An investment is any action you can take with your money, in hopes that it will bring you a greater return on your money. The investment could be in stocks, bonds, real estate, retirement plans, or even collectibles. Learn here about different types of investments and how to deal with taxes, brokers, and more when it comes to your investments.
Evaluating Fees in Your Retirement Accounts
Saving enough money for retirement usually means that you will have to open new accounts to diversify your portfolio and to let your money accumulate and grow over time. But these retirement accounts don’t take care of themselves without any oversight; someone has to pay for account management. It’s important to periodically evaluate the fees [...]
Ilyce Glink Show – Economy Contracts as Dow Rises – February 3, 2013
Economy contracts as Dow rises, showing healthy stock market investment that could be trouble for jobs this year. Mortgage loan interest rates also rose. And as usual, providing personal finance advice, real estate advice and consumer advice on the Ilyce Glink Show on February 3, 2013 at 11:00am Eastern Time on WSB Radio. Welcome and [...]
Five Questions to Ask about Your Retirement Plan
January is a good time to make an appointment with your financial planner—or find one if you don’t already have one—to make sure your retirement plan is growing in the right direction. Fee-only financial planner Brent Perry, CFP®, of Piedmont Financial Advisors, LLC, in Indianapolis, Ind., suggests asking your advisor these five retirement questions during [...]
Contract for Deed for Underwater Real Estate Investors
A contract for deed is another option for underwater real estate investors when trying to sell their homes. Q: I recently read your article "Not a lot of help forthcoming to underwater investors." I want to add another option for that real estate investor to consider. Having been in the real estate business for about [...]
Three Tips for Giving Investments as Gifts
Thoughts of gift-giving often run to gadgets, homemade items, food, books, and gift cards. While these ideas are great and can be thoughtful and unique, they are consumable to some degree. Another option is to give something that has the potential to really keep giving: investments. When you prepare to give investments as gifts, here [...]
Tax Tips That Can Save You Real Money
Most investors have their eye on the wrong ball. They try to time the market, pick stocks, and pick “hot” fund managers. There is no data indicating anyone can engage in these activities successfully over an extended period of time. Much-touted winning streaks of the investment guru du jour are a consequence of luck and [...]
Investment Income Tax Won’t Hit Most Homeowners
New investment income tax won't hit most homeowners. The Obama health care bill contains a new investment income tax but it won't hit most homeowners. Homeowner's with investment income over $250,000 will be hit with a new investment income tax. Investment income includes investment profit from a home sale, but the investment income tax won't hit most homeowners. Homeowners hit by the new investment income tax must have investment income over $250,000, so the investment income tax won't hit most homeowners.
Pay Off Investment Property Or Pay Down Mortgage?
Decide to payoff an investment property or pay down the mortgage. Don't pay off an investment property and pay down the mortgage at the same time. Consider interest rates on loans before paying off mortgage loans on an investment property or primary home mortgage. Refinance mortgage loans before you pay down a primary home mortgage or investment property mortgage loan.
1031 Exchange: Rolling Real Estate Profits Into Another Real Estate Purchase
Investing the profits from one real estate property into another purchase requires the use of a 1031 exchange. A 1031 exchange allows you to defer any capital gains tax owed on profits you earned from selling the first real estate property when you invest the profits into another real estate purchase. There are very specific rules, but if you follow them correctly, the 1031 exchange allows you to defer taxes from the profits from the first piece of real estate as long you own your new real estate.
Avoid Capital Gains Or Gift Tax On Real Estate Investment
What's the best way to pass a second home on to heirs? If you don't want to pay capital gains tax on a sale or a gift tax you should give your heirs an ownership share of the home gradually. If you give an amount of the real estate investment equal to the amount that's not subject to gift tax you can avoid gift tax. Right now you can give people up to $13,000 a year tax-free. That protects everyone from paying capital gains tax or gift tax on this real estate investment.