You’ve been working hard toward retirement, and by taking a few last steps, you can help ensure you’ll be on the right track in your Golden Years. If you’re nearing the end of your career, here are four steps you can take now to get your finances ready. 1. Calculate your retirement needs. If you [...]
In a world bombarded with investing advice, it can be tough to figure out which individual retirement account (IRA) is right for you. Ideally, you want to begin investing for retirement as soon as you start earning an income. While many young adults may think there’s no need to rush into funding a retirement account [...]
If you owe money to the IRS, the agency could file a tax lien against you. A tax lien is a legal claim to all of a taxpayer’s property for the amount that taxpayer owes the IRS. It establishes priority rights against other creditors that might also have liens against the taxpayer’s assets. In addition [...]
Your retirement should be the happiest time of your life. At last, you have time for the things you love most: family, hobbies, travel, and volunteering. With proper planning, you can make sure that your retirement lives up to your expectations—and that may include selling your house and buying a home in a new area. [...]
After you’ve decided on which plan might work best for you, it’s time to shop for and compare insurance plans to ensure you find the health insurance policy that fits your needs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, also called Obamacare) requires everyone, except those in very specific circumstances, to purchase health insurance. [...]
It’s a dilemma many homeowners face: I want to put more money toward my house so I will pay less interest in the long term, but I also want to keep cash on hand in case an emergency crops up and I need it in the short term. The all-in-one mortgage or “accelerator mortgage” is [...]
As a first-time homebuyer, you’ll hear a lot of advice telling you to shop around for a mortgage. Ideally, this doesn’t just mean contacting a bank or two. It also means talking with different types of lenders and brokers. But, frankly, it can be hard to tell the difference between these options—particularly between a mortgage [...]
You may be physically and mentally ready to retire, but are you financially ready? The answer depends on a number of factors, including your health, your debts, and how well you’ve planned for retirement. When can I retire? There really is no “right” answer to this question as there is no magic number or dollar [...]
Fantasy sports leagues are booming, with an estimated 41 million players last year in the United States and Canada, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. The average U.S. fan of sports fantasy leagues spends about nine hours each week on his or her team. Fantasy sports players also spend an average of $111 in [...]
If you’re self-employed, getting a mortgage can be a lot harder than it would be if you were working for someone else. What can you do if you want to buy a house but don’t have a full-time job? The good news is most lenders are willing to work with self-employed borrowers once they’ve taken [...]
