Here are some articles you may find of interest. Enjoy your Friday! 10 Year End Tax Tips by usnews How Retirees Can Avoid Mounting Cybersecurity Threats by cnbc Holiday Spending: 5 Ways To Reduce Financial Stress by forbes
Thank you to consumerreports.org for asking me to contribute to this article: 7 Key Tax Moves To Make Before Year End
Happy Friday! Here are some articles you may find of interest. Do This One Thing Each Year If You Want a Better Retirement by Money 7 questions you must ask to keep a financial adviser honest by marketwatch.com … Read More
Here are a few articles you may find of interest. I hope you are enjoying your summer! Should I keep my 401(k) with my employer when I retire? by: Marketwatch.com 5 Financial Planning Strategies For Singles by: Forbes.com … Read More
Happy Friday! Here are some articles you may find of interest. 4 Reasons Why You Make A Lot Of Money But Have None by Forbes 10 things that actually make sense to buy in bulk by marketwatch.com Expenses for Seniors … Read More
Here are some readings you may find of interest. Enjoy the holiday weekend! Why free college isn’t always free by marketwatch.com 4 Things You Need to Know About Moving After You Retire by Time Teaching Kids About Money … Read More
Here are some recommended readings you may enjoy. Congress reverses rule on state retirement plans by Money.CNN.com Never Invest In Something You Don’t Understand by US News Money Personal Finance Forecasts For Americans Over 50 by Forbes … Read More
My personal finance reading recommendations for the week: One Big Way To Profit From Financial Fee War Forbes 6 Retirement Conversations Every Couple Needs to Have U.S. News and World Report How Much Should You Leave to … Read More
My personal finance reading recommendations for the week: Homebuyers, beware of banks offering too much cash, CNBC.com The 5 Most Important Retirement Decisions to Make in Your 60s, U.S. News and World Report IRS Warns Of 2017 Tax Refund Delays, … Read More
It’s time again for my roundup of reading recommendations: Patient Advocates Help Navigate Health Care, The New York Times What Millennials Wish Their Aging Parents Would Tell Them, Market Watch Why 401(k) Plans are a Source of Financial Stress, U.S. … Read More
My reading recommendations for the week: What to Do After Inheriting a Home, U.S. News & World Report Will Employers Help Workers Avoid Outliving Their Money? Forbes Raiding your kids’ 529 college plan is mean and dumb, CNBC Social Security … Read More
Here are my reading recommendations for the week: How Not to Get Blindsided by Costs in Retirement, Money How To Make The Most Of Working with a Financial Advisor, Forbes 4 Things to Know About Disability Insurance, Money The astronomical, hidden cost … Read More
Here is my list of recommended personal finance stories for the week: Keep Your Money Goals on Track With a Midyear Financial Checkup, U.S. News & World Report How to Control Stress Spending, U.S. News & World Report 5 Ways … Read More
Here are my recommended articles for the week: That ‘safe’ retirement investment is about to change, CNBC.com Why You Might Not Be Able to Delay Retirement, U.S. News & World Report Is This What You Had in Mind for Retirement? Here’s … Read More
Here is my roundup of the more interesting personal finance articles I’ve read over the last week. Leave your comments below: 7 Facts About Medicare Every Retiree Should Know, Motley Fool 8 Tips for Decluttering: Here’s how to get rid … Read More
Here is my list of recommended articles for the week: Hate Your Job? Here’s How It Might Derail Your Retirement, Motley Fool Retirement Planning: Advice for Women, Market Watch How Each Generation Wastes Its Money, Bustle.com Common Money Mindsets That Hold You … Read More
Happy July 1st! It’s hard to believe we are already at the midpoint for 2016. Going forward, I plan to share a weekly round-up each Friday with financial planning news and posts that I hope you find informative. Here are … Read More
On Monday, President Obama signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. With this Act comes significant changes to Social Security claiming options, although the core benefits of Social Security have not changed. While many of us in the financial planning world have assumed changes … Read More
Retirement can be one of the most critical financial life transitions you’ll experience.However, it’s easy to overlook important issues when there are so many details that need to be coordinated and managed. The good news is that most financial mistakes can … Read More
