How and when to collect Social Security is likely to be a big factor in your retirement planning. During retirement, you may look forward to cashing in on your years of paying into Social Security by collecting a check each month. But if you have a substantial nest egg and don’t need the money, how [...]
A couple of years ago, I was invited to a presentation put on by an aggressive financial planner about all the reasons I and other tax professionals should try to convince our clients to begin investing in Roth IRAs instead of traditional IRAs and 401(k) plans. What did I learn? That if those of us [...]
Whether you’re interviewing for a new job or trying to renegotiate your salary with your current employer, preparation is important. You need to know what you’re worth and how to convey that to your employer. If you do your research now and look to personal finance advice from the experts, you could wind up with [...]
As millions of baby boomers approach retirement, many are facing some harsh financial realities after the economic roller coaster of the previous several years. Many soon-to-be retirees have had to put their retirement planning efforts into overdrive in order to recover from recent economic turmoil and account for higher healthcare and living costs. The National [...]
There’s a seemingly endless to do list when you’re moving out of state. Between packing, job hunting, and searching for the perfect new home, personal finance details can easily be lost in the shuffle. Vanessa Wendt, a conflicts specialist for a law firm in Washington, D.C., moved from Cincinnati five months ago—and she’s still working [...]
Home Office: Rules for Saving on Taxes Working from home? Here are the rules you should follow for saving on taxes with a home office. Insuring a home office Have you ever dreamed of working from home full time? No more commuting, no more office politics, and no more take-out dinners when you’re stuck at [...]
November is Military Family Appreciation Month , and Veterans Day is Monday, November 11. Servicemen and women face many unique financial challenges, and planning for retirement is one of them. No matter if this is your first enlistment or your last, the fact of the matter is that anyone who serves in the military will [...]
The Great Recession took many people by surprise and forced them to take a look at their spending habits. In order to stay afloat, millions of consumers were forced to reduce their spending on non-essential items in order to save money and stick to a tightened budget. While the economy is slowly recovering, people are [...]
Paying property taxes is an unavoidable—and expensive—part of homeownership. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to lower your real estate taxes. Figure out how your property taxes are computed Look at your property tax bill to see which government entity regulates your local property taxes. For example, it may be the county, city, parish, [...]
Fall has arrived, and the holiday season will be here before you know it. If thoughts of last year’s hectic holidays already have you in a panic, you may want to get an early start planning your holiday budget. With some early planning, you can stay organized, avoid overspending, and get a chance to actually [...]
