by Michele Cagan | Jan 1, 2026 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance, You Need to Know This
This post was originally published March 26th, 2018. It has recently been updated to give you more recent information on MAGI and how it can affect your taxes. There’s an important tax calculation that will never show up on any of your tax forms, but it can make...
by Michele Cagan | Dec 12, 2025 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance, Saving and Investing, You Need to Know This
Want to lower your 2025 tax bill? This is the perfect time to make that happen. If you wait til next year, it’ll be too late to make these 5 tax-saving moves. Tax Move #1: Max Out Retirement Accounts Put as much money into traditional retirement accounts as you...
by Michele Cagan | Nov 21, 2025 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance, Saving and Investing, You Need to Know This
And How to Open One Today Don’t be fooled by the name Health Savings Account (HSA)… HSAs are really retirement accounts in disguise. And if you’re eligible for an HSA, you definitely want one, because they combine all the best features of other retirement plans… and...
by Michele Cagan | Sep 19, 2025 | Building a Nest, Making Ends Meet, Personal Finance, Saving and Investing
Do you wish you had more emergency savings to fall back on? Are you trying to save up for a down payment, a vacation, or a new washer/dryer? Do you want your money to work harder for you? There’s a simple way to make all of those things happen. All it takes is...
by Michele Cagan | Aug 21, 2025 | Building a Nest, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Saving and Investing, You Need to Know This
I get this question regularly. The answer is, “Not nearly as much as you think.” A lot of people put off saving for retirement because they feel like they can’t put enough in. They feel like they don’t have a big enough “down payment” to get started. But the...
by Michele Cagan | Jul 17, 2025 | Get Help When You Need It, Making Ends Meet, Personal Finance, Protect Your Financial Future, Retirement Planning, You Need to Know This
When you’re dealing with financial struggles, you might need to tap into all of your resources. It can feel really uncomfortable to drain your emergency savings, max out your credit cards, and… finally… start pulling money out of your retirement accounts. That’s the...
