solar panel

Solar Panel Financing in 4 Ways

Installing solar panels in your home allows you to do your part for the planet while also reducing your monthly utility bills. However, the cost to purchase panels and have them installed can be a deterrent. Even if you know you’ll save money over the long term, it may be hard to come up with the funds to pay for the project up front.

Fortunately, there are tax incentives as well as financing options that make paying for a solar system a lot more manageable. Solar financing involves using instruments, like loans and leases, to pay for a solar system in installments over time rather than in one lump sum at the time of purchase. Each financing option has different features, advantages, and drawbacks.

Read on to learn more, including how much solar panels cost today, how much they can help you save, plus solar financing options that can help you cover the initial bill.

The Cost of Solar Panels

The cost of solar panels varies by location, the type of solar panels, and the system’s size, but an average-sized residential system currently runs around $16,000. The actual cost of solar panels can run as high as $35,000. However, federal and local tax incentives and rebates can take more than half of the cost off.

There are also different financing options available that allow you to pay for a solar system in installments rather than in one lump sum up front. The monthly amount owed on a solar loan is typically less than an average utility bill.

Recommended: Strategies to Lower Your Energy Bill When Working From Home

Potential Benefits of Solar Panels

One of the benefits of solar panels is the potential to reduce or completely eliminate your energy bills. Depending on how much sunlight there is where you live, how many panels you install, and your energy use, you could potentially receive enough power through solar panels to completely meet your needs.

Even if your solar panels don’t eliminate your electric bills, it can lead to significant savings. Generally, the initial expense of the purchase of a solar system can be recouped in an average of six to 10 years. After recouping installation costs, the amount you’ll save over the life of your panels will continue to add up.

Another benefit of solar panels is the potential to increase the resale value of your home. Research has shown that, on average, homes with solar panels sell for 4% more than those without them.

For some people, one of the biggest benefits of installing solar panels, however, is knowing that they’re using renewable energy and helping to reduce greenhouse gasses. This could especially be important for those living in a state where the majority of the energy generated is through non-renewable power sources.

Recommended: Does Paying Utilities Build Credit?

Potential Drawbacks of Solar Panels

While solar panels have the potential to save homeowners money and do a lot of good for the planet, they come with a high price tag. Solar power financing can help make solar energy possible for more people, but not everyone qualifies.

Another drawback to solar energy is that it is sunlight dependent. If there is a long stretch of overcast weather, or if you live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of sun, you might not be able to generate enough solar energy to take care of your energy needs. However, solar batteries (which store excess energy) can help mitigate this issue.

Solar panels and the wiring they require can also use up a significant amount of space. Depending on how many panels you need for your home, it can be difficult to find adequate space with sufficient sun exposure to install a solar system.

Also keep in mind that uninstalling a solar system and moving it can be difficult and costly. As a result, a solar system is not something you can generally take from house to house. It’s best to consider it as an investment in your home.

Saving Money by Installing Solar Panels

More than 2.5 million homeowners in America currently have solar panels. One reason is the savings it can offer over time. Once installed on your roof, solar panels typically last for at least 25 years. If your solar system eliminates your electric bill and you normally spend about $150 a month on electricity, that would bring in a potential savings of $65,000 over the life of the system.

Keep in mind, however, that solar panels don’t always eliminate your electricity bill. And, as with any home improvement project, it’s important to consider the upfront costs, how long you plan to live in your home, and if you can find financing options that work with your budget.

Four Options for Solar Panel Financing

While converting to solar can pay for itself over time, it requires a sizable upfront investment. Here are some options that can help make it easier to foot the bill.

1. Tax Credits and Rebates

A smart solar power financing strategy starts with taking advantage of all available tax credits and rebates. The federal government currently offers a 30% tax credit for solar panels installed through 2032.

Unlike a deduction, a tax credit is an amount of money that you can subtract, dollar for dollar, from the income taxes you owe. So, if you pay $30,000 to install a new solar system, you’ll qualify for a roughly $9,000 tax credit, which equates to $9,000 more in your pocket.

In addition, many states offer rebates that further reduce the cost. To help people learn more about state and local incentive programs, North Carolina State University’s N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center offers a nationwide directory of programs .

2. Solar Panel Leases

A unique option for solar panel financing is a solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA). With both a lease or a PPA, a company installs the solar system on your roof, and you pay that company for your energy each month, which is typically 10% to 30% lower than your usual electric bill. The company owns the panels and remains responsible for any required maintenance.

Since you don’t own the solar system, however, you can’t take advantage of any tax rebates or other incentives that come with purchasing solar panels outright. Also, solar lease and PPA contracts can extend 25 to 30 years. If you want to move before the contract is up, you would need to find a buyer who wants to take over your contract or could end up paying a hefty cancellation fee.

