It’s a common question: Should I borrow from my 401(k) to buy a house? With all that money sitting untouched in an account, it can be tempting to loan yourself some cash for a down payment on the home of your dreams—but is it a good idea? The answer depends on your circumstances, but there [...]
If you lose your job, your tax bill probably isn’t going to be the first thing on your mind. But when you file for unemployment, you’ll need to pay attention to your state’s tax laws. I live in California, which doesn’t tax unemployment benefits, so I was surprised to find that the majority of states [...]
If you’re approaching your golden years, how confident are you that you can live comfortably? If you’re worried that you might outlive your money, you have plenty of company—43 percent of retirees aren’t entirely sure they’re financially prepared, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Thankfully, you don’t have to lie awake worrying about it. [...]
Saving money is often top of mind when it comes to home improvements, whether you’re planning a home addition, remodeling your kitchen, or swapping out your bathroom fixtures. As you plan your project, here are seven time-tested tips that may help you save both time and money: 1. Make hiring the right contractor your first [...]
The National Center for Charitable Statistics reports that more than half of charities and foundations said they received the majority of their donations in October, November, and December. If you made charitable contributions over the holidays and you want to receive tax deductions for them, how you made your donations is important. Situations that don’t generate [...]
For 20-somethings without mortgages, spouses or kids, life insurance may be the furthest thing from their minds. After all, most people start thinking about purchasing it when they reach one of three milestones: buying a home, getting married, or starting a family. While data shows that many Millennials are now delaying homeownership, marriage and parenthood, [...]
On two occasions, I’ve been the victim of a crime that could have resulted in identity theft. The first instance occurred when I was walking down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and a young girl grabbed my makeup case thinking it was my wallet (she hesitantly returned it to me after I pointed out that fact). [...]
Winter can be a great time to purchase a new or new-to-you vehicle. Dealerships are often very slow—consumers are weighed down by holiday debt or hesitant to venture out in the cold to shop for a car—so car salespeople are eager to work with buyers. Before you run out to a dealer, however, it’s important [...]
Winter is here, but the spring housing market is not far away. If you’re selling your home in 2015, now is the time to do a little homework and concentrate on what really counts: properly pricing and preparing your house to sell. Price your house right While there’s always information in the news about average [...]
Smart people use the month of December to work on tax reduction strategies. One of the most common tax reduction strategies is to pay your January mortgage payment in December. If you did this, you may be wondering just how doing so will impact your 2014 taxes—the taxes you pay in 2015. If you paid [...]
