Search

How to use an IRA giving strategy to increase tax benefits 09/26/2018 04:35am • WASHINGTON — Many of us give to charities not only out of a sense of helping our community or those in need, but also because it can be a powerful tax strategy. Normally, clients give cash or securities directly to their charities of choice, which results in an itemized deduction reported on Sc When Is a Cash-Out Refinance Loan a Good Idea? 09/25/2018 08:00pm • In a cash-out refinance mortgage, you take a loan against your home in excess of what you owe, leaving you with cash available to spend. Adding to the debt against your home could be a smart move if the cash is used for the right purpose. Using it for the wrong purpose, however, could lead to finan How the National Debt Affects You 09/25/2018 08:00pm • The national debt may seem as far removed from your investments as your parents' debt is from your bank account. But, like your parents' debt, if the federal government's budget deficit grows too large, it will impact your daily life and investments in a painful way. "The economy is not going to imp Don't Run Out of Money in Retirement 09/25/2018 08:00pm • Running out of money is one of the biggest fears people have after they retire. But there are lots of ways to prevent outliving your savings and put your mind at ease in the process. Here are seven suggestions to help you finance the rest of your life. Withdraw a modest amount from savings each yea Are Credit Card Rewards Taxable? 09/25/2018 08:00pm • Credit card rewards have introduced a whole new level of confusion at tax time. In addition to your salary, bank account interest and other investment income, you might also have to pay taxes on your credit card rewards. The big question of whether credit card rewards are taxable came to national a 3 Dividend Stocks to Buy in October 09/24/2018 08:00pm • Many income investors -- perhaps the person in the cubicle or coffee shop booth next to you -- will soon do an unwitting imitation of Linus, the "Peanuts" character who waits in vain for the Great Pumpkin to deliver the goodies come October. But who says you're too old to trick or treat, as in using Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) Stock Is Marching to $3,000 09/24/2018 08:00pm • Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) made headlines earlier this month by briefly reaching a $1 trillion market capitalization. AMZN stock has pulled back a bit since then, but Jefferies analyst Brent Thill says Amazon has a clear path to at least another 50 percent upside by 2020. According to Thill, Amazon' Metro needs nearly $33 million in more taxpayer money to cover worker raises 09/24/2018 06:25pm • WASHINGTON — Metro will need $32.9 million in additional taxpayer funding to cover an arbitration panel’s award of limited raises for the agency’s largest union. A resolution set to be approved Thursday by Metro’s Board of Directors outlines the costs as $7.8 million — needed by the end Why Mutual Fund Gains Can Bring a Tax Bill 09/23/2018 08:00pm • Consider yourself warned: Before making a large mutual fund investment this late in the year see if you would inherit a tax bill from a year-end capital gains distribution. You might avoid it by waiting. It's standard advice to fund investors using taxable accounts. But conditions change and sometim How to Keep Your Child's Credit Safe 09/23/2018 08:00pm • You probably know how important it is to protect your credit from fraud, but as a parent, you might not realize that your child's credit is up for grabs by identity thieves, too. Javelin Strategy & Research estimated that more than 1 million children were the victim of identity fraud in 2017, w Ignore the Hype When Making a New Investment 09/23/2018 08:00pm • The illusion of validity is a cognitive bias in which a person overestimates their ability to predict an outcome, particularly when the data "tell" a coherent story. Unsurprisingly, this is incredibly common in the investment world. There are so many compelling investment stories that seem reasonabl 8 Industrial Stocks to Buy in a Booming Economy 09/23/2018 08:00pm • American industry is picking up steam.The U.S. economy expanded by 3.1 percent in the first half of 2018, driven by $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, and August consumer confidence was at its highest level since 2000. The U.S. economy is booming, and industrial stocks are reaping the benefits. Not only hav How Does a Short Sale Work? 09/23/2018 08:00pm • If a divorce, job transfer, job loss or other major life event leaves you unable to keep up with mortgage payments, you may face foreclosure or short sale. A short sale can offer much-needed financial relief, but negatively affects your credit history and ability to buy another home in the near futu Comstock, Wexton hit hard in first debate of Va-10 congressional race 09/21/2018 01:33pm • (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384';cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "9be9c680-c459-4acb-af21-654a2ccca384",mediaId: 'f74abc35-775c-45b5-999f-1835c3cb29c9' }).render("60461536c902b1bc");}); LANSDOWNE, Va. — Democrat Jennifer Wext Ready to make a donation? Here's how to vet a charity online 09/21/2018 05:02am • Q: Are there any online resources for vetting charities before I make a donation? Charity fraud scams are an ongoing problem, with the expected increase whenever a disaster strikes. Clever fraudsters have become very good at tugging at heartstrings to elicit donations to what will appear as a leg