Tax Repercussions of Divorce The worst time in your life is when you face a divorce. All logic flies out the window. Emotions rage and rule. Nobody gets a fair deal. There are a million stories—and you probably know many of them personally. Setting emotions aside for the moment, let’s look at tax repercussions that [...]
Want to Buy a New House? Beware Developers Hawking Empty Subdivisions If you’ve been dreaming of living in a brand-new home that no one else has ever lived in, you’re in luck. Due to the fallout from the Great Recession, including the bursting of an enormous housing bubble, rampant foreclosures, and the lowest mortgage interest [...]
Auto Insurance Options: Collision Coverage Vs. Comprehensive Coverage If a tree falls on a BMW in the woods and no one is around, will it be covered by insurance? Buying insurance can be a pain, but it’s probably less of a hassle than dealing with the consequences of having an accident if you don’t have [...]
Tax Consequences of Unemployment In Bell, Calif., the city manager, assistant city manager, and chief of police recently resigned in the government wage scandal of the decade. While they may collect unreasonably generous pensions, they won’t be collecting unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. In California, as in most states, in order to collect unemployment benefits you [...]
Security freezes, credit monitoring, fraud alerts–all are ways to keep track of your credit and watch out for identity theft. FAQ: What is a security freeze? A security freeze prevents your credit report from being shared with most third parties. It can be a helpful tool to fight identity theft and fraud, because it prevents [...]
Last year, I found myself shopping at a major retailer. The store was having a great sale, and I found a fair number of clothes that fit me, all at an excellent price. When I was checking out, the cashier offered me a big discount if I opened up a major credit card co-branded with [...]
Insuring a Home Office Over my twenty-five years in the insurance business, I’ve not only become an expert in the ins and outs of insurance coverage, but I’ve also learned a thing or two about being a business owner. As an independent insurance office, Rey Insurance has a lot of the same needs and concerns [...]
Before one of my EA Exam Review classes recently, a student asked the class for guidance. Rosie said that her client had a house that was underwater. Considering the hurricanes, floods, and storms we’ve been having, I thought she meant it literally. But no—Rosie’s client’s home loan was upside down: the mortgage balance was higher [...]
How to Save More Money at Home According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, some 55 percent of Americans have seen their household income fall or—in the case of those who have lost their job—evaporate. If you’re bringing home less than you were, there are only two ways to make up the shortfall: earn [...]
Insuring a Vacant Home Knock, knock. Who’s there? No one — and that can spell trouble for you and your insurance coverage if something goes wrong when you’re not there. If your home is left vacant for an extended period of time—thirty days or longer—you can protect yourself with insurance in case something goes wrong [...]
