FinanceAnswers Blog http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance FinanceAnswers 2010 I turned 30 at the end of last year. Reaching this milestone has really got me thinking about what I want to accomplish in the coming decade — especially in terms of finances. I made a lot of money mistakes while in my 20s, but, for the most part, t http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:43:29 -0600 I ran across an interesting bit of research today suggesting that one of the leading ways investors get suckered into investment bubbles, and subsequently decimate our annual performance, is that we are far too concerned with being left out of the mo http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:20:25 -0600 Don’t miss the IRA contribution deadline! Make sure you make your 2009 IRA contribution before April 15! With stocks performing so well these days, fully funding your IRA for 2009 (and 2010) could mean a tremendous boost toward saving for retirement. http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:26:20 -0600 HOW FAST THE MARKETS RECOVER A look at how the markets have rebounded through the years. The stock market is amazingly resilient. You might be surprised at how fast the stock market can ch http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:15:11 -0600 Caregiving 101: Helping Older Relatives Articulate Their Long-Term Care Wishes In the coming months, preparation has begun for a presentation to my NAPFA http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:13:00 -0600 How Your Personality Affects Your Financial Decision-Making All investors are not created equal. That’s why many fiduciary fee-only CFP® start their initial clie http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:11:19 -0600 Don't Miss the Match! Are you taking full advantage of your company’s 401(k)? The 401(k) plan is one of the most widely-utilized wealth creation tools offered Americans. These retirement s http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:09:57 -0600 Downsizing Isn’t All About Stuff: It Can Be a Smart Financial Move, Too As people move into their 50s and 60s, priorities change. The hours spent on home improvements and the sheer time necessary to mainta http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:07:11 -0600 BREAKING THE SURFACE Four tips for recovering from unemployment. Any period of unemployment is fraught with stress – both personal and financial. While landing that formerly-elusive new job can be a rel http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:05:42 -0600 Tax season is in high gear, and April 15 is creeping closer, April 30th for Canadian readers. However, it’s important to double check your tax return — even if it is prepared by someone else. Anyone can make a mistake, and the information entered int http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:34:53 -0600 When times are tough, it's too easy to put tax management issues on the back burner. Sheltering your investment profits from taxes may seem like a remote concern when your accounts are a sea of red ink. And you may feel you have more pressing demands http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:33:28 -0600 I lost count of how many people I spoke to in December who said, “Thank goodness 2009 is over.” As we enter 2010, I think most of us can agree. Lawrence Yun, the chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, stated that 2009 was the year o http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:26:34 -0600 One of the most basic ways to save money is to invest in cash through some sort of savings account. This is considered a rule of personal finance, and many of us save money this way, using a traditional savings account or an online high yield savings http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:28:21 -0600 You’ve worked hard and managed to put a decent amount away. By nature you are a very conservative investor so bank CD’s seem like the natural choice. Right now interest rates are at historic lows so you’re open to other fixed-rate alternatives. In http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:09:13 -0600 I’m sure most people have heard the terms Tax Withholdings and W-4s. After receiving my tax refund I decided to see how I could adjust my taxes in order to not receive a refund next year. First we need to get everyone on the same page and understand http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:27:12 -0600 Crude oil prices have fluctuated more than market could ever hope or want to in the past 24 months. Crude oil prices rose 77.94% across 2009. As amazing as that seems, gasoline futures rose 93.27%. Diesel fuels was up 49.16% for 2009 and the heating http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:27:08 -0600 As you know, the provisions from the Credit CARD Act are taking effect. Some of these changes definitely offer better protection, but it doesn’t mean that you can just ignore the letters that come through the mail. When it comes to credit cards, you http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:34:12 -0600 The Roth IRA is a great tool to create wealth. Depending on where you open your Roth IRA account, you can invest in any security. Mutual funds and stocks, if managed correctly, will generate a greater return than compound interest on a savings acco http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:18:44 -0600 Congress's legislation for credit-card relief, commonly referred to as the CARD Act, goes into effect this coming Monday, Feb. 22. WalletPop and other media outlets have been covering the arrival of the new law for months now, but there are still a l http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:13:14 -0600 The Roth IRA is a great investment option that offers tax free growth and tax diversification, and is an important part of many people’s retirement planning. