Blogs

Check out these actionable strategies to coordinate your estate and tax planning documents—and minimize your 2022 tax liability. Let’s dive into some actionable strategies to consider over the next several weeks to coordinate your documents and minimize your 2022 tax liability. File Your Taxes Online Instead of by Mail Shopping, dating, ordering takeout—you can do practically anything online these days, including filing your taxes. But while filing online is significantly easier, is it better? Let’s unpack the overwhelming advantages of online filing and why this should be integral to your...

If you get an SMS message supposedly from your bank about a fraud alert, be wary. The scheme tries to scare you into believing the scammers are representatives of your bank. An automated SMS message will appear on your phone, claiming to be a fraud alert from a banking institution. It’ll then ask if you recently made an instant payment in the thousands of dollars. How it happens: Scammers will first research your online history to learn your past addresses, Social Security numbers, the last four digits of your bank accounts or any other identifiable information about you. You will receive a...

Home improvement projects can be sizable undertakings. Whether trying to sell or just looking to spruce things up, the financial commitment can get as steep as the project itself. Have you considered using your Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to tackle your next home improvement project? Your HELOC is a revolving loan with an open credit line from which you can make withdrawals. You only pay interest on the funds you borrow, with variable rates typically starting around the prime rate plus 2%. Think of your HELOC as a super-low-interest credit card. HELOC Pros Lower interest rates and...

If you’re finding it difficult to manage multiple payments and feeling overwhelmed, consolidating your debts into a single loan with one monthly payment might be the solution. Debt consolidation is a strategy to streamline your finances and alleviate the burden on your bank account. What Is Debt Consolidation? Debt consolidation involves combining your different debts into a singular loan, resulting in a streamlined process with a single monthly payment. In some cases, this consolidated loan may have a lower interest rate than your previous debts. An efficient way to help you manage your debt...

While planning your short-term goals, it is always a good idea to take stock of how these shorter-term plans align with your long-term financial goals. Read more here on how to keep things on track with your short-term financial goals. Like most people, you probably have some short-term financial goals in mind. Perhaps you’ve got your eye on a new smartphone or vacation package? Or maybe you’re looking at more big-ticket items, like a new house or a new car? In any case, you need to make sure that your short-term financial goals align with your long-term investments. Let’s dive into the...