Estate

13 Smart Estate Planning Moves

Follow this estate planning checklist for you (and your heirs) to hold on to more of your hard-earned money....

The Rise of the Forever Renter Class

I've paid over $350,000 of rent in my life. That averages out to $2,500 a month since mid 2012. And, with near record interest rates and elevated home prices, I may end up paying another $350,000 in r...

The World’s Largest What??!! 7 Months of Our RV Road Trip Complete, 1 To Go!

It’s pretty crazy to think that we’ve now been living in an RV for over 7 months. Yes, we’ve taken a couple of breaks and stayed at my mother-in-law’s house for a few weeks twi...

The Problem with Naming Your Estate the Beneficiary of Your IRA

Photo by: jb While it may seem like a simple idea to just make your estate the beneficiary of your IRA, thereby allowing you to make adjustments to your final beneficiaries via your will – there...

Analyzing Home Price Dynamics: A Guide To Smarter Purchases

Understanding how home prices fluctuate over time is one of the most intriguing insights gleaned from my post on the reasons behind property bidding wars. Learning how prices change will empower you t...

Six Essential Retirement Strategies for Baby Boomers

Emergency funds, estate plans, different kinds of insurance and smart investing strategies are all parts of a strong retirement plan....

Understanding Why People Get Into Property Bidding Wars

Well folks, as anticipated, bidding wars are back with a vengeance, at least here in San Francisco. If I were a real estate agent, I would never encourage my clients to engage in a bidding war. Winnin...

Work from Home Doctor Jobs: Opportunities and Requirements

As the world becomes more connected and technology continues to advance, the healthcare industry is evolving to meet the needs ... Read more...

Would Combining Will-Writing with the Mortgage Process Help?

No, but here’s what we learned. Writing a will can improve the transmission of wealth across generations, by preventing the dissipation of assets such as a family home when divided among multipl...

A Letter of Wishes: No Legal Power But Powerful Nonetheless

A letter of wishes lets you explain, in plain language, your intent behind your estate documents, potentially heading off any misunderstandings or disputes....

Capture The New Tax Breaks On Home Improvements

Know how to navigate the IRS regs to capture the tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act....

FTC Ban On Noncompete Agreements May Undermine Your Estate Plan

The FTC recently prohibited non-competition agreements (and non-disclosure or non-solicitation agreements),. This may adversely impact estate and succession planning....

Spring Is a Good Time to Clean Up Your Finances, Too

While you’re decluttering your home for spring, consider taking a crack at cleaning up your finances and old paperwork, too....

Performance Update: March Badness!

My main goal* was to build an investment and cash portfolio of$1,120,000* ($1,000,000 to retire on and $120,000 to pay off the house) in1500 days**, starting from 1/1/2013 and ending in February of 20...

Is Your Retirement Solution Hiding in Plain Sight?

Here’s how to use your home equity in combination with an annuity contract to produce late-in-life income....

Components That Affect Mortgage Rates The Most

Contrary to popular belief, the Federal Reserve does not exert complete control over mortgage rates. Instead, it influences them, with the bond market determining the subsequent course of action. The ...

Biden Sets New Nursing Home Staffing Rules

Nursing facilities that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid (effectively all of them) will have to employ enough staff to provide at least 3.48 hours......

Where Should Financial Literacy Be Taught—Home Or School?

The antiquated argument that personal finance should be taught at home simply looks silly in 2024....

10 Things You Should Know About Selling Your Home to Downsize in Retirement

What to know about selling your home in order to downsize in your retired years....

Capital Distributions From Private Real Estate Investments Are Wonderful

Recently, I received a capital distribution from a private real estate fund, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The experience brought me both joy and relief, prompting me to share it in the ...

Expand Your Home and Welcome Family Members

With the high cost of housing in much of the United States (as well as other countries), many people are looking for ways to accommodate more family members in their existing properties. Whether your ...

Revocable Trusts: The Most Common Trusts in Estate Planning

Revocable trusts allow the trust maker complete control over the assets and can be quite efficient when it comes to capital gains and income taxes....

Reimagining Their Decrepit Farmhouse into Forever Home

New Yorkers create a space that’s better suited to life in their 60s...

Eight Steps to Take When Settling an Estate as the Executor

Being the executor of an estate can be overwhelming, but breaking the process down into individual steps can help make it much less daunting....

Performance Update: February Rebound!

My main goal* was to build an investment and cash portfolio of$1,120,000* ($1,000,000 to retire on and $120,000 to pay off the house) in1500 days**, starting from 1/1/2013 and ending in February of 20...

The Right House-To-Car Ratio For Financial Freedom

After delving into the exorbitant prices of new luxury cars, I've come to the realization that a larger segment of the population is purchasing such vehicles than I initially thought. This trend poses...

12 Legit Online Jobs from Home With No Upfront Investment (2024)

Below, we’ve created a list of 12 true online, work-from-home positions with no upfront investment. None of the roles listed below require purchasing inventory, buying a paid course, or any othe...

Five Estate Planning Things You Need to Do Now

For a solid estate plan, you should put powers of attorney in place, designate beneficiaries, tackle tax planning and more....

Rising Stocks, House Prices Boost US Retirement Outlook

While COVID was raging, the jump in house prices and a rising stock market were dramatically improving U.S. workers’ retirement finances. In 2022, the share of households that were not saving en...

Should You Rent or Buy a House?

Buying a home is often considered the biggest financial decision people make in their lives. As a result, it makes sense as to ask yourself whether buying is the right choice when compared with rentin...

Why Every Residential Real Estate Investor Is Suddenly Richer

Who stands to gain the most from the settlement reached with the National Association of Realtors regarding commission price collusion? The clear beneficiaries are residential real estate investors an...

Four Things to Know About Managing a Loved One’s Finances

Figuring out when it’s time and knowing how to talk about it are just the start. You also need info about estate plans, insurance and health care decisions....

How Gig Workers Can Prepare Their Estate and Financial Plans

Freelancers have to be vigilant to keep track of where their money goes, whether it’s to cover daily necessities, saving for retirement or other expenses....

How to Discuss Estate Planning with Your Family

Estate planning can be a sensitive topic for families to talk about. Here's how to get past the awkwardness and discuss estate planning with your family....

Nursing Homes Forced to Hire More Costly Outside Staff

COVID has wreaked havoc on the nursing home industry’s staffing. Prior to COVID, only one in five nursing homes had to hire some of their workers from outside agencies to fill in as caregivers f...