The Versatility of the Roth IRA

When it comes to retirement planning and investment vehicles, the Roth IRA stands out as a powerful tool that offers individuals a unique combination of tax advantages and flexibility. While the basics of the Roth IRA are well-known, exploring its more nuanced aspects can uncover its true potential and highlight the wide range of benefits it can provide. In this article, we delve into some of the lesser-known features of the Roth IRA and discuss the remarkable flexibility it affords.

Retirement Investment Priorities

Building a strong financial future requires careful planning and strategic investment. As you embark on your journey towards financial security, it's crucial to prioritize and take advantage of the various investment options available to you. The order in which you prioritize investment in the different types of tax advantaged accounts can help you maximize your results and allow you more financial freedom when you need it.

College Savings

Saving for your child's college education is a crucial investment in their future. With the ever-increasing cost of tuition fees, it's essential to start saving early to avoid a heavy financial burden later on. In this article, we'll explore why it's important to save for your child's college education and provide you with some good options for the different types of college savings accounts.

2018 Rent vs Own analysis

Tax changes in the new 2018 tax law is affecting much of how we need to think about our financial lives.  With this in mind, urban.org just posted a great article which goes into some good depth on how one would decide if they should rent or buy.  There is a great chart (below) that shows the break even points for different income groups, and it indicates that the new tax law reduces the incentive to buy in a market that is already very seller friendly.

Crowd funding is about to change

The SEC has ruled on Title III of the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Starts Up Act (JOBS Act) and this is going to make a big impact on how small companies and real estate companies fund their projects in a major way.  Previous to the change that we'll detail in a minute, there were rules on who could invest in these types of businesses or even if a business could advertise and sell securities to those that didn't meet the requirements.  The rules only allowed those with an annual salary of $200k or more for the past two years ($300k if married) or those that have a net worth of $1M to invest in these types of venture loans.  The people that met the standards were considered accredited investors.

Is it the right time to refinance

After the recent market turmoil and news that China will be selling some of its US Treasuries, is it a good time to refinance?  The chart above from bankrate.com would argue that we are near the perfect time to pull the trigger.

Discounted gift cards

I'm not sure about you, but I occasionally have to buy a gift card for a coach or teacher or for a birthday, Christmas, etc. One way to save a little on what you are buying is through a site that offers discounts on these cards. There are several sites out there like Cardpool, Raise, Giftcards, Giftcardzen, and giftcardgranny. Some resell cards from people that don't want them (got them for a gift) and others are get their discount from the companies selling the cards. Cardbear is a site that searches several places to find you the best deal. They show you what the average discount is and advise you to wait or buy based the current rate. You have to think ahead as some of these have to shipped, but if you can, you can save yourself anywhere from 10-40% depending on what it is. Another option is to be on the lookout for promotions usually around the holidays where you can get a free card when you buy one, say $5 when you by $25. Using these cards yourself is another way to stretch the food/entertainment budget if you can remember to use them and get them in advance.

(There are no paid sponsors on this site as of yet, so this is just me trying to help you get a good deal.)