3. Secured Solar Panel Loans

Since you are adding to and improving your home, you might consider using a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC) to finance solar panels. This type of financing is secured by the equity you have in your home. Because the debt is secured (which lowers the risk to the lender), you may qualify for a relatively low interest rate. However, if you are unable to repay the loan or credit line, the lender can take your home to recoup its losses. Also, you need to have equity in your home to qualify for a home equity loan or HELOC.

4. Unsecured Solar Panel Loans

An unsecured solar panel loan is an unsecured personal loan that you can use to purchase solar panels. You don’t have to have any equity in your home, or use your home as collateral, to qualify for an unsecured solar panel loan To get approved, the lender considers your income and your credit rating (among other financial factors that vary from lender to lender).

With an unsecured personal loan, you receive a lump sum up front, which you can use for virtually any type of expense, including solar panels. These loans typically have fixed rates so your monthly repayments stay the same over the term of the loan, which is often five to seven years. Because this type of solar panel financing is unsecured, rates can be higher than you might get with a home equity loan or HELOC.

The Tax Benefits of Solar Panels

Installing solar panels can help reduce your federal income tax due in the year the installation is complete. There is a 30% tax credit currently in place for systems installed in 2022-2032. The tax credit expires starting in 2035 unless Congress renews it.

To qualify for the solar panel tax credit, your solar panels must be installed at your primary or secondary U.S. residence between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2034. You also must own the solar panel system, i.e. you purchased it with cash or solar panel financing but you are neither leasing nor are in a PPA arrangement.

In addition, the system must be new or being used for the first time, and the credit can only be claimed on the original installation of the solar equipment. There is no maximum amount that can be claimed.

The following expenses can be included:

•  Solar PV panels or PV cells (including those used to power an attic fan, but not the fan itself)

•  Contractor costs, including installation, permitting fees, and inspection fees.

•  Balance-of-system equipment, including wiring, inverters, and mounting equipment

•  Energy storage devices that have a capacity rating of 3 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or greater

•  Sale tax on eligible expenses

In addition to the federal tax credit, there are also state-level solar incentives, which vary widely. Generally, getting a state tax break or rebate won’t limit your ability to get solar credits from the IRS.

Your local utility may also offer clear energy incentives, which can help you save money on solar panels. However, this may impact your federal income tax credit.

The Takeaway

There’s no question that solar panels are environmentally friendly. Over time they can also be economically friendly, saving you money on your electricity bill. Doing some research about residential solar panels and general home improvement financing are good steps to take to see if it’s the right choice for your home.

If you are interested in getting a loan to finance a solar system, a SoFi unsecured personal loan could be a good option. SoFi personal loans offer competitive, fixed rates and a variety of terms. Checking your rate won’t affect your credit score, and it takes just one minute.

Consider a SoFi personal loan for solar panel financing.


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How to Finance a Divorce

Divorce can be emotionally and financially challenging, and one of the biggest concerns people have is how to finance the process. From filing and attorney fees to establishing separate households, the costs can quickly add up.

Knowing how to pay for divorce is particularly tricky because most people don’t necessarily plan for a divorce and, as result, likely don’t have a special bank account where they’ve been saving up for a divorce. This can leave you feeling stuck in a tight corner.

For anyone scratching their head and wondering how to pay for a divorce, we have some answers. Here’s a look at how you can cover the cost of divorce while still keeping an eye on your long-term (post-divorce) financial health.

How Much Does Divorce Cost?

We’ll start with the crummy news — getting a divorce, already a difficult experience, is also expensive. While the cost varies depending on where you live and the complexity of the divorce, the average cost of a divorce in the U.S ranges between $15,000 and $20,000. That said, a simple DIY divorce could run a lot less (as little as $200). A complicated divorce (with disagreements around child custody or dividing up property), on the other hand, could run well over $100,000. Gulp.

Factors that can affect the cost of a divorce include:

•   The state where the divorce takes place

•   Whether the couple lives in an urban or rural area

•   Whether it is contested or uncontested

•   Whether or not you hire professional legal help

•   The complexity of the couple’s finances

•   Whether or not there are child custody issues involved

How Do I Pay for My Divorce?

Ideally, every individual, couple, and family would have some emergency money set aside to cover unforeseen events. While many aren’t thinking the money would be for a divorce, that could qualify as an unexpected expense.

If you don’t have much, or any, rainy day savings, here are some steps that can help you manage the cost of your divorce.

•   Create a budget A good place to start is to assess your financial situation and create a realistic budget for your divorce. Take a look at your income, expenses, and any debts you may have. This will help you determine how much you can allocate towards your divorce costs, find areas where you may be able to cut costs, and develop a strategy to finance your divorce.

•   Negotiate with your spouse If possible, see if you can reach an amicable agreement with your spouse regarding the division of assets and paying expenses. This can help reduce legal fees and minimize the overall cost of the divorce process.

