Losing your job is stressful. Even with an emergency fund in place, it doesn’t take very long to feel the financial impact of a sudden loss of income. When recovering from income loss, the focus instantly shifts to finding a new job. Although the job hunt is an important part of overcoming a financial setback, it fails to address some of the less obvious consequences of losing your job.
You’ve likely heard about credit scores before (thanks to all those commercials with terrible jingles), but what do you actually know about them? How long have they been around? And what’s the deal with checking them?
Back in the good old days, it was common for several generations to live under one roof. In recent years, multigenerational living has made a big comeback, and with it more innovative housing choices. In fact, one in five American households are comprised of adults from different generations such as parents and their adult children, or grandparents, parents and children, according to census data.
Whether you’re considering a major renovation or a mid-range upgrade, remodeling can increase the value of your home. However, depending on the project, sprucing up your home’s aesthetics can be costly and sometimes not do much to increase your home’s fair market value. Here are some remodeling hits to put on your to-do list — and some misses to avoid, if recouping your investment is part of the plan.
You don’t need to hire a contractor or binge watch DIY home improvement shows to transform your living space. Whether you’re looking to update your home to better match your tastes or getting ready to plant a ‘For Sale’ sign on the front yard, it’s possible to give each room a mini-makeover without spending thousands of dollars or giving up all your free time
Since we all know what the other certainty in life is (death), maybe we shouldn’t be all that upset about the onset of tax season, right?
Last year challenged us to protect our health, job and financial well-being. Although things are looking up, life will always have bumps in the road. Here are some tips to get back to basics and improve your financial picture.
If your regular income source has diminished due to the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting your credit may not be one of your top concerns right now. It’s understandable. When the priority is to take care of the essentials, your credit health can easily slide down a few rungs on the priority ladder. But ignoring your credit now could cause financial harm long after you’ve regained your income.
Some years, Congress changes the rules investors face. Other years, the economy necessitates rethinking the best-laid investment plans. In between, investors’ personal situations change, from the arrival of children to the loss of a job.
“Investors face a changing environment,” says Fred H. Thomas, branch manager of Raymond James Financial Associates in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. “They need to maximize their investment dollars.”
Taxpayers trying to build wealth can weather the ups and downs of the tax side of that volatile environment by following a few historically helpful steps. Continue reading
When there’s a change of leadership in the White House, many investors feel compelled to make changes with their investments, too. But making a sudden departure from an investing strategy can often do more harm than good, particularly when it comes to retirement savings. Conventional wisdom dictates sticking with the fundamentals of asset allocation and keeping a long-term perspective.
