Andy | Saving to Invest

How Much A Debt Deal Will Cost You With Higher Taxes, Fewer Deductions, Lower Benefits and Working Longer

[Update as of July 23rd] It's time to pay for the American dream. In various discussions around how to cut the national debt, so that we don't have to keep raising the debt ceiling, one theme that is common in most plans is that Americans now and for generations to…

How to Avoid Hefty Credit Card Interest and Fees via Good Habits and Knowing Your Rights

Using credit cards has become a way of life for many of us. For the most part, credit cards do offer a convenient way to make purchases, and they enable us to walk around without mounds of cash in our pockets. In return for this and other conveniences like reward…

IRA, 401k and Social Security Withdrawal Rules, Retirement Ages and Eligibility Criteria

Many people are confused when it comes to what the official retirement age(s) are. Which is unfortunate, because this is key for figuring when you can access your retirement savings without penalty, and to figure out how much you need to save for retirement. Here then is a quick recap…

What Gym Fees and Interest Payments Have in Common

Ever been curious about the seeming universality of the desire to purchase goods and services without paying for them immediately? Many credit card users fall victim to this desire for instant gratification knowing full well they can’t actually afford what they bought without going into debt. Deferring payment until tomorrow…

US Real GDP By State and Per Capita Income Comparison

The US Bureau of Economic Analysis has released the 2010 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures which showed a 2.6% average increase across the nation. As the graphic below shows 48 states and Washington DC experienced real GDP growth, led by the eastern seaboard states. Texas, North Dakota and Oregon were…

Tax Brackets and Federal IRS Rates, Standard Deduction and Personal Exemptions

Updated Information - Click here for the latest tax bracket tables and rates and current tax season information. 2012 and 2011 tax rates stayed the same as 2010 levels thanks to an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. This has been confirmed by the IRS with the release of 2012 tax…

Happiness in Life and Work – It Ain’t The Job or the Money

This site is focused on covering financial topics and the like where making money, saving money and spending money are key themes. As I research the topics I write about I often come across various articles that talk about the important things in life, and in the vast majority of…

How Does Your 401K Compare with retirement Account Balances Hitting Record Highs

With stock markets booming, it is little surprising that 401K retirement plan balances are at record highs. In a recent study covering 20 million participants across nearly 23,000 corporate plans, the nations largest retirement plan administrator Fidelity Investments, found that the average 401(k) account balance was over $129,000 last year, up…

2022 vs. 2023 Capital Gains Tax – Short and Long Term Rates Plus Other Factors to Consider Around Investment Income

When you sell a capital asset like a stock, bond, cryptocurrency or investments you own, the difference between the amount you sell it for and what you paid for it (cost basis) is classified as a capital gain or a capital loss. Capital gains and losses are further classified as…

Comparing and Signing Up For the Most Cost Effective Private Health Insurance Plan

The rising cost of health care coupled with many employers cutting back on benefits has led to a large number of people having to go out into the market place and find their own private health insurance plans to meet their coverage needs. In addition to being more costly than…

Selling Your Gold For Cash – How, Where and Beware

With gold prices rolling past record highs on a regular basis, a number market pundits feel that we are entering a gold bubble. Like the housing and financial bubbles many have gotten swept away with the lure of easy money, only to coming crashing to earth when the bubble pops.…

Smart Ways to Prepare For Retirement by Having a Plan A, B and C

It’s time to save for retirement. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, it doesn’t matter if you’re single or married and it doesn’t matter how good or bad the economy happens to be at this particular point in time. Some things are simple and others are complicated.…

Freakin’ Google Rewarding Pirate Sites For Stealing My Content By Giving Them Higher Search Results

Most people go to Google when they are searching for something and most websites receive their organic traffic from Google searches. So you can imagine my frustration when I found out that for the last few weeks all my new and existing articles have been copied (scrapped) to so called…

How to Choose the Right Annuity Payout Option for Retirement

When approaching retirement, it is essential that you incorporate strategies that will keep your retirement income flowing in. And, with medical technology and new medicines helping to keep people alive longer these days, it is even more essential that your retirement income stretches well into the future. One way to accomplish this is…