Modern budgeting tools simplify managing your money. Some of these tools don't cost anything, but some can still really benefit you for only a small fee. Mint and Quicken are perfect examples of these tools.
Mint is free, while Quicken will cost you a small fee. However, both can be extremely helpful and keep your finances organized. Let's take a closer look at both of these great budgeting apps.
There was a time when monitoring your financial situation was relatively complicated. Whether it was balancing a checkbook or writing expenses in a ledger, you had to input everything by hand and do a lot of math to get accurate results.
Thankfully, we’re living in the golden age of technology. Instead of using old-fashioned financial tracking methods, all you need to do is download an app, and you’re ready to go. However, with so many options available, it can be a bit overwhelming to determine which one is best for your needs. Fortunately, we’re here to help with our review of Mint vs. Personal Capital.
No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to start thinking about retirement. Although you will want to put money away in a variety of different accounts, one of the most reliable is an IRA. You may already be familiar with Traditional and Roth IRAs, but the fact is there is a way to move money from a Traditional to a Roth, which is considered a Backdoor Roth IRA or a Roth Conversion.
Both actually do the same thing in a slightly different way. A Backdoor Roth IRA is typically in relation to converting a Traditional non-deductible contribution to a Roth IRA. A Roth Conversion is normally in relation to a larger amount being converted from a Traditional to a Roth. Again, they both do the same thing but just have different names. Today, we’re going to focus on the Backdoor Roth IRA.
One of the biggest challenges to overcome when investing is trying to minimize your tax liability. Capital gains taxes can take a significant chunk of your gains if you're not careful. This is why you need to understand various tax strategies e to minimize your tax liability.
Although it may seem a bit counterintuitive at first, tax-gain harvesting may be a viable option in some cases. While you may have heard of tax-loss harvesting, today we want to take a closer look at tax-gain harvesting to see how it works and when it should be deployed. This strategy is a bit more advanced than some others, but it can be beneficial when used effectively.
Have you recently come into a $50,000 windfall, such as an inheritance? You may be tempted to buy a new car or take your family and friends on a dream vacation.
But before you do, stop and consider all of your options — including saving the money...who would've thought a financial advisor would recommend this. 😁Developing a sound financial strategy is a good way to make your money grow.
As the old saying goes, the only constants in life are death and taxes. However, while you can’t avoid paying your share to the government, you may be able to lower your tax burden. Income shifting is a well-known tactic for moving money around so that you don’t have to pay as much in taxes. Today, we’re going to dive into this strategy and see how income shifting might be able to lower your taxes.
The name of this tactic kind of gives it away. To reduce the amount you owe, you simply shift your income to another person. Let’s say that you’re in a relatively high tax bracket (i.e., 35 percent). So, instead of paying all of your income at that rate, you give part of it to a relative in a lower tax bracket (i.e., 10 percent).
This post was last updated on January 20, 2021, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Also, note that this article does not provide any type of get-rich-quick strategies...because I firmly believe those do not exist. If that is what you're looking for, then this article is not for you. All of these strategies are proven to be successful, but only if you are able to put in the work required.
Are you in the market for a financial advisor and looking to know who are the best in the Kansas City area? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
In today’s post, I’m going to provide you with who I believe are the best financial advisors in Kansas City. I respect and admire all of these firms and individuals and would have no problem at all referring a family member (as long as they’re a good fit, of course).
This post was last updated on January 15, 2021, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
As family members, we have a natural inclination to volunteer when it comes to helping with managing end of life affairs and estate planning. It’s what we do. We make sure our parents, siblings, and other extended families can count on us to pitch in now and in the future.
Hello blog-reading folks! I wanted to let you know that I was just recently interviewed on the Millennial Money podcast if you want to check it out. You can subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player or just click the play button below.
It was a ton of fun and I had a blast talking with Shannah. She has an awesome podcast that covers everything you need to know about money regardless of whether you’re a millennial or not.
When it comes to investing, putting money into stocks is one of the best options for the long term. However, as you can imagine, trading in the market can be complicated and somewhat confusing for first-timers. Fortunately, there are tons of resources on the subject, so getting started is all about doing a bit of research.
We’ve compiled a list of five great value investing books worth a read. Whether you’re brand new to the world of stocks and investing or just want to polish your knowledge, each of these books is going to help.
Everyone has different ideas about how to spend money wisely. Some like to invest and save, while others have a habit of spending too much.
"Living stingy" means something different to everyone. If you're already pretty frugal, living stingy could mean cutting back on some groceries, or attempting to cut back the electric bill. If you're used to living the life of luxury, living stingy could mean eliminating going out to dinner or buying a car with a lower monthly payment (or no payment).
Hello blog-reading folks! I wanted to let you know that I was just recently interviewed on the Financial Grownup podcast if you want to check it out. You can subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player or just click the play button below.
It was a ton of fun and I had a blast talking with Bobbi. She has an awesome podcast that covers everything you need to know so you can be a real financial grownup.
No matter how old you are, it’s never too early to start planning for retirement. However, while there are many different elements to this process, it helps to break it down into a few core components. Today, we’re going to cover how to plan for the top three expenses in retirement.
Making sure that you have enough money to last through your golden years is imperative. No one wants to run out before it’s time. However, it’s not just enough to worry about sources of income during your retirement. You also need to plan how you’re going to be spending that money.
Hello blog-reading folks! I wanted to let you know that I was just recently interviewed on the Chain of Wealth podcast if you want to check it out. You can subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player or just click the play button below.
It was a ton of fun and I had a blast talking with Denis and Katie. They have an awesome podcast that talks about all things personal finance and they just recently reached over half a million downloads….CRAZY!
As the old saying goes, money doesn’t grow on trees. However, if you pay attention to some people’s spending habits or online pictures, it can certainly seem that way for them. These days, it’s never been easier to be jealous of everyone else, particularly if you’re on a tight budget.
But why do we think people have more money than us? What’s really going on here?
We have some super exciting news around here at NextGen Wealth. We have taken our trademarked financial planning process, The Financial Freedom Blueprint®, and turned it into a do it yourself online course.
So, if you’re the do it yourselfer type when it comes to your personal finances, you now have a financial planning process laid out for you that will take you through every step of the way.
What kind of legacy are you going to leave when you die? If you haven’t pondered that question yet, now is the perfect time to start. If you have money or any property that you want to pass on, it’s well past time to get a plan in place for when the inevitable happens.
However, when it comes to estate and legacy planning, you will want to include your children in this process. It may be tempting to try and figure everything out on your own, but it’s often much better to keep them involved.
Whether you’re a first-time real estate investor or an experienced veteran, you can always do a little bit more to maximize profit in your investment properties. Here’s how you can get the most bang for your buck.
One of the most common types of investment properties are fix-and-flip properties. For the uninitiated, a fix-and-flip investment is when you buy a house that’s undervalued, most of the time because it’s old and run-down. You purchase it at a cheap price, fix it up and make it nice—thus improving its value—and then you sell it to make a profit.
Long term financial planning is not an easy task. You have to consider a myriad of potential setbacks, changes and opportunities that will arise over an extended time period. It can be exhausting to map out your plans, but still more draining to do what you need to do when sticking to those plans.
Fortunately, once your plans are set you can put them out of your mind unless there is a major life transition. It’s those transitions that are the hardest to plan for financially.
