The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 provided homeowners who sell their principal residence an exclusion from capital gains taxes of $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for joint filers. At that time, the average price of a new home was about $145,000, so this exclusion seemed generous and allowed more Americans to move freely from
Scam artists often prey on those who are most vulnerable. Unfortunately, this includes individuals who have recently lost a loved one and are easily taken advantage of during their time of grief. Scammers will look for details from obituaries, funeral homes, hospitals, stolen death certificates, and social media websites to obtain personal information about a
New vehicle prices have skyrocketed these past few years, with the cost averaging well over $48,000 toward the end of 2023.1 These increased costs, coupled with rising interest rates, mean that buying a vehicle can take a significant bite out of your budget. If you are in the market for a new vehicle, you might
Social Security is complex, and the details are often misunderstood even by those who are already receiving benefits. It’s important to understand some of the basic rules and options and how they might affect your financial future. Full retirement age (FRA) Once you reach full retirement age, you can claim your full Social Security retirement
In July 2023, the Department of Education launched a new income-driven repayment (IDR) plan for federal student loans called the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. The SAVE Plan is the most generous IDR plan to date, and like all IDR plans, it calculates a borrower’s monthly payment amount based on income and family
Individual bonds and bond funds can both provide an income stream, but there are important differences. An individual bond can offer more certainty and stability than a fund, while a fund can offer diversification that might be difficult to obtain with individual bonds. Coupon, maturity, and yield An individual bond has a coupon rate —
Energy prices can fluctuate dramatically based on changes in supply or demand. According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), energy prices across the economy fell 2.5% in October and 2.3% in November, following a surge of 7.2% over the previous two months. Gasoline prices fell 5.0% in October and 6.0% in November, providing relief after
Estate planning is the process of managing and preserving your assets while you are alive and conserving and controlling their distribution after your death. There are four key estate planning documents almost everyone should have regardless of age, health, or wealth. They are: a durable power of attorney, advance medical directive(s), a will, and a
64% – Percentage of charitable giving in 2022 that came from individuals. The rest was from foundations (21%), bequests (9%), and corporations (6%). Although individuals are by far the largest source of giving, their share has been declining, and this is the fourth consecutive year that it was under 70%. Americans gave almost $500 billion
It’s no surprise that consumers are contacted by debt collectors about medical bills more than any other type of debt.1 After all, the complex world of medical billing and collection practices is extremely difficult to navigate. Many people have trouble understanding what the various billing codes on a medical bill even mean. Historically, this has
