Saving
Why a Down Market Is the Perfect Tax Window for Roth Conversions
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Boldin. Watching your balances shrink during a market downturn isn’t easy. But there’s a lesser-known upside: It creates a good opportunity to do a Roth conversion at a lower tax cost. This is one of the better planning moves a sliding market makes…
Online Calculators for Your Next DIY Home Project
There are lots of factors to keep in mind when you’re making any upgrade to your living space. Most importantly: How much material do you need for your project? Thankfully, you don’t have to be a professional or a mathematician to figure that out. Home improvement calculators are designed to take…
The Math Behind Your Premium and How to Tilt the Odds in Your Favor
Insurance prices may feel random when two neighbors with similar houses or cars get quoted very different premiums. At its simplest, the calculation starts by grouping you with customers who share your risk characteristics. From there, your individual details and the coverage you choose help…
Your Heating Bill Is Forecast at $1,030 This Winter. Millions Qualify for Help and Never Ask — 7 Moves to Make Now
The first cold snap is weeks away, but your heating bill is already written. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), the group that runs the states’ heating-aid programs, put out its winter forecast in mid-September. The average household will spend about $1,030 to stay warm…
Round-the-Clock Stock Trading Is Almost Here. That’s Not the Gift It Sounds Like.
I’ve been investing in stocks for 45 years. In that time I’ve watched Wall Street repackage the same product about a dozen different ways, always with the same promise: This time it’s faster, cheaper, and finally fair to the little guy. And recently, they got their newest wrapper approved. The…
A 5-Day Sale Could Sweeten the Deal
LAS VEGAS – What happens in Vegas is now on sale. Amid ongoing tourism headwinds, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced the return of its “5-Day Sale” on Sept. 22 in a bid to lure visitors back to Sin City. “Vegas is where travelers come to trade the expected for the…
The 7 Best Legit Sites for Getting Free Samples
RomarioIen / Shutterstock.com There’s nothing quite like a free sample. Not only do you get to enjoy a new product, but it’s a great budget hack. From food to beauty products, free samples allow you to try something out to make sure you love it before you commit to buying it. To help you use
Why Grocery Prices Could Rise after a Summer of Extreme Weather
Remember those scorching summer heat waves? Grocery shoppers may soon feel their impact at checkout. Record-setting heat and extreme weather battered farms across the United States this year, damaging critical crops, stressing livestock and squeezing financially stretched farmers. Blistering July…
Chip Recall Hits 5 States
If you recently picked up a bag of J. HIGGS potato chips at Save A Lot, check the label before you take a bite. An Indiana food manufacturer has recalled certain bags of J. HIGGS Loaded Bacon and Cheddar Potato Chips sold in five states after discovering the product contains soy that wasn’t…
Your Will Doesn’t Control Your 401(k). This Form Does.
I’ve been a CPA since 1981, and I spent more than a decade advising clients at major Wall Street firms. In all that time I’ve watched people spend months getting a will exactly right — the attorney, the witnesses, the signatures, the safe deposit box — and then never spend five minutes on the single