financial planning

Don't Forget To Claim Your Student Loan Deduction

Don't Forget To Claim Your Student Loan Deduction

If you paid on student loans last year, don’t forget that you can deduct the interest paid up to $2,500 as long as your parents don’t claim you as a dependent, writes Kiplinger. “You can deduct up to $2,500 in student-loan interest paid in 2007 if your income for the year was $55,000 or less if single, or $110,000 or less if married filing jointly.” If you make under $70k single or $140k married, you can still take a partial deduction.

3 Stupid Financial Mistakes Sasha Made In 2007

3 Stupid Financial Mistakes Sasha Made In 2007

Sasha over at Consumerism Commentary is actually working on a list of five stupid mistakes from last year, but she’s uploading them one at a time and we’re getting tired of waiting. We’ll post a quicklink or something to the remaining two in a few days. Anyway, here are mistakes one through three, another person’s financial self-flogging in public for your edification, or grim enjoyment.

11 Common Tax Planning Mistakes

11 Common Tax Planning Mistakes

It’s not as sexy a topic as dog treats, but it’s an important one: tax planning mistakes. More specifically, how to avoid some of the most common ones. Kiplinger lists 11 frequent mistakes you should be aware of if you don’t want an unpleasant surprise come April.

57% Of Americans Don't Have Wills

57% Of Americans Don't Have Wills

A new Bankrate national poll says that 57% of Americans don’t have wills, even though 76% of respondents said they considered it an important thing to have. This writer doesn’t have a will, but then again, I don’t have kids, and my “heirlooms” are all made by consumer electronic companies. What about people with offspring? It’s even worse: 69% of parents with kids under the age of 18 don’t have wills, even though 88% of them say it’s important.

13 Retirement Myths Debunked By Money Magazine

According to Money, there are 13 big myths about retirement that you need to be aware of—and the sooner you know about them, the sooner you can make any necessary adjustments to improve your preparations for those twilight years.Myth 1: You need a big income to have a big nest eggMyth 2: You…

AARP Can Double Costs For Seniors

AARP Can Double Costs For Seniors

The L.A. Times is reporting that AARP products are not always the best deal for senior citizens. The American Association of Retired Persons is susceptible to a profit motive; $400 million – 40%, of their annual budget – is generated from “royalties and service provider relationship management fees” gleaned from products, such as Medigap insurance, sold to its 38 million members.