•   Explore mediation Mediation is a cost-effective alternative to traditional divorce litigation. A neutral mediator helps facilitate discussions between you and your spouse, allowing you to work together to reach mutually agreeable solutions. Mediation can often be less expensive and less time-consuming than going to court.

Borrow From Friends and Family

If you need some financial assistance to cover the costs of your divorce, reaching out to friends and family is one option to consider. Loved ones who understand your situation may be willing to lend you money to help you through this challenging time.

You’ll want to approach borrowing from friends and family with caution, however. You want to be sure that you’ll be able to pay the money back and clearly communicate that you intend to repay the money. Also be sure to discuss any expectations or terms, and ensure that the arrangement is legally documented to avoid misunderstandings or strain on personal relationships.

Recommended: Am I Responsible for My Spouse’s Debt?

Is a Personal Loan a Good Option to Pay for Divorce?

Another option to finance your divorce is to consider a personal loan.

Personal loans are often unsecured (meaning you don’t have to put up an asset as collateral) and can be used for a variety of purposes, including legal costs. They can provide you with the necessary funds to cover divorce-related expenses while allowing you to make manageable monthly payments over a fixed period, typically three to five years.

If you have good to excellent credit, a personal loan can be a better choice than using a credit card for your divorce costs, since rates are typically lower. A personal loan may also allow you to borrow a larger amount than your current credit card limit allows. Personal loans also come with fixed monthly payments, which can be easier to budget for.

Before applying for a personal loan for your divorce however, you’ll want to consider the annual percentage rates (APRs) and repayment terms offered by different lenders. Be sure to carefully assess your ability to repay the loan to avoid adding further financial stress during and after the divorce process.

Putting Your Financial Health First

While it’s crucial to address the immediate financial challenges of a divorce, it’s equally important to prioritize your long-term financial health. Here are some tips to help you navigate this process.

•   Protect your credit Divorce can have a significant impact on your credit score. To minimize the impact, you’ll want to be sure to close joint accounts and establish individual accounts. Be sure to also monitor your credit report regularly to ensure accuracy and address any issues promptly.

•   Update legal and financial documents It’s a wise idea to review and update your will, insurance policies, retirement accounts, and other legal and financial documents to reflect your new circumstances. You’ll also want to update beneficiaries and ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes.

•   Focus on rebuilding After the divorce, take steps to rebuild your financial stability. Set financial goals, create a savings plan, and consider ways to increase your income or reduce expenses. Building a solid financial foundation will help you regain control of your life and prepare for the future.

Recommended: Budgeting Tips for Life After Divorce

The Takeaway

Financing a divorce can be a challenging task, but with careful planning and consideration, it is possible to navigate this process successfully. Key steps include assessing your financial situation, exploring various options such as negotiation and mediation, and, if needed, borrowing from friends and family or getting a personal loan to help cover the costs of the divorce.

If you are thinking about taking out a loan to finance a divorce, a SoFi unsecured personal loan could be a good option. SoFi personal loans offer competitive, fixed rates and a variety of terms. Checking your rate won’t affect your credit score, and it takes just one minute.

See if a personal loan from SoFi is right for you


SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.


Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Comparing SPAC Units With Different Warrant Compositions

SPAC Warrants vs Other Warrant Compositions

A SPAC warrant is a contract that gives a purchaser a right to purchase additional shares in the future at a set price. SPACs, or “special purpose acquisition companies,” have emerged as an alternate way for private companies to go public on the stock market. But before a company can evaluate whether or not it makes sense to go public via SPAC, the SPAC itself must “go public” and list on an exchange.

Generally, a group of individuals form a shell company and nominate a board of directors, with the hopes that investors have enough faith in their ability to source an attractive deal. They can then sell shares in this new “blank check” company. As an additional incentive for being an early investor when the SPAC debuts on an exchange, the shares, or “units,” may be comprised not only of common stock in the company, but also a warrant (whole or partial) to go along with each unit.

This benefit is only offered to early investors who buy the SPAC generally within its first 52 trading days. After the first 52 days1, units will usually split into the common shares and the warrants, with the two trading separately under different tickers.

How to Evaluate SPACs

When evaluating whether or not to invest in a SPAC IPO, potential investors often look at the qualitative aspects previously mentioned: Who is the sponsor? Have they launched other SPACs before? Have those SPACs found targets and completed a successful company merger? Do the board members have the experience and track records that you would expect to evaluate investment opportunities?

However, it’s just as important for investors to understand the quantitative terms, or “structure,” of a SPAC deal. All SPACs are typically priced at $10 per unit, but the makeup of the units can be vastly different.

Warrants and their inclusion, or absence, in a SPAC unit can affect investor profits. A SPAC unit can have the following compositions:

•   One share + one full warrant

•   One share + no warrant

•   One share + partial warrant

💡 Quick Tip: Did you know that opening a brokerage account typically doesn’t come with any setup costs? Often, the only requirement to open a brokerage account — aside from providing personal details — is making an initial deposit.

