A few weeks ago we discussed some different methods for freelancers to save for retirement and hopefully you’ve gotten on that and opened up a savings account. And that’s definitely step one to not starving to death in retirement. But the entire notion of how much money you need can seem really daunting and confusing.…
Hopefully by now you know that an IRA is an Individual Retirement Account and a 401(k) is also a retirement account – both have unique tax benefits compared to other forms of investing. However, if you are a freelancer, like so many people in (and out of) the arts are, you may not have access…
As you all probably know by now, I’m not the best choice for investment advice. However, it really does interest me, since it’s one of the next financial steps I’d like to stop sucking become proficient in. With that in mind, here’s a great guest post from Tony over at Trading Slugger. He’s actually got…
Continuing on with our Death Prep Series (that’s what I’m calling it now), here is an introduction to powers of attorney. If you’re not a big fan of law shows, exactly what a power of attorney is may be a little murky to you. Power of attorney is a document granting one person to make…
Growing up, my best friend was a cheerleader. I was not. But one day, she made me watch this incredibly stupid movie that has stayed with me anyway called Stick It. Turns out, there are a lot of personal finance truths in Stick It. 1.) You want to stick your landing. No matter how good…
What is long term care insurance? It’s one of the best gifts you can give your kids. Long term care insurance is used in the event of a prolonged illness that requires constant care. It covers nursing home stays for extended periods of time, and that’s the primary context we’ll discuss here, but it covers…
It’s been a while since we’ve been really morbid over here, but Kassandra’s Financial Fire Drill reminded me that it’s time to work on my will. One of the perks of being young, single and having no children is that those free do-it-yourself wills are completely adequate for me. At least, the state of New…
Hospice is a thing where everything you need to take care of someone magically appears for no cost. It’s like amazing fairy elves who show up with morphine and hospital beds at the snap of your fingers, er… or the dial of a phone. I always thought hospice was like a hospital where you went…
Death has been on my mind a lot lately. My grandma passed away two weeks ago after a seven year battle with cancer. For a lot of that time, it seemed like she might beat it and there was even a four year respite there when she was in remission. Weirdly enough, thoughts about money…
So you’re ready to open an IRA! Good for you. I remember being hounded by an ex-boyfriend who couldn’t believe I didn’t already have one until I caved in pretty much just to shut him up. However, it’s turned into a heck of lasting legacy for that relationship. You probably already know that there are…
The 60’s are your home stretch before sliding into retirement (for most people anyway). Some people are playing a fast and furious catch up game with their finances to make that transition and some are coasting to the finish line thanks to 4 decades of good saving habits. 1.) Assess your financial state for retirement.…
On to the 50s. I think I’m actually looking forward to this decade. I mean, I rarely meet a 50 year old who doesn’t seem like they’ve at least got some of life figured out. On the flip side, I do not. Financially speaking, at least, I’ll let you folks benefit from my research… if…
If you got down and dirty with your finances in your 20’s, you are probably in an entirely different spot than other 30 year olds who are now facing The Great Depression. That point when club hopping, hot shoes and all night benders don’t cut it anymore and they wonder exactly where the heck all…
I really like Kiplinger magazine. A lot of stuff in there goes right over my head. But plenty doesn’t. And over the course of my now two years subscription, a little less goes over my head than it used to. I figured that since my last update was definitely about what NOT to do, this…