by Kristine McKinley | Aug 14, 2006 | Investing, Personal Finance, Retirement, Taxes
Whether you’re switching jobs or retiring completely, chances are you have a 401K or other company sponsored retirement plan that you’ll need to make a decision about. There are several options on how to handle your 401(k) money when you leave a job: Take the...
by Kristine McKinley | Jul 24, 2006 | Investing, Personal Finance, Retirement, Taxes
You may have heard that the new tax law eliminates the $100,000 income limit for Roth conversions beginning in 2010. If you haven’t been able to contribute to a Roth IRA because your income is too high, you now have a back door into the Roth IRA. You...
by Kristine McKinley | Jun 11, 2006 | Debt Management
Tired of receiving 5 credit card offers for every 1 piece of "real" mail? Now you can opt of pre-approved credit card offers. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit reporting agencies to maintain an opt-out list of consumers who no longer...
by Kristine McKinley | Jun 9, 2006 | Investing
I’m always telling clients to look at the "big picture" and to avoid looking at their stocks/mutual funds each day. It’s more important that your Net Worth increase each year and that you get closer to your financial goals. But,...
by Kristine McKinley | Jun 4, 2006 | Retirement, Taxes
You know that you should diversify your investments to reduce your investment risk, but did you know you should also diversify your investments for tax purposes? 401K and IRA accounts are taxed at your ordinary income tax rate, so if you’re in the 25% tax...
by Kristine McKinley | May 28, 2006 | Taxes
The 2003 Tax Act included a $250 deduction for teachers who spend their own money for classroom supplies. Most teachers spend far more than $250, so this tax deduction was a very minor victory for teachers. However, there is a way for teachers to get a full tax...
by Kristine McKinley | May 24, 2006 | Budgeting and Saving, Personal Finance
You’ve heard it over and over again: Pay yourself first. Why is this so important? First, it establishes good saving habits. If you continuously pay yourself first, despite whatever is going on in your life at that time, you will be much more...
by Kristine McKinley | May 22, 2006 | Taxes
Along with some temporary AMT relief, the tax law just passed last week extends the long-term capital gain tax rates to 2010. Folks in the 10 and 15% tax bracket will benefit the most (assuming those same folks have investments held outside of retirement...
by Kristine McKinley | May 21, 2006 | Personal Finance
Most likely your college education didn’t include financial planning, which is too bad. Personal finance is a skill that everyone should learn BEFORE they start careers, families, etc. Unfortunately, most of us learn these five smart money tips too...
by Kristine McKinley | May 18, 2006 | College Planning
Much like saving for retirement, when you’re saving for college, you need to have a goal. Where will your child go to college – public or private, in-state or out of state? Wherever your scholar plans on attending, you can estimate the annual...
