Whether you have children or grandchildren that are looking to receive a college education in the future, you’ll be considering the ways in which you can effectively and efficiently put money aside to help them pay for college. There are several ways that you can do this, including utilizing your Roth IRA or setting up a 529 college savings plan. What is a Roth IRA? Before discussing the effectiveness of using a Roth IRA as a means to pay for college, it’s important to first identify exactly what it is. For those that aren’t familiar with … [Read more...] about Can I Use a Roth IRA to Pay for College?
How to Save Money on Your Mortgage
Everyone wants to save money on the cost of owning a home, but very little people know how to save money on your mortgage. A large monthly expense that many people can struggle to pay, it’s good to know efficient ways of decreasing your monthly payment so that it’s more manageable, and how to pay off your home loan quickly so that you don't have years and years left on the term. The Perks of Paying Your Mortgage Early You’ll own your own home – the sooner you’ve paid off your mortgage, the sooner you’ll own your own home. … [Read more...] about How to Save Money on Your Mortgage
The Pros and Cons of Alternative Financial Services
A recent study found that 42% of Millennials have used alternative financial services and 39% of the general population has used these services, which include payday loans, pawnshops, rent-to-own programs, and car title loans. Short-term loans are often risky for borrowers, but there could be some advantages to taking out this type of loan if you’re in a pinch. Pros and Cons of Alternative Financial Services To help you decide whether alternative financial services might suit your financial situation, here are some considerations to make … [Read more...] about The Pros and Cons of Alternative Financial Services
Is Your Side Hustle Actually Costing You Money?
Nobody knows how many Americans are actually participating in the gig economy; estimates range widely from 4% to 40% of the workforce. What we do know is that some people have managed to successfully transform their former side gigs into full-time work, while others continue working full-time jobs to support themselves and use side hustles as extra income streams to pay the bills and grow their savings. But, is your side hustle costing you money? The problem with side hustles is that they can complicate your income and tax situation much … [Read more...] about Is Your Side Hustle Actually Costing You Money?
Do You Qualify for a Business Credit Card?
Whether you’re an established enterprise with multiple employees and a brick-and-mortar location or you’re a work-from-home freelancer with a side gig here and there, chances are you have monthly business-related expenses to cover. While some freelancers, consultants, and other solo-preneurs typically cover these expenses with their personal credit cards, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities to get extra perks while paying for business expenditures. Fortunately, applying for a business credit card is just as easy as applying … [Read more...] about Do You Qualify for a Business Credit Card?
How Your Cognitive Biases Can Hurt Your Investment Returns
In his book, Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, author Dan Ariely writes, “Wouldn’t economics make a lot more sense if it were based on how people actually behave, instead of how they should behave?” In the same vein, investors of all backgrounds and net worth levels generally know how they should invest but nevertheless make bad investment decisions like getting deeply involved in penny stocks, gambling on the potential of a new cryptocurrency, trying to “time the market,” or investing much too … [Read more...] about How Your Cognitive Biases Can Hurt Your Investment Returns