With Super Bowl Sunday, Mardi Gras, and Valentine’s Day finished, the holiday season is well and truly over. It’s time to get back to the grind, represented by the sometimes frantic, often less-celebratory Tax Day: April 15. So, pack away the team banners, sparkly beads, and heart-shaped cards. The W-2 is arriving (or the 1099 Read more
Personal Finance
Property Protectors: Homeowners Insurance vs. Home Warranty
Whether you own a house or are planning to buy one, you may be considering a home warranty and homeowners insurance and pondering the difference between the two. Both are important tools that can reduce the potential risk and unexpected financial burdens of home ownership. But while the distinction between the two might seem ambiguous, Read more
Healthy Choice: How an HSA Can Save You
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a type of savings account that enables you to set aside pre-taxed funds to pay for qualified medical expenses. Using untaxed dollars in an HSA to pay expenses such as deductibles, drug prescriptions, copays, some dental work, glasses and vision-related care, and some other expenses can lower your overall Read more
It’s Spring! A Good Time to Tidy Up Your House … and Finances
As spring arrives and the flowers bloom, this is a good time to review your finances. Actually, any time is a good time to do this. You don’t need to obsess over your budget, but it’s smart to make money check-ins a regular part of your routine, by conducting a self-audit at least once a Read more
A Matter of Trust: How the FDIC Works
You have heard it many times in those rapid-fire announcements on bank advertisements: “FDIC insured.” Before the recent high-profile bank failures, that was likely all most depositors knew about the FDIC, that it was insurance on their money. But current events have brought FDIC into the headlines over actions to protect depositors after the collapse Read more
Hide and Seek: Loved Ones’ Assets May Not Be in Plain Sight
After a loved one passes away, it may fall to you to find and collect their assets. Not just those in obvious places, such as bank accounts, insurance policies, and property (i.e., cars and houses). In addition to selling the property, it’s a good idea to search it thoroughly first for any valuables hidden by Read more