Early Retirement Withdrawals – How and When to Conduct a Withdraw

Does Dollar Cost Averaging Really Work?

IRS data has shown that Americans lose approximately $5.7 billion per year on early withdrawal penalties when they take out funds from their 401k Retirement Plans or IRAs before meeting the minimum age requirements (59 ½). In 2020, Section 2202 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created an exemption for early distributions related to the coronavirus pandemic in which individuals could withdraw up to $100,000 from their retirement accounts without being subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty (though they would have to count the distributions as part of their income for tax-reporting purposes for the next 3 years). To qualify for the no-penalty early withdrawal – which was extended into 2021 thanks to the … Read more

Top 5 Simple Things You Can Do When Your Car Insurance Rates Rise

Tips to Use When You Can't Afford Car Insurance

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners found that the average American’s car insurance premiums cost around $1,134 annually (or $95 per month), though this figure varies widely depending on where you live, how old you are, your driving history, what car you drive, how many miles you typically drive, and even your credit score. If you get a traffic ticket or minor fender bender involving insurance, you may see your rates go up next time your bill is due. Fortunately, you can switch to another provider if the new policy costs exorbitantly more, though you have other options available if most insurance providers quote you around the same price. Rather than shrugging off the cost of the premium hike, here … Read more

Jumbo Mortgage 101 – What You Need to Know: Definition, Rates, and Limits

mortgage

What happens if you find your dream home, but you’ll need to borrow more than half a million dollars to finance it? Even after the 2007/2008-era housing market crash, it’s still possible to access jumbo mortgage loans for pricier properties. However, you’ll likely face more restrictive borrowing requirements than you would with a conventional mortgage loan. Jumbo Mortgage – What You Need to Know While jumbo mortgages can be riskier for lenders, don’t let the name and tighter lending requirements deter you from a potentially favorable loan to finance your next property. What is a Jumbo Mortgage? Simply put, a jumbo loan is a type of mortgage financing that exceeds the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) maximum conforming loan limits, … Read more

Is Ethereum a Good Investment? Everything Cryptocurrency Investors Need to Know

ethereum

Ethereum has been considered by many – including Forbes – as “the next Bitcoin”. It’s built off blockchain technology like Bitcoin. Still, Ethereum provides an extra layer of functionality such as automated smart contracts, which enable self-executing code without the user worrying about any third-party intervention. But, Is Ethereum a good investment? Many of these smart contracts are powered by Ethereum’s cryptocurrency/token called “ether”. Ether is the money of the Ethereum network, and you can buy, sell, trade, and store ether in much the same way as Bitcoin. What makes it so appealing to so many also explains its volatility when it comes to price. It changes fast, which means there’s a lot more room for growth! This is why … Read more

The Top 7 Finance Books Money Q&A Readers Are Buying on Amazon

Baby Step 5 - College Savings Plan

Over the past three months, Money Q&A readers have bought several personal finance books through the blog’s Amazon affiliate links. I thought that it would be fun to look at these seven. It’s no surprise that most readers are buying are part of my Top 10 Personal Finance Books list. The list shows the books that I think should be on everyone’s bookshelves and nightstands next to your bed. You can see the full list here. These Top 10 Personal Finance Books are the ones that have meant the most in my life. They’re the ones that I have highlighted passages, dog-eared pages, and reread over and over. If you haven’t read them, I definitely think you should push them … Read more

How to Invest in Legos and Lego Sets for Great and Unique Rate of Return

invest in legos

Legos are amazing toys for kids of all ages. They can be played in so many different ways and offer hours of entertainment. But can you invest in Legos? Are Legos a good investment? And, how do you even go about investing in Legos? How do you determine how much to spend on them and whether they will increase in value over time or not? When you’re a kid, Legos are the best toy ever. They give you hours of entertainment. But how do adults get in on this fun? Can adults invest in Legos? And, should you? Can you actually earn a decent rate of return by simply buying and selling Lego sets? And how should you know how … Read more