Financial institutions such as commercial banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions offer the safest alternatives for savings. Government insurance programs such as FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) or NCUA (National Credit Union Association) guarantee the safety of deposits up to certain amounts (currently $250,000 per depositor). Savings accounts are very liquid and require a low or no minimum balance. However, the rate of return for passbook accounts is frequently below the rate of inflation, which results in a …
What are Certificates of Deposit?
Certificates of deposit (CDs) require that money be kept in the account for a specific period of time to receive a specified return. CDs often require a larger initial investment than a savings account but yield a higher return. The longer the deposit length, the higher the interest rate will generally be because savers are keeping their money on deposit for a longer period of time. CDs are insured by the FDIC for up to $250,000, just like a passbook …
What will it cost to make minimum payments of 4% ($40) on a $1,000 outstanding credit card balance?
According to the Credit Card Smarts Calculator from Advantage Publications, a $1,000 debt on a credit card that has an 18% annual percentage rate (APR) repaid by making 4% minimum monthly payments will take 6 years to pay off and cost $1,465, including $465 in interest. This assumes that no additional charges are made. If you can pay 6% of the outstanding balance ($60 per month), you will cut the repayment time by two years and save $399 in interest.…
Should I Invest in the Stock Market Now?
The answer to this question depends on many personal factors including your age, your current portfolio holdings, your investment risk tolerance and financial goals, and how soon you might need to get back money from your invested assets. The younger you are, the more time is on your side to ride out the effects of stock market volatility.
A strong case for buying stocks can certainly be made. Historically, common stocks have outperformed all other investments over time periods of …
If I Am Taking the Earned Income Tax Credit, Can I Also Claim the Child Tax Credit on My Income Taxes?
If you qualify for both credits, you can take both credits. You may also be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit. Each of these tax credits has its own rules.
See IRS Publication 17 for general information on filing your taxes, Publication 596 for the Earned Income Tax Credit, Publication 972 for the Child Tax Credit, and Publication 503 for Child and Dependent Care Credit for information on who can deduct each type of credit. To receive …
How Can I Pick a Good Personal Finance Book?
First, do a search of financial book titles by key words of interest (e.g., mutual funds, bankruptcy, life insurance) through an online book merchant such as Amazon.com. Read the description of the book’s contents and reviews by readers.
Some online merchants will also allow you to view the book covers, table of contents, and even a sample chapter. Of course, you can also walk into a book store and check out financial books in person.
Look at the publication date …
Do You Have to Pay Income Tax on a Cash Gift?
Generally, cash or property that you receive as a gift or inheritance is not included in your income. Recipients of gifts do not need to declare them on their income tax return, regardless of the amount.
However, if a cash gift later produces income, such as dividends and capital gains, that income will be taxable and you will receive a 1099 form to indicate the taxable amount.
Donors can give cash gifts up to a certain amount each year without …
Impact of Personal Finance Education
Peng, T.-C., Bartholomae, S., Fox, J. & Cravener, G. (2007). The impact of personal finance education delivered in high school and college courses. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 28(2), 265-284.
Brief Description: This study investigated the impacts of personal finance education delivered in high school and college. Outcomes of interest were investment knowledge and household savings rates measured years after the financial education was delivered. A web-based survey was taken by 1,039 alumni from a large Midwestern university. …
Wills, Trusts and Charitable Estate Planning
James, R.N. (2009). Wills, trusts, and charitable estate planning: An analysis of document effectiveness using panel data. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 20(1), 3-14.
Brief Description: This study compared pre-death charitable estate plans with post-death distributions using a large national data set with over 26,000 individuals. It found that most respondents with charitable estate plans ultimately generated no charitable estate gift after death. The likelihood of making charitable gifts was significantly higher for those who funded an …
Asset ownership by black and white families
DeVaney, S. A., Anong, S. T. & Yang, Y. (2007). Asset ownership by black and white families. Financial Counseling and Planning, 18(1), 33-45.
Brief Description: The study explored differences in ownership of homes, investment accounts, and retirement accounts by Black and White families. Greater education, income, and contact with financial institutions increased asset ownership for both groups. White families who saved regularly were more likely to own a home and to have investment and retirement accounts. Denial of credit …