Personal Finance Articles

A little-known tax break could help offset the cost for people considering a continuing-care retirement community (CCRC). With CCRCs, you pay a one time entry fee and ongoing monthly charges. In exchange, the CCRC provides housing and a range of accommodation, medical and other services. The level of services can be increased as your needs [...]

[Read more →]

To many parents and grandparents, raising responsible children involves teaching them to be financially responsible – and many financial experts say it’s important to start early. Although an increasing number of schools and other organizations, such as banks, are rolling out financial literacy programs, it’s important to build a foundation of knowledge at home. How? [...]

[Read more →]

The extension of the so-called Bush tax cuts through 2012 means you may still qualify for the 0% federal income tax rate on long-term capital gains and dividends. This low rate applies to long-term capital gains and qualified dividends that would otherwise fall within the bottom two federal income-tax brackets, which are 10% and 15%. [...]

[Read more →]

Most Americans who die in 2011 or 2012 won’t be exposed to the federal estate tax, thanks to the $5 million federal estate tax exemption – but you may still need an estate plan in the form of a will and possibly even a living trust. One goal of estate planning is avoiding probate, a [...]

[Read more →]

Declining property values and changes in tax rules mean it may be a good time to transfer property to your heirs by using a qualified personal residence trust (QPRT). With a QPRT, you create a trust and transfer your home into it. In doing so, you reserve the right to live in your home for [...]

[Read more →]

Has index evolution led to index pollution? The 1976 launch of the Vanguard 500 Index Fund created an entirely new philosophy of investing – holding all the stocks in the market instead of trying to pick potential winners. The concept of indexing is certainly simple. Instead of trying to beat the market, you try to [...]

[Read more →]

Historically, gold has been considered a “safe haven” in times of economic and geopolitical instability as well as inflationary environments – meaning it might be an option to consider today. Gold’s greatest potential advantage may be its tendency to perform differently from other assets. As a result, it can help diversify a portfolio of traditional [...]

[Read more →]

Self-employment tax is frequently the largest component of tax liability for someone engaged in a trade or business. In fact, this tax is owed on business profit even when no regular income tax is due. Self-employment tax is paid in addition to any regular income tax assessment. Self-employment tax refers to taxes for Social Security [...]

[Read more →]

If you are trying to live off your investments, you may be struggling right now. That’s because interest rates are lower than they have been in years and the prices of many household items are rising. What can you do if you need income? Following are three options to think about: Blue-Chip Stocks: Many large, [...]

[Read more →]

Almost 44 million Americans care for someone 50 years or older, spending about $5,500 a year providing that care. If you’re one of them, you may be entitled to a tax break by claiming the care recipient as a dependent on your tax return. However, there are some eligibility requirements: The recipient must be either [...]

[Read more →]