Giving to a charity is easy, right? You write a check and send it off to your favorite 501(c)(3) organization, and get a full deduction for the amount on your tax return, up to 50% of your adjusted gross income. Most professionals would recommend that you put a bit more thought into how you give. […]
Fallen Tree Damage—Who Pays? – As a homeowner, are you responsible for the damage caused by a tree on your property that hits your neighbor’s home or other insured structure, such as a garage or shed? In most cases, the answer is “no.” When such damage occurs to your neighbor’s home due to forces outside your […]
Inventorying Your Possessions Nearly 60 percent of Americans do not have a home inventory of their possessions, and of those that do, 48 percent do not have any receipts evidencing their value.¹ It’s great to have insurance against damage and loss, but if you can’t show proof of your possessions, it may result in a […]
You’re young, have little in savings and likely have no one yet relying on you financially. So why do you need to think about estate management?¹ Here are four great reasons: ESTATE STRATEGIES: THEY’RE NOT JUST FOR THE ELDERLY You need a will.You may ask why a will is important if there’s not much to […]
The number of Americans in or nearing retirement who are still holding significant mortgage, auto, even student loan debt has been rising in recent years. According to recent data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the average 65-year-old borrower has 47% more mortgage debt and 29% more auto debt than 65-year-olds had […]
The number of Americans covered by high-deductible health plans (HDHPs)/health savings accounts (HSAs) rose to about 19.7 million in 2015 — up from 17.4 million in 2014. On average, enrollment in HDHPs/HSAs has risen nearly 22% over the past two years.1 If you are new to HSAs and eager to take advantage of all the […]
There are two great reasons for buying a vacation home: You want one and you can afford to buy it. Buying a vacation home as an investment, however, should not be your primary motivation. Some vacation properties can also be good investments. Others aren’t. As recent history has shown, real estate prices can go down as […]
Actively managing your debt is an important step, and your student debt may be one of the biggest financial obligations you have. There are many strategies that could help you manage student loans efficiently. Here is a checklist. Choose a federal loan repayment plan that fits your circumstances: The Standard Repayment Plan requires a fixed […]
