Since 2009, Kevin Mercadante has been sharing his journey from a washed-up mortgage loan officer emerging from the Financial Meltdown as a contract/self-employed “slash worker” – accountant/blogger/freelance blog writer – on OutofYourRut.com. He offers career strategies, from dealing with under-employment to transitioning into self-employment, and provides “Alt-retirement strategies” for the vast majority who won’t retire to the beach as millionaires.
He also frequently discusses the big-picture trends that are putting the squeeze on the bottom 90%, offering workarounds and expense cutting tips to help readers carve out more money to save in their budgets – a.k.a., breaking the “savings barrier” and transitioning from debtor to saver.
Kevin has a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Montclair State University.
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or financial institution. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Too many Americans are withdrawing money from their retirement plans early. While retirement savings contributions are tax deductible, you may be subject to income tax and an additional penalty for withdrawing early. If you think you need to withdraw from your 401K, here are nine ways to do it penalty-free
One way to improve your credit score is to be added as an authorized user on another person’s credit account. But what if you don’t have another person with good credit who can add you as an authorized user? That's where Tradeline Supply Company comes in. Learn more in our full review.
Investment funds that track the S&P 500 index make up the core holdings in many investment portfolios, and Fidelity's S&P 500 Index Fund (FAIAX) and Vanguard's S&P 500 ETF (VOO) are two of the most popular. Of the two, which fund should you choose for your portfolio? It's a close call.
Are you an accredited investor looking to add greater diversification to your portfolio and potentially get higher returns? If so, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best investment opportunities for accredited investors. Some are available to non-accredited investors, so read on even if you’re not yet accredited.
Zelle has become a popular way to send money to family and friends directly from your bank account. But did you know that Zelle limits vary from one financial institution to another? In this article, I share the maximum daily and monthly Zelle limits for 15 major banks and one large credit union.
Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, have become incredibly popular Consider the explosive growth of this category of investment funds. In fact, they held more than $7 trillion as of 2021. But what is an ETF, why are they so popular, and how are they different from mutual funds? In this article, we take a closer look at ETFs
Cleo is a budgeting app that does more than just budget. It can also help you build savings, benefit from cash advances, and even help build your credit. But how does it compare to other top budgeting and savings apps, like You Need a Budget or Acorns? Find out in this Cleo Review.
Because a VPN hides your identity, it’s possible to make purchases for everyday products and services from foreign countries where those items might cost less than they do in the US. In an age of high inflation, it's an effective yet unusual money saving strategy.
Despite the highly speculative nature of penny stocks and their well-documented disadvantages, thousands of investors flock to them each year. But what are penny stocks, the risks, and the rewards, and what are the best penny stocks on Robinhood, one of the most popular trading platforms for penny stocks?
Does it ever seem as if earning big money is the impossible dream? It may be hard to believe, but there are lots of million-dollar jobs for regular people like you and me. Here's a list of careers where it's possible to earn $1 Million or more per year.
Do you ever find yourself falling a few dollars short just before payday?
Sometimes you just need a temporary boost. That’s where Get Paid Early apps can help. They let you access your paycheck a couple of days in advance and offer other features to make managing your day-to-day finances easier.
One of the most popular methods for investing in the stock market is through the S&P 500 Index. Investment advisors frequently recommend it as the primary choice for the stock portion of a typical investor’s portfolio. But how does the S&P 500 work, and what's the best way to buy the index? Learn more.
