Taxes are complicated. There is no avoiding that. The US tax code is so complex that its likely even a lawyer who specializes on tax law doesn’t know all the details. So how can you or I be expected to understand them? While becoming an expert in the tax code may not be possible, there… Read More
MAX OUT YOUR 401K MATCH (AS REPORTED BY MATT BECKER ON WWW.THESIMPLEDOLLAR.COM)
A 401k employer match is one of the best things any employee can ask for. Why? Because it means free money toward your retirement. Many employers in the US still offer this benefit to their employees – they match 50-100% of employee 401k contributions up to a certain limit. But according to the Society for… Read More
RETIREMENT SAVINGS IN YOUR FINAL EARNING YEARS (AS REPORTED BY ALICIA ROSE HUDNETT ON MONEY.CNN.COM)
All of the experts agree – the sooner you start saving for retirement, the better off you’ll be when the time comes. But what if you haven’t started yet? What if you are getting close to retirement age and you are worried you won’t have enough saved? According to a recent survey, 28% of Americans… Read More
COMMON STUDENT LOAN DEBT MISTAKES (AS REPORTED BY DREW HOUSMAN ON WWW.THESIMPLEDOLLAR.COM)
Student debt is a big problem in the United States today. 54% of young workers report that right now, paying off student loans come before saving for retirement. What’s more, 40% report that worrying about student loans has impacted their health. Does this mean nobody should ever take out loans to pay for college? Of… Read More
5th Annual 100 Best W!Se High Schools Teaching Personal Finance Rankings Announced
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Working in Support of Education (w!se), a New York City-based, national educational nonprofit, today announced the 2016 “100 Best w!se High Schools Teaching Personal Finance” at a ceremony sponsored by Voya Financial®. Earning first place for the second time is New York City’s High School of Math, Science and Engineering at… Read More
THE COMING PUBLIC PENSION CRISIS (AS REPORTED BY OLIVIER GARRET ON WWW.FORBES.COM)
The concept of a pension is something that private employers have all but abandoned, putting more of the onus of retirement savings onto the individual. But most public positions still offer a pension, and so many Americans either currently work towards a pension or are already receiving benefits. And that’s why the coming pension crisis… Read More
401K VESTING (AS REPORTED BY MATT BECKER ON WWW.THESIMPLEDOLLAR.COM)
If you are lucky enough to have an employer who offers a 401k retirement plan, there are tax advantages to directing a portion of each paycheck toward it. You are even luckier still if that employer matches some or all of your contribution, because that is free money available to you simply for joining the… Read More
MISTAKES MADE IN THE MIDDLE CLASS (AS REPORTED BY HOLLY JOHNSON ON WWW.THESIMPLEDOLLAR.COM)
In almost every political cycle, you are likely to hear candidates talk endlessly about America’s middle class. But just who are they talking about? Are you in the middle class? And what can people in the middle class do to make smarter financial choices? While there are many competing definitions of who is middle class… Read More
YOUR RETIREMENT VS. YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION (AS REPORTED BY NANCY L. ANDERSON ON WWW.FORBES.COM)
If someone were to ask you this question, “Which is more important, saving for your own retirement or saving for your newborn’s college education,” how would you answer? If you’re like most people, you would prioritize your child’s education, putting their needs before your own. Makes sense, right? That is the essence of good parenting…. Read More
EARLY RETIREMENT MISTAKES TO AVOID (AS REPORTED BY MAYA KACHROO-LEVINE ON WWW.FORBES.COM)
Debt is one of the biggest roadblocks to retirement. Debt forces us to work harder and longer than we otherwise would like. And that’s because the money that we earn is not ours, it is someone else’s, until that debt is paid off. One of the biggest errors that people make in their lives is… Read More