Author: personal-finance

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Monthly Investment Message: May 2017

Barbara O’Neill, Extension Specialist in Financial Resource Management

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu

May 2017

The Benefits of Being a Future-Minded Planner

Want to be a successful investor? Develop your future-mindedness. That is the conclusion of a recent study that found a connection between positive financial behaviors, such as saving and investing, and impulsiveness and materialism.

When people focus on their future they tend to be less impulsive spenders, regardless of their level of financial literacy. In fact, the strongest predictor …

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What are Student Loan Borrowers Thinking? Insights from Focus Groups on College Selection and Student Loan Decision Making

Johnson, C. L., O’Neill, B., Worthy, S., Lown, J. M., Bowen, C. F. (2016). What are student loan borrowers thinking? Insights from focus groups on college selection and student loan decision making. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 27(2), 184-198.

Brief Description: This study used data from online focus groups to understand college students’ decision-making process when borrowing money to finance their education. Respondents were asked eight questions regarding their college selection and student loan decision-making. Results suggest that (a) …

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Monthly Investment Message: February 2017

Barbara O’Neill, Extension Specialist in Financial Resource Management

Rutgers Cooperative Extension

oneill@aesop.rutgers.edu

February 2017

Factors That Affect Investment Risk Tolerance

To help investors objectively assess their investment risk tolerance, Rutgers Cooperative Extension has an online Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz at www.rce.rutgers.edu/money/riskquiz 

Developed by Dr. Ruth Lytton at Virginia Tech and Dr. John Grable at the University of Georgia, the quiz has 13 multiple choice questions and provides users with instant feedback about their capacity to handle investment risk. 

 

The questions …

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What Types of Records Should You Keep for Tax-Deductible Mileage?

Some people record all their mileage on a calendar, planner, or business diary that they keep in their car. Be sure to jot down the date, the purpose of the trip, the starting and ending odometer readings, and the total number of miles driven. Another good source of documentation is a copy of the forms that you provide to your employer for expense reimbursement.

Remember, you are entitled to deduct the difference between the IRS business mileage reimbursement rate (54 …

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How Do I Take a Charitable Income Tax Deduction??

While a specific charity may qualify with the IRS as a charitable organization for tax purposes, a taxpayer still needs to be able to itemize his or her tax deductions to deduct a charitable contribution. Charitable contributions are an itemized deduction.

Schedule A is the tax form used to tally itemized deductions. These deductions include out-of-pocket health-related expenses, mortgage interest, property taxes, charitable contributions, and other qualified expenses.

In order to use Schedule A, you would need to use IRS …

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At What Age Can I Avoid the Social Security Earnings Limit?

The earnings limit for Social Security benefits no longer applies once you reach your full retirement age (FRA). For people born between 1943 and 1954, FRA is age 66. Therefore, the earnings limit will no longer apply to you once you reach age 66. FRA for those born in 1960 and later is age 67. The 2017 earnings limit for Social Security beneficiaries who have not reached their FRA is $16,920.

We would like your feedback on this Personal Finance …

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If You Have Not Earned the Maximum Amount Allowed to be Contributed to an IRA, Can You Still Contribute That Amount?

You are allowed to contribute the greater of 100% of your earned income (salary or wages from a job or self-employment income) or $5,500 to a Roth and/or traditional IRA in 2017. If you are age 50 by year’s end, or older, you can contribute up to an extra $1,000 ($6,500 total).

However, if you earn less than $5,500 by the end of the calendar year, you can only contribute up to the amount of your annual earnings.

We would …

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Can You Split Your IRA Contribution Between Both a Traditional and a Roth IRA?

Yes, as long as the total amount of your contributions to more than one IRA does not exceed the maximum annual contribution limit which, in 2017, is $5,500 for workers under age 50 and $6,500 (with an additional $1,000 catch-up amount) for workers age 50 and over by year-end.

Be sure to check the administrative fees and minimum deposit requirements of your IRA plan custodian(s), however. Multiple accounts could mean that you’ll be charged multiple fees to administer your IRA …

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