This 3rd section of this series revolves around another significant element of Warren Buffett’s hugely successful methodology - return on equity (ROE). Now, you may have heard the term “return on equity” before. It’s not a relatively new concept, and it is one that is commonly used in finance. However, its importance must not be taken for granted.

It’s one thing to know what “return on equity” is, while it’s another thing to know how to use it to a hugely positive effect. In other words, Warren Buffett uses a tool that is used by basically everyone in the industry, however, he uses it in a way that no one else does, and this is the lesson that all investors should learn from.

Firstly, I will address the definition of return on equity. ROE simply constitutes the earnings of a company divided by shareholder’s equity. ROE is also frequently called the “stockholder’s return on investment.” because it reveals the rate at which shareholders are bringing in income on their shares. This rate can be considered both good or bad, however this is largely dependent on the company and industry.

For example, a low ROE would be considered bad for a consulting firm because it is in an industry that doesn’t require assets to start generating an income. On the other hand, a low ROE would be acceptable and even good in the oil industry because it is an industry that requires a lot of infrastructure to start generating an income.

However, the type of company or industry is generally irrelevant in this part of Warren Buffett’s methodology (however, there is an exception which is explained in Part One). The reason why ROE is important to him is to see whether or not a company has consistently performed well in comparison to other companies in the same industry. The key word here is consistency. Buffett will always choose a company that has a consistent ROE over one that has an ROE that continuously fluctuates. In fact companies, which depend on the commodities such as oil and gas, are his least favourites and tend to have a largely fluctuating ROE. This point is explained in Part One of this series.

A good time frame for analysing the ROE of a company is 5 to 10 years. Such a time frame will give you a good idea of the historical performance of the company. A good idea would be to access past financial reports of selected companies, most of which would have their reports uploaded on their website. In addition, it would be useful to research and find the average ROE of selected industries to compare company performances.

The next component of this series will concentrate on another crucial component of Buffett’s methodology - debt/equity ratio, and how several investors often neglect it. Keep an eye out for it!

There is always a debate when home buyers have to decide on the merits of 15 or 30 year fixed mortgage rates. Buying a home later in life means that many people want to have the mortgage paid off early. Decisions of this nature need careful consideration before any commitment is made. Home buyers looking into this need to be assured their monthly payments will not increase.

It is always wise to avoid agreements that do not appear to have any negative aspects because they invariably have but are hidden. Interest rates should remain the same throughout the life of the loan for 15 year fixed rate mortgages.

This is always a good thing for those people that do not like surprises. My wife and I had already decided to research long term fixed mortgage rates when we started looking at homes for sale.

Our aim was to pay of the mortgage as soon as we could without getting into trouble with high monthly payments. So in consideration of this point we also looked at longer, 30 year fixed rate mortgages as well.

Still, having a mortgage close to retirement was not what we were looking for, so we decided to try for a loan with a 15 year fixed mortgage. There was obviously very good reasons to finish paying the loan off early.

Taking everything into account we finally went for the easier 30 year mortgage plan instead. Many factors were taken into account when reaching this decision. The main reason was that I found out my wife was pregnant.

Because she wanted to be at home for our child, her income would not only be uncertain but also irregular. The financial commitment per month on the 15 year fixed mortgage rate was just too high. We could see the financial problem of getting in too deep even though there were benefits to a shorter loan period. Despite the trepidation of having a longer term loan, it did reduce the repayments considerably.

We are also able to make extra payments throughout the year to make the principal shrink quicker. It is possible to take years off your loan if you can make a few extra payments during each year. It may be easier said than done, but this approach does pay off eventually. Our first choice would have been to go for the short term 15 year fixed rate mortgage solution but this did not help with our more immediate situation. In retrospect, everything worked out great for us by going down this road.

Also, you want to consider that no all senior reverse home mortgages are the same. Prior to getting a reverse mortgage, you want to make sure that you are choosing the correct kind. The 2 major kinds are the private reverse mortgage and the FHA backed reverse mortgage.

In a private reverse mortgage, there are essentially no limits on how much money you can be charged. Anytime you hear of horror stories of homeowners who got a reverse mortgage and ended up being charged too much money is because they elected this type of home loan. Keep away from this home loan.

With a FHA backed reverse home mortgage, there are plenty of regulations that lenders must abide by. FHA regulates this kind of reverse mortgage and sets the costs that reverse mortgage lenders may charge you. Obviously, you invariably want to choose this kind of reverse mortgage.

Furthermore, with a FHA backed reverse home mortgage, you have the right to a no-cost consulting session. In this session, you can ask any doubts you have. Write all your questions before the session so that you do not forget later on. Take all advantage of this session.

A different one of the pitfalls of a reverse mortgage is when a mortgage lender is too eager for you to get a reverse mortgage so that you pay for something else: a second house, an investment tool, etc. Often, be careful of mortgage lenders who appear to be too eager about you getting the reverse mortgage.

Additionally, remember that even though you will not have to make any recurring payments, you are nevertheless responsible for the traditional expenses related with the title of a home: real estate taxes, regular maintenance, insurance, etc.

You may choose to use a portion of the money you get from the reverse mortgage to pay for these costs. This way, you can ensure that you will stay in your home for as long as you choose.

Furthermore, a reverse home mortgage may not be the cheapest solution for you. You may contemplate to refinance or to sell the home. Naturally, a reverse home mortgage may be the best answer for you if you want to live in your home and do not want to pay any monthly payments or if you need a consistent “second income.”

In conclusion, always choose a FHA approved reverse mortgage lender. In addition, keep adequate funds to pay for the maintenance fees and make sure that a reverse home mortgage is the most inexpensive or more appropriate solution for you. In this way, you can be sure to minimize the pitfalls of a reverse mortgage.