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned and you may need to make a withdrawal from http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:56:48 -0600 Roth IRA conversion rules are changing next year. Even if you make more than $100,000, you’ll be allowed to convert Traditional IRA money into after-tax Roth money. You can even spread the tax payments out over a few years to make it easier if you co http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:34:41 -0600 2010 will mark as one of the most exciting years of the Roth IRA account since its creation in 1997. Many of the basic rules and contribution limits have sustained, but what is creating most of the hype is the 2010 Roth IRA conversion event. One t http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:46:13 -0600 Should you rethink that switch to a Roth? At least you should understand the potential pitfalls, because a hasty move could wind up costing you a lot of dough. If the number of phone calls to mutual fund companies and the comments posted to articl http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:23:05 -0600 This morning, I came across a study (thanks again to my friends on Twitter) reporting that more and more affluent investors have more dollars allocated to their individual retirement accounts (IRAs) than to their employer-sponsored retirement plans ( http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:19:14 -0600 Everyone wants to try and get the best deal they can when it comes to taxes. You’ve probably heard plenty about the home buyer tax credit, but unless you are a first time home buyer, or haven’t bought a home in several years, you don’t qualify. Addit http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:03:07 -0600 Shortly after Schwab started offering transaction free trading in it s proprietary line of Exchange Traded Funds, Fidelity has now rolled out free trading in iShares ETFs to its retail and advisor accounts. For an ETF investor, these appear to be a g http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:14:32 -0600 Starting a Roth IRA can easily be the single best choice you’ve made of your entire life. Well, other than ordering a Double Double from In-N-Out Burger, of course. –if you haven’t tried it, you’ll just have to take my word for it :) Maybe you wa http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:27:48 -0600 Over the past few months my employers have been scrambling to try and manage the company’s health care costs in light of pending increases in premiums both for the company, and for employees. With all the uncertainty with pending health care legislat http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:46:20 -0600 People make a lot of mistakes when it comes to IRA and 401(k)-related decisions. And I can’t blame them. The tax code is obscenely complex. That said, there’s no need for you to make these mistakes. 1. Converting to a Roth when it makes no sense J http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:43:46 -0600 A reader recently asked me how to choose between ETFs when creating a low-cost ETF portfolio. The first step, of course, is to choose the asset allocation that you want. But what then? For example, any of the following ETFs could satisfy the large http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:06:15 -0600 You’ve heard it said, “Clarifinancial is the only way to get custom life insurance quotes from multiple agents without any hassle.” A lot of companies make claims they can’t back up – even with solid economic research. One thing is true: there is http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:53:15 -0600 Communications Gap: Explaining ETFs To Your Clients I was recently privileged to be on a panel at the Inside ETF Conference in Boca Raton, FL last week. The event was a great success with over 800 attendees, and was broadcasted live by CNBC. M http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:40:00 -0600 ETFs are empowering individual and professional investors with the power of transparency, diversification, low fees, and, compared to many of active fund managers, better performance. Exchange Traded Funds allow investors the ability to buy and hold http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:35:59 -0600 My wife and I have been unable to contribute to Roth IRAs for the past several years due to the Roth IRA income limits. We have Roth IRAs from years that we were eligible, and we both have rolled over 401(k)s from previous employers to IRAs. I was pl http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:37:42 -0600 Thinking about buying life insurance for your parents? There are a few things to consider. You might even want to consider if you need insurance on them at all. As we http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:14:30 -0600 I am on a lot of email lists from life insurance news sources and life insurance companies. Every once in a while, I get one company or news source that gets a bee in their bonnet about “creative uses of life insurance”. Inevitably, this is some kind http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:06:59 -0600 Two years ago I started getting smart about my finances and in the time since, I’ve been able to put away enough money to max out my Roth IRA. I’m a grad student on a teaching-assistant income. As such, I don’t have a huge amount of cash lying around http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:36:47 -0600 You think I’m just joking, but retirement is no laughing matter unless you already accumulated millions and retired early (in which case you can laugh out loud 24/7). I think everybody should max out their Roth IRA, right now. Here’s why... http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:43:20 -0600 Last year was the first year I have been able to make the maximum contribution to my Roth IRA, thanks in large part to becoming debt free. I was also able to fund a spousal IRA for my wife, who stays home with our kids. Now that it is 2010 I am ps http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:25:38 -0600 BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- As years go, 2010 is on course to be a blockbuster for retirement-account owners. Starting in January, all Americans who own a traditional IRA -- not just those who have modified adjusted gross income under $100,000 -- will be http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:32:43 -0600 My baby boomer clients are finally starting to grasp the concept of the tax free benefits of the Roth IRA. So much in fact in that they want to make sure that their kids start a Roth IRA and, in some cases, even their grandchildren. I even had one gr http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:28:16 -0600 Previously (prior to 2008) to rollover your 401(k) into a Roth IRA you had to use the following process: 1. Open a traditional IRA 2. Rollover your 401(k) to the traditional IRA 3. Open a Roth IRA 4. Convert the amount in the tradit http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:48:00 -0600 The start of the decade had us worrying about the digital bug Y2K. Then the last part had us helplessly watching our 401k’s get slashed into 201k’s. As 2009 comes to a close, 2010 starts a decade filled with much uncertainty. One thing that always re http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:35:23 -0600 Congress has extended energy efficiency tax credits for most homeowners through the end of 2010, so if you’ve been looking to upgrade your water heater or windows and doors, you can probably still get a tax credit in the coming year. Some less commo http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:14:17 -0600 I’ve heard a lot of so-called financial experts say it, and they are wrong. Term life insurance is not “pure insurance”. Don’t be confused into a choice by the talking heads. Learn all the hidden things in your term insurance. Term insurance is su http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:41:56 -0600 Mutual funds are now closing 'B' shares left and right, leaving one to ponder if this is because of demand for fiduciary responsibility in the financial marketplace. Salespersons, often disguised as “financial advisors,” sell mutual funds for a com http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:08:04 -0600 Before 2009 ends, some things you might want to consider. Now is the time to consider some year-end financial moves – there are only two weeks left - little and not-so-little things you might do to pla http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:33:36 -0600 Perhaps you’re sitting there scratching your head, wondering what happened to your plans! Whatever grand allusions you had for retirement – whether it was spending more time with family, more time volunteering or simply more time seeing the wonde http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:04:23 -0600 Clarifinancial matches people who are looking for insurance with people who sell it. Real people communicate relevant information anonymously to multiple agents and get real information back. The quotes come from multiple experienced agents, many of http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:05:26 -0600 Quote of the month. “You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.” – Warren Buffett The month in brief. The Dow climbed 6.51% in http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:36:23 -0600 For many, the benefits of creating a long term diversified index portfolio are well known. In fact the emergence of ETFs, with their easy access to small cap international, emerging markets, commodities, foreign currency, and many other hard to rea http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:27:25 -0600 It is amazing how powerful this is when you REALLY analyze it. I know it was for me. The Temptation of Dining Out The other day after church we had a moment of weakness. We were feeling lazy and wanton, and had no Sunday afternoon meal http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:17:44 -0600 It may sound like there are agents out there who think they have the best life insurance quote for you, but they would be lying if they told you they knew for certain. There are two problems with this belief. The first problem is http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:25:26 -0600 Despite Republican efforts to do away with the Death Tax, the House voted to pass H.R. 4154 with a final vote of 225 to 200. H.R. 4151 will extend the 2009 3.5 million personal exemption (7.0 million per couple) and the 45% tax rate above those level http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:40:37 -0600 The nonstop discussion of health care reform and the economy this year crowded out discussion surrounding estate tax law sunset, due to expire December 31, 2009. However, it appears likely the estate tax will be continued at 2009 levels through 2010. http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:45:09 -0600 Many of us plan thoughtfully for all kinds of life goals. Yet many of us http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:43:52 -0600 