It takes time to plan and save for your first home. But having your own home can be an excellent long-term investment. Few people truly understand the opportunity that homeownership provides. Fortunately, if you follow this step-by-step process, you can enjoy many of the benefits that come along with owning a house. … [Read more...]
Risks of Having Weak Bank Passwords
What are the risks of having weak bank passwords? Obviously, we’re looking at the hacker community here; white hat hackers warn that complex passwords are a more effective barrier to black hat hackers than you might think, but people who don’t understand the methodology of hacking might not understand why a complex password is better and may be led astray by bad information or fake news about hackers, malware, and virus issues. The dangers are … [Read more...]
Save Money In 2021
I woke up on New Year's Day knowing I wanted to take steps to save more money and save better in 2021. But how to do it? I decided to break down my plan into four basic steps. Identify New Risks And Save Accordingly I have a savings plan that includes an emergency fund, savings for travel and “pay yourself first” purchases, and retirement. That’s an over-simplified version but those are my three major areas. In my emergency fund, I’ve tried … [Read more...]
How to Report Foreign Pension Income
Do you know how to report foreign income on your federal tax returns? The Internal Revenue Service has specific requirements for reporting this type of income on your IRS tax forms. What follows is NOT tax advice--you will need to consult a trained tax professional to discuss how you should approach the latest tax laws. You should also know that tax law changes every year and you’ll need a tax professional or an IRS representative to help you … [Read more...]
What Makes a Costco Executive Membership Worth It?
What makes a Costco executive membership worth it? Naturally much depends on how much you plan to use your Costco membership, but there are other factors to consider. Do you want loyalty program-type rewards for using your membership? Are you hoping to get perks on your travel purchases? Do you like other rewards like discounts or special access to identity protection or similar incentives? Do You Need A Costco Executive Membership? The … [Read more...]