD because it gave them 5% interest but when they needed to pay for a repair, they couldn’t access their money.
“What’s important here is you don’t lock up the money; that’s where people can get in trouble,” said End.
“Generally, you want to use something that is liquid, meaning you can access it at any time.”
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Fortunately, because interest rates are high, End recommends using a high-interest checking account so you can get that money out tomorrow if you want.
“You can build up a big buffer of three to six months of your income for emergency savings that you can tap at any time, ” he said.
But he said that requires discipline and not to be like, “Hey, I want to go to Paris to go to the Olympics.”
“It should be held away, and [you shouldn’t] touch it unless it’s an emergency.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Reasons You Should Speak to a Financial Advisor Before You Buy a Home in the Next 5 Years
Dozens of protesters from the “Religious Zionist Reservists Forum” and the “Shared Service Forum” demonstrated Saturday evening outside the home of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in Kedumim.
The protesters arrived with a direct and pointed message, centered on a symbolic “draft order,” calling on Smotrich to “enlist” on behalf of the State of Israel and oppose what they termed the “sham law” being advanced by MK Boaz Bismuth and the Knesset’s haredi parties.
Among the protesters in Kedumim were the parents of Sergeant First Class (res.) Amichai Oster, who fell in battle in Gaza. Amichai grew up in Karnei Shomron and studied at the Shavei Hevron yeshiva.
Protesters held signs reading: “Smotrich, enlist for us,” along with the symbolic “draft order,” calling on him to “enlist for the sake of the State’s security and to save the people’s army – stand against the bill proposed by Bismuth and the haredim!”
Parallel demonstrations were held outside the homes of MK Ohad Tal in Efrat and MK Michal Woldiger in Givat Shmuel.
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Representatives of the “Shared Service Forum” said: “We are members of the public that contributes the most, and we came here to say: Bezalel, without enlistment there will be no victory and no security. Do not abandon our values for the sake of the coalition. The exemption law is a strategic threat, and you bear the responsibility to stop it and lead a real, fair draft plan for a country in which we are all partners. It’s in your hands.”
The global carbon market is at an inflection point as discussions during the recent COP meeting in Brazil demonstrated.
After years of negotiations over carbon market rules under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, countries are finally moving on to the implementation phase, with more than 30 countries already developing Article 6 strategies. At the same time, the voluntary market is evolving after a period of intense scrutiny over the quality and integrity of carbon credit projects.
The era of Carbon Markets 2.0 is characterised by high integrity standards and is increasingly recognised as critical to meeting the emission reduction goals of the Paris Agreement.
And this ongoing transition presents enormous opportunities for financial institutions to apply their expertise to professionalise the trade of carbon credits and restore confidence in the market.
The engagement of banks, insurance companies, asset managers and others can ensure that carbon markets evolve with the same discipline, risk management, and transparency that define mature financial systems while benefitting from new business opportunities.
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Carbon markets 2.0
Carbon markets are an untapped opportunity to deliver climate action at speed and scale. Based on solutions available now, they allow industries to take action on emissions for which there is currently no or limited solution, complementing their decarbonization programs and closing the gap between the net zero we need to achieve and the net zero that is possible now. They also generate debt-free climate finance for emerging and developing economies to support climate-positive growth – all of which is essential for the global transition to net zero.
Despite recent slowdowns in carbon markets, the volume of credit retirements, representing delivered, verifiable climate action, was higher in the first half of 2025 than in any prior first half-year on record. Corporate climate commitments are increasing, driving significant demand for carbon credits to help bridge the gap on the path to meeting net-zero goals.
According to recent market research from the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity initiative (VCMI), businesses are now looking for three core qualities in the market to further rebuild their trust: stability, consistency, and transparency – supported by robust infrastructure. These elements are vital to restoring investor confidence and enabling interoperability across markets.
MSCI estimates that the global carbon credit market could grow from $1.4 billion in 2024 to up to $35 billion by 2030 and between $40 billion and $250 billion by 2050. Achieving such growth will rely on institutions equipped with capital, analytical rigour, risk frameworks, and market infrastructure.
Carbon Markets 2.0 will both benefit from and rely on the participation of financial institutions. Now is the time for them to engage, support the growth and professionalism of this nascent market, and, in doing so, benefit from new business opportunities.
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The opportunity
Institutional capital has a unique role to play in shaping the carbon market as it grows. Financial institutions can go beyond investing or lending to high-quality projects by helping build the infrastructure that will enable growth at scale. This includes insurance, aggregation platforms, verification services, market-making capacity, and long-term investment vehicles.
By applying their expertise and understanding of the data and infrastructure required for a functioning, transparent market, financial institutions can help accelerate the integration of carbon credits into the global financial architecture.
As global efforts to decarbonise intensify, high-integrity carbon markets offer financial institutions a pathway to deliver tangible climate impact, support broader social and nature-positive goals, and unlock new sources of revenue, such as:
Leveraging core competencies for market growth, including advisory, lending, project finance, asset management, trading, market access, and risk management solutions.
Unlocking new commercial pathways and portfolio diversification beyond existing business models, supporting long-term growth, and facilitating entry into emerging decarbonisation-driven markets.
Securing first-mover advantage, helping to shape norms, gain market share, and capture opportunities across advisory, structuring, and product innovation.
Deepening client engagement by helping clients navigate carbon markets to add strategic value and strengthen long-term relationships.
