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.
The Reflex Mastercard is a secured credit card designed for those trying to build or rebuild their credit. It's easy to qualify for, and you gain access to several Mastercard benefits. But can Reflex compete with other top cards from Capital One, Indigo, or Chime? I cover all of this and more in this Reflex Mastercard review.
There comes a time when you may need to hire a financial advisor. Unfortunately, plenty of people are out there claiming the title. Fee-only advisors are more likely to put your financial interests ahead of their own. In this article, I'll show you why I recommend fee-only financial advisors for most people.
A multi-year guaranteed annuity (MYGA) provides an investment income stream that is generally more conservative than other annuity types. You might think of an MYGA as the CD version of annuities. This article will explain how MYGAs work, including tax treatment, pros and cons, and how they compare to other investment vehicles.
At their core, bank CDs and brokered CDs are the same product. But upon closer inspection, there are several key differences. These include how they are purchased, options for maximizing FDIC coverage, and other provisions. This article covers broker CDs and how they work to help you decide if they're right for your portfolio.
You may be familiar with the difficulties foreigners can have in obtaining U.S. visas. But did you know that foreigners can “buy” visa status in the United States and dozens of other countries?The following list includes 17 countries offering these "golden visas", the general requirements to obtain one, and what the visa will give you.
If you earn over $200,000 per year, you may be subject to the net investment income tax (NIIT), an additional tax levied on the investment income of taxpayers considered to be high income. This article will explain how the NIIT works, and give you some tips on how to reduce the potential expense.
If you are a regular T.J. Maxx customer or shop at one of their popular subsidiaries - including Marshalls, HomeGoods, HomeSense, and Sierra - you may be interested in the T.J. Maxx Credit Card. It works at the many thousands of stores within the T.J. Maxx family, a who's who of popular American retailers.
The easiest way to hold the S&P 500 is through index funds. Two of the top S&P 500 index funds are the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). Both funds perform a similar function, so which one should you buy?
If you’re like many would-be real estate investors, you may be stuck watching the action from the sidelines. But a real estate crowdfunding platform, Arrived Homes, provides the ability to invest for as little as $100. If you’ve been looking to diversify your portfolio out of paper investments and into “hard assets,” Arrived Homes might be worth considering.
Penny stocks allow you to buy in large blocks and potentially earn outsized gains if and when the stock price takes off. But not all brokers offer penny stocks. To help you in your search, we’ve compiled a list of what we believe to be the 6 best penny stock trading apps available right now.
If you’re familiar with Microsoft Money, Money in Excel may interest you. The upgraded version of Microsoft Money enables you to keep track of transactions, create budgets, and establish and work toward reaching your financial goals. This Money in Excel review covers everything you need to know, from features to pricing to Money in Excel alternatives.
One of the best ways to invest in dividend stocks is through exchange traded funds (ETFs). Many funds specialize in high dividend stocks, so you can avoid having to buy individual companies and construct a portfolio from the ground up. Here is our list of the 10 best dividend ETFs to buy right now.