While the struggling economy has put a vice on inflation, many experts don’t expect things to stay that way for much longer. Why? Many economic experts fear the current level of federal spending will inevitably lead to printing more money, and that’s http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:42:29 -0600 You’ve seen it a thousand times – but perhaps you haven’t given it much thought. What does A.P.R. stand for and what should we be aware of when it comes to these three little letters? Let’s face it, mortgage financing can be confusing, but it doesn http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:15:38 -0600 After reading on some other blogs how the bloggers had successfully challenged their property tax assessments, saving them hundreds of dollars every year, I decided that it was time that I give it it a shot as well. Our assessed property value last y http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:49:23 -0600 My wife is taking a sabbatical from the duties of a stay at home Mom. She decided to go back to work as a teacher at the request of her former employer during the month of December. I guess she understandably needed a job with less stress than watchi http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:42:53 -0600 The yield on the 2-year Treasury note continued to decline last week and finished the week at a lower yield than at the start of 2009. The fact the 2-year Treasury yield is now lower on a year-to-date basis is startling considering the robust perform http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 28 Nov 2009 22:06:33 -0600 One of the most rewarding parts of personal finance is being able to give back. Giving is powerful, and it’s contagious. But maybe this year times are too tight for you to give in ways you’ve done before. That doesn’t mean you should disregard the ne http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:53:20 -0600 This isn’t the first time I’ve shared this concept with you, but I feel it’s important to spotlight again. Courtney and I still aren’t giving like we want to. We aren’t giving almost anything financially, nor are we volunteering time or skills to http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:01:21 -0600 What are the things you should look for? It is surprising how many people will put their money in just any bank. All banks are not created equal, and let’s just say that some have proven more solvent than others. Besides FDIC http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:58:18 -0600 The Social Security Administration (and the IRS) leavebenefits and retirement plan contribution limits unchanged.SSI will remain flat for the first year since 1975. Social Security ben http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:57:11 -0600 New federal actions aid the real estate sector and the unemployedAfter unanimous passage in the Senate and a 403-12 passage in the House of Representatives, President Obama signed H.R. 3548 into law on November 6. http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:55:40 -0600 The end of the year is a good time to review your personal finances. What are your financial, business or life priorities for 2010? Try to specify the goals you want to accomplish. Think about the consistent investing, saving or budg http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:53:55 -0600 70% of people currently over age 65 will require some long term care someday. That is the estimate of the U.S. Administration on Aging, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.( http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:52:12 -0600 What factors might influence the Fed in the near future?How long can the federal funds rate stay so low? The Federal Reserve has publicly stated that it will keep the federal funds rate between 0% http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:50:45 -0600 The first thing to remember is that all companies in the US and Canada are required to keep adequate reserves to pay their claims separate from their operating account. Each department of insurance set the reserve requirements. It could be different, http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:01:37 -0600 Back to the future? I’m not referring to the movie, Back to the Future, about a plutonium-powered DeLorean time machine that finds Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) traveling back in time. Rather, I am shining the light on the uncanny ability http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:52:31 -0600 This article comes from www.callalms.com, click the link below to read more... Starting November 1, 2009, borrowers can have a little more assurance when it comes to loan modifications and how they impact credit scores negatively. Previously, t http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:48:02 -0600 Whether we like it or not, having a credit card is essential to a consumer like salt is to food. Many experts tell you that over usage is bad, but life just sucks without it. But what about those interest rates? With credit easing a little bit and http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:48:03 -0600 It’s open enrollment time for many employer-sponsored health insurance plans. While it might be tempting to just keep the same health plan you’ve had for years, now is a good time evaluate your health plan needs and make some adjustments. Here are 5 http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:50:09 -0600 Recently, Jason Zweig, in his Intelligent Investor column, discussed data mining and proprietary trading on Wall Street and the unreliability most of these strategies have on predicting the future. If