Moneysmartz helps connect individuals with the information and advice they need to organize, simplify, and strengthen their personal finances.

Total news: 31
Last news: December 11, 2007 22:26:08

Searching for rent vs. buy information about a local real estate market? HotPads.com combines maps, visual images, and information to give you a birds eye view of rental and buying opportunities in local markets. If you want to compare available sales and rentals by price range, then HotPads.com is worth a visit.

If you like being productive and saving time, then Lifehacker should keep you busy saving time. This popular site offers an array of software downloads and productivity tools covering many topics, including personal finance. Its not that difficult to find what you are looking for in Lifehacker, but to save you time, here are links to a few popular finance related topics: personal finance, money, saving money, tax time, taxes, and quicken.

If you like being productive and saving time, then Lifehacker should keep you busy saving time. This popular site offers an array of software downloads and productivity tools covering many topics, including personal finance. Its not that difficult to find what you are looking for in Lifehacker, but to save you time, here are links to a few popular finance related topics: personal finance, money, saving money, tax time, taxes, and quicken.

A recent post in The Red Tape Chronicles highlighted the fact that many Americans do not have an emergency fund to cover about 3- to 6-months of living expenses.

So, if you dont have enough socked away in your rainy day fund, then what can you do?

First, dont panic, you can start saving today and in less than a year youll be much better prepared.

Next, and this is hard to do, try to pay yourself first. Set aside a small amount every month before spending or investing. We are notoriously bad about taking action in this way, so continue reading.

Liz Pulliam Weston, an MSN personal finance columnist recommends getting a line of credit from your bank. If you do this, then be careful to avoid using the line to pay for non-emergency expenses. Otherwise, youll only dig a deeper hole.

By taking a few simple steps, youll be thankful when the rain starts to pour.

Are you looking for a top-notch source for legal information? Maybe you are worried about the reliability of information from Wikipedia. Try Wex, by the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell Law School. Wex is a collaboratively-created, public-access law dictionary and encyclopedia. If you are looking for information on personal finance related topics like real estate law, income taxes, estate taxes, and a lot more, then Wex provides a wealth of insight that will hone your financial decision-making and save time wading through search engine results.

Are you looking for a top-notch source for legal information? Maybe you are worried about the reliability of information from Wikipedia. Try Wex, by the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell Law School. Wex is a collaboratively-created, public-access law dictionary and encyclopedia. If you are looking for information on personal finance related topics like real estate law, income taxes, estate taxes, and a lot more, then Wex provides a wealth of insight that will hone your financial decision-making and save time wading through search engine results.

How does your salary compare? What should you do to negotiate a pay raise? Youll find answers to these questions and more at PayScale, the market leader in global online compensation information for employers and individuals. PayScale was designed to give you the accurate facts and negotiation expertise you need in order to make smart, informed career decisions. A free compensation report and advice is available by completing a brief online questionnaire. If you are looking for an edge, then PayScale is worth a few minutes of your time.

How does your salary compare? What should you do to negotiate a pay raise? Youll find answers to these questions and more at PayScale, the market leader in global online compensation information for employers and individuals. PayScale was designed to give you the accurate facts and negotiation expertise you need in order to make smart, informed career decisions. A free compensation report and advice is available by completing a brief online questionnaire. If you are looking for an edge, then PayScale is worth a few minutes of your time.

Providing for your family through estate planning can be very a complicated and confusing process, even for financial professionals. Michael T. Ohlman, columnist for the Bradenton Herald, compiled the following list of estate planning mistakes to watch out for:

Not funding your living trust.

Too much JTWROS property.

Leaving too many assets to a surviving spouse.

Not equalizing assets through gifts between spouses.

Not having a will.

Improper ownership of life insurance.

Being donor and custodian of a uniform-gift-to-minors-act/uniform-transfer-to-minors-act account.

Not knowing where all the "stuff" is.

Naming the wrong executor.

Not periodically updating an estate plan.

This list should be a helpful reference as you fine-tune your estate plan or work with estate planning experts to create your estate plan for the first time.

Providing for your family through estate planning can be very a complicated and confusing process, even for financial professionals. Michael T. Ohlman, columnist for the Bradenton Herald, compiled the following list of estate planning mistakes to watch out for:

Not funding your living trust.

Too much JTWROS property.

Leaving too many assets to a surviving spouse.

Not equalizing assets through gifts between spouses.

Not having a will.

Improper ownership of life insurance.

Being donor and custodian of a uniform-gift-to-minors-act/uniform-transfer-to-minors-act account.

Not knowing where all the "stuff" is.

Naming the wrong executor.

Not periodically updating an estate plan.

This list should be a helpful reference as you fine-tune your estate plan or work with estate planning experts to create your estate plan for the first time.

The best way to combat the rising cost of college for your children is to begin saving as early as possible. A great way to jumpstart your savings and enjoy some valuable tax advantages is to enroll in an education 529 savings plan. With every state offering at least one 529 plan, its important to understand plan differences and choose the one best suited to your situation. Savingforcollege.com will help you understand the nuances of 529 plans with their Five-Cap ratings on each state-sponsored plan. The rating system determines the usefulness of each plan based on more than investment attractiveness including plan flexibility and additional economic benefits. By combining the benefits of saving early and often and understanding which 529 plan is best for your situation, youll have a fighting chance to help your children pay for college.

