Your Social Security Benefits
Social Security is one of the largest assets for most retirees, but very few understand its basic rules. About a third of all people claim social security at age 62, but there are many benefits that are left on the…
Obamacare and your Tax Return
The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare or ACA) will have a limited, if any, impact for most taxpayers. However, there are several items to be aware of when completing your tax return. 1) Itemized Medical Deduction There has been an…
North Carolina Tax Changes – 2014
As you finalize your 2013 federal and state income tax returns you should be aware of the significant changes to North Carolina state taxes in 2014. In July 2013, the state legislature passed a material overhaul to the state tax…
How Much did you Spend Last Year?
The start of a new year is often when we tell ourselves “This year I am going to [insert resolution here].” Maybe last year you decided to really start tracking your expenses (you know, with a budgeting tool, like Mint.com…
529 Traps
Much of the advice you hear surrounding 529 accounts stresses the importance of saving in these accounts for tax-advantaged savings toward college costs. But, when it comes time to make withdrawals from the account, there are a few pitfalls you…
What’s Spookier than College Savings?
Education costs can be one of the most significant and daunting expenses that ever cross a parent’s path. According to a recent study by Fidelity, most families are “…on track to meet just one-third of their college savings goals.” This…
What Type of Financial Planner are You?
The Certified Financial Planners Board and the Consumer Federation of America performed a research study earlier this year involving a sample of 1,002 household financial decision makers nationwide which included 60 financial planning related questions. With their results they have…
The Importance of Saving Early
Being a young couple in our 20’s, my husband and I were not very concerned about saving for retirement like we should have been once we graduated from college. We thought we had plenty of time to save, but the…
The Tooth Fairy is Rich!
What do you think is the average amount left by the tooth fairy? It’s a great time to be a kid with a loose tooth, because the answer is $3.70, according to a recent survey by Visa. This number varies…
5 College Planning Myths
This month’s issue of Money magazine features an article entitled Busting the 5 Myths of College Costs. The landscape of saving and ultimately paying for college has been constantly changing over the past several years and it is important to…