you watch just 30 minutes of CNBC commercials http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:44:42 -0600 I recently received an Estate Tax update from The Estate Plan (TEP). TEP cited Leimburg Associates, Inc as the source of the following information. Here is my summary. Currently, if you die in 2009, the Federal Government will not tax your estate http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:36:50 -0600 We have been bombarded with spam emails claiming that the dollar is falling and that we must purchase their strategy to save our portfolios. I would certainly never subscribe to these services as their radical approaches to investing makes about as m http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:32:51 -0600 Brokers, commonly called financial advisors, do not give advice! They are not in the business of giving advice-they are in the business of representing products and completing transactions. It’s a mixed up world when your financial advisor is your sa http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:20:42 -0600 I hear this life insurance question from time to time: "What's the worst that could happen if I lie on a life insurance application - can I get away with it?" You might be able to get away with it in rare circumstances. But the worst that can happen http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:07:05 -0600 Starting a Roth IRA is one of the easiest — and best — steps you can take to save for retirement. I know I’ve written a lot about the Roth IRA in the past, but I still get questions all the time. People find them intimidating. For example, Lynn wrote http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:10:06 -0600 Many of the posts on this blog have revolved around the Roth IRA. With great reason, since it's one of, if not, the best saving tool created for retirement planning. As good as the Roth is, the Traditional IRA still has its place. To explain some of http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:37:00 -0600 Think back to when you were married. Did you need life insurance then? Did you need to insure your spouse's income? Are there kids involved? How would you take care of them if either of you passes away? If you needed life insurance to protect your http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:03:44 -0600 With Congress threatening to create new consumer protection agencies to protect the public from customer-unfriendly banking practices, the Federal Reserve stepped in today to prove it is still relevant and involved with banking regulation... http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:02:31 -0600 Several of my friends and acquaintances that follow MyWifeQuitHerJob.com find it hard to believe that our online wedding linens business can possibly make 100 thousand dollars a year in profits for selling to such a tiny niche. And they are correct. http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:50:34 -0600 Here is a great document noting all the expiring tax provisions over the coming years. This document was produced by The Joint Committee on Taxation which is a nonpartisan committee of Congress. This Committee is composhttp://www.financeanswers.com/b http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:17 -0600 All too often we go through our lives spending a little here, a little there. We make these purchases automatically because they can be so small and so routine that we forget we even make it... http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:15:59 -0600 The $8000 first-time home buyer tax credit has been extended for mortgages entered into by April 30 and closed by June 30, 2010. The original tax credit was scheduled to expire on November 30th but law makers felt extending the tax credit would conti http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:05:07 -0600 Google docs offers thousands of free templates and calculators that can help you immensely with your finances. Here are my favorites for personal finance... http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:38:46 -0600 Lets face it, the job market sucks right now. Companies are shrinking, banks are closing left and right, and automobile factories are closing everywhere. For those of us that still have a job we are counting our blessings, those of you who are lookin http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:49:23 -0600 Markets are rallying, we are out of the recession and you as an investor are eager to continue with your investing plan - great! This is a perfect time to create a new investment scams and take advantage of overlay eager investors... http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:44:30 -0500 We knew this day was coming. FINRA has decided to no longer ignore the giant elephant in the room and address the relationship advisors are allowed to have with social media. If you remember when email came out it was taboo for advisors to use howeve http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:18:31 -0500 Back in April I calculated how much money we were spending in interest on debt each month. I highly recommend you do it too - NOW. This post is my 6 month update to see how much less interest we're paying now... http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:40:10 -0500 When it comes to investing, there two distinctive strategies. The first is the buy and hold approach. The second is timing the market. Simply put, buy and hold investors keep buying (stocks, mutual funds, ETFS...) no matter what i http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:28:21 -0500 As individual investors, we are always careful of what we invest in and what