In this season of giving, be sure to deal with recognized charities, and be wary of charities with similar sounding names. It is common for scam artists to impersonate charities using bogus websites and through contact involving e-mails, telephone, social media, … Read More
Yesterday, the Internal Revenue Service announced cost‑of‑living adjustments as they apply to the dollar limits on retirement and pension plans for 2015. According to the announcement, “Many of the pension plan limitations will change for 2015 because the increase in … Read More
The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced limits and costs of living adjustments for 2015. This year the SSA has announced that beneficiaries will receive a 1.7% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and CMS … Read More
As reported on Akron.com, the Summit County Fiscal Office announced real estate tax relief is available to property owners who sustained damage in the Sept. 10 storm. Property owners can file an “Application for Valuation Deduction for Destroyed or Damaged Property” … Read More
I was interviewed recently for a special story on retirement and pension concerns, especially among teachers in Illinois. If you would like to see it, tune in to WGN TV tonight during the broadcast at 9:00 PM CST. Watch WGN … Read More
A judge placed a stay on the law that would change Illinois state pensions and was set to go into effect in June. With the ongoing lawsuits that challenge the law and the confusion over how these decisions will impact state employees and retirees, … Read More
Today is April 15th, also known as tax day. What if you aren’t able to meet the deadline? What are your options? Here is what you should know: The due date for 2013 federal income tax returns is April 15, … Read More
With a brand new year comes a slate of new numbers that are important to know when making financial decisions. Here is a link to find those important facts that you may need through out the year ahead:
The myRA is a new workplace retirement savings account discussed by President Obama in the State of the Union address, and subsequently authorized by executive order. Although details are still basic, click here to get initial information on the myRA … Read More
Starting with the year 2013, significant Federal income tax changes are in place for high income filers. Here is a video that explains the situation. If you have questions on ways to better manage your assets to control the tax … Read More
Here is a summary alert explaining the initial impact of the government shutdown. The full impact will depend on how long the shutdown lasts: Government_Shutdown_2013 The shutdown is a separate issue from another looming crisis — the debt ceiling. Yes, … Read More
Information on Premium Costs and Insurance Participation for Health Exchanges: Kaiser Family Foundation Releases Early Look Report The new health insurance exchanges set to open October 1, 2013 under the Affordable Care Act, there are many questions that people have … Read More
Here is a link to the AP News story on Bloomberg Businessweek, highlighting the key provisions of Ohio’s $62 billion, 2 year state spending plan that was signed into law by Governor Kasich on Sunday evening. Two significant changes include … Read More
Last week I was interviewed for the article: What Do You Do After Maxing Out Your 401(k) and IRA? that appeared in Yahoo Finance’s Financially Fit, Ask Farnoosh. They had questions from two readers and I go into greater detail … Read More
As an alert to those of you in the Akron area (but useful information for anyone) I wanted to share a few articles from Betty Lin-Fisher of the Akron Beacon Journal covering recent identity theft incidents in the Northeast Ohio … Read More
This past Friday, American Public Media ran a radio segment highlighting Chicago’s push to retain tech talent and serve as an alternative to the west coast as an incubator for startups. To read the coverage and hear the segment, click … Read More
Today, I received the following information from the IRS via their email newsletter service. Keep in mind, these adjustments apply to the tax year 2013, not the filing of tax returns in 2013. For most people, these adjustments will be … Read More
I just wanted to send a thank you for all of the kind words and support sent my way since the passing of my father in July. It has meant so much to me and my family. Many, many thanks!
