Money Management
Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — March 2017
It’s time again for one of my favorite features here on Dyer News: a look at my top 10 personal finance articles of the month. As you’d expect with Tax Day just right around the corner, taxes and retirement savings proved popular topics for bloggers this month, as you’ll see below. Another thing you might notice is, as I try to do, this month’s list includes some Top 10 veterans as well as a few first timers.
Without further ado, below is my list of the top 10 personal finance articles published in March of 2017, along with their title, author, and the site they originally appeared on.
Tax Time and Retirement Savings
5 Tax Breaks You Don’t Want to Miss — Miranda Marquit, MoneyNing
It’s really no secret that the vast majority of Americans actively search for any (legal) way possible to reduce their tax bill and receive a larger refund. Still, far too many of us accidentally pass up lucrative deductions and credits that amount to money left on the table. In her piece, Miranda looks at five such breaks that, if applicable, you’ll want to take advantage of.
PSA: You Have Until April to Lower Your Tax Bill with IRA Contributions — Kristin Wong, TwoCents
There are many ways that the IRS encourages us to save for retirement. These range from the tax-sheltered status that traditional IRAs and 401(k) enjoy to the “saver’s credit” that reward taxpayers for their contributions based on their income. Of course, as Kristin points out, the IRS also allows you to apply retirement account contributions made before tax day to your prior year’s return.
How to Save for Retirement with a myRA — Jim Wang, WalletHacks
While it may be safe to assume that majority of workers have likely heard of 401(k)s, IRAs, and perhaps even Roth IRAs, the number of people who fully understand how they work and how to use them properly is likely much smaller. That’s why, a few years ago, the U.S. Department of the Treasury introduced the myRA to make the process of saving for retirement simpler. As Jim highlights, myRA can make it easy for retirement newbies to start moving their savings in the right direction.
Saving for Retirement When You’re Self-Employed — Kyle Burbank, Lera Blog
One downside of being self-employed is the lack of employer matching that many traditional 401(k)s offer. Furthermore, irregular pay schedules, quarterly taxes, and other such issues can sometimes get in the way of freelancers and their ability to properly save for retirement. To help them, Kyle offers a few suggestions that could potentially smooth things out.
Credit Score Advice
Want Your Free Credit Score? More Credit Cards are Willing to Give it to You — John Ulzheimer, The Simple Dollar
Until recently, credit scores had remained a near clandestine mystery that most adults didn’t have much access to. That’s changed drastically thanks to free resources like Credit Karma and WalletHub, which provide users with educational scores and tips to better understand their credit. Additionally, as John reports, more and more credit card companies are starting to offer cardholders a look at their FICO scores free of charge.
Improve Your Credit Score and History Without Credit Cards — Gina Ragusa, Mic
As a younger generation ages and begins to learn about credit, many of them have seen and heard first-hand about the horrors of credit card debt. As a result many may be wary of plastic altogether, which in turn could be hurting their credit scores. Whether their fears are well-founded or not, Gina suggests a few alternative plans for building credit without cards.
Credit or Debit: What’s Best for a Young Teen? — Virginia C. McGuire, The Christian Science Monitor
Speaking of a younger generation, there are many ways to teach your child about money and even start building their credit history early. That said, turning your teen loose with a credit card may not always be the best idea. For her article, Virginia takes a closer look at the pros and cons of both debit cards and credit cards for young adults and how you can decide which is ultimately best.
Personal Finance Tips
5 Tips to Make the Biggest Profit When Selling Your Home — Mia Morales, Cash the Checks
With the doldrums of winter now officially over, we now head into spring cleaning and project season as well as prime house hunting time. Of course, if you are looking to sell your home, you’ll want to look into making cost-effective changes that can attract more buyers and earn you larger offers. That’s where Mia comes in, as she looks at a few ways to help up the sale price on your home.
8 Legal Myths About the Process of Getting a Divorce — Mark Theoharis, Money Crashers
Divorce is not something anyone really enjoys going through or even really talking about. Because of this not only do some people not realize the toll that divorce can have on your finances but a number of misconceptions about the process have also been spread. In this piece, Mark explores the connection between divorce and money while also dispelling a few myths.
Five Apps That Come to the Rescue When a Trip Goes Wrong — Christine Krzyszton, Frugal Travel Guy
If you thought that most of the travel headaches ended once the snow melted away, think again. Heck, as I write this, Delta is still reeling from a storm that hit their Atlanta hub three days ago, causing them to cancel literally thousands of flights! Thankfully Christine is here to recommend a few apps and services that can save in the day when you’re in a tough travel situation.
Thanks for checking out my top 10 personal finance articles published last month and congratulations to all of the bloggers who made the list. To find more of these great articles on a daily basis, be sure to follow me on Twitter @jondyer9 and of course visit DyerNews.com.
