Yes. Assuming you can itemize deductions using Form 1040-Schedule A, non-cash donations are just as valuable as cash donations. Find some time to gather old clothes, kitchen gadgets, sports equipment, and other closet clutter that someone else could use, donate these items to a qualified chjarity, and you can receive a valuable tax deduction.
Come up with $600 worth of used items to give to your favorite charity, for instance, and you can cut your tax bill by $150 if …
Regulations exist to prevent people from transferring assets that could be used to pay their long-term care expenses. This eliminates, or at least postpones, the possibility of the government having to finance their long-term care through the Medicaid program. The look-back period for asset transfers with respect to an application for Medicaid is currently five years. Government officials can look at any gifts made as long as five years before the date that an application for assistance is made.
If …
Nnakwe Nweze. E. (March 2008). Dietary patterns and prevalence of food insecurity among low-income families participating in community food assistance programs in a Midwest town. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 36 (3), 229-242. http://fcs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/36/3/229.
Brief Description: The study investigated the dietary patterns and prevalence of food insecurity in low-income families participating in community food assistance programs. A total of 236 heads of households were selected as a convenience sample and interviewed using standard research instruments. Households with children …
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 …
Parks-Yancy, R., DiTomaso, N. & Post, C. (2007). The mitigating effects of social and financial capital resources on hardships. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 28(3), 429-448.
Brief Description: Social and financial capital resources include knowing people who can help one obtain a job, offer cash or help defray expenses when layoffs or other hardships occur. These resources differ by gender and class (income/occupational status). This study found that middle class individuals had ample access to social and financial …
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 …
Fry, T., Mihajilo, S., Russell, R. & Brooks, R. (2008). The factors influencing saving in a matched savings program: goals, knowledge of payment instruments and other behavior. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 29(2), 234-250.
Brief Description: This study investigates the factors that influence the saving behavior of low-income participants in a matched savings program. The factors found to play a positive role in encouraging saving were goal-setting and the financial literacy education component offered in the program. The …
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.…
Thorne, D. & Porter, K. (2007) Financial education for bankrupt families: Attitudes and needs. Journal of Consumer Education 24, 15-27.
Brief Description: The study examines bankrupt families’ attitudes toward financial education courses and the expenses with which they are most likely to struggle after bankruptcy. Results reveal that a majority of respondents believed that a money or debt management course would have helped them avoid bankruptcy. However, respondents with college degrees, who were white, or who were older (especially 65 …
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 …
