blog

3 Ways You Can Invest in Oil

If you want to expand your portfolio, it's time to explore oil investments. Oil investments have a history of performing well, though like any commodity, they do experience natural price fluctuations. When you are ready to add oil investments to your portfolio, here are three options to explore.  1. Purchase Individual Oil Stocks One way to begin investing in oil is to purchase stock in an individual oil company. When deciding which stock to purchase, take into account multiple factors, like the company's debt load, its profit over the past few years, and whether or not it issues regular dividends to its investors. Read More 

Planning For Retirement: Looking Beyond The IRA And 401K

You may already know about how to use IRAs and 401Ks to help plan for retirement, but these are not your only options. In fact, the more diversified your retirement investments are, the more cushion you can provide against potential losses should the market turn south. Here are a few options to consider that go beyond traditional IRA and 401K accounts. Real Estate Real estate can be a great investment at any age, but for people about to retire, it can yield monthly income you can rely on to help cover your expenses and then some. Read More 

How To Adjust Income Tax Withholding To Improve Cash Flow

Individuals who receive sizable tax refunds are usually pleasantly surprised by the amount of the refund. However, the government generally pays no interest on tax refunds. Tax filers can adjust the amount of tax withheld from their earnings by submitting an updated IRS Form W-4 to their employer. An excessive level of income tax withholding has an effect on your cash flow throughout the year. The mismatch between withheld tax and actual tax is often due to a common misconception concerning Form W-4. Read More 

Comparing Account Fees Before A 401(K) Rollover To An IRA

Individuals who have funds in a 401(k) retirement plan sometimes choose to transfer some portion of their account into an IRA. After separating from a place of employment, a 401(k) participant might prefer the additional investment options available in an IRA. Individuals who are planning to transfer funds from a 401(k) to an IRA should compare the fees of both accounts before requesting a rollover. Even if you expect no specific charge for transferring funds from a 401(k) account to an IRA, each plan likely has an ongoing fee structure. Read More 

4 Tax Tips You Need To Know If You Just Switched To A Freelance Career

A freelance career not only changes who your boss is and how you work, it can also change how you file and save money on your taxes. Here are four tax tips that anyone starting a freelance career needs to know. #1 Keep Accurate Records Of All Income You are responsible for keeping track of all your sources of income, regardless of how much income you made from that source. That means if you complete a contract with a company for $400, and that is the only contract that you do with them this year, you need to document that source of income. Read More