The Real Cost of College It may not be what you think. How much will your family end up paying for college? Your household’s income may have less influence than you think – and some private colleges may be cheaper than you assume. Private schools sometimes extend the best aid offers. Yes – it is true that the more money you earn and the more assets you have in a tax-advantaged college savings plan, the harder it becomes to qualify [...]
The Advantages of HSAs Health Savings Accounts offer you tax breaks & more. Why do people open up Health Savings Accounts in conjunction with high-deductible health insurance plans? Well, here are some of the compelling reasons why younger, healthier employees decide to have HSAs. #1: Tax-deductible contributions. These accounts are funded with pre-tax income that is, you receive a current-year tax deduction for the amount of money you put into the plan. Your annual contribution limit to an HSA [...]
Little Things That May Help Your Retirement Saving Over time, these seemingly small factors could make a major difference. Saving for retirement takes decades and demands the investment of significant amounts of your income. As this major effort unfolds, you should recognize that some subtle factors and seemingly minor decisions could end up making a sizable and positive impact on your financial future. Your investment yield may be less important than the amount you save. Beating the S&P 500 feels [...]
Active & Passive Investment Management What do each of these terms really mean? Investment management can be active or passive. Sometimes, that simple, fundamental choice can make a difference in portfolio performance. During a particular market climate, one of these two methods may be widely praised, while the other is derided and dismissed. In truth, both approaches have merit, and all investors should understand their principles. How does passive asset management work? A passive asset management strategy employs investment vehicles [...]
What Could You Do With Your Tax Refund? Instead of just spending the money, you could plan to pay yourself. About 70% of taxpayers receive sizable refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Just how sizable? The average refund totals about $2,800.1 What do households do with that money? It varies. Last year, consumer financial services company Bankrate asked Americans about their plans for their federal tax refunds. Thirty-one percent of the respondents to Bankrate’s survey said that they would save [...]