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Traffic growth helps make up for lower Md. tolls, report finds 01/23/2017 09:09am • WASHINGTON — The first year of toll reductions across Maryland led to a drop in toll revenue, but a rise in traffic volume helped offset that decrease, according to a new report released by state transportation officials. The Maryland Transportation Authority says toll facilities across the st Va. Senate committee kills proposed bag tax 01/23/2017 05:09am • WASHINGTON — A bill to tax plastic bags in Virginia has been passed over by a state Senate committee, for good. The bill, authored by Sen. J. Chapman Petersen of Fairfax County, was killed in committee last week. The proposed legislation would have placed a 5-cent tax on disposable plastic bags Va. bills could help or target immigrants 01/22/2017 11:46pm • WASHINGTON — This week lawmakers in Virginia are expected to deal with four bills that either help or target those in the United States illegally. State lawmakers will decide on whether it is a hate crime if a person is targeted for violence because of immigration status. If passed, HB 1779 wou 5 Signs You're Getting a Raw Deal From Your Financial Advisor 01/22/2017 07:00pm • With the U.S. Department of Labor pumping the breaks on its fiduciary rule for financial advisors, investors may be once again vulnerable to unethical money managers who don't have their best interests in mind. In general, studies show that Americans are generally happy with their financial advisors How to Keep Your Financial Resolution for 2017 01/22/2017 07:00pm • Resolutions are often made on New Year's Day and forgotten (or disavowed) a few weeks later. Although 2017 may not be the year you go from thousands in debt to millions in savings, resolutions to improve your financial health are worth continued effort. According to a recent NerdWallet survey, 83 p Prepare for Financial Aid Award Letter Changes for 2017 01/22/2017 07:00pm • With new federal financial aid changes in effect this year, colleges and universities are altering the way award letters are now handled. The change for the 2017-2018 school year comes after the Obama administration switched the tax year needed for filling out the Free Application for Federal Stude How to Choose Between a Revocable and Irrevocable Trust 01/22/2017 07:00pm • It's called a trust for a reason: You're counting on this stand-alone legal entity to do something you can't. You may want the trust to ensure that ownership of your assets or property will transfer to heirs smoothly and privately. You may want it to convey some tax advantages. You may think it can The Best Online Tax Preparation Software for 2017 01/22/2017 07:00pm • Filing taxes has long ranked as one of the most dreaded activities, falling shortly behind getting teeth pulled and helping friends move. Happily -- thanks to the emergence of online tax prep tools -- filing taxes no longer has to be a grueling ordeal. Tax software can radically reduce the amount of How to Build a Cash Reserve 01/22/2017 07:00pm • The pros constantly tell us that the financial markets hate uncertainty. If so, investors have a lot to worry about, with a new administration taking over in Washington, the world economy dragging and international relations unusually touchy. One investment option is to put money on the sidelines. C Ready, set, file: 5 reasons to get a head start on your tax return 01/22/2017 07:00pm • Tax season is in full swing, and it's time to start thinking about filing your taxes and getting the most out of your return and your tax refund. Although the Internal Revenue Service officially begins accepting e-filed returns on Jan. 23, you can get a jump-start on your taxes and get closer to you DC makes top 10 list for ultrarich real estate markets 01/20/2017 10:49am • WASHINGTON — Washington, D.C. makes the top 10 on a new review of the luxury real estate market by Wealth X, Warburg Realty and Barnes International Realty. The Global Property Handbook studied the buying habits of the world's wealthiest people, and says London, New York and Tokyo are the most Stock Market 101: Everything You Need to Know About Buying, Selling and Trading 01/19/2017 07:00pm • The stock market ended 2016 with a series of record-high days, and the Dow Jones industrial average has continued to inch toward a milestone level of 20,000. Soaring stock prices may have some people wishing they could get in on the action, but the process of buying, selling and trading stocks can b 4 Financial Fears About Retirement, And How to Overcome Them 01/19/2017 07:00pm • Saving for retirement is inevitably a guessing game. No one knows how long they will live or how healthy they will stay, which means no one knows just how much to save. Because of all these future unknowns, it's not uncommon to develop a healthy -- for the most part -- fear about retirement. Whether Thinking of Having Kids? 4 Ways Your Expenses Can Skyrocket 01/19/2017 07:00pm • As you've been told over and over, once your bundle of joy arrives, there will be some crying in the middle of the night. But try to keep the sobbing to a minimum. You might wake up the baby. That's right. New parents have reasons to bawl as much as the baby. The U.S. Department of Agriculture just A Guide to Buying and Selling Your Home in Winter 2017 01/19/2017 07:00pm • Abraham Lincoln is credited to have said: "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." While this is not a post about improving your landscaping through tree removal, it is, however, an outline of how you can take advantage of the current real estate ma