Andy | Saving to Invest

Calculating How Much Extra Tax You Will Owe When Tax Cuts Expire

In a recent town hall the President pretty much confirmed that the Trump tax cuts will not be extended for higher income earners, but will be for those earning less than $250,000. While most people won't be affected by these tax changes, there will be adjustments across all tax brackets…

5 Insider Tips for Starting a Small Business

I spend every day writing on the subject of personal finance. So it's rare that I get to discuss straight-up business tips. But because of the growth of this once little known blog, I'm now running my own legitimate small business. Below I present some tips I've picked up along…

10 Easy Ways to Boost Your Retirement Savings Starting Now

With longer life expectancies, a roller coaster stock market, and lessons learned from a post-pandemic world it’s more important than ever to find ways to boost your retirement savings now. Although there may be many obstacles to doing so, even just a few of the simple tactics outlined here can…

How to Withdraw Money Early From Your 401K or IRA Without Paying a Penalty

In the current economic environment, many people are finding it hard to make ends meet or pay for unexpected events requiring large sums of money. In some cases this is forcing people to turn to their retirement accounts to find the necessary funds. All good personal finance advice says not to…

2013 Small Business Tax Deductions, Bonus Depreciation and National Transportation Projects

[Update Jan 2013] Congress and the Obama administration have reached an agreement that will extend a number of small business tax breaks through 2013 following the fiscal cliff deal which was legislated through the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. You can see details of the extended tax breaks in this article. [Update Sep-Oct 2010] Obama's Small Jobs…

Comparing MBA Graduate School Costs Across Full Time, Part Time and Executive Programs

A Master of Business Administration, or MBA, can be earned in a variety of ways through part-time, full-time, or in executive MBA programs. Each type of program has its own pros and cons, as well as a myriad of tuition and fees, depending on the school chosen. The varying types…

How to Get and Qualify For a Small Business Loan (SBA 7a)?

[Update] Under the recently enacted $2 trillion Coronavirus stimulus bill (CARE) additional financial help has been provided to small business in the form of expanded loan assistance programs by expanding the SBA section 7(A) act to guarantee loans up to $10 million. There are also provisions under the Paycheck Protection…

Making an International Money Transfer – Costs, Rates and Risks – Wires, Bank Checks, Paypal, Crypto

Transferring money domestically is pretty straightforward and you can normally work with one bank or financial institution to take care of the entire process. However as I and other friends who have moved overseas have found, transferring money across countries is not as straightforward. Further, the process, terminology and requirements…

Looking Beyond the Monthly Payment Saving and Calculating the True Cost of Your Mortgage Refinance

Mortgage lenders often attract homeowners seeking to lower their mortgage interest rate with some simple math, usually presented in one of two ways: 1) Comparing the nominal closing costs to the total savings from 30 years of a lower monthly payment, or 2) How few months it will take before…

10 Boring Blue Chip Stocks Offering Strong Growth and Dividend Protection

With the economic outlook uncertain to say the least, investors are now looking ahead to what the best stocks next year could be. Investors need to ensure that they still have growth in their portfolios to deal with inflation and higher taxes, while also picking stocks that protect their portfolio…

Solving the Housing Foreclosure Crisis by Cutting Mortgage Principal Balances – Big Mistake

Mortgage interest rates are at their lowest point in decades (about 4.5%) and the housing credit has been in effect for more than three years, yet the housing market is tepid at best, with foreclosures at record highs and government housing institutions having to put more distressed assets on their…

Teacher Jobs Bill Approved Preventing State Layoffs and Increasing FMAP Medicaid Funding

A $26 billion state aid package was approved by Congress (and will be signed by the President) that saves thousands of state teaching and government worker jobs. The package provides $16.1 billion to extend (for six months) Medicaid funding for states, known as FMAP. The measure also provides $10 billion…

Understanding Annuities: Why They Should Be Part of Your Financial Plan For Retirement

Annuities have been a viable investment option for many years. However, there is still a great deal of confusion on what exactly they are and how exactly they work. Understanding the concept of annuities can help you to determine if they are right for you, and if so, what type…

Thank You American Express Fraud Protection Security Service

AMEX Fraud Protection When checking my mail this morning, I saw an email from the American Express Account Security Group notifying me that I had received a suspect charge of $113.40. You can see the email below. The card they were referring to was my back-up American Express Blue Cash…