Best Long-Term Budgeting Tools to Plan for Retirement
Using the right budgeting software not only helps you reach your retirement savings goals, it can also ensure you manage your money well through the three phases of retirement.
How Much Money Do You Need To Buy A House?
You’ve been diligently saving, and that savings account you’ve amassed looks pretty healthy. Now you’re ready to take the plunge and buy your own home. But have you considered all the items you’re going to need cash for between now and closing the deal? Are you sure you have enough?
Budgeting Tools For Managing A Property Management Business
Getting into property management can be a complicated business. But you can make the work a lot easier with the right tools, says financial expert Sean Stein Smith, CPA, member of the AICPA’s National CPA Financial Literacy Commission and CGMA of Bergenfield, New Jersey.
How to Have a Big Wedding for a Small Price
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of planning a wedding. But budgeting in advance is key for truly enjoying your big day, and it helps you avoid the stress of a large bill after the festivities are over. Use these tips for the wedding of your dreams — you might even save some money along the way.
How Much Should You Spend on Rent?
For decades, the general rule has been that you should not spend more than 30 percent of your income on housing. Yet, with increasing expenses and slow growth in wages, this number has become less realistic for a growing number of Americans. Whether you can keep your rent below the 30 percent threshold or not, here are some important numbers to keep in mind when working on your monthly budget.
How To Create A Budget For Your Teenage Kids
By the time they’re teenagers, most kids begin tugging hard at their parental leashes that hold them to childhood. They want to be treated as adults, but in many cases lack the fundamental life skills that will enable them to function as adults — skills like budgeting. You can make a budget for them, of course, but financial blogger Dave Ramsey suggests that taking a purely instructional approach may backfire. Instead, let your teenager take as much control as possible while offering a little — or a lot — of guidance.
How To Save Money When You're in Debt
Tackling your debts might require some courage, but it’s an essential step to boosting your financial health and setting the stage for a successful future. And while it can feel a little tempting to throw every extra cent into wiping out debt, it’s important to save money, too. Here’s how to balance these two financial heavyweights and succeed at both.
6 Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund
In 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reportedly issued 112 million tax refunds, with a grand total of $324 billion returned to taxpayers. If you received one of those refunds, it might have been the financial highlight of the year — more money in a lump sum than you could ever expect to receive from another source. Did you spend the money wisely? This year, get rid of that devil on your shoulder with these six smart ways to put your tax refund to better use.
Who Does the President's Personal Finances?
Despite being the leader of the free world, the president still has to pay personal bills, and many of them have opted not to pass off that responsibility to a financial professional. However, great diplomacy doesn’t necessarily mean great financial aptitude. In fact, not all presidents have been good at managing their money.
How Could a Changing Economy Affect Your Savings?
Changes in the American economy not only affect jobs and wages, they often have a direct impact on your savings. And there’s no more likely time for economic change than at the beginning of a new presidential administration. While no one can predict the effects the Trump administration will have on the American economy, it’s vital that you understand how changes in interest rates and inflation can affect your savings. That way, you’ll know how to prepare yourself for the future.