investing vehicle we use. We try to filter the business media noise or recommendations from analyst or fund house marketing data. In last few years, we have been told that t http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:22:33 -0500 By: Ted Jenkin If you are starting a business as a freelancer, you have a choice of the legal type of business structure (entity) that you choose. There are advantages and disadvantages among becoming a Subchapter S Corporation, a C Corporation, a http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:22:33 -0500 As I shared yesterday afternoon, although I believe National Save for Retirement Week is important, I find the topic dreadfully dull when stretched out for a week of blog posts. Lesson learned. Still, I don't think all retirement discussions have http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:05:41 -0500 Earlier today, we spoke with Bill Hardekopf, CEO of credit card into site Lowcards.com on the subject of Citi (C) and its infatuation with raising interest rates and shutting down credit cards. Bill then shot us an email detailing why he thinks Citi http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:18:42 -0500 This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. It's also a part of National Save for Retirement Week A few weeks ago, J.D. asked me to consider writing a post on retirement for National Save for Retirement Week. As it was intended, National Save http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:27:20 -0500 A good friend of mine met up with a financial planner to get his affairs in order, great plan right? Well that depends of course on the financial planner. First off, I am not a financial planner, but I play one on the Web. So I offered to weigh in fo http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:40:27 -0500 This is a guest post from Mike Piper is the author of Investing Made Simple and proprietor of The Oblivious Investor. If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to his RSS feed. The Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA question gets a lot http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:05:09 -0500 Important note: This article is simply meant to provide an introduction to the 72(t) rules. If you intend to utilize them, I strongly urge you to work with a professional tax/financial adviser. What is the 72(t) Rule? From http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:36:56 -0500 It doesn't take magic fairy dust to get customer service reps to give you a "good deal." A lot of times all you have to do is practice the lost art of being nice! STOP OVERPAYING for monthly services. STOP OVERPAYING at the store. LOWER YOUR BI http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:28:04 -0500 Should you convert? The benefit of converting to a Roth is that you can potentially put some or all of your retirement savings out of reach of tomorrow's tax collectors. Qualified withdrawals from a Roth IRA are tax-free, which means any fu http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:00:36 -0500 Would you change your use of credit cards if you discovered the "rewards" are perceived income and not actual income? What if credit debt was enslaving your nation? What if both were true- what would you do? "There is that maketh himself ric http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:02:18 -0500 When choosing between companies for constructing an index fund portfolio, my primary considerations would be: * Cost of funds, * Minimum investment per fund, and * Selection of funds (Does this company have enough funds for me to bui http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:51:24 -0500 The Financial Samurai wrote a post this past Friday that led to a pretty good discussion. He was wondering why a flat tax is not fair. I left a few comments raising a few questions regarding some basic assumptions people make when they think of ta http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:15:50 -0500 Money is an important part of life, it affects us in all areas of our lives either directly or indirectly. Money affects our relationships, our career choices, education and so on, but what is even more of importance is our attitude towards money. Ho http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:49:49 -0500 Markets May Fluctuate but the Staples of a Financial Portfolio Should Not SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Charles Schwab today released a series of financial planning and investing tips to help individual investors better manage their finances and http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:26:03 -0500 I've said before, my personal financial education comes from the School of Hard Knocks. That's right - even after $200,000 worth of higher education, I've never taken a finance course or even an economics overview: the closest I've ever come to a for http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:01:08 -0500 We've all got friends in our lives that always seem to be having financial troubles. They have a hard time making ends meet, and they often end up having to ask family for a loan, get a cash advance from their credit card or signing up for a payday http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:52:47 -0500 By TOM HERMAN If you are working on year-end tax planning moves, it may be helpful to get an advance peek at what the standard deduction, personal exemption and other key federal income-tax numbers will be for 2010... http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:46:18 -0500 If you have been reading finance and investing blogs than you have come across some financial