There are many reasons why you may want to determine how much your business is worth.
You may be approached by a proposed buyer. You may want to sell and invest the money for your retirement. You may want to know it for insurance purposes.
If you are retired or getting close to retirement, chances are you are familiar with budgeting. There are many techniques for budgeting out there, but the basic idea is to balance your income and expenses. One way to do this is to think about your expenses as percentages.
Budget percentages, as made popular by radio personality Dave Ramsey, help you understand where your money is going. The goal is simple: keep your expenses in each category within a certain percentage of your income. Most people who follow this method adhere to 10 common categories.
The business world uses the term 401(k) often. Many employers offer their employees these retirement accounts as a benefit to working there.
Some employers even offer 401(k) matching. This benefit is exactly as it sounds. An employer matches the amount of money that you contribute to your 401(k). So, you put money into your 401(k), and then your employer does the same.
This post was last updated on June 24, 2023, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Whether you’re retiring early or your financial circumstances shift unexpectedly, a “72t” withdrawal strategy might be useful. Knowing the full arsenal of penalty-free withdrawal options can help you make your money work for you regardless of what life throws at you.
If a business wants to hire and retain top-performing employees, it needs to offer substantial benefits. While options like healthcare and paid time off are enticing, nothing is quite as appealing as tax breaks. High-earning workers typically want to save as much money on taxes as possible while maintaining investment opportunities.
Fortunately, that’s accomplished through deferred compensation plans. These plans can come in many forms and offer specific advantages (and potential disadvantages). This article will dive into how these plans work and why they can be so attractive.
Not everyone can qualify for a traditional life insurance policy. Depending on your health and lifestyle, an insurance underwriter might be reluctant to approve your application for a policy.
If you have only applied to a company or two, don’t give up on a traditional life insurance policy yet. Every company has different standards that they follow, and something that disqualifies you from one might not disqualify you from another.
Retirement should be fun, and make life a bit more simple. You shouldn’t be struggling to live off of the money you have.
How do you expect to get by after retiring? You may only rely on a small income from your social security.
Many investors consider diverse investment portfolios desirable because they reduce the overall risk inherent to investing. One of the primary ways to diversify your portfolio is to invest in different asset classes. Before you can do that, though, you need to know a little more about what they are.
While even the most diverse investment portfolios aren’t immune to risk entirely, risk reduction of any amount can help provide you with peace of mind, particularly when you’re investing as a way to support yourself through retirement.
Only 32% of Americans are investing in 401(k) plans. Even though 59% of American companies offer these plans to their employees, many U.S. citizens opt out of one. If you work for a company that offers a 401(k), it is in your best interest to sign-up, especially if you want to live comfortably after you retire.
While having a 401(k) is a great investment, people go through rough patches and need additional financial support to help pay for expensive situations. If you have a 401(k), you can get a loan to help you with your finances. Before applying, we want you to know how much a 401(k) loan will actually cost you.
Real estate owners and investors use the 1031 exchange as a way to build wealth by deferring the capital gains tax. For those unfamiliar, the IRS requires investors to pay taxes on the value of sold investments when that investment realizes a profit. Real estate and other investments are subject to capital gains taxes.
Named after IRS Section 1031, the exchange has many different variables. All investors must understand the ins and outs of Section 1031 before performing an exchange. It comes with many rules, such as the type of property and certain time frame restrictions.
Saving for retirement is a big deal. The average American will spend nearly a million dollars between the time they retire and their death. Social Security payments won’t cover those expenses, so having savings and investments is essential.
One of the most common retirement plans is the 401(k). It’s a benefit that some jobs offer. You and your employer generally get some sort of tax advantage, which makes it a popular choice.
This post was last updated on July 24, 2024, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Retirement accounts grow from pre-tax (deductible) contributions during employment. During retirement, account withdrawals, or distributions, are then taxed as ordinary income. To many entering retirement, it would make sense to let these accounts sit, accruing tax-deferred value to further build their savings and/or inheritance to pass on.
This post was last updated on July 24, 2024, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
The IRS established required minimum distribution (RMD) rules on IRAs and similar tax-deferred savings plans to eventually collect on the taxes previously deferred. RMD rules require you to begin making withdrawals from certain retirement accounts when you reach age 73.
Let’s just get right to the point; joint tenancy is a legal arrangement involving two or more individuals co-owning property. All parties share equal rights, title, and obligations. “Property” can include bank accounts, businesses, or personal items but joint tenancy most often pertains to real estate.
These ownership arrangements can be made between business partners, married or unmarried couples, friends, or family members. Joint tenancy also includes right of survivorship. This means that if one owner passes away, the surviving owner(s) can immediately take ownership without going to probate court.
Usually, when people think of estate planning, they imagine filling out a will or establishing a trust. However, some assets allow you to name beneficiaries directly through a process called transfer on death (TOD).
Transfer on death can be beneficial in various circumstances, particularly if you want to avoid probate. Today we’re going to discuss the ins and outs of TOD and when it is most beneficial.
This post was last updated on June 29, 2025, to reflect all updated information and best serve your needs.
Investing in yourself is one of the most important things you can pursue. It’s more than setting up a retirement account or buying a home. Self-investment comes in many forms, including:
The world of family trusts is not just for the fabulously wealthy, the aristocrats, or the savviest of investors. Most do not know what a family trust is, and fewer still ask whether they need one.
We will cover some of the basics of trusts to help shed some light on a topic that so many people could benefit from.
As you begin estate planning, you will face difficult choices, further complicated by the current pandemic. However, it’s essential that you have a plan in place to protect your loved ones financially. There are many different ways you can do so.
Today, we’re going to discuss two of them. Wills and trusts are both estate planning tools, meaning they help you control who inherits your assets after you pass away. The similarities between the two end there, though.
When it comes to estate planning, having a comprehensive and well-planned will is essential. Without this crucial document, your loved ones could face various legal and financial challenges once you’re gone.
However, while a will is vital, not everyone knows what to include. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Here are the top four things you should have in your will.
For many workers, the benefits package a company offers is almost as important as the salary that goes along with it. One of the benefits that workers are most interested in is the retirement plan. People want to know that they are going to be okay after they stop working, and in most cases, they are relying on their employer to help make that a reality when it comes to saving.
Many companies offer retirement plans such as a 401(k). However, these plans can come with bureaucratic red tape and regulatory loopholes to jump through – which can make them more difficult to implement. Because of these difficulties, some companies choose to opt out of plans like 401(k)s altogether.
