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How to Avoid a Real Estate Scam 03/23/2015 08:00pm • You'd be foolish to think you couldn't be fooled in a real estate transaction. While the majority of sellers, buyers and renters are presumably honest, there can be additional players with skin in the game, from landlords and real estate agents to title agency workers and bankers. As Sacramento rea Thinking of Buying a Home? Start Saving Now 03/23/2015 08:00pm • They say your home is your castle. If you've been renting your castle and dreaming of owning a home, you aren't alone. Homeownership rates have tumbled to a 20-year low -- 63.9 percent in the wake of the Great Recession -- as financial issues including unemployment, underemployment, student loan deb What Your CPA Wishes You Knew About Taxes 03/23/2015 08:00pm • With a few short weeks until the April 15 tax filing deadline, taxpayers throughout the country are sweating the small stuff: searching for elusive receipts, wondering why 1099s haven't arrived and trying to recall exactly how much they gave to their friend's charity run. But if taxpayers are feeli The Homeowner's Guide to Vacation Rentals 03/23/2015 08:00pm • As the summer travel season approaches, homeowners with a spare room or a vacant beach home may be considering cashing in on the popularity of vacation rental websites. A 2015 Barclays report estimates that home rental platform Airbnb books around 37 million night stays, which could increase to as m Learn the Do's and Don'ts of Choosing an Out-of-State College Savings Plan 03/23/2015 08:00pm • After socking away college savings in a Virginia-based 529 account for five years, John Seelke and his wife recently switched to Maryland's plan, Maryland College Investment Plan. That's because the Seelkes, who live in Silver Spring, Maryland, discovered they could save more money for their twin 7 Bad Investing Habits That Are Holding You Back 03/22/2015 08:00pm • Your mindset makes a big difference.When you reflect on the painful topic of your worst investing mistakes, what comes to mind? Do you think of a bad stock you held for too long? It's easy for investors to berate themselves for not having a crystal ball to see the future of Apple in the 1980s or 199 Portfolio Analysis: A $381,601 Portfolio Weighed Down by Cost 03/22/2015 08:00pm • Why are we so obsessed with the things in life we can't control? For people with a portfolio of investments, they too are victims of these lifelong obsessions: We're so absorbed on what we can't control that we ignore or forget about what we can control. What kind of investment results would we ge Month of March sees an increase in divorces 03/20/2015 04:56am • WASHINGTON ��� The start of spring may mean warmer temperatures, but some marriages may find themselves in a deep chill. A new analysis finds that March is ���Divorce Month,��� with more filings and online searches for divorce-related information, according to FindLaw.com. The website���s researc 3 smart ways to invest your tax refund 03/20/2015 04:00am • Expecting an income-tax refund? Don't blow your windfall -- either on the obvious (a shopping spree) or the insidious (the one investment you probably shouldn't make, according to financial advisors). Instead, consider these tactics to make the most of an expected bonus. Yes, you've been waiting for Will your 529 college savings plan be ready for college? 03/20/2015 03:25am • WASHINGTON -- Saving for college is a top priority for many parents and grandparents, and one of the most popular ways to save is with a 529 college savings plan. According to the College Savings Plan Network���s Annual 529 Report, 529 plans are experiencing record growth. There were 12.1 million What Tax Experts Tell You Not to Do On Your Taxes 03/19/2015 08:00pm • Doing your taxes can be stressful enough without you making things worse. And odds are good that if you aren't careful this year, you will make a mistake, or a lot of them, on your taxes. In a study released last year by the Government Accountability Office, only 2 out of 19 tax preparers surveyed How to Save Your Tax Refund for Retirement 03/19/2015 08:00pm • If you're getting a tax refund this year, consider saving part of it for retirement. IRS form 8888 allows you to directly deposit your refund into several different accounts, perhaps including a savings account or individual retirement account. You can also use your tax refund to purchase savings bo 5 signs you need a financial advisor 03/19/2015 08:00pm • Today, investors have access to more information than ever before. Some of the biggest advances for retail investors include: the ability to buy or sell securities for a very low cost, significant diversification from mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, in a variety of markets and more Rep. Delaney seeks constituents' tales of travel woes 03/18/2015 01:08pm • WASHINGTON (AP) ��� Rep. John Delaney is asking constituents to send him their stories of travel problems caused by inadequate roads, bridges, railways and airports. The Maryland Democrat is sponsoring a bill that would use revenue from corporate tax reform to improve America's infrastructure. 3 Ways to Make the Most of a Late Start on College Savings 03/17/2015 08:00pm • In ideal circumstances, parents begin saving for their children's college educations at birth, or earlier -- certainly, at least, with enough time to have four years' worth of cash for tuition, fees and books socked away. But sometimes life happens. Incomes shrink or disappear altogether and healt