The best way to combat the rising cost of college for your children is to begin saving as early as possible. A great way to jumpstart your savings and enjoy some valuable tax advantages is to enroll in an education 529 savings plan. With every state offering at least one 529 plan, its important to understand plan differences and choose the one best suited to your situation. Savingforcollege.com will help you understand the nuances of 529 plans with their Five-Cap ratings on each state-sponsored plan. The rating system determines the usefulness of each plan based on more than investment attractiveness including plan flexibility and additional economic benefits. By combining the benefits of saving early and often and understanding which 529 plan is best for your situation, youll have a fighting chance to help your children pay for college.

There is little middle ground between paying an advisor for financial planning expertise (visit Fool.com for a comprehensive comparison of financial advisory services and rates) and going it alone. Financial planners offer experience and an array of tools, while the do-it-yourself route affords flexibility and cost savings. If you are looking for the best of both worlds, lower fees and greater sophistication, then Financial Engines may be your solution.

A Forbes favorite for 401(k) advice, Financial Engines is an advanced financial analysis and modeling system created with the assistance of a Nobel Prize-winning economist. For fees ranging from $39.95 per month to $300 annually, the site helps individual investors create a personalized retirement forecast, get advice on taxable and tax-deferred accounts, forecast employee stock options, and forecast non-retirement financial goals.

If you are confident about your ability to interpret the Financial Engines output, then the $39.95 to test the system will be money well spent. At the minimum, after giving Financial Engines a test-drive, you’ll be able to ask smart questions if you choose to work with a financial planner down the road.

There is little middle ground between paying an advisor for financial planning expertise (visit Fool.com for a comprehensive comparison of financial advisory services and rates) and going it alone. Financial planners offer experience and an array of tools, while the do-it-yourself route affords flexibility and cost savings. If you are looking for the best of both worlds, lower fees and greater sophistication, then Financial Engines may be your solution.

A Forbes favorite for 401(k) advice, Financial Engines is an advanced financial analysis and modeling system created with the assistance of a Nobel Prize-winning economist. For fees ranging from $39.95 per month to $300 annually, the site helps individual investors create a personalized retirement forecast, get advice on taxable and tax-deferred accounts, forecast employee stock options, and forecast non-retirement financial goals.

If you are confident about your ability to interpret the Financial Engines output, then the $39.95 to test the system will be money well spent. At the minimum, after giving Financial Engines a test-drive, you’ll be able to ask smart questions if you choose to work with a financial planner down the road.

The New Year is in full swing and many of us have already forgotten our resolutions. If personal finance is still on your list, then the Simple Dollar weblog has a series it posted in January called 31 days to fix your finances. The series breaks down the financial fixes into five stages, including figuring out your goals and values, evaluating your situation, building your own life budget, looking at your life, piece by piece, and setting the stage for lifelong success. Its February, so youll need a little more than this month to fix your finances, but it will be worth the effort if you decide to get started.

The New Year is in full swing and many of us have already forgotten our resolutions. If personal finance is still on your list, then the Simple Dollar weblog has a series it posted in January called 31 days to fix your finances. The series breaks down the financial fixes into five stages, including figuring out your goals and values, evaluating your situation, building your own life budget, looking at your life, piece by piece, and setting the stage for lifelong success. Its February, so youll need a little more than this month to fix your finances, but it will be worth the effort if you decide to get started.

Are you looking to maximize your 401(k) returns? A group from Wharton and Vanguard say a portfolio of balanced or lifecycle funds is the optimal "trading" strategy earning the highest risk-adjusted returns. According to the research, this relatively passive investment strategy is more favorable than costly high-turnover trading. Special thanks to the Workplace Prof Blog for the tip.

Are you looking to maximize your 401(k) returns? A group from Wharton and Vanguard say a portfolio of balanced or lifecycle funds is the optimal "trading" strategy earning the highest risk-adjusted returns. According to the research, this relatively passive investment strategy is more favorable than costly high-turnover trading. Special thanks to the Workplace Prof Blog for the tip.

Starting a business is daunting. Adding to the stress is an array of administrative tasks, not the least of which is dealing with the IRS. If you are self-employed and wondering how to calculate and pay your taxes, there are many helpful online resources that should lower your blood pressure, get your taxes out of the way, and allow you to focus on important tasks, like making money.

For an easy to digest overview of self-employment taxes, visit Wachovias Self-Employment Tax page with ways to report the self-employment tax to the IRS and available income tax deductions.

For forms and an in-depth review of the self-employment tax, visit the Internal Revenue Service.

To estimate your self-employment taxes, visit H&R Blocks self-employment tax estimator. If you are paying self-employment taxes for the first time, then prepare for a shock. The good news is that a portion of your self-employment tax is an income tax deduction.

Finally, Moneysmartz offers a complete list of self-employment tax resources.

Starting a business is daunting. Adding to the stress is an array of administrative tasks, not the least of which is dealing with the IRS. If you are self-employed and wondering how to calculate and pay your taxes, there are many helpful online resources that should lower your blood pressure, get your taxes out of the way, and allow you to focus on important tasks, like making money.

For an easy to digest overview of self-employment taxes, visit Wachovias Self-Employment Tax page with ways to report the self-employment tax to the IRS and available income tax deductions.

For forms and an in-depth review of the self-employment tax, visit the Internal Revenue Service.

To estimate your self-employment taxes, visit H&R Blocks self-employment tax estimator. If you are paying self-employment taxes for the first time, then prepare for a shock. The good news is that a portion of your self-employment tax is an income tax deduction.

Finally, Moneysmartz offers a complete list of self-employment tax resources.