President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress passed a major overhaul of the United States tax code in late 2017 that will impact what you owe for 2018. Whether it will benefit you or require you to pay more to the IRS will depend upon your tax bracket and your exact filing situation. The changes […]
Category: Personal Finance
Excessive bank fees for unarranged overdrafts to be banned
Banks are to be banned from charging excessive fees for unauthorised overdrafts, paid by 14 million people every year, after the City watchdog found that the current system of fees needed “fundamental change”. The current range of fees and daily and monthly charges will be swept away and replaced by a simple, single interest rate, […]
Where you live has a lot to do with whether you got a raise in 2018
About one-third of workers say that they have received a raise in the past year. And if you live in certain areas of the country, your chances of being one of them are greater. That is according to Prudential’s latest American Workers Survey, which was conducted online in November. The report found that 32 percent […]
How to Handle Holiday Bonuses
Some companies have specific bonus plans — maybe for the whole company or maybe just for people in sales or management positions. Most smaller business, however, lack any sort of formal arrangement. That puts the matter in the hand of the owner, and sometimes the manager, as to whether to pay out anything, as well […]
4 Tips for Better Budgeting in 2019
Up there with losing weight and getting into better shape, saving money is a popular New Year’s resolution to aim for. And the key to saving money is none other than having a solid budget in place. If you’ve tried budgeting in the past but have failed at it, here are a few tips to […]
5 Ways to Cut Business Costs in 2019
If you run a small business, you’re probably aware that the less you spend to keep that operation running, the higher your profits stand to be. As the new year kicks in, it’s a good time to rethink your business budget and come up with ideas to cut costs. Here are a few ways to […]
34-year-old self-made millionaire: If you make $70,000, you could retire in 10 years—here’s how
In 2010, 24-year-old Grant Sabatier had just moved back in with his parents after bouncing from job to job and then getting laid off in the midst of the recession. With less than $5 to his name and only three months to find his own place, Sabatier knew he needed to get his finances back […]
Free college is now a reality in nearly 20 states
“There was no way I could have gone to a university after high school,” said Emily Buckner, 20. “My parents were laid off during the recession and it set us back a lot,” she said. “When I finished high school, there was nothing.” Instead, Buckner took advantage of the Tennessee Promise — an offer of […]
Most Employees Still Aren’t Happy With Their Jobs
Some of us are fortunate enough to love what we do. Others, not so much. And while some of that dissatisfaction might boil down to issues such as career stage and development (or lack thereof), employer attitudes and policies can also dictate the extent to which workers are content. Seeing as how only 38% of […]
Five things you must do before you pack your bags for an overseas retirement
To all those who make the big decision to retire abroad, Cynthia and Edd Staton say, “Congratulations!” In 2009, a look at their battered retirement accounts made the Statons think hard about what their retirement might look like. They could stay in the U.S. where they’d lived all their lives, or they could find a foreign country with a […]
The secret to keeping next year’s financial resolutions
Most people are feeling pretty good about their finances these days. There is, however, room for improvement. About one-third of all Americans intend to make a financial resolution for the year ahead, according to a new report by Fidelity Investments. “There’s a connection between overall financial wellness and happiness,” said Ken Hevert, senior vice president […]
9 Financial Tasks to Complete Before the New Year
Check these financial to-do’s off your list before the clock strikes midnight. The year is quickly drawing to a close, and that means you have only a small window to wrap up some crucial financial tasks. “We get bogged down in the holiday season,” says Michael Landsberg, member of the American Institute of Certified Public […]