So, exactly how do cash advances from a credit card work?
We all know that credit card companies survive by what we don’t know and this is no exception. Many consumers are simply unaware that every time they use their credit cards to withdraw cash, there are extra fees that are charged. Here are the biggest ones: (more…)
Tax deadline is April 15, so if you haven’t begun gathering your annual tax records it’s time to do so. Every year, however, people’s lives change – they buy and sell houses and move, they take new jobs, have kids, buy and sell stock. Those and dozens more reasons might give you cause to hire a tax preparer.
It’s worth going over the primary reasons why some people should get help with their taxes and others can continue going it alone.
Should you do it by yourself? If you meet the following circumstances, you can probably do your taxes by yourself:
No one wants to give up control of their lives. That’s true for someone who’s 20 or 80. But if you sense an older relative is slowing down, or if a serious illness is threatening the finances of any loved one, it’s time to fashion a battle plan.
A good first stop is a financial planner – a financial expert with the experience to step into a tense situation and help you create a system for locating key information so you can make the necessary critical decisions. Of course, the best way to set up a system is to work with the relative before there’s a problem or in the early stages of illness. Some suggestions: (more…)
Turning 50 might not be everyone’s idea of excitement, but when it comes to saving for retirement, 50 is when things start getting a lot more interesting.
That’s because people age 50 and over can make what are known as “catch-up” contributions to IRAs and most workplace-based retirement plans. These special contributions are in addition to regular contribution limits and allow individuals to maximize the amount of tax-advantaged retirement savings they can stash away.
The catch-up phenomenon has never been more important as American workers attempt to rebuild retirement savings devastated by recent market losses. Taxpayers 50 or older are permitted to make additional contributions beyond standard limits. For calendar year 2010, here are the standard contribution limits with their catch-up amount: (more…)
Where The Jobs Are, How to Spruce Up Your Skills and Ready Your Finances for the Change
During the recent recession, many have found themselves back in the job market after age 50 due to layoffs or changing demands at their employers. Yet as life expectancies lengthen, a late career change isn’t always a negative. It may be a welcome chance to renew, re-educate and restart a full life.
It’s possible that in the future, an over-50 career change might become a common event, maybe even a desired event in our society – which means it’s definitely worth planning for. (more…)
You are currently browsing the See Beyond 20/20: The Blog blog archives for March, 2010.
"We filled out our 20/20 Analysis and we were able to see that, had we stayed on the same payment plan, it was going to take 48 years 11 months before we could become debt-free. Now with your program, we can be debt free in 8 years and 6 months! How exciting! And that is just the beginning. We have been able to dream bigger dreams than we ever dared before. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Chris & Julie
Tampa, FL
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