Tax time is looming on the horizon, but you don’t have to wait until those 1099s and W-2s become available early next year to begin planning. A year-end tax projection can help you take stock of the past year and identify ways to maximize your tax situation, retirement savings, charitable contributions, and more before the end of the year. I’m a fan of turning to tax professionals when it … [Read more...] about Should I Get a Year-End Tax Projection?
Should I Refinance My Student Loans?
Last week in the Gen Y Planning blog, I discussed what you should consider if you’re thinking of refinancing your mortgage. This week, let’s look at another form of debt keeping millennials up at night: student loans. When you refinance your student loans, you trade your federal or private loans for a private loan with different terms. The potential switch from a federal to a private loan means … [Read more...] about Should I Refinance My Student Loans?
Should I Refinance My Mortgage?
Mortgage rates dropped below 4% within the last few months. Does that mean it’s time for you to refinance and lock in a lower rate? Homeowners refinance for all sorts of reasons: to lower their monthly payments, to change the amount of time they have to repay their loan, to get some of their equity back in the form of cash to apply toward other financial needs, and, yes, to lower their … [Read more...] about Should I Refinance My Mortgage?
5 Ways to Build Wealth in 30 Minutes or Less
You’re ready to get your finances organized and begin making your money work harder for you, but knowing where to start is difficult. It doesn’t help that financial planners have traditionally given clients a novel-length report of findings and recommendations complete with complicated charts and graphs. Taking a stack of papers home and trying to remember what you were supposed to do is … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Build Wealth in 30 Minutes or Less
How a Decision Matrix Can Help You Make Big Choices With Confidence
Adulthood also means making choices, from small decisions like what to eat for dinner, to bigger ones like which work project to begin tackling first. And making a choice can be scary! What if you make the wrong one? Some consequences aren’t a big deal, like deciding to try a new restaurant and not liking it. All you have to do in that case is never go to that restaurant again. But the prospect of … [Read more...] about How a Decision Matrix Can Help You Make Big Choices With Confidence
How Simplifying Your Life Can Save You Mental Energy (and Money)
Any time you move to a new city or travel for awhile, it gives you a new perspective on your life. I just returned from doing a bit of both. A few months ago, I finished my lease on my apartment in Austin, sold off much of my stuff, and put the rest in storage. I spent a month each living in Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; Medellin, Colombia; and Mexico City as part of a Remote Year program, and now … [Read more...] about How Simplifying Your Life Can Save You Mental Energy (and Money)