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SPAC Warrants 101

SPAC warrants are similar to stock warrants. Stock warrants are financial contracts that give holders the right to buy shares at a later date. Compared with stocks, warrants can be a relatively inexpensive way for investors to wager on an underlying asset, usually a stock, because they offer leverage — putting up a small investment for a potentially bigger payout.

Just like in options trading, warrants have an expiration date, so investors will need to pay attention if they want to exercise them. Another nuance worth noting is that when warrants get exercised, the action can be dilutive to shareholders, since a flood of new shares can enter the market.

But warrants have the potential to be incredibly lucrative for these early SPAC investors. This is because, as explained, essentially they’re buying for $10 one share plus the right to buy additional shares at a set level — what’s known as the strike or exercise price. Also importantly, even if an early investor decides to redeem their shares in the SPAC before a merger is completed, they get to keep the warrants that were a part of the SPAC units.

If the company doesn’t want to issue additional shares, they may not include warrants in their SPAC units. Market conditions may also dictate whether warrants are unnecessary.

Remember: Warrants are meant to entice investors to put in their money early. If demand for the SPAC is strong enough, the company may not feel the need to issue units with warrants.

Can You Trade SPAC Warrants?

Generally, an investor can only trade stock warrants if there is a whole number of warrants. If partial warrants are issued, that fraction could not be sold. In order to sell, the investor would need to purchase additional units in order to make up a whole warrant.

Here’s an example: Let’s say a SPAC unit consists of one share and a partial warrant that’s one-fourth of a warrant. This means that to own a whole warrant, the investor would need to purchase four units. If they were to do this, then they could trade the whole warrant, either on a stock exchange or in the over-the-counter market.

Converting SPACs Into Shares

Another thing likely on investors’ minds: How do SPAC units actually get converted into shares? Depending on the specifics of the SPAC, the process happens more or less automatically, and there’s no action needed on the part of the investor. That’s assuming that the SPAC does end up merging and going public.

Converting SPAC warrants into shares is a bit more involved, however. In the case an investor wants to convert SPAC warrants to shares, investors should get in touch with their broker to discuss their options.

SPAC Warrants: Merger vs No Merger

SPAC warrants can be traded after a merger — for years, in some cases. That’s somewhat theoretical, though, as there may be redemption clauses in contracts that require investors to redeem their warrants under certain conditions. It really all depends on the specific SPAC, and the guidelines outlined within the contracts governing them.

If there is no merger, however, SPACs typically liquidate. Investors get their money back, and warrants are more or less worthless.

Examples of SPAC Investments With Different Warrant Compositions

It’s important for investors to examine the deal structure of each SPAC closely, and they can do this by reading the initial public offering (IPO) prospectus. The information around the composition of the shares or units being offered is usually on one of the first few pages, but reading the entire prospectus is essential for investors to make the right investment decision for them.

In general, here are some other pertinent pieces of information relating to warrants that potential investors should be looking for when reading through the prospectus:

•   The strike price

•   Exercise window

•   Expiration date

•   Whether there are any specific conditions that can trigger an early redemption

Investors should also inspect the exact composition of a SPAC unit. Does it offer one whole warrant, no warrant, one-quarter, one-third, or one-half?

The strike price, or exercise price, of SPAC warrants is often $11.50 a share. Investors sometimes have until five years after the merger before the warrant expires. However, the terms of different SPAC deals can vary vastly. It’s possible that the deal terms call for an early redemption period, and if investors miss exercising their contracts in that period, the warrants could expire worthless.

SPAC Unit With Whole Warrant

Let’s say an investor buys 1,000 units of a SPAC. In this case, each SPAC unit is composed of one whole share, plus one whole warrant. That means the investor now owns 1,000 shares of the merged company stock, plus 1,000 warrants to buy shares at $11.50 each.

If the SPAC completes its merger and the shares jump to $20, our investor can buy additional shares for just $11.50 each. This would be a significant discount compared to where the existing shares are trading.

Here’s a hypothetical step-by-step example of how an investor could profit from exercising their whole warrants:

1.    Investor buys 1,000 units at $10 each, spending a total of $10,000.

2.    SPAC shares jump to $20 each.

3.    Investor exercises warrants, purchasing 1,000 shares for $11.50 each and spending an additional total of $11,500.

4.    Investor sells all 2,000 shares immediately for the market price of $20 each, for $40,000 total.

5.    Our investor pockets the difference (so $40,000 minus $21,500 = $18,500).

SPAC Unit With No Warrant

Now, imagine that same investor bought into a SPAC where the units had no warrants. That means, while the investor’s 1,000 shares doubled in value, they didn’t have the right to buy an additional 1,000 shares. Here’s an example of this scenario:

