Smart Money Links 4U

In one of Tori Dunlap’s most popular TikTok videos, she calls out her male University of Portland classmates who never thought she’d be this successful. “To all the finance bros at my college — this one’s for you,” the video caption reads. “What are you going to do with a *theatre* degree? For a moment, Dunlap looks thrown by the question. Then she drops the act. She smirks as she points to a list of accomplishments popping onto the screen. “Become the youngest manager at my company. “Quit my day job and go full-time entrepreneur.” At the end of the video, the fingers Dunlap’s been using to point to her various achievements go down. She throws up her two middle fingers instead. The 26-year-old founder of Her First 100K , a money and career platform for millennial women, currently has 5 million likes on her TikToks as of November 2020. She credits being a communication and theater major with teaching her both how to be a good storyteller and deal with setbacks. “For theater, it’s...

As we’re all spending more time indoors this year, sprucing up our surroundings brings some extra needed comfort. This holiday season, shop for your friends and family  from our 10 deals on home gifts that will bring warmth and even a little luxury to their abodes. 10 Home Gifts to Dress Up Decor This list includes tools, sheets, cleaning equipment and more to help you keep your home cozy. 1. 25-Piece Flashlight Toolbox Set A toolbox is the ultimate housewarming gift. This set consists of a seven-inch flashlight that opens up to reveal a 25-piece set of tools for home repair. Save 72% and get it for $24.99 — that’s about a dollar per tool! 2. Sleepletics Celliant Performance Sheet Set There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep, and this sheet set is optimized with premium mineral-infused Celliant fabric and cotton to restore the body throughout the night. These sheets are designed to promote blood flow and regulate body temperature for better sleep, faster recovery and incre...

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . We knew even before the election was over that whatever the outcome was, it would have an effect on our finances. And regardless of who won, some people would fare better than others. Our retirement savings are not exempt from that, so we took a look into how proposed tax changes from President-elect Biden could affect your 401(k) — and what you can do to make sure you get the most out of it. Current Retirement Savings Tax Benefits As the current tax code is written, people saving for retirement in a 401(k)-type plan are able to contribute and watch their savings grow tax-free. When they take out their money in the future, they’ll pay taxes then, and they’re subject to tax benefits based on their income bracket. Higher tax brackets receive higher benefits and vice versa. For example, someone in the highes...

Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners . It’s December 2020. You’ve been in denial about returning to the office for nine months. And while you keep promising yourself you’ll start yoga to fix the back pain your kitchen chair is causing, you, well, haven’t. Tell yourself this now: 2021 will be different! You know you’re going to be home, but you’ve worked from the couch for long enough. It’s time to treat yourself to a comfortable chair, a sturdy desk and maybe even a light-therapy lamp to last you the winter. If your employer doesn’t offer a home office set up or a stipend, you have to take matters into your own hands — but you shouldn’t have to drop a few grand to get a quality work station. Here are some tips on how to get a nice home office, without the price tag. 1. Find Extra Cash in Your Budget First things first — alway make sure you hav...

Dear Penny, I am disabled and my husband is our wage earner. We are both near age 70. We receive Social Security and some monthly pension payments that aren’t terribly large.  With his current income, we bring in about $99,000 before taxes. Without his income, we would bring in about $65,000 a year. We have a mortgage of $1,310 per month, plus a lease car payment and one credit card we are working to pay off. We need to account for monthly living expenses as well.  We do have some retirement funds we will need to start taking in the next few years, but we are trying to hold off on that if possible. Those funds are not substantial — maybe around $160,000. We are not in a position to move, and I just don't see a way for us to have my husband retire.  I am so anxious about this and need some guidance. Can you help? -P. Dear P., I get that it’s scary when you think about your income falling by a third. But with retirement, there’s only so much control you have. Sure, ...