You may be giving a thief your credit card information and all it takes is a swipe of your card on a device with a skimmer. Skimmers are nothing new, but they continue to be a way for thieves to … Read More
Here is a roundup of financial posts that I’m recommending this weekend: What To Do When Your Receive An IRS Letter by Jim Blankenship on FiGuide.com How mom and pop are blowing up the treasury bubble from Forbes.com 6 Ways … Read More
Effective February 20, 2012, the Akron office for Kinkelaar & Associates Financial Planning will relocate to a larger space in the Montrose area. We’re moving about one mile west and will remain conveniently located to Interstate 77. The new address … Read More
Feeling uneasy about the current economy? Does the stock market roller coaster make it seem like 2008 all over again? I know that when the market plummets 400 points in a day it might be difficult to accept the idea … Read More
In light of the current market conditions, I thought the following article by Larry Swedroe for CBS Moneywatch.com is a good one for you to review. Make sure you read through all seven pages since the most important take away … Read More
I was quoted in the July 2011 issue of Money Magazine for their featured section on finding Faster, Better or Cheaper personal finance strategies. They asked for a balanced, one-stop mutual fund that was fast and easy to set up. … Read More
Melissa Ezarik recently interviewed me for her article Post-Wedding Spending: Gift Money Matters on GetCurrency.com. The article focuses on taking a common sense approach –without feeling deprived — when deciding how to use gifts of money from your wedding. You … Read More
I’m attending the inaugural Women in Business Conference at Kent State University on Thursday, March 10, 2011. You can learn more about the event here. If you plan to attend, please stop by the Kinkelaar & Associates Financial Planning table … Read More
In late 2010, Congress reunified the estate tax, gift tax and generation-skipping tax (GST), giving them all top rates of 35% with $5 million lifetime individual exemptions.1 In addition, the estate and gift tax exemptions are now portable between married … Read More
For two-and-a-half years, economists and housing industry analysts have wondered what would happen with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. On February 11, they received some answers: the Obama administration announced plans to shut down both of the troubled mortgage giants … Read More
Turmoil in the Middle East didn’t stop U.S. stocks from posting a sizable January advance. The S&P 500 rose 2.26% on the month and the Dow and NASDAQ posted strong gains as well. We received encouraging news about home sales, … Read More
The following is a reprint from the IRS Tax Tip Newsletter that was sent out today. You might find it useful if you are trying to understand the different tax credits that are available for higher education expenses – the American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.
The bill to extend the Bush tax cuts was passed by Congress and should be signed by President Obama later today. The Tax Relief Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 extends many previous provisions and also adds … Read More
Numerous tax provisions enacted in 2001 and 2003– often referred to as the “Bush tax cuts”– are set to expire at the end of 2010. There has been talk in D.C. to extend some of these expiring tax provisions with … Read More
I was recently interviewed by Melissa Ezarik for her article on the PerkStreet.com blog: A Pre-Natal Workout: Saving for Baby Without Breaking a Sweat This was part of a week-long series of articles they ran on managing finances during major … Read More
I was recently quoted in the April 2010 edition of the Motley Fool Rule Your Retirement newsletter. The article, by Robert Brokamp, was a Q&A under the Expert Corner, where he asked a group of financial planners what were some … Read More
I was recently quoted for an article on The Motley Fool’s website about whether one should be concerned that their bond funds will suffer if interest rates rise. You can read the article here: Will Rising Rates Sink Your Portfolio? … Read More
A long standing debate in investing is whether active portfolio management is a better strategy than passive portfolio management. Since many people I talk with are not aware of these concepts, I thought I would offer a short primer on … Read More
I’m excited to share a new development in my business. Recently, The Motley Fool has exclusively endorsed and is now promoting the services of financial advisors affiliated with the Garrett Planning Network, the international organization of fee-only financial advisors with which I have been proudly … Read More
You’ll hear quite a bit in the financial media about diversification and the benefit of asset “allocation” but there is very little discussion on using an asset “location” strategy with your investment portfolios. Asset location refers to where or in … Read More
Happy New Year, everyone! I thought it was a good time to post a reference round-up of Key Financial Planning Numbers for 2010. The PDF document summarizes critical values and thresholds to be aware of as we make financial planning … Read More
At the bottom of this post, you will find a link to the press release just issued regarding HR 3817. There has been considerable debate and discussion in the financial community over the definition and application of the term “fiduciary” and I … Read More
The U.S. Treasury Department announced the rate on new I Bonds, issued between November 2009 and April 2010, will pay 3.36%. This number is made up of a fixed rate that holds for the 30-year life of the bond — now … Read More
According to a press release issued the other day by the IRS, U.S. Federal tax brackets and most tax benefits will “stay the same or change only slightly in 2010.” This is due to the negative to low inflation rate … Read More
Posted by Mary P. Deshong- Kinkelaar You may have seen the commercials on television with a famous actor suggesting senior citizens get a reverse mortgage to help with unexpected bills. While a reverse mortgage may be a good option for … Read More
I recently received this consumer alert from Forefield. So much has happened since it passed last year, I forgot it was about to go into effect. That’s why I use alerts… “Michelle Morse was a full-time college student when she … Read More