by Michele Cagan | May 21, 2017 | Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Saving and Investing
When people talk about the stock market, they’re usually actually talking about a stock market index. You hear about them on the news all the time: “The Dow was up 6 today.” “Today brought increases to the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.” All three of those are stock...
by Michele Cagan | May 21, 2017 | Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Saving and Investing
Building your personal wealth begins with knowing your net worth. This value is the cornerstone of everyone’s financial life, but many of us don’t keep track of it, or even know how calculate it. And that’s a shame. Because by knowing this number, you’ll be able to...
by Michele Cagan | Apr 28, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance
If you just got – or are expecting – a large tax refund, you need to make a change right away. Basically, you just got repaid for an interest-free loan to the Federal government. And I know you have better uses for your money than that! Consider this: The average tax...
by Michele Cagan | Apr 17, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance
It’s good to owe taxes when you file your return. I know that sounds crazy, and it’s definitely not a popular opinion…but it’s the best situation for you financially. After all, there’s a reason it’s called a tax return: The government has to pay you back the extra...
by Michele Cagan | Apr 12, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Saving and Investing
Updated for 2021 Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Not sure how to open an IRA account? All it takes is 5 simple steps, and...
by Michele Cagan | Apr 11, 2017 | Do Your Own Taxes, Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Saving and Investing
It’s not too late to make your IRA contribution for 2016, whether you go with the tax-deductible traditional IRA or the Roth IRA (which is not deductible this year but offers many other advantages). In fact, you have until Monday, April 18 to contribute – and, if...