1.    Investor buys 1,000 units at $10 each, spending a total of $10,000.

2.    SPAC shares jump to $20 each.

3.    Investor sells the 1,000 shares immediately for the market price of $20 each, for $20,000 total.

4.    Our investor pockets the difference (so $20,000 minus $10,000 = $10,000).

SPAC Unit With Partial Warrant

Let’s say our hypothetical SPAC has units with partial warrants. So in each unit, there’s one share attached to one-half warrant. Here’s how this would look:

1.    Investor buys 1,000 units at $10 each, spending a total of $10,000.

2.    SPAC shares jump to $20 each.

3.    Investor exercises warrants. Every two warrants converts to one share, so the investor buys 500 shares for $11.50 each, spending an additional total of $5,750.

4.    Investor sells all 1,500 shares immediately on the market for $20 each, for $30,000 total.

5.    Our investor pockets the difference (so $30,000 minus $15,750 = $14,250).

Here’s a hypothetical table that lays out different profit scenarios depending on the warrant composition, assuming once again that an investor has bought 1,000 units, that the exercise price of the warrants is $11.50, and the underlying shares hit $20 each.

Warrants Attached to Each SPAC Unit 1 Whole Warrant ½ Warrant ⅓ Warrant ¼ Warrant No Warrant
Units Purchased 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000
Number of Shares That Can Be Bought With Warrants in SPAC Unit 1,000 500 333 250 0
Cost of Exercising Warrants at $11.50 Strike Price $11,500 $5,750 $3,829.50 $2,875 $0
Proceeds From Selling Shares Acquired Through Warrant Exercise $20,000 $10,000 $6,660 $5,000 $0
Net Proceeds from Selling Shares Exercised From Warrants $8,500 $4,250 $2,830.50 $2,125 $0
Net Proceeds From Selling All Shares $18,500 $14,250 $12,830.50 $12,125 $10,000

Finding SPAC Warrants

Investors may be surprised to learn that finding SPAC warrants is relatively easy. In fact, since SPAC warrants trade like shares of stocks or ETFs on exchanges, and are listed by many brokerages, investors can often look them up and execute a trade like they would many other securities.

One tricky thing to watch out for, though, is that SPAC warrants may trade under different ticker symbols on different brokerages or exchanges. So, you’ll want to make sure you’re looking for the SPAC warrant you want before executing a trade, to be certain you’re not purchasing the wrong thing.

💡 Quick Tip: How to manage potential risk factors in a self directed trading account? Doing your research and employing strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification may help mitigate financial risk when trading stocks.

Using SPAC Warrants

SPAC warrants’ main utility is that they can be traded or executed – meaning they can be converted into shares. So, for investors, using a SPAC warrant typically comes down to one of the two in an attempt to generate a return. There may be times when a SPAC doesn’t merge and investors get their money back, but the true utility of warrants is that they can be executed or traded.

The Takeaway

With SPAC investments, whether units come with full warrants, no warrants, or partial warrants is a quantitative consideration. All else being equal, SPACs that provide full or partial warrants offer more potential profit than SPACs that offer no warrants.

SoFi Invest allows eligible investors to buy into companies before they begin trading on a stock exchange through the IPO Investing service. Investors need to first set up an Active Investing account, which allows them to access IPO deals, company stocks, ETFs, and more — all in one app.

Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative funds, and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).

For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.

FAQ

How do you evaluate SPACs?

Investors can evaluate SPACs by looking at qualitative aspects, including who the sponsors are, their backgrounds, whether the SPAC has found a target, and what types of experiences the board members have.

What is an example of a SPAC with a whole warrant?

An example of a SPAC with a whole warrant could include an investor buying 1,000 units for $10,000, seeing shares increase in value to $20 each, then the investor exercising the warrants for $11.50 each, and then selling the shares and pocketing the difference.

What is an example of a SPAC with a partial warrant?

An example of a SPAC with a partial warrant could include an investor buying 1,000 units for a total of $10,000, seeing shares increase to $20 each, and exercising the warrants. Each two warrants convert to one share, so the investor then buys 500 shares for $11.50 each, selling them, and pocketing the difference.


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1Investors should read all documents related to an offering as the terms of each SPAC can differ vastly.
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What Is the Average Cost of Divorce?

An uncontested DIY divorce could cost $300. For a messy, high-stakes parting, add zeros (knowing that the sum will be short of Jeff Bezos’ $38 billion). When the nuptial knot frays, average divorce costs add up to several thousand. So how much does divorce cost, really?

In 2023, the mean cost of divorce is $7,000, but the average ranges from $15,000 to $20,000, according to Forbes. However, all kinds of factors, from attorney fees to assets, influence the bottom line.

Here are details about types of divorce and what to expect cost-wise with each.

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Divorce?

