You Should Automate Your Financial Goals
Photo: Prostock-studio (Shutterstock)As with any type of resolution, actions speak louder than words when it comes to achieving your financial goals. Making personal finance progress requires taking concrete steps, which can spell the difference between a vague “I want to save more!” and the more substantive “I am going to max out my Roth IRA…
How to Retire When You Have Basically Nothing Saved
There’s a lot of magical thinking surrounding retirement. The rule of thumb is to target about 80% of your current income for your retirement, and while that number is a little sketchy, it’s useful in that it highlights just how expensive retirement can be. When you’re young, you think retirement is so far away there’s…
Check These Databases for Retirement Savings You Forgot About
Photo: fizkes (Shutterstock)For big retirement savers, the silver lining of record-setting inflation is the record-setting cap increase for your 401(k) in 2023. But if you leave a company–whether or not it’s on your own terms—what happens to your employer-sponsored retirement account? While you have a few options for handling an old 401(k), some strategies are…
You’re Probably Eligible to File Your Taxes for Free
Photo: Ground Picture (Shutterstock)As if paying your taxes wasn’t painful enough, paying to file your taxes adds insult to injury. How much you pay for tax preparation depends on several factors, like how complex your taxes are and what type of service you use. But you might be in luck: Most people qualify to do…
These Numbers Will Convince Your Teen to Start Saving for Retirement
Photo: BearFotos (Shutterstock)It’s never too late to start saving for retirement, but anyone who starts early sure does get a huge advantage. The reason for this is compound interest, which we’ll run the numbers on below. If you’ve been waiting to invest in your retirement until you check off other financial goals (cough cough, students…
All the New Electric Vehicles Eligible for the Clean Vehicle Tax...
Photo: PH888 (Shutterstock)If you’ve been eyeing the market for an electric vehicle, this year is as good a time as any. That’s because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is giving $7,500 tax credits for those who buy or lease new electric vehicles and a tax credit of up to $4,000 for used electric cars.The clean…
Don’t Call the IRS This Weekend Unless You Absolutely Have To
Photo: Paul Brady Photography (Shutterstock)If you have a tax question, this weekend is the absolute worst time to try to get someone from the IRS on the phone. According to a press release from Feb. 16, Presidents Day weekend is historically the busiest time of year for the IRS phone system. Luckily, there are ways…
How to Avoid Paying the ‘Single Tax’
Photo: NDAB Creativity (Shutterstock)Whether you love the single life or can’t wait to be coupled up, one thing is sure: It’s expensive to be single. We’ve previously covered personal finance tips to take advantage of while you’re single, but the costs of being alone are rarely a result of personal failure. Instead, our economy privileges partnership—specifically…
How to Check If the Government Owes You Stimulus Money From...
Last year over 50 million Americans received some form of stimulus check from their states. While these payment amounts weren’t as large as the federal stimulus checks for 2021 pandemic relief, they certainly made a difference for families getting slammed by inflation.If you’re an eligible taxpayer in one of the states that sent one-time rebate…
Here’s Your Year-End Financial Checklist
Photo: fizkes (Shutterstock)The end of the year is always a time for reflection, and your personal finances are no exception. Even in a year marked by record-high inflation, there’s a good chance your finances aren’t as bad as you might think. But as 2022 winds down, it’s the perfect time to conduct a year-end review.…
