tax rate

During the housing boom, mortgage lenders eased down payment requirements to get more people into homes. The down payment was literally nothing in some cases. In fact, the availability of 110% mortgages — loans for 10% more than the value of a home — amounted to a negative down payment. As any prospective home buyer [...]

I often get asked the question – “How can my family live comfortably off of a single income?”. In my response, I always let people know that it is possible and is not that hard. My wife and I have chosen to support our family on one income (by me) and have her stay at [...]

Out of all of the personal financial strategies, one of the most lucrative financial moves is that of purchasing property to lease out to renters. Doing this, if done correctly, can earn you a fantastic return for your investment, as well as earn you a passive income. If you follow some basic guidelines, it could [...]

Holding down a steady job and earning regular paychecks is both the easiest and most common form of earning an income. Building a solid foundation of deep wealth however, requires time, planning and a considerable amount of research. There are three general means to creating wealth: active income, portfolio income, and passive income. Photo by [...]

Starting in 2011, the IRS will be making it harder for consumers to get their hands on a quick income tax refund. The popular refund anticipation loans, which are short-term loans based on the anticipated amount of a tax refund. The loans are given to consumers who do not want to wait several weeks for [...]

One of the best ways to avoid dipping your fingers into your savings (especially your emergency fund for non-emergencies) is to automate your savings accounts so that your money flows through your personal economy without much interference from you. When you automate your savings accounts, you can force yourself to practice financial discipline — and [...]

If you are a first-time homebuyer and missed out on the $8,000 Homebuyer Tax Credit because you didn’t make the April 30th deadline, you still have tax incentives to look forward to in the future. One of the benefits of buying a home is that you can deduct the mortgage interest you are paying on [...]

One of the keys to financial freedom is developing a habit of saving. It sounds really basic, but many people have trouble with this, and many just don’t know how to start. Here is an overview of how you can get started with savings accounts. The article will cover types of savings accounts, how to [...]

Let’s face it, being a business owner requires a specific type of personality and an unmatched level of passion and drive. Not many people have what it takes to start their own business and be successful. That said, it’s doubtful anyone who owns their own business would trade it for anything. Nothing beats being your [...]

Yesterday I received the news that so many others have heard, my job will be coming to an end. Luckily, my boss was very kind, and has alerted me three months in advance with the hopes that I will be able to find something else. At this moment I’m hoping it will give me the [...]