Spouse Tuned Out on Money Matters? 3 Ways to Get Them Engaged
When you’re married, it’s not a given that you and your spouse will do every single thing together. It may be that one of you likes to attend concerts while the other prefers…
All Work
Maurie Backman
3 Reasons Why Having a Mortgage in Retirement Isn’t So Bad
It’s natural to have certain goals you want to meet in time for retirement. Those could include having a certain amount of money in your IRA or 401(k), or having a specific amount of…
Did Your Income Rise in 2024? 3 Tax Moves You May Want to Make in 2025
No matter what line of work you’re in, your goal may be to see your income increase from one year to the next. So if that’s exactly what happened in 2024, you may be…
3 Situations Where Taking Social Security Early Makes Sense
As you get closer to retirement, one of the hardest decisions you might have to make is signing up for Social Security. You’re allowed to take benefits as early as age 62. But there’s…
The Fed Just Paused Interest Rate Cuts. Here’s What That Means for You
The Federal Reserve spent a good part of 2022 and 2023 implementing interest rate hikes in response to rampant inflation. But now, the central bank needs to reverse some of those hikes as inflation…
What Happens to My Student Loans if Trump Gets Rid of the Department of Education?
Although President Trump has only been in office for a matter of weeks, he’s already trying to make big changes. And one of those changes is to upend the Department of Education by either…
The 2025 Tax Season Is Underway. 3 Tips to Make It a Smooth One
Although 2024 tax returns aren’t due until April 15, the IRS began accepting them last month. That means the 2025 tax season is officially underway. And like it or not, you’re going to have…
I’m 32 and just inherited $300k from my grandmother and I’m being told to use all of that to buy my house in cash. Is that a smart idea?
Buying a home is not an inexpensive prospect these days. According to the National Association of REALTORS' most recent data, the median existing U.S. home sale price hit $440,600 in June 2026, an all-time…
Social Security Timing: 3 Questions to Help You Decide When to File
Claiming Social Security is one of the most significant things you might do in the course of retiring. So it’s important to put a lot of thought into that decision rather than dive in…
I’m Almost 40 and Looking for Life Insurance. What’s a Good Option?
One of the most important purchases you might make in your lifetime is a life insurance policy. With life insurance, you can leave your loved ones with a sum of money in the event…
My old job had a pension and they offered me to cash out for $24k or get $100 per month for life — which should I choose?
When I hear about people who are eligible for a pension from an employer, I tend to feel a little jealous. Aside from Social Security, any money I have available in retirement is money…
3 Ways to Lower Your Taxes Without Breaking the Law
Whether you make $50,000 a year or $500,000 a year, your goal is probably the same — to keep as much of your income as possible away from the IRS. And the good news…
We’re in our 40s with $7 million in assets and we don’t want to spoil our child as a trust fund baby – what should we do?
Accumulating $7 million by the time you reach your 40s is a truly amazing accomplishment — and one you should be proud of. And if you have a child, it’s natural to want to…
3 Reasons to File Your Taxes Early This Year
Most years, tax returns are due on April 15 unless that date happens to fall out over a weekend. And because April 15 is a Tuesday this year, that’s precisely when your 2024 tax…
The Top 4 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Medicare Advantage Plan
Once you turn 65, you’re generally entitled to Medicare coverage. But you don’t have to stick with original Medicare (Parts A and B plus a Part D drug plan). Instead, you could sign up…
I moved to the US about 11 years ago and I went from making $7k in a foreign country to having $3 million today
A lot of people end up wealthy by virtue of starting out wealthy. We all know at least one or two people who were born into well-off families, got their college paid for by…
3 Problems With Social Security You Need to Know About Before You Retire
A lot of people get excited to retire and start collecting Social Security. And why shouldn’t they be? After years of paying into the program via wages on taxes, it’s nice to get a…
Thinking About Borrowing From Your 401(k)? Read This First
A lot of people are struggling to make ends meet given our recent bout of rampant inflation. And if you’re someone without emergency savings who runs into an unplanned expense, you may have no…
I Ran the Math and Found That Social Security Can Be Worth as Much as $1.5 Million
Social Security provides crucial benefits to millions of retirees today. And while you’ll often hear that those benefits aren’t so generous, the reality is that some seniors get a pretty nice paycheck out of…
I’m 26 and just made $200k more this year than last – what pitfalls should I be wary of?
Many of us have the goal of earning more money from one year to the next. So for the most part, seeing your income rise substantially is a good thing. There’s just one problem.…