The following are the best credit cards that offer 5% cash back bonus promotions and do not charge an annual fee — usually on a quarterly rotating basis in select categories of goods and stores. The best strategy is to have several of these reward cards so all your categories are covered and you ensure … Read more
We can debate whether buy and hold is a more effective method than other investment strategies, but it has two major advantages that are beyond any doubt. One is that transaction fees are generally lower with buy and hold than with other more active investment approaches. The second, which is even more significant, is the … Read more
When planning for retirement there’s an overwhelming tendency to focus on the financial side, and as well as should be. Without a solid tax-deferred retirement plan, there would be no retirement for most people. But there’s also a non-financial side of retirement that we need to be concerned with too. If we concern ourselves strictly … Read more
There is a lot of talk about the looming recession, or maybe even a depression, that is due any day now. If your financial situation is not that good, it is time to give it a tune-up in the event of an economic slowdown. Based on my experience from the previous recessions and stock market … Read more
If you are thinking about buying a house, you might be wondering, “how much house can I afford?” There is a significant distinction between what the bank will lend you versus what you can afford to pay. In general, a good rule of thumb is to pay less than 25% of your income toward your monthly … Read more
There are a lot of sites that help you determine how much you need to save for retirement, but I have never been comfortable with them because they usually don’t share the logic behind their calculations. Also, to really under what you need to save for your retirement, there are critical three numbers you need … Read more
Mixing money and family typically is not a prudent financial move. All too often, personal feelings get tangled up in a web of financial burdens, and it can be unpleasant and potentially put you in a bad situation. It can be made even more complicated when the ones you are closest to in your family … Read more
Low interest rates might be good for the economy and consequently for the Stock Market; however, it is no laughing matter to the millions of seniors that depend on fixed-income investments for their retirement income. With the current Treasury yields below 1% (see Treasury.gov), investors are finding that the low interest rates make it difficult … Read more
There are four main types of deposit accounts offered by banks that you can use to save money for your financial goals. Depending on your needs, one or more of the accounts may be an ideal way for you to save your money whether you have specific financial goals or just want to build a … Read more
When you purchase a new construction home, there are several hidden costs that you might not think about. The normal costs of homeownership like mortgage payments (e.g., principal and interest), property taxes, homeowner’s insurance, and utilities are obvious. Other costs, though, can come as something of a surprise. When we bought our home (a new … Read more