Year: 2019
Receiving a property tax bill for your New Jersey home can be painful. Homeowners in the Garden State face the highest property tax rates in the country. But even with that burden, there may be steps that you can take to reduce your annual tax bill: consider filing a tax appeal with your municipality as well as determine if you are eligible for the homestead rebate, the senior tax freeze, or the rebates for seniors, blind/disabled people, or veterans. Engaging an attorney or accountant to help you with these items is probably in order.
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The latest student loan debt statistics show there are more than 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt in the U.S. alone. Student loan debt is now the second highest consumer debt category - behind only mortgage debt - and higher than both credit cards and auto loans. The numbers are staggering for Parent PLUS Loans, in particular. When you think of your golden years, you think of rest, relaxation, travel and the good life. The last thing on your mind: student loans. Yet, for millions of Americans, student loans are still a reality. Here's what you need to know and what to do about it.
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Lynn Magnusson is an appraiser at family-owned Magnusson Estate Services, and says "putting inherited items in storage is almost always a HUGE mistake." Click below to find out why.
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As a small business owner, you need to accept that your employees are going to talk about you — whether it’s to colleagues in the break room, loved ones at home, or friends over coffee. What employees say about you when you’re not around represents how they really feel. And, while it’s hard to please everyone, there are a few things you never want employees saying about you.
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You've got a little extra cash and you'd like to find a place to escape. Should you buy a property and build equity with the potential for rental income? Or should you rent a getaway with no fixed costs, maintenance or hassle. Here's how financial planners, homeowners and investors have approached the decision to buy or rent a vacation home.
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Every year, scammers come up with new ways to steal money from consumers. They also retool older scams and bring them back with a new twist. We want to make sure you know what to expect so you won't become a victim. Even if you think you'd never fall for a scam, remember some of your loved ones may not be as savvy. Do your family a favor and make sure everyone knows the red flags to watch for. Here are five scams to expect to see in 2019.
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Frank Holmes, CEO of US Global Investors, states that there’s no better place in the US to do business than Texas, which has 38 billionaires on the Forbes list of the wealthiest Americans. He cross referenced Forbes’ findings with the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which measures people on how they make their money, to find out who are the five wealthiest self-made Texans. Even if you have no ties to Texas, the list is very interesting.
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Getting stuff done and being more productive as a small business owner doesn’t have to be complicated. And when a change requires little effort, it’s easier to stick with than one that requires a lot of preparation or special tools. In fact, you’ll find that some of these productivity-boosters are simple enough to try as soon as you’re finished reading this, and their effectiveness is backed by science. So here are seven simple tricks to becoming more productive – starting now.
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A taxpayer’s dependents don’t necessarily have to be children. Subject to a lot of rules, you can claim certain adults as dependents too. The value of this tax provision is somewhat less than it's been in previous years, at least from 2018 through 2025, but current tax legislation also provides an additional tax break for adult dependents through this time period. Click below for more detail.
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Debt consolidation is combining multiple loans into a single loan. Companies that offer to help you consolidate your debt can use a variety of methods and it’s vital that consumers understand the differences in each plan. Many promote too-good-to-be-true debt relief programs, which rank high on the list of complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission. A NJ bankruptcy attorney claims these programs are not only a bad idea – they are a scam. Click to read more.
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Here's some happy news for college students - federal student loans are about to get cheaper. Each year, Congress sets the fixed interest rates for federal student loans. It only affects new loans - not existing loans. Read on for more detail.
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Bond yields remain stubbornly low. You can achieve a 3% dividend yield on a reasonably diversified portfolio of high dividend stocks, which is about the same as the yield of an intermediate term high quality bond portfolio. While I appreciate the appeal of using high dividend stocks instead of bonds, I remain unconvinced that it is appropriate for most investors. Keep reading for more detail including an article on the topic from Morningstar, a leading investment research firm.
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If you’re a Millennial, know this about financial planning: Time is still on your side, but it won’t be for much longer. If you wait too long, until you are in your 40s or 50s, you’ll have to save and invest a much larger portion of your income. Here are nine tips to shed whatever doubts may be holding you back and get started now.
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Organization isn’t complicated, but it is critical to our capacity for powerful functioning in this age of hyper connectivity. As our attention and concentration is pulled in multiple directions at any given time, agile productivity systems allow us to be more innovative, engaged and able to recognize new opportunities. Whether you are organizing your junk drawer or next year’s strategic plan, the process is universal. Follow these five simple steps to organize virtually anything.
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Something significant is happening in Social Security - people are retiring and taking their benefits later. In 1997, 57% of men claiming their retirement benefits under Social Security were 62, the earliest age at which one can do so. By 2017, that share had dropped to 34% because more people elected to put off claiming their benefits. I'm not sure why the study only involves men since women are also eligible for social security benefits, but I suspect the reasons to delay benefits apply universally.
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Maintaining a successful long-term relationship, and continuing to thrive over the long haul, is a team effort. Both partners have to be all in, both emotionally and logistically. This goes beyond divvying up household duties and co-parenting: one responsibility that's easy to forget about is balancing love and money by managing your joint finances.
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Many investors are using IRAs and 401(k)s to capture the double tax advantage of pre-tax investing and tax deferred growth. However, the triple tax advantage of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) - pre-tax investing, tax deferred growth, and tax-free withdrawals - remains largely untapped. If you are enrolled in a high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP), which are becoming more prevalent, then you should be using an HSA.
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It is that time of year to consider making an IRA Contribution. You have until April 15, 2019 to make a contribution for 2018. You can also make your 2019 contribution at the same time.
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My dad used to tell me there are two types of taxpayers in this world: tax minimizers and tax evaders. Smart business people are tax minimizers. These business owners do everything they can, within the law, to minimize their taxes. They plan. But dumb business people are tax evaders. Need help telling the difference?
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The spectrum of professionals who claim to offer financial advice is a broad one — so broad, in fact, that it can be difficult to define exactly what "financial planners" are and the kinds of skills they should bring to the table in their work with clients. To call him- or herself a financial planner, a financial professional should be trained and have demonstrated competency in multiple areas of finance, including cash flow, investments, retirement, tax, estate planning, risk management and insurance, and education funding. Here are five initial questions you can ask of your prospective financial planner to make sure you're not just getting lip service.
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Many people do not realize that their prized possessions are drastically underinsured and inadequately protected because coverage for fine art and other valuables is very limited under a standard homeowners insurance policy. Should you consider a fine arts or collectibles insurance policy? Read the following article for more details:
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Cognitive decline, abetted by isolation, is a powerful force that makes aging parents easy targets for scam artists, misleading advertising and offers for high-priced, unnecessary goods and services. It’s difficult for clients to know when to step in and assist aging parents with their financial affairs. Conversations about money are uncomfortable, and aging parents may become defensive, suspicious or confused. Read the following article for tips on how to address this situation.
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