Buying Your First Rental Property – How to Know if You’re Ready to Invest

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house for rent

If you already have a steadily growing investment portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, then perhaps it’s time to add a new type of investment to your collection: rental property. Investing in rental properties can be an enriching venture, but it demands a lot of planning and financial involvement to be successful. Buying Your First Rental Property Are you ready to invest and buy your first rental property? Here are some things to consider while making your decision: What’s Your Current Financial Situation? To get an accurate depiction of your current financial situation, you’ll need to calculate your personal net worth. This involves assessing your debts, income, and other investments. Also, take a look at the interest rates you’re … Read more

How to Invest in Small Business Loans for Growing Businesses with StreetShares

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StreetShares Review - How to Invest in Small Business Loans

Although the unemployment rate for American veterans is on the decline, the creation of fulfilling work for veterans transitioning to civilian life remains a challenge. Veterans have an immense variety of skills to offer employers, but in some cases, working for themselves might prove more rewarding. This is why StreetShares was founded in 2013 – to give veterans greater opportunities to get the funding and information they need to start businesses of their own. How to Invest in Small Business Loans If you want to earn great returns on your investments and make a difference by supporting Americans who have honorably served your country, then here are a few ways to get involved in StreetShares: 5% Interest on Veteran Business … Read more

Why We Tend to Save for Vacation and Not for Retirement

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Why We Tend to Save for Vacation and Not for Retirement

Americans are often supposed to be too hard-working. Half of the workers do not use all the vacation days they have. According to NerdWallet research, we prefer getaways, but before it, we should plan our long-term finances. Nowadays more than 63% of Americans want to go on vacation in the following half a year. In 2009, this figure was 33%. That year was a year of Great Recession, but it shows us anyway how far we are from this point. Skipping the relaxation seems to be boring, but some data show that your overall happiness increases afterward. Studies, conducted in the U.S., Norway, Spain, and Ireland show that it gives contentment to old people to understand their financial stability for … Read more

How to Help Your Spouse Start Investing

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  Are you married or in a relationship with someone who isn’t exactly financially savvy? This is normal for many relationships, but it’s important to understand your spouse’s views on money and encourage them to become financially independent by learning how to budget, invest, and start investing for retirement on their own. While money management was traditionally a husband’s job, Time Magazine reported in 2014 that a significant number of wives now bring in as much, if not more, money than their husbands and consider themselves very knowledgeable about personal finance matters. While there is less of a gender gap nowadays, budgeting and other financial responsibilities still tend to fall to one person, instead of making it a team effort. … Read more

How Much Does a New Garage Door Cost?

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How Much Does a New Garage Door Cost?

[Disclaimer: This post was created in collaboration with Banko Overhead Doors, Inc.] After noting the deep scratches from countless parking miscalculations, that hopelessly dented pane where your daughter’s killer soccer kick connected spot-on and rising energy bills associated with your garage door’s lack of proper insulation, its time to consider replacement. How much will it cost? Check out Banko’s list of factors that directly influence the pricing of a new garage door. Size Do you have a single or double car garage? Most garage doors come in standard size, but some homes have larger or customized models. In general, the bigger the door, the steeper the price. Materials What will your new garage door be made of? Wood is traditional and … Read more

Retirement Savings Options for Stay at Home Parents

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There are approximately 12 million stay at home parents in the U.S. , 1.9 million of which are stay at home dads. Some of those stay at home parents raise children as their jobs. Other stay at home parents have telecommuting jobs that allow them to work from home. Either way, there are a few unique financial considerations to make when your own income is absent or irregular. Retirement Savings Options Rather than avoiding retirement planning altogether or risking a lack of diversified retirement portfolios, here are a few retirement savings options for stay at home parents who want to develop their own retirement nest eggs. Spousal IRA Contributions Do you and your spouse file a joint tax return each year? … Read more