and investment rules of thumb. These are often referred to and used as guidelines and not as set in stone laws, some are useful while other's are - well not http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:07:28 -0500 Don't Forget These 2009 Income Tax Breaks! The year goes by, you get busy … and tax-saving opportunities slip away. So as a reminder, this article is here to reacquaint you with some of the notable federal tax breaks offered this year. http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:08:33 -0500 Advice on rebalancing and improving your investment experience with your 401k plan. A May survey by Hewitt Associates noted that despite record losses in their 401(k) savings in 2008, individuals stuck with their 401(k) plans. However, more people http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:13:07 -0500 Move your money to a higher-yielding account without sacrificing safety. By Joan Goldwasser, Senior Reporter Jeffrey R. Kosnett, Senior Editor From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, November 2009 Still have cash parked in a money-marke http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:13:52 -0500 By Joseph Slife In recent decades, going off to college has become the de facto expectation for students graduating from high school. A college degree is often seen as the key to launching a successful career. But the exploding costs (and related http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:06:07 -0500 This article is by Adam Baker, a GRS Staff Writer. In addition to writing for Get Rich Slowly, Baker blogs over at Man Vs. Debt, where he discusses ways to simplify your financial life. A thriving emergency fund is an essential piece of a healthy http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:22:44 -0500 How much should you save for retirement? Carla dropped me a line because she's puzzled where the standard "save 10% of your income for retirement" advice originated. She's afraid that ten percent isn't nearly enough. Carla writes: The financial ex http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:09:54 -0500 Remember as a kid how excited you were for your birthday to come? It couldn't arrive fast enough! Presents, cake and everyone making a big deal of you was great! You probably couldn't wait to turn 13 and finally become a teenager. Then maybe y http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:01:37 -0500 My husband and I are in the early stages of building a house. As we modify our floor plans, the amount we'll need to borrow to build is on our minds. It's probably going to be the most expensive thing we'll ever purchase, and we need to decide what w http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:11:33 -0500 Kudos to you for focusing on paying down your debt. Regardless of what you do from here on out from a credit score perspective, you are already doing the best of all things - paying down your debt. However, you can make some small mistakes in the http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:07:36 -0500 The first-time homebuyer tax credit is coming to an end rapidly. Although several bills have been introduced to the congress to extend and even expand the first-time homebuyer tax credit Americans should ask if this program is worth its cost. Firs http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:03:14 -0500 I do not currently have children, but I have not ruled out starting a family some day. If and when I do have children, I hope I will be able to help them become smart and capable adults over time. I believe this is what my parents have done for me, a http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:10:46 -0500 A few weeks ago, my wife and children and I spent the weekend visiting several members of her extended family. On the final morning of the visit, I sat around the kitchen table with my wife's grandfather and uncle and the conversation turned to the f http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:54:12 -0500 According to the AP News Release, Fed moves ahead on credit card protection plan By JEANNINE AVERSA (AP) WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve proposed rules Tuesday to better protect Americans from sudden hikes in interest rates on credit card http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:49:00 -0500 If you are a prospective home buyer who has been deliberating on whether to take advantage of the $8,000 first-time home-buyer tax credit, time is running out. The deadline is November 30, meaning you must close on the home before this date and remem http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:14:19 -0500 With the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) dust settled, a couple of points are worth mentioning. First up, the FOMC made no mention of an exit strategy, instead talking about keeping rates low for an extended period of time. Number two wa http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:35:08 -0500 Dad mows the yard, cooks all the meals, and handles all repair jobs. Mom does all the grocery shopping, is in charge of taxiing the kids to their 'practice du jour', and takes care of the laundry. Division of household duties such as these sounds http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:23:19 -0500 New Website Provides Consumers with Information and Guidance Needed to Choose the Right Financial Advisor and Financial Services Firm DALLAS, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Dallas-based FinanceAnswers, Inc. today launched www.financeanswers.com, the only http://www.financeanswers.com/blog-finance/ Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:41:56 -0500