IRA Contribution Reminder Here’s an important reminder: April 15 is the deadline for funding your IRA for 2012. (If you have a SEP IRA, you have until October 15 if you filed an extension on your personal tax return.) You may contribute up to $5,000 to a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA for the 2012 tax year. If you were 50 or older in 2012, your contribution limit is $6,000. (If you own multiple IRAs, your total IRA contributions [...]
BUILDING AN EMERGENCY FUND Creating a financial cushion for stressful times. How would you respond to sudden financial demands? We all define “emergencies” differently, but we are not immune to them. How can we plan to stay afloat financially when they occur? Most households are not financially prepared for an emergency – not even close. A recent study from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found that 64% of Americans had less than $1,000 in funds earmarked for a [...]
BAD MONEY HABITS TO BREAK IN 2013 Behaviors worth changing for the New Year. Do bad money habits constrain your financial progress? Many people fall into the same financial behavior patterns year after year. If you sometimes succumb to these financial tendencies, the New Year is as good an occasion as any to alter your behavior. #1: Lending money to family & friends. You may know someone who has lent a few thousand to a sister or brother, a [...]
WHY IT IS WISE TO DIVERSIFY A varied portfolio is a hallmark of a savvy investor. You may be amused by the efforts of some of your friends and neighbors as they try to “chase the return” in the stock market. We all seem to know a day trader or two: someone constantly hunting for the next hot stock, endlessly refreshing browser windows for breaking news and tips from assorted gurus. Is that the path to making money in [...]
Is a tax refund coming your way? If you have already received your refund for 2012 or are about to receive it, you might want to think about the destiny of that money. Here are some possibilities: Start (or add to) an emergency fund. Many people don’t have a dedicated rainy day fund, only the presumption that they might have enough cash in case of a financial tight spot. Pay down debt. Always a smart choice. Invest in yourself. You [...]