The college years are an exciting and difficult time: From tuition payments to Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms to full or part-time employment, college may be the first time young adults are in charge of their own finances. With more financial freedom comes added responsibility, including a duty to pay Uncle Sam. [...]
Congratulations – your new baby has finally arrived. With this new addition comes added responsibility that can make it easy to forget about all the important things you need to do. While taxes aren’t the first thing you think about when your new baby arrives, forgetting anything on this list could have you scrambling come [...]
4 ways to save on monthly housing costs. Homeowners who are interested in lowering their monthly housing costs should give these money saving tips a try. Owning a home is cheaper than it was five years ago. Believe it or not, on average, homeowners are spending about $65 less per month on their mortgages than [...]
Here are a few of the topics covered on this week’s radio show. Caller question: I’m moving to a new city for five years—should I buy a new house in cash or take out a mortgage? [3:22] Consider a 10-year mortgage. The interest rates are so low that you can borrow money cheaply, while keeping [...]
Most luxury homebuyers are looking for two amenities when they start house shopping. http://youtu.be/WMa_WPh9bD0 A survey by Realtor.com looked at what luxury homebuyers want the most in a house. The majority of respondents – 54 percent – said they wanted a chef’s kitchen. Another large group – 44 percent of people surveyed – said [...]
The other day, a client called me very proudly. She had made her second quarterly estimated tax payment “right on time”—on July 15. I couldn’t help chuckling. After all, she tried to get it right. Unfortunately, she was actually one month late on her payment. Estimated taxes are used to pay taxes on income not [...]
Anyone preparing to go back to school has probably considered paying tuition, at least in part, with their retirement savings. After all, the money is just sitting there, waiting to be used. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should use it to pay for your degree. “Don’t do it,” says Kathy Ruby, senior college financial [...]
How do you know if you’re ready for a financial planner? After all, it’s sort of a strange proposition: You’re spending money on someone who will tell you how to spend your money. But that’s exactly why millions of people see financial planners in the first place. “Typically, people who come to me are already [...]
While the National Association of Insurance Commissioners reports that the average annual cost for auto insurance has declined over the past year, some consumers may still be looking to save money on their policies. One way that consumers may choose to lower their insurance payments is by taking advantage of a program known as pay-as-you-drive [...]
There is an old saying that people spend more time planning for a vacation than they do for retirement. You can imagine that most people spend even less time with estate planning. Planning for death or incapacity might not be on your bucket list, but it must be considered, especially when it relates to your [...]
