The United States, surprisingly, has a new majority, and it’s single people. For the first time since 1976, when statistics were first kept and 37% of adults were single, there are more single than married people living in the US. While this might not sound like a bad thing, the actual implications are enormous. The […]
Simple steps to prioritize your debts
All forms of debt are not equal, so it’s important to prioritize your obligations before you pay them down. It actually pays to have some forms of debt. Home mortgage interest, for example, on acquisition loans of up to $1 million are fully tax deductible. Mortgage interest on a second home can also be deducted […]
Save more by Freezing Your Spending
The first step toward paying down card balances is to stop adding to them. There are a couple of easy ways to start this process. First and foremost, stop using your cards to make basic purchases. Wherever possible, use cash for day-to-day transactions, such as paying for groceries or buying clothes. There is a tendency […]
Where to Store Your Emergency Funds
Where should you put the money? Keep in mind that this is your emergency savings, not your emergency investments. Not a single drop of this money belongs in the stock market, not even in the most well-diversified, dividend-paying blue chip stock fund you can find. During the bull market, many of us were literally using […]
Claiming Social Security Benefits
One of the most important decisions that an American consumer will make as they near or reach retirement age is deciding when to actually start collecting their Social Security benefits. One of the biggest questions is going to be whether to start collecting them at the age of 62, when it’s possible, or at the […]