Clik here to view.
Why we Pay Too Much for Insurance (& how to Cut your Costs)
Most of us pay too damn much for insurance. Let me clarify… I’m not talking about how we shop for insurance, policy discounts we might be missing out on, or which providers we buy from (although all of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Costco Liquor Cabinet: A Costco Alcohol, Wine, Beer, & Spirits Price List
Costco has long been known for selling bulk quantities of high quality foods and other consumables at discount prices. And those discounts are even sweeter when they are packaged with the Costco store...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wealth Alone Does Not Make a Hero
A few weeks ago, it was tough to avoid stories in the news media that glorified Jeff Bezos’s ascent to the richest person on earth. And then, just a day later, in a stunning fall from grace, “Bezos...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is Personal Finance a Legit Reason to Not Have Kids or Pets?
I run a personal finance blog. And I do not have kids. When people find out these two facts about me, many of them jump to the conclusion that I don’t have kids BECAUSE I run a personal finance blog...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Spoiled & Greedy Class
Consider this an unplanned Part II rant to my “wealth alone does not make a hero” post a few weeks ago, as we were all gifted the perfect case-in-point of wealth-flaunting moral bankruptcy this past...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Creating a Better Workplace
As I was thinking about all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went in to the United States labor movement that raised the bar for all workers and afforded most of us the luxury of spending this Labor...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Equifax Hack: Your Data was Hacked. Here’s How to Protect Yourself (without...
The Equifax hack is “red alert” level bad – and you should take notice. It is the worst disclosed data hack in history when you factor in the privacy, amount, and legacy use value of the information...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is a Credit Freeze? And Should you Use it?
In light of the massive Equifax hack, their deficient response, and the subsequent consumer panic from the 143 million compromised Americans (read: everyone who has ever applied for credit) that has...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Where to Get Cheap or Free Flu Shots
The 2017-2018 flu season is here and sick days are about to start piling up. Should you get a flu shot? There are many good reasons to… On average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Good Tax Reform or Trickle Down Economics? A Look at the New Tax Plan
I’m very interested to see how the new Republican attempt at tax reform shakes out. We should all be interested. Because if it passes, it will impact each and every one of us (and our country)...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is a Credit Lock? A Credit Lock Versus Credit Freeze Breakdown
In researching how to respond to the Equifax hack and my deep dive into one of the possible responses – proactively placing a credit freeze – I couldn’t help but notice that there’s another new credit...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2017 & 2018 Maximum IRA Contribution Limits
The IRS just announced its annual update to the maximum IRA contribution limits, which is the max anyone can contribute to an IRA (or IRA’s) in a given year. Unfortunately, the 2018 maximum IRA...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2017 & 2018 Maximum 401K Contribution Limits
The IRS just announced a 2018 maximum 401K contribution limit of $18,500, which is the max you can contribute to a 401K in a given calendar year. This is an increase over the 2017 maximum 401K...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Saver’s Tax Credit Qualifications for 2017 and 2018
The Saver’s Tax Credit details below have been updated for the 2017 and 2018 tax years. What is the Saver’s Credit? The Saver’s Credit (aka the ‘retirement savings contribution credit‘) is a lesser...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2018 Tax Brackets & Standard Deductions Announced
Today, the IRS released the 2018 tax brackets (a tabled breakdown of the IRS federal income tax rates) and standard deduction amounts, and there will be a number of inflation adjustments over the 2017...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Earned Income Tax Credit Basics
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the most significant tax credits available in the entire IRS tax code. It is also simultaneously one of the most complicated and popular tax credits as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Act Fast – Your 401K Benefits May Be Slashed Next Year
If you haven’t been paying close attention, you may have missed the recent news that 401K tax deductions are possibly on the chopping block as part of the Trump/Republican tax cut plan – a plan that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Your Guide to ACA Open Enrollment (Now Open!). Let’s Get Everyone Covered!
The Affordable Care Act lives, and despite a need for some bi-partisan cooperation to improve it, it’s working. It’s been reported that 80% of Americans can find a 2018 ACA marketplace plan for less...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mainstream Personal Finance Advice for Uninspired Americans
I spend many hours per week combing through websites, blogs, magazines, and books on personal finance to try and stay on top of my game and keep up with the latest news and sentiments (i.e. tax reform,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Charitable Donation Deduction Crash that Nobody Sees Coming
There’s currently a lot of discussion about the impact of the Republican tax plan, which now has been calculated to have a net result of higher taxes on everyone – minus the top 1% – in order to cut...
View Article