-
Using Your VA529 Plan to Pay for Private K-12 Education
Are you paying for private school for a kid in grades K-12? It's a little painful, isn't it? Well, now there's a way to reduce the sting (a little bit). With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 parents can use their VA 529 plan to pay for K-12 private school tuition. Each state is different but the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan has adopted their policies to allow Virginia residents to take advantage of this new strategy. Virginia residents can use the VA 529 plan to get a little extra tax deduction on your VA state income taxes (plus some tax-free growth for the super…
You May Also Like
Should You Save For Retirement Or College?
-
Building Long-Term Financial Freedom for Solopreneurs
As a solopreneur you want to build long-term financial freedom, but there are so many options it's hard to know where to start. Solopreneurs have a lot of choices when it comes to their long-term financial freedom savings (formerly known as "retirement"). Small business owners can use IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEP IRAs, and Solo-401(k)s (among other options) for their own savings.In this post I wrote for AthleteBiz I go over three of the most common account types and when you should consider choosing them. I also share some critical questions to ask before you set up a 401(k) plan with a custodian. The cheapest 401(k) plan provider is not always…
You May Also Like
How Much Do I Need To Save For Retirement?
-
What is ESG Investing?
Are you concerned about the environment or human rights? Do you want companies to be good corporate citizens? Then ESG investing might be a good fit for you. ESG stands for Environmental Social Governance and it refers to investments that screen their stocks and bonds with ESG issues in mind. 86% of Millennials are interested in Sustainable Investing according to a recent poll by Morgan Stanley. However, it’s not just young people; 87% of women of all ages are interested in sustainable investing as well as 67% of men according to that same study. Yet, while there may be a lot of interest in sustainable investing, investor’s knowledge about the subject…
You May Also Like
How Much Do I Need To Save For Retirement?
-
How to Talk About Money with your Kids
Many people would rather talk about sex, death or politics instead of money. We all know how often we talk about those topics, so how many conversations are we having around money with our kids? In the words of Jay-Z "zip zero, stingy with dinero." OK, that may be a slight exaggeration but the power of societal taboos around money are strong. I wrote this article for Richmond Family Magazine to help parents navigate these potentially tricky and sometimes awkward conversations.
-
6 Things To Do With Extra Cash
Whether it's a stimulus check or a tax refund many people will soon have some extra cash on hand. I don’t know about you, but when I find myself in the fortunate position of receiving some extra money from a bonus or tax refund, my first instinct is to get Chinese take-out. Probably not the greatest financial move. While I’m probably not alone there, our instincts aren’t always our best guide. It helps to pause and be more intentional with unexpected cash. Sometimes our instincts are good, but not always. Unfortunately, when it comes to financial decisions, our instincts don’t always lead us in the right direction. How can you…
-
Eating Healthy on a Budget: Pro-tips from a Pro-Athlete
Guest Post! I'm very excited to bring you a guest post on eating healthy, real food while on a budget from Brandon Hudgins an elite middle distance runner with Sketchers Performance. Brandon is also connected with AthleteBiz a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that connects world-class track and field athletes with fans. Check out the bottom of the post for more information on Brandon and AthleteBiz!Are you trying to eat healthier food? Are you worried that eating healthy food might stretch your budget? If you are just now making the switch to healthy eating, you might be scared of spending more money, or scared that you can never eat things you enjoy…
You May Also Like
Maximize Your Salary: How to handle the question every job seeker hates!
-
Seriously, what is Bitcoin?
Have you purchased bitcoin on a credit card? No? (Well done!) That was a question a journalist recently emailed me. Fortunately, I don’t know anyone who has purchased bitcoin on credit (or at least anyone who felt compelled to tell me) but there appears to be a “bit” of a craze going on now around cryptocurrencies. To buy or not to buy? With Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) that is a popular question. As is typical of the internet-age, there is a cacophony of noise on bitcoin available. There are even new marketing schemes with self-styled bitcoin gurus offering their knowledge to a select group of individuals for $80/month. Please make…
You May Also Like
How Much Do I Need To Save For Retirement?
-
Is an HSA Right for Me?
Should you take advantage of an HSA? Many people sign up for a high deductible healthcare plan (HDHP) either at work on the exchange but don’t realize that these healthcare plans work best when paired with a healthcare savings account (HSA). An HSA is triple tax-preferred. What the heck does that mean? It means you can save on taxes three ways: You can take a deduction against your income on your taxes or make pre-tax contributions through your payroll provider. Money contributed to an HSA grows tax-free while inside the HSA. Money withdrawn for qualified medical expenses (as defined by the IRS) is tax-free. Want to know more about the…
-
Maximize Your Virginia 529 Plan
How can I maximize my tax-savings using a Virginia 529 account? What happens if my kid gets a scholarship? These are the kinds of questions I frequently hear from parents as they start saving for college. The Virginia 529 College Savings plan is pretty straightforward (especially after you read my post about the VA 529 plan that breaks it all down for you here!). However, there are a couple nuances that parents and other family members should be aware of to maximize their 529 account. Let's review four things about the Virginia 529 Plan that you will definitely want to know! VA 529: What Changed Under The 2017 Tax Law?…
You May Also Like
Should You Save For Retirement Or College?
-
Tax-Savvy Charitable Giving with Appreciated Stock
Lots of people like to make charitable donations in December. Typically people make their charitable donations by writing a few checks and dropping them in the mail. Which works. But did you know there is a tax-savvier way to make your charitable donations? If you have a taxable investment account with stocks, ETFs or mutual funds that have increased in value (appreciated securities) you can actually donate those directly to your favorite charity. So instead of selling those appreciated securities and paying a capital gains tax you could simply gift away the capital gain. If you have held those appreciated securities for at least one year you can gift away…
