We cover the basics and more about personal finance, answering frequently asked questions about credit and debt, identity theft, saving for college, retirement, estate planning, insurance, taxes, job hunting, and raising money-savvy kids. Check out the articles, columns, blog posts, radio shows and videos for tons of personal finance advice.
What Size Retirement Is Right for You?
You might already have plans for your golden years, but finding the right size retirement for you is crucial to make them a reality. Unexpected health and other costs are bound to come up, so the sooner you know what you want retirement to look like, the faster you’ll be able to adjust your plans [...]
Do I Have to File Income Taxes for More than One State?
For some, the process of filing income taxes can be a complicated one; however, it can become even more complicated for those who need to file returns for more than one state. This is where Maryland CPA John Curtin sees the most confusion among his clients. The rules for paying income taxes as a non-resident [...]
5 Common Myths About Car Insurance
When buying car insurance, it’s important to understand the factors that can affect your premium rates and coverage. But how can you tell the difference between truth and fiction? A good place to start is by reading the following on the five common myths about auto insurance. Myth 1: It’s all black and white During [...]
How to Have a Financial Discussion With Aging Parents
Family and money—the combination can be tricky, and when it comes to talking about finances with aging parents, years of communication and family culture can often get in the way. That’s why many financial professionals say that using a sensitive, respectful, and tactful tone with adult parents may make financial conversations easier. “It is a [...]
Are Americans Saving Enough for Retirement?
Many working Americans are tapping into their retirement funds for emergencies and unexpected expenses, and millions more have no savings for retirement at all, according to a 2015 survey by financial services website Bankrate.com. The survey also revealed that fewer than one-fourth of workers ages 50 to 64 have seen their retirement savings suffer over [...]
9 Ways to Save $7,000 in 2016
Maybe you wish you could save more money for a rainy day or to spend on a nice vacation, but the thought of giving up free time to work a second job doesn’t sound attractive to you. If so, it might be time to make some minor course corrections with your budget. You may be [...]
Getting Divorced During Retirement: How to Handle the Money
Americans are living longer, and people typically want to spend those extra years enjoying life and being happy. For some, that means divorce after retirement, a situation that brings with it a unique set of financial hurdles. A recent study from Bowling Green University found that the rate of divorce in Americans over age 50 [...]
How to Retire When You’re Self-Employed
Being your own boss offers a lot of flexibility and opportunity for financial growth. But saving for retirement when you’re self employed can be a difficult path to navigate. That’s why Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd., equates the strategies of investing and creating a self-employment retirement savings plan to playing a [...]
6 Questions to Ask Your Tax Preparer
6 questions to ask your tax preparer. Ask these basic but important questions to determine which tax professional you should hire. If you’ve decided that you will not be handling this year’s tax filing yourself, even with the help of an online filing program, there are plenty of professional tax preparers willing to do it [...]
Working in Retirement: How to Plan for the Next Stage
Retirement used to be about hard-earned relaxation—lounging on a beach, with golf games and cribbage tournaments as the only appointments on the calendar. But if a September AARP survey of nearly 5,000 workers ages 50 to 64 is any indication, work may be the new golf. More than one-third of those surveyed expect to work [...]