The cost of a divorce can depend on which state you live in, how amicable the parting is, and whether you work with a divorce attorney, own property together, and have children, among others.

Most cases settle before going to trial. Here are common costs if you need to prepare for a divorce.

💡 Quick Tip: SoFi lets you apply for a personal loan online in 60 seconds, without affecting your credit score.

Without an Attorney

A DIY uncontested divorce is the cheapest option. You and your spouse submit paperwork to your local family court, then fill out and file required documents.

DivorceNet found that the median cost of a DIY divorce is only $300. That could be because many filers who don’t hire a lawyer have no contested issues.

With an Attorney

A lawyer can only work with one client at a time, so two attorneys are required if both spouses want their own representation.

A divorce attorney will usually ask for a retainer, or down payment, of $2,500 to $5,000, and will charge from that. If the retainer runs out, the lawyer may bill by the hour. Hourly fees may range from $150 to $500 or more per hour, according to LegalZoom.

A reader survey by Nolo, a publisher that specializes in legal content, found that the average cost of a divorce handled by a full-scope attorney was $12,900, with $11,300 of that lawyer fees. The median, though, was $7,500, including $7,000 in attorney fees.

Of course, the longer it takes to reach a final judgment, the higher your heap of attorney fees will be.

Recommended: Understanding Divorce and Retirement Accounts

Mediation

If you’re dealing with a more convoluted situation and don’t feel comfortable filing yourself, but don’t want to shell out money for a divorce lawyer, you could consider working with a mediator.

In this form of divorce, both spouses work with a neutral third party who has a handle on the financial and legal aspects of divorce and oversees the process.

A non-attorney mediator may charge $100 to $350 an hour, with a couple’s total mediation bill coming in anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000, according to DivorceNet.

Free or low-cost mediation services are often provided by courts, nonprofit organizations, and bar associations.

Collaborative Divorce

In this hybrid of mediation and a traditional divorce using lawyers, each spouse is represented by a collaborative divorce attorney. The goal is to help both parties work toward a mutually satisfactory outcome and, if children are involved, one that keeps their best interests in mind.

Both parties commit, in writing, to using cooperative dispute resolution techniques.

If the process fails, both attorneys must withdraw from the case, and the couple will need to hire new lawyers and continue through family law court proceedings.

Consulting Attorney

If you can’t afford to hire a full-scope divorce attorney, you might be able to hire a consulting attorney for specific tasks. The average total fees for consulting attorneys were $4,600, and the median was $3,000, Nolo’s survey found.


💡 Quick Tip: Fixed-interest-rate personal loans from SoFi make payments easy to track and give you a target payoff date to work toward.

Who Pays for the Divorce?

Most of the time, each spouse pays their own attorney fees and costs.

In select cases involving income disparities or one party unnecessarily complicating the proceedings, a judge may order a spouse to pay his or her partner’s divorce costs, LegalZoom says.

The following are some of the factors that affect the costs of a divorce.

Child Custody

In a contested divorce, the issue of child custody will likely come up. If the couple is able to agree on a child custody schedule that works for both parents, that is usually the easiest path forward.

For divorces involving children that require an attorney to iron out custody details, costs tend to increase significantly thanks to the additional time spent working with parents to reach an agreement.

A contested divorce involving custody could also include working with a court-assigned professional, who may interview the parents and children, observe each parent at home with the kids, and make an evaluation based on their findings.

A county custody evaluation could cost between $1,000 and $2,500. A private review could run $15,000 or more, according to DivorceNet.

Real Estate

Couples who share a property may require the help of real estate attorneys or agents who focus on helping couples ascertain the disposition of their homes.

A home appraisal is an unbiased, third-party estimate of a property’s value. It can cost between $300 and $450.

Sometimes couples opt to refinance the mortgage on the marital home into one name, releasing the other spouse from obligation. The cost of refinancing can be several thousand dollars.

Alimony

Another potential consideration in a divorce may be alimony, or spousal support.

If both individuals can’t agree on the amount of payment and the time payments are to be made, the court may have to step in.

That can involve litigation and a review of debts and finances. Since the process requires legal counsel, alimony decisions can quickly drive up divorce expenses.

Do Divorce Lawyers Offer Payment Plans?

Some family lawyers do offer payment plans. The time to ask about that is during an initial consultation.

In most situations, paying for a divorce can be a major stressor.

If you and your spouse are on OK terms and have savings, you could consider pooling together as much as you can to put toward divorce costs. You could also ask to borrow money from relatives or friends. In some cases, couples may know that divorce is looming and start saving for it ahead of time, as unpleasant as that may be.

Some people may opt to put their divorce costs on a credit card and pay the debt over time, with interest. An option that may be more cost-effective is a personal loan.

A personal loan has several potential advantages. The interest rate could be lower than a credit card, depending on your credit score. Most personal loans come with a fixed interest rate, which makes budgeting easier.

