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Why Owning a Home Is More Expensive Than You Think 03/09/2015 08:00pm • Buying a home is expensive, but the actual selling price is only a subset of the total costs associated with homeownership. Before you even move in to your new home, you'll face closing costs and home inspection fees, not to mention the expense of any work you want to have done on the house, from p How to Take Advantage of the Irish Property Boom 03/09/2015 08:00pm • The Irish property market collapsed in 2008, and then proceeded to spiral downward for the next six years. About half the value of the average home was wiped out, and some properties were sold through distress auctions at 80 and 90 percent discounts. Then, finally, this market not only hit bottom Avoid These Top 10 Tax Mistakes 03/08/2015 08:00pm • In the beginning of March, our thoughts turn to the (unpleasant) tax-filing season. This necessary evil goes with the territory of being a wage-earning citizen, and it has its pros and cons. Our taxes contribute to the great lives we inhabit here in the U.S., providing us with clean water, good roa Is Your Financial Advisor Working for You? 03/08/2015 08:00pm • When shopping for financial advice, American consumers face a head-spinning array of choices. Among the options are large, brand-name brokers or banks, which run national commercials and have branches throughout the country. There are also local businesses of varying sizes. Some have dozens of emplo 7 Myths About Online Education 03/08/2015 08:00pm • Online education is becoming commonplace. About 5.3 million U.S. students took at least one online course in fall 2013, according to a recent study. Yet, while online education is growing in popularity, myths and misconceptions abound. Below, experts separate the fact from fiction. Myth 1: Online 5 Ways to Spend Less on a Prom Dress 03/08/2015 08:00pm • Prom is a rite of passage for young ladies and gents, but it also can be a nightmare for your wallet. Formal dresses can range anywhere from $30 to $1,000, and it's really easy (and tempting) to choose a dress that costs more than you can afford.I've been to a fair share of high school formals and a 4 Serious Retirement Plan Errors to Avoid 03/08/2015 08:00pm • Tax-advantaged retirement plans provide many workers with a chance to save for the future and reduce their tax bill at the same time. Employer-sponsored retirement plans are easy to use, and many contributions are deducted from paychecks, so the investing becomes automatic. However, retirement accou 50 Affordable Places to Buy a Retirement Home 03/08/2015 08:00pm • Low-cost localesOne of the fastest ways to improve your retirement finances is to relocate to a place with more affordable housing and a lower overall cost of living. U.S. News analyzed Census Bureau data to find the places where homeowners age 65 and older pay the least in monthly housing costs, bo Check out the new Tesla P85D (Photos) 03/06/2015 03:40pm • WASHINGTON -- This would be a fun way to get around on these snowy, slushy roads: a car that’s all wheel drive, with all the power you could ever want. Tesla is touting its P85D – an all-wheel-drive, high-performance version of its Model S sedan. With an electric motor in the front to assi 10 Ways to Build a $1 Million Nest Egg 03/05/2015 07:00pm • Who wants to be a millionaire?One million dollars remains a magic number for many nest egg builders. The word "millionaire" has a delightful zing to it. And assuming a 5 percent annual return on investment, you can reap $50,000 a year in retirement income just by kicking back, which beats the mattre 3 Important Ways to Protect Your Retirement Savings 03/05/2015 07:00pm • Saving for retirement isn't enough. You also need to prudently invest your savings, and there are plenty of gotchas that will result in a smaller nest egg. A recent report from President Obama's Council of Economic Advisors concluded that inappropriate investment advice is costing retirement savers What First-Time Buyers Should Look for in a Starter Home 03/05/2015 07:00pm • You've dreamed for years of buying your first home, and now it's time. You've created Pinterest boards dotted with photos of beautiful home decor, watched all the episodes of HGTV's "House Hunters" and spent hours trolling listings online. You know exactly what you want. But have you done the math? Changing Legal Status Provides Extra Tax Challenges for Same-Sex Couples 03/05/2015 07:00pm • Both the U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS have recognized all legal same-sex marriages for tax purposes since 2013, but at the state level, the situation continues to evolve. More than a dozen states made same-sex marriage legal in 2014 alone. Same-sex couples married in those states last yea 10 Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund 03/04/2015 07:00pm • P is for practical.Hotly anticipating your tax refund? Us too. But before you splurge on that Jacuzzi you've always wanted or pile items into your virtual shopping cart, do yourself a favor: Hit pause, experts suggest, and consider finding a practical use for your money. What's practical, of course, How to Begin Investing in Real Estate 03/04/2015 07:00pm • An unusually long and harsh winter is delaying the start of the spring housing market, but for the investment-minded, continued low interest rates and high demand for rentals appear to outline an opportunity. Institutional investors and their buckets of cash have dominated many markets for the pas