During a financial challenge, a hardship loan may be an option you should explore. A hardship loan can be any money that is borrowed during difficult times, including a personal loan, equity financing, or a loan from a family member or friend. There are safe ways to borrow; however, taking on debt may add to […]
Applying for a credit card can be a scary process. The greatest challenge comes not from making the wrong decision, but from being unaware of all the information. Then you must take into consideration all the different credit card companies and all the different rewards they offer. Choosing a credit card can quickly become overwhelming. […]
Put simply, a 401(k) plan is an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan. Through these plans, you can save money towards retirement on a tax-deferred basis, which means you don’t pay federal or state income taxes on your savings or their investment earnings, until you withdraw the money at retirement. Since most people’s taxable income is lower […]
The advantages of Social Security are numerous, but one that people don’t often realize is its flexibility. By changing the age at which you start claiming retirement benefits, you can greatly alter the amount you receive each month. Age 62 is the earliest you can claim, but the longer you wait the fatter the checks will […]
When you are young and actively employed there is no way to predict exactly when you may finally retire, what will be your retirement savings, and how much money you will need for what purposes. While it is comforting to imagine that you have a fairly accurate answer to these questions, chances are you may […]
There are a lot of people who choose electric vehicles solely because they are better for the environment than the alternatives. Although electric cars can save oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, they will not change the future significantly as far as oil use or greenhouse gas emissions are concerned. Almost all of the world’s […]
It is said that the only things that are certain in life are death and taxes. But debt should be added to that list, especially considering how many Americans spend their entire lives mired in high amounts of debt due to mortgages, car payments, credit cards and student loans. The average American owes $90,500. If […]
Social Security soon will not be able to pay full benefits. That’s because starting in 2010, a full decade ago, the payroll tax was not enough to cover payments in the future. The big question then becomes, how long will the fund last? As of now, the fund is expected to run out sometime between […]
Studies in both the UK and United States have found that upon finally retiring many find it less satisfying than expected — so they’re clocking back in at work. The phenomena of these retirees returning to work in part-time positions has been termed by economists “unretirement.” The UK study, headed by researcher Loretta Platts, found […]
A lot of people think having a million bucks in the bank means their retirement is golden. Not so fast. A new study conducted by Gobankingrates.com shows that $1 million may not be enough — especially if you live on the coasts, as do tens of millions. For instance, if you live on the Eastern […]