And a personal loan might allow you to borrow a significant amount of money and have several years to pay it off.

The Takeaway

How much does a divorce cost? A good answer might be: More than most people hope it will be. Let’s just say average divorce costs are in the thousands.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. Checking your rate takes just a minute.


SoFi’s Personal Loan was named NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Personal Loan overall.


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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

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How to Use a Trailing Stop Loss Properly

How to Use a Trailing Stop-loss Properly

A trailing stop loss allows investors to create a built-in safety mechanism to insulate themselves against downward pricing trends. It’s an important exit strategy that day traders can use to manage their risk.

Understanding how a trailing stop order works and how to use it properly can help cap potential losses when day trading investments.

What Is a Trailing Stop-loss?

A trailing stop-loss offers a flexible approach to minimizing investment losses. A trailing stop order trails the price of the underlying investment by a percentage or a specific dollar amount. So, if an investor buys shares at $50 each, they might impose a trailing stop limit of 10%. If the stock’s share price dipped by 10% they’d be sold automatically.

To understand trailing stop-loss, it helps to have a basic understanding of how limit orders and stop orders work.

A limit order is an order to buy or sell a security once it reaches a specific price. If the order is to buy, it only gets triggered at or below the limit price. If the order is to sell, the order can only get executed at or above the limit price. Limit orders are typically filled on a first-come, first-served basis in the market.

A stop order, also referred to as a stop-loss order (yet another of the stock order types), is also an order to buy or sell a particular investment. The difference is that the transaction occurs once a security’s market price reaches a certain point. For example, if you buy shares of stock for $50 each, you might create a stop order to sell those shares if the price dips to $40. Once a stop or limit order is executed, it becomes a market order.

Stop orders help you either lock in a set purchase price for an investment or cap the amount of losses you incur when you sell if the security’s price drops. While you can use them to manage investment risk, stop orders are fixed at a certain share price.

💡 Quick Tip: How do you decide if a certain trading platform or app is right for you? Ideally, the investment platform you choose offers the features that you need for your investment goals or strategy, e.g., an easy-to-use interface, data analysis, educational tools.

How a Trailing Stop Order Works

Using a trailing stop to manage investments can help you capitalize on stock market movements and momentum. You determine a preset price at which you want to sell a stock, based on how a particular investment is trending, rather than pinpointing an exact dollar amount.

You can decide where to set a trailing stop limit, based on your risk tolerance and what you expect an investment to do over time. What remains consistent is the percentage by which you can control losses as the investment’s price changes.

Example

So, assume that you purchase 100 shares of stock at $50 each. You set a trailing stop order at 10%. If the share price dips to $45, which reflects a 10% loss, those shares would be sold automatically capping your total loss on the investment at $500.

Now, assume that the stock takes off instead and the share price doubles to $100 with the same 10% trailing stop in place. Your stop order would only be triggered if the stock’s price falls to $90. If you had set a regular stop order at $40 instead, there’d be a much wider margin for losses since the stock’s price has further to fall before shares would be sold. Thus, trailing stops enhanced downside protection compared to a regular stop order.

3 Advantages of Using a Trailing Stop Order

There are several benefits that come with using a trailing stop limit to manage your investments.

1. Tandem Movements

First, trailing stops move in tandem with stock pricing. As a stock’s per share price increases, the trailing stop follows. In the previous example, when the stock’s price doubled from $50 to $90, the trailing stop price moved from $45 to $90. In effect, it’s a hands-off tool — which can be great for some investors.

2. Confidence

Implementing a trailing stop limit strategy can offer reassurance since you know shares will be sold automatically if the stop order is triggered. That can offer investors some confidence in what may be a chaotic market environment. That, for many, can be very valuable.

3. Take Emotion Out of the Equation

Trailing stop limits rely on math rather than emotions when making decisions. That can also help you avoid the temptation to try to time the market and either sell too quickly or hold on to a stock too long, impacting your profit potential.


💡 Quick Tip: How to manage potential risk factors in a self directed investment account? Doing your research and employing strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification may help mitigate financial risk when trading stocks.

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How Do You Set up a Trailing Stop Order?

If you’re day trading online, it’s relatively simple to set up a trailing stop loss order for individual securities. Because the orders are flexible, you can choose where you want to set the baseline percentage at which stocks should be sold. For example, if you’re less comfortable with risk you might set a trailing stop at 5% or less. But if you’re a more aggressive portfolio, you may bump the order up to 20% or 30%.

You can also control whether you want buy or sell actions to happen automatically or whether you want to place trades manually. Automating ensures that the trades happen as quickly as possible, but performing them manually may be preferable if you’re more of a hands-on trader.

Example of a Trailing Stop-loss Order

Though we’ve already given some quick examples of how a trailing stop-loss order might work in a practical sense, let’s run through it again.

