Search

Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning Mistakes 12/18/2020 12:00am • The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has pushed many people to make long-delayed decisions about estate planning. Many people will try the do-it-yourself route via various websites or books. Internet DIY websites make it easy to download forms, but there are mistakes people make when they try do-it-your Loudoun County to rename 2 major commuter routes 12/17/2020 03:37pm • Loudoun County's Board of Supervisors voted to rename the portions of U.S. Routes 50 and 7 that run through the Virginia county because one was named after a Confederate commander and the other after an ardent segregationist. The board voted Tuesday to change the name of U.S. 50, also called John Smart Tax Moves for Freelancers 12/17/2020 12:00am • If you earned any freelance income this year -- whether you added a side gig to supplement your salary, did some freelance work after losing your job or decided to start your own business -- you have access to a lot of special tax breaks. But many freelancers miss out on tax-saving opportunities be How to Prepare for the First Meeting With a Financial Advisor 12/17/2020 12:00am • The first meeting with a financial advisor is pivotal. It will not only help set the stage for your professional relationship, but also help determine whether that stage should be set at all. You should walk away from your first meeting feeling confident that this is someone with whom you can and w States See Modest Revenue Growth in October, but Suffer Bigger Employment Losses 12/16/2020 12:00am • State revenue growth increased 2.1% in October compared to year-earlier levels, but employment declined 6.1%. The numbers, from the Urban Institute's Monthly State Tax Revenue Highlights, reflect the disparate effect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on state economies, with some seeing growth in cor Profit-Sharing Plans: Should You Take One? 12/16/2020 12:00am • A profit-sharing plan gives employees a portion of the profits a company earns. This type of retirement plan, which is also known as a deferred profit-sharing plan, provides a discretionary percentage of the company's earnings to employees. Here's how to decide if a profit-sharing plan would be a go Should You Apply for Government Assistance? 12/16/2020 12:00am • For millions of American families, 2020 was a year of economic struggle. As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered businesses across the nation last spring, the unemployment rate surged to the highest level seen since the Great Depression. Those who remained on the job weren't necessarily spared hardship a Franchot beefs up campaign team for Md. governor, outlines broad priorities in new video 12/15/2020 10:18am • This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today. State Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) is cranking up his campaign for governor. Franchot announced Tuesday that he has hired the 7 Best Bond Index Funds to Buy 12/15/2020 12:00am • Consider medium- and short-term bond index funds now.As interest rates have declined recently, bond investors have enjoyed healthy capital appreciation on their bond index funds. Unfortunately, now that the yield on bond market index funds is at an all-time low, bond investors need a new strategy to How Prospective International Students Can Demonstrate Financial Ability 12/15/2020 12:00am • Applying to a U.S. university can be stressful and challenging. But with an acceptance letter in hand, prospective international students can move on to the next step in the admissions process: demonstrating financial ability to pay for tuition, books and living expenses while studying in the U.S. Hogan seeks to draw $250M from transportation fund to save Purple Line 12/14/2020 08:43pm • This content was republished with permission from WTOP’s news partners at Maryland Matters. Sign up for Maryland Matters’ free email subscription today. Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) will ask the state’s Board of Public Works this week to approve a $250 million settlement with Purple Lin 7 Paid Online Survey Sites That Will Earn You Extra Money 12/14/2020 12:00am • It isn't too good to be true. There are paid online survey sites where you can earn extra money. Some of them are even reputable. But is it easy cash? Will you be able to buy your own island soon? No and no. Some of them may be worth your time, however, if you keep a few rules in mind: 1. Never pay Searching for Growth Stocks in 2021 12/14/2020 12:00am • Since drug companies first began reporting promising efficacy rates for a COVID-19 vaccine, hopes in some circles have been restored that the economy could return to normal soon, even as infection rates have begun to spike nationwide at an alarming rate. This has ignited a flight to cyclical and va Selling Insurance: A Hot-Button Issue for Financial Advisors 12/14/2020 12:00am • One area of controversy in the financial advisory business centers around advisors at registered investment advisory firms who offer insurance and annuity services in addition to planning and asset management. While many advisors split the insurance business into a separate entity, some professiona Iconic College Park bar starts GoFundMe to survive winter 12/11/2020 03:00pm • Cornerstone Grill & Loft starts a GoFundMe page to survive winter losses. (WTOP/John Domen) For decades, The Vous (short for Rendezvous Inn) — later renamed the Cornerstone Bar and Grill — has been a popular dining and drinking institution in College Park, Maryland. While most college