The World Happiness Report is out, and a group of independent experts have now compiled surveys of people in 156 countries, asking them to evaluate their lives on a scale of 1-10. They then looked at some of the factors that seem to contribute to happiness, and identified five: real GDP per capita (a measure […]
The advent of driverless cars has made the future look awfully confusing. Will you even OWN a car ten years in the future, when all you’ll have to do is pull out your phone and request an automated ride to wherever you want to go? Will there be automated drones that fly above the streets? […]
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. […]
One of the strangest investment vehicles ever designed is something called the Bitcoin, which is at once an exciting new technology for managing online transactions and an alternative currency to national currencies like the dollar, yen and euro. Last week, people who owned bitcoins discovered that electronic “coins” worth $1,350 were suddenly worth just under […]
How Insurance Deductibles Work An insurance deductible is the amount you, the insured, pays before any claim is paid by your insurance carrier. Depending upon the type of insurance, a policy may set the amount of deductible, or offer you the ability to select a deductible amount. Deductibles serve a dual purpose: they save the […]
Tax Rules When Selling Your Home – How the gains from the sale of a primary residence are taxed has changed in recent years. If you have recently sold your home, or are considering doing so, you may want to be aware of these new rules. HOME SALE If you owned and lived in your home […]
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 […]