Say that you buy 100 shares of Company A stock for $10. You set up a trailing stop-loss order at 10%, meaning that if Company A stock falls to $9 or below, a sell order will automatically be executed. The next week, Company A stock’s value rises to $12 — the trailing stop loss order follows. The week after, Company A’s stock loses 15% of its value, falling from $12 to $10.20.

The stop-loss order kicked in when the stock lost 10%, so your shares were sold at $10.80, saving you $0.60 per share, for a total of $60.

Again, this can be helpful if investors want to “lock in” their gains and cash out stocks with a positive return.

Are There Any Downsides of Using a Trailing Stop?

Investing is risky by nature, and no strategy is foolproof. While trailing stops can help minimize losses without placing a cap on profits, there are some downsides to consider.

Accessibility

Depending on which brokerage account you’re using, you may face limits on which investments you can use trailing stop loss strategy with. Some online brokerages don’t allow any type of stop loss trading at all.

Potential to Lock-in Losses

If a stock you own experiences a two-day slide in price, your stop loss order might require your shares be sold. If on the third day, the stock rebounds with a 20% price increase, you’ve missed out on those gains and locked in your losses. If you want to repurchase the stock you’ll now have to do so at a higher price point, and you’ve missed your chance to buy the dip.

Velocity Challenges

If share prices drop too quickly there may be some lag time before your trailing stop order can be fulfilled. In that scenario, you might end up incurring bigger losses than expected, regardless of where you placed your stop price limit.

No Market for the Security

It’s possible an investor finds themselves holding a stock that nobody wants — meaning that it has no liquidity, and can’t be traded. This is unlikely, but in this case, a stop-loss order couldn’t execute as there’s no one to trade with.

Market Closure

If you’ve set up trailing stop-loss orders, they can’t and won’t execute when the market is closed. Security prices can go up and down after-hours, but market orders can only be executed during normal operating hours for stock exchanges.

Using a market-on-open order may be another tool to consider if investors are concerned about this scenario.

Gaps

On the same note as market closures, pricing gaps — which may occur due to after-hours pricing movements, for instance — can and do occur. A stop-loss order may not help in those cases, and investors may lose more than anticipated as a result.

How to Use a Trailing Stop-loss Strategy

Using trailing stops is better suited as part of a short-term trading strategy, rather than long-term investing. Buy-and-hold investors focused on value don’t need to worry as much about day-to-day price movements.

With that in mind, there are a few things to consider before putting trailing stop orders to work. A good starting point is your personal risk tolerance and the level of loss you’d be comfortable accepting in your portfolio. This can help determine where to set your trailing stop loss limit.

Again, if you’re a more conservative investor then it might make sense to set the percentage threshold lower. But if you have a larger appetite for risk, you could go higher. You can also tailor thresholds to individual investments to balance out your overall risk exposure.

Technical Indicators

Becoming familiar with technical indicators could help you become more adept at reading the market so you can better gauge where to set trailing limits. Unlike fundamental analysis, technical analysis primarily focuses on decoding market signals regarding trends, momentum, volatility and trading volume.

This means taking a closer look at a security’s price movements and understanding how it’s trending. One indicator you might rely on is the Average True Range (ATR). The ATR measures how much a security moves up or down in price on any given day. This number can tell you where to set your trailing loss limit based on whether price momentum is moving in your favor.

In addition to ATR you might also study moving averages and standard deviation to understand where a stock’s price may be headed. Moving averages reflect the average price of a security over time while standard deviation measures volatility. Considering these variables, along with your risk tolerance and overall investment goals, can help you use trailing losses in your portfolio correctly.

Applying Your Stock Trading Knowledge With SoFi

Whether you plan to use trailing stop strategies in your portfolio or not, making sure you’re working with the right brokerage matters. Ideally, you’re using an online brokerage that offers access to the type of securities you want to invest in with minimal fees so you can keep more of your portfolio gains.

Keep in mind, though, that utilizing stop-loss orders isn’t foolproof, and that there can be pros and cons to doing so. It’s also a somewhat advanced tool to incorporate into your strategy — if you don’t feel like you fully understand it, it may be worth discussing with a financial professional.

Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative funds, and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).

For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.

FAQ

How does a trailing stop-loss work?

A trailing stop-loss is a built-in mechanism that automatically sells an investor’s holdings when certain market conditions are met — specifically, when a stock loses a predetermined amount of value.

What is a disadvantage of a trailing stop-loss?

There are several potential disadvantages to using trailing stop-losses, including the fact that they won’t execute during market closures. Securities may lose value during that time, and traders could experience a pricing gap as a result.

What is a good trailing stop-loss percentage?

A good stop-loss percentage will depend on the individual investor’s risk tolerances, but many investors would likely be comfortable with a 5% or 10% trailing stop-loss.


Photo credit: iStock/akinbostanci

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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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