Every once in a while, I like to offer ideas on saving money while buying items I know you will purchase anyway. The hope is that if you don’t spend as much on, say, Halloween costumes, you will save more in your 401(k). I am ever the optimist. Along those lines, I know you are…
Sometimes it’s nice to just revisit the basics of good #personalfinance. This could be a refresher for you or something to talk to your kids about. This is a quick list of what to do (in order) if you have a windfall of money. Like, maybe, a tax refund. Pay off credit card debt…
With the current uncertainty about every single thing happening with the federal government, a question I get asked a lot is what I think will happen to Social Security. While I do believe reducing Social Security would be difficult to enact unilaterally (and SO unpopular that no sane politician would try it), there is the…
Sure, religious holidays shouldn’t be made fun of. But let’s face it, the idea of a well-dressed giant rabbit hiding eggs (at $1.10 per pop!) all over your yard is an easy target for comedians. “I lied on my Weight Watchers list. I put down that I had three eggs… but they were Cadbury…
I read an interesting article about the factors that might contribute to people living to age 100. For grins (or maybe “grims”) here are how some of the study findings apply to me. Why is this important? Well, if I’m counting on living to age 95, my projected retirement spending can be higher than if…
Ever since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the US Federal Reserve kept interest rates at nearly 0% to stimulate the economy. As a result, safe money (cash you held for emergency funds or short-term needs) earned no interest whether that money was in a checking account, savings account, or money market fund. For so…
I’m trying to think of an expression, like “counting your chickens before the eggs hatch” that applies to considering inheritance as part of your financial plan. Or maybe, with egg prices what they are, we are just hoping to inherit a healthy chicken coop. Anyway, a topic of conversation that often comes up in planning…
This month, I’m pleased to feature the expertise of my friend and Realtor, Renee Cohen. Renee and I started our businesses around the same time, and I’ve always enjoyed exchanging ideas about growing our firms, serving clients, and the state of the economy. Recently, Renee added a certification to help divorcing clients with their real…
Ask my lovely CPA, I am NOT a tax expert. But, looking at the most common tax filing mistakes, a lot of these seem like clerical errors rather than complex tax decisions. Read on to save yourself some headaches after tax season. Inaccurate Personal Information: One of the most frequent errors is entering incorrect…
Well, maybe not in love (see Romeo, Juliet, etc.) but according to – gasp! – both parties in Congress and former President Joe Biden, Social Security is getting a little fairer this year. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law by President Biden on January 5, 2025, ends the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and…
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