Do you have a plan in place for your retirement? For many people, the extent of their retirement planning includes signing up for the plan at work – which is often more of a starting point than a comprehensive retirement plan. Let’s demystify the lingo and break down some of the most common retirement plans, so you can determine the best retirement plan for you: Common Retirement Accounts Whether you work for a large company, a small business, or yourself, there are retirement savings accounts that will work best for your situation. Here are some of the most common ones: 401(k) – A 401(k) is ..read more

Warmer days have many of us wanting to refresh our spaces and clear out the clutter. But while you’re cleaning up your home and minimizing unnecessary stuff, don’t forget to spring clean your finances, too.  Taking some intentional time to organize your financial life can have major benefits all year long. Here are some tips to take advantage of the season and get your money under control: 1. Check your credit report Spring is also tax season, which is when we tend to see a spike in identity theft. So while you’re gathering your documents and preparing to file, you might want to look for ..read more

  International Women’s Day is Friday, March 8th, and it’s a day where we recognize the achievements of women, and the importance of gender equality. But it’s also a time to pay attention to the financial challenges women are still facing, and how to overcome them. Here are some of the top financial hurdles that women face, and what steps you can take to confidently achieve your money goals: Getting Involved with Finances: Financial Planning for Women Women are much more in control of their money than ever before. A GoBankingRates survey found that 90 percent of women either controlled h ..read more

Tax time is here again, and if you’re not one of the 25 million Americans who have already filed, then you’re probably going through the process of gathering what you need and preparing to file. While you’re working through your tax season checklist, here are some updates and tips to help you along the way: 2024 Taxes Filing Date As usual, the deadline to file federal tax returns for most taxpayers is Monday, April 15, 2024. However, taxpayers in Maine or Massachusetts may file up until Wednesday, April 17, 2024, due to the Patriot’s Day and Emancipation Day holidays. Standard and Itemized De ..read more

Most couples celebrate Valentine’s Day with cards, flowers, candy and romantic dinners. They typically aren’t reviewing their finances over a candlelit dinner and glasses of wine. Even if you don’t invite your budget to your Valentine’s Day celebration, this is still a great time to take a closer look at what role finances play in your relationship. Couples and Finances: Your Money Personality Type If you want a fun way to talk about your finances, try learning more about your money personality types. We all have different histories with money, which results in different styles of money manag ..read more

Treasury bills (also known as “T-bills”) are U.S. government-backed short term debt securities. These are low risk investments that you buy at a discount, and then profit on the difference when the term is up. They have been a popular option lately due to higher returns than usual, and many investors are using them to boost their savings. Should you include T-bills in your portfolio? Here’s a more in-depth look to help you decide: What are Treasury bills? We’ve already covered the T-bill basics: it is a short-term, government-backed security with low risk (and generally, a lower reward.) They ..read more

So many people try to jump right into making changes in their financial life without spending time working on their mindset. Don’t underestimate the power of your thoughts and beliefs; they can have a very real effect on your success. Here are some ways you can tackle your goals this year with less stress, more confidence and the habits you need to see real progress: Avoiding Money Stress: Celebrate your wins Before you head into the new year, take a look at what you’ve accomplished over the past year (or several years.) Taking stock of your achievements gives you the proof you need to tackle ..read more

As 2023 comes to a close, we can take a look at how the markets and economy performed, where we stand now, and what might be on the horizon for 2024. So first, here are some of the top takeaways and biggest headlines from this year: 2023 Markets and Economy: Inflation, Debt and the Labor Market In 2023, the inflation rate continued to cool in response to high interest rates. Right now, we’re sitting at a 3.24 percent rate of inflation, compared to 7.11 percent one year ago. One concern about raising interest to tamp down inflation is that it can lead to a recession. Spending typically slows i ..read more

On top of the very busy holiday season, the end of the year also comes with many deadlines for your finances. One way to make checking off your to-dos a little easier is to gather all of the financial data and information you need ahead of time, so you’re not left scrambling the last few days of December. Year End Financial Data: Look into your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) balance FSAs come with a “use it or lose it” rule, so anything you haven’t used up by the end of the year may not roll over to next year. A lot of rules changed during the pandemic, and some plans offer a grace period or ..read more

At the end of the year, there’s a trend that happens for many people: a much more relaxed approach to spending and budgeting. For a lot of people, by the time the holidays roll around, they’ve already fallen off track with their finances. So instead of pulling back, they start overspending on gifts, travel and other holiday expenses, with the idea that they’ll fix things in the new year. It’s also particularly important for Americans to be mindful this year, as household debt hit a record $1 trillion. After years of high inflation, the majority of households are feeling that financial strain ..read more