Vacation season is almost upon us and, for many Americans who haven’t traveled abroad in several years, their vacations have been years in planning. However, even the best laid plans can quickly come unraveled if you don’t take some extra measures to ensure that your finances are protected before you leave on your trip.
As the saying goes there are two things that are inevitable: death and taxes. And, out of those two sure things, you can only really plan for your taxes. It should be no surprise when tax season surely and steadily rolls around again, yet every year there are plenty of individuals who file for a tax extension (in 2014 there were approximately 12 million Americans who did so).
If given the choice, most people would choose financial freedom over financial servitude. Who doesn’t want to be financially independent where their money is working for them as opposed to them working for money?
The annual meeting is rescheduled to sometime later this quarter and the family reunion is sometime next summer, but like certain holidays and your birthday you know you can always count on a few specific dates. It’s reassuring. One such day is Tax Day, AKA April 15. Yet, unlike a birthday this looming deadline tends to sneak up on you in the least enjoyable way.
You think back fondly on those halcyon collegiate days--studying in the quad, late-night pizza, tailgating for the big tailgating game, dorm living, tossing your graduation cap in the air...beyond the lifelong friends and the parties and fun, college helped you get to where you are today.
Few consumer products are the object of a love/hate relationship as life insurance. The thought of buying life insurance is not something that most physicians relish, yet, if it is done right, it can provide the greatest peace-of-mind a person can have. The key is to do it right.
For many people, structuring their auto insurance policy comes down to obtaining the greatest amount of coverage at the lowest cost. Because auto insurance has become commoditized, the focus often shifts to the premium amount as the primary point of comparison, which is fine as long as you don’t lose sight of what it is you are trying to protect.
After the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, we dig up our hopes and dreams and make some resolutions. Getting back in the gym, losing weight, and eating clean, are usually at the top of the list, but what about your finances? The health of your accounts, spending habits, and investments are just as important to evaluate.
Donations to charities are a win-win when it comes to filing taxes. You can feel good about helping a cause you care about as well as write off the donations to “qualified organizations” on your taxes at totals up to “50 percent of your adjusted gross income,” according to the Internal Revenue Service.
Think back to those early days in life when it seemed like everything in the candy aisle was free if you begged your parents hard enough. Not a fleeting thought was given to the expenses of a vacation or the copay costs at the doctor. There’s something beautifully unburdened in the way which children experience the world: recklessly present and innocently ambivalent.
If you are at the point where you are asking how to buy a life insurance policy, then you have already made the most important financial decision, which is to take the steps to insure your family’s or loved one’s financial security. For many people, that is most likely a critical decision that has long been procrastinated.
Ask anyone and even if they don’t know a thing about investing they’ll say, “oh, real estate is a great investment!” Well, it can be if you approach it in a smart way that works for you and your financial situation.
Perhaps you’ve lost a job, faced an illness or have been delt a family crisis that emptied out your emergency fund. What are your next steps?
You’re eyeing center-hall colonials in your neighborhood and dreaming about the garden you want to plant in the backyard and all the holiday celebrations you’ll host. You’ve saved toward this goal and think you’re ready to pull the trigger. But the real question is: How much house can I afford?
Or is it?
Social Security’s financial cliff is coming closer into view. Experts project that the fund that pays for government retirement benefits through FICA taxes will be depleted within the next 15 years.
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