When it comes to retirement savings, there’s good news, bad news, and more bad news. The good news is that most Americans today have access to a workplace retirement plan, such as a 401(k). A 2018 study at Stanford University found that roughly half of all U.S. households have access to a work-based retirement plan,
Most IRS audits are not random. They’re triggered by red flags that indicate a potentially fault return, high odds of undisclosed income, or both. Learn what these triggers are and how to avoid them to prevent unwanted attention from good ol’ Uncle Sam.
Savvy taxpayers can slash their tax bill using a range of tax-sheltered accounts, but these can seem confusing and often sound alike. Which combination of retirement accounts, education accounts, and health savings accounts can help you save on your tax bill? Read on to learn more.
Americans have several options to save for retirement in tax-sheltered accounts, notably in individual retirement accounts (IRAs). These accounts come in two types: traditional and Roth IRAs. What’s the difference, and what are the rules and limits for contributing to each? Find out here.
Your financial literacy affects every single decision you make about money: how you earn it, spend it, save it, and invest it. Your chances of meeting pretty much any financial goal, from getting out of debt to buying a house, depend on how high your financial IQ is. Here’s how to boost yours.
When you’re planning for your retirement, understanding how 401(k)s and IRAs work is essential. Each has an important place in your retirement saving strategy, and using them to their full potential can help you build your retirement nest egg. Here’s what you need to know.
A staple of modern American retirement planning, the traditional IRA remains one of the easiest and most popular tax-sheltered accounts. Here’s a crash course on how traditional IRAs work, and how you can take advantage of them at any age as part of your personal retirement strategy.
Online banks are powerful personal finance tools that offer convenient access to funds – but, not all are created equal. As one of the first online-only institutions, Ally Bank has developed a reputation for responsive customer service, high interest rates on checking and savings accounts, and reasonable fees. Like many online banks, Ally has no
Every year, millions of Americans receive billions of dollars in tax refunds. Many blow it on dinners out, new clothes, and presents for themselves. But before you get carried away dreaming up inventive ways to spend your refund, do something to boost your future instead.
The only constant in life is change. But it’s shocking how quickly the notion of retirement has changed in recent memory. A century ago, there was no Social Security, Medicare, or health insurance. Pensions didn’t take off in the private sector until the Internal Revenue Act of 1921 made pension contributions tax-deductible for corporations. Fast-forward
There’s no one-size-fits-all financial advice because everyone’s financial priorities are different. And even when two people share similar financial goals, they can take several routes to reach the same destination. So how do you determine your financial priorities? How do you achieve them? And perhaps most importantly, how can you bend the rules to work
Either you control your money, or your money controls you. And when you reach your 30s, it’s time to take your finances by the horns and wrestle control of them once and for all. But if you’re like most Americans, your parents didn’t teach you much about smart money management. Nor are our schools teaching
