Should I Worry That My Home Title Will Be Stolen? Among the onslaught of media scams is one intended to scare homeowners by suggesting that home title theft is “all over the place.” The reality is anything but, but the scammers would like you to begin panicking now. In the absence of a relatively rare set of facts, you can sleep comfortably. Home title theft is a real, but rare form of fraud by which someone illegally transfers your property’s title through identity theft and forged documents, potentially resulting in significant financial and emotional consequences to homeowners. What is Home Title Theft? Home title theft occurs when a criminal uses stolen personal information to forge documents and transfer ownership of your property to themselves or to an accomplice. Once the title is in the fraudster’s name, that person may seek to borrow against your home’s equity, sell the property or create other financial liabil...
Investment and economic observations by N. Russell Wayne, CFP, MBA. Mr. Wayne is the president of Sound Asset Management, inc. and former Managing Editor of The Value Line Investment Survey.