One of the biggest milestones in your life is graduating from college. It’s a symbol of independence and the start of your life as an adult. You’ll be on the hunt for a new job, a possible new place to live (Mom and Dad’s isn’t that bad, right?), and starting to manage your own money, including paying back those student loans. You don’t want to start your finances off on the wrong foot or overextend yourself from the get-go. Continue reading “Money Managing tips for Recent Graduates”
If you own your own business, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll need a credit card to charge expenses. But should you get a Business card instead of using a Personal one? The basic function of the cards work the same – you’ll have a credit line, interest rate, and earn certain perks based on the card you choose. However, there a few differences to take into consideration before sending in that credit app. Continue reading “Business card or Personal credit card – which should you use for your business?”
Warning: Depending on your child’s hobbies and interests, suggesting they seek employment for the Summer Break and beyond may result in glares, the silent treatment, and resistance.
Some high schoolers love the idea of working to make some extra money, while others think it’s a fate worse than death. However, summer break is a great time to enter the job market and earn money to put towards buying a car, college tuition, paying a cell phone bill, or even simply building a savings account. A job or internship can also be added to those college apps to show work experience and new skills – not to mention they may discover a passion or future career. Continue reading “Why your high school student should have a summer or part time job”
High Deductible Health Plans have become very popular over the past few years as insurance premiums have continued to rise. High deductible plans allow you to use an H.S.A. or Health Savings Account to manage your upfront expenses. Each year, the IRS sets the contribution limit for funds that you are allowed to put into your H.S.A. bank account. If you don’t pay attention to the contribution limits each year, you put yourself at risk of paying extra taxes to the IRS – let’s be honest, no one wants to do that! Continue reading “H.S.A Contribution limits and what you need to know”
If you’re anything like me, you’re incredibly tempted several times a day to spend money on something that you don’t really need. A diet coke from the vending machine, a coffee from Dunkin on the way to work, or that pack of gum by the checkout register. Whatever it is, you spend a few dollars on it – or maybe a few more than a few dollars. And then you forget about it.
Staying on top of your finances is the best way to make your money go further. For the financially savvy consumer, it’s vital to have insight and power over your finances. Managing your money doesn’t have to be difficult when there are apps dedicated to giving you the information you need to make better financial choices. Continue reading “Want to Manage Your Finances More Easily? There’s an App for That”
It’s not often that the government gives you a break on your taxes worth thousands of dollars over several decades, and it would be foolish indeed not to take advantage of it. But that is apparently what a surprising number of Americans are doing year after year by ignoring the tax benefits of an Individual Retirement Account, or IRA. Although there are different types of IRAs with different restrictions, they all basically allow you to put away a sizeable chunk of your income each year and avoid paying taxes on any gains you earn on it for as long as you hold the account, which is usually until you retire. Continue reading “IRAs – Why You Should Have One!”
More than any generation before them, millennials have grown up in a world built on credit and borrowing. For many of them, debt has become a way of life. And for many, especially those who financed an education with credit, they may already find themselves carrying a significant amount of long-term debt and are having difficulty dealing with it. Understanding how to handle this debt will be an important, if not essential, part of how they fare in the coming years. So here are some general rules to follow for millennials hoping to better manage their debt.
Continue reading “Millennials – here’s how to handle debt the right way!”
“Recycled.” “Gently used.” “Vintage.” Call them whatever you like. But buying second-hand goods is a great way to save money to achieve your financial goals.
During the recession, Americans looking for ways to cut spending began shopping at thrift stores and buying used merchandise. The trend continues today with sales increasing 12 percent since 2008, according to the Association of Resale Professionals.
The trend toward employers offering high-deductible health plans (HDHP) — and no other option — seems here to stay, like it or not. HDHP coverage is growing at a 15% pace, annually. In 2005, such plans covered 1 million people. Now, they cover more than 15 million, including 10% of those in Connecticut who are under 65 and have private insurance.
Some consumers fear a HDHP because they worry about being on the hook for that deductible, should they need significant medical care. The silver lining, though, is the ability to pair an HDHP with a tax-advantaged Health Savings Account (HSA).
Continue reading “Health Savings Accounts: Get the details and grab the tax benefits”