Harnessing the opportunity
To make the most of these opportunities, financial institutions should consider engagements in high-integrity carbon markets to signal confidence and foster market stability. Visible participation, such as integrating high-quality carbon credits into institutional climate strategies, can help normalise the voluntary use of carbon credits alongside decarbonisation efforts and demonstrate leadership in climate-aligned financial practices.
Financial institutions can also deliver solutions that reduce market risk and improve project bankability. For instance, de-risking mechanisms like carbon credit insurance can mitigate performance, political, and delivery risks, addressing one of the core challenges holding back investments in carbon projects.
Additionally, diversified funding structures, including blended finance and concessional capital, can lower the cost of capital and de-risk early-stage startups. Fixed-price offtake agreements with investment-grade buyers and the use of project aggregation platforms can improve cash flow predictability and risk distribution, further enhancing bankability.
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By structuring investments into carbon project developers, funds, or the broader market ecosystem, financial institutions can unlock much-needed finance and create an investable pathway for nature and carbon solutions.
For instance, earlier this year JPMorgan Chase struck a long-term offtake agreement for carbon credits tied to CO₂ capture, blending its roles as investor and market facilitator. Standard Chartered is also set to sell jurisdictional forest credits on behalf of the Brazilian state of Acre, while embedding transparency, local consultation, and benefit-sharing into the deal. These examples offer promising precedents in demonstrating that institutions can act not only as financiers but as integrators of high-integrity carbon markets.
The institutions that lead the growth of carbon markets will not only drive climate and nature outcomes but also unlock strategic commercial advantages in an emerging and rapidly evolving asset class.
However, the window to secure first-mover advantage is narrow: carbon markets are now shifting from speculation to implementation. Now is the moment for financial institutions to move from the sidelines and into leadership, helping shape the future of high-integrity carbon markets while capturing the opportunities they offer.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
Graham Fleming, CEO of Finance of America [Composite image; source: Finance of America/DI Studio]
Finance of America Companies, a leading provider of home equity-based financing solutions for a modern retirement, and funds managed by Blue Owl Capital, a leading alternative asset manager, announced an enhanced $2.5 billion strategic partnership to accelerate product innovation and distribution for the nation’s fast-growing retirement demographic.
With more than 10,000 Americans entering retirement age every day, the market for home equity access continues to expand. FOA said its collaboration with New York City-based Blue Owl positions it to capture significant share in this rapidly evolving sector.
“This is a pivotal moment not just for Finance of America, but for the senior finance market as a whole,” Graham Fleming, CEO of Finance of America, said in a statement. “By aligning with Blue Owl, we are creating a platform of scale and innovation to better serve one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States.”
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The enhanced partnership includes, per FOA:
$2.5 billion commitment for new product innovation, providing scale and liquidity to support origination growth across multiple asset classes
$50 million equity investment in Finance of America, enhancing long-term alignment between the companies and supporting FOA’s continued growth initiatives
Joint innovation and product-development initiative focused on the continuous rollout of new, differentiated financial products tailored for people looking to maximize freedom, security, and opportunity throughout their retirement
This product expansion will complement FOA’s existing industry-leading reverse mortgage product suite while strengthening the company’s commitment to innovation and its role as a leader in delivering powerful financial solutions for retirees.
FOA said it continues to empower retirees with responsible, flexible access to capital to support aging in place, healthcare expenses, and lifestyle goals.
The partnership reinforces Finance of America’s mission to provide comprehensive, retirement-focused financial solutions, with the goal of expanding beyond reverse mortgages to become the nation’s leading, full-spectrum home equity lending platform, the company said.
“We believe Finance of America is uniquely positioned to redefine how financial products are delivered to retirees,” said David Aidi, senior managing director and co-head of Asset Based Finance at Blue Owl.
“This partnership provides the capital, the strategic alignment, and the innovation engine to build category-defining products at scale,” added Ray Chan, senior managing director and co-head of Asset Based Finance at Blue Owl.
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R E A D N E X T
Little Elm’s Sachchit Balamurugan, an incoming senior at TOPS, flew to Japan Friday to present his ACC cancer detection app at the International Young Researchers’ Conference. He’s also won first place at a BPA national mobile app competition, won an award at the NASA Space App Challenge, started a nonprofit called Youth Opportunities in Tech Innovation—and done lots, lots more.
Tre Welch, Tremedics Medical Devices Inc., Leon Jacobson, Ted Price, Nerveli Inc., Sarah Iselin, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, TechFW, MassChallenge, ClearLeaf, Feathery, Algas Organics, Coastal Protection Solutions
“We closed the first volume of our story—25 years in the making.” That’s how CEO Tom Spackman described Gigabit Fiber’s majority stake sale to Blue Owl, marking a new phase of growth as AI and cloud drive demand for hyperscale connectivity.
Topgolf said the limited-time experience is available at all Topgolf U.S. venues Feb. 1 through April 13. It’s accompanied by a national in-venue sweepstakes and limited-time menu items.
The bank’s Support Services team fills a critical role in BOA—acting as an in-house consulting firm for every line of business.
![A slide showing Tremedics' award-winning technology for treating narrowed aortas in children (left). Their special dissolving stent (right) opens blocked blood vessels and then disappears as the child grows, eliminating the need for repeated surgeries and potentially helping thousands of the 40,000 U.S. babies born with heart defects annually. [Image source: Tremedics]](https://s24806.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Tremedic-presentation.jpg)