“You don’t have any more deductions?” the accountant asked me. I’d always done my own taxes, working through my self-employment income with help from TurboTax, but I agreed to see him when my wife wanted an independent check on our finances. We weren’t paying a ton in taxes, but we also suspected we were paying more than we needed to. The accountant’s advice? “You need to spend more on your business if you want to lower what you owe.” Encouraged by the accountant, I spent more on my freelance writing career. Each week, I tracked my business expenses on a spreadsheet. I wrote down household expenses like utilities or internet, which I’d claim proportionally for my home office deduction . I listed software, magazine subscriptions, conferences and webinars, books, supplies and more. I congratulated myself for making all of these investments in my business. And it was money well spent, creating new opportunities for my career. Recently, a simple budgeting exercise showed me how these...

There’s no doubt that Trader Joe’s has some loyal fans. In the three years that data science company dunnhumby has published its Retailer Preference Index — based on both customer preference and financial performance — Trader Joe’s has claimed the No. 1 or 2 spot every year. The California-based grocery store chain has stores in 42 states, selling mostly its own branded grocery items that attract budget-conscious foodies. And although the chain attracts a lot of attention for its Two-Buck Chuck (a line of cheap wines that currently sells for $2.99) and varied-but-limited seasonal items (if they sell out of the pumpkin spice coffee, you’ll just have to wait until next year), we end up filling our baskets in the frozen foods aisles. Not only are most options convenient and simple to prepare, they’re also also easy on the wallet (all of our picks cost less than $5). And if you’re trying to dress up a dinner without a lot of effort, TJ’s frozen foods are easily customizable. So if yo...

For many of us, the end of 2020 can’t come soon enough. But if you’re among the millions of people who’ve leaned on pandemic relief programs to stave off an economic hardship, you might be eying the end of the year with some trepidation as those programs’ deadlines draw near. Here’s all of our coverage of the coronavirus outbreak , which we will be updating every day. The $2.2 trillion CARES Act was passed back in March, and some of the programs have received extensions through the end of the year. But so far, many of those programs have uncertain futures beyond 2020. We’ve sifted through the various programs to check on the end dates, potential extensions and what you can do before their deadlines arrive. 8 Pandemic Relief Programs End Soon — Here’s How to Prepare We’ve rounded up pandemic relief programs that were launched by the CARES Act — plus some that states and even lenders may offer on their own. Here’s what you need to know. 1. Unemployment Benefits What It Is: U...

Got a health and fitness enthusiast to shop for this holiday season? Look no further than this list, which includes workout class subscriptions, meal plans, state-of-the-art equipment and more. All items are great for building healthy habits — and they’re all on sale for a limited time. 6 Fitness Gifts for Health Enthusiasts The items on this list are suitable for a variety of fitness interests. You can get up to 98% off the valued price. 1. iBodyFit Premium Diet & Workout Plan: Lifetime Subscription The iBodyFit Premium Diet and Workout Plan helps users take charge of their health and fitness. This lifetime subscription includes 400 online workouts and 40 diet plans, plus daily VIP support and feedback from trainers. It’s valued at $499, but you can snag a premium plan for $49.99. 2. Build Your Custom Home Workout and Nutrition Plan Bundle This nine-course bundle has everything needed to improve health, strength and overall well-being. Study helpful strategies for weight l...

Got a health and fitness enthusiast to shop for this holiday season? Look no further than this list, which includes workout class subscriptions, meal plans, state-of-the-art equipment and more. All items are great for building healthy habits — and they’re all on sale for a limited time. 6 Fitness Gifts for Health Enthusiasts The items on this list are suitable for a variety of fitness interests. You can get up to 98% off the valued price. 1. iBodyFit Premium Diet & Workout Plan: Lifetime Subscription The iBodyFit Premium Diet and Workout Plan helps users take charge of their health and fitness. This lifetime subscription includes 400 online workouts and 40 diet plans, plus daily VIP support and feedback from trainers. It’s valued at $499, but you can snag a premium plan for $49.99. 2. Build Your Custom Home Workout and Nutrition Plan Bundle This nine-course bundle has everything needed to improve health, strength and overall well-being. Study helpful strategies for weight l...

If you’re facing medical bills you can’t pay from a nonprofit hospital, you may have an option for relief. As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nonprofit hospitals are required to create and implement a written financial assistance policy. Depending on the hospital’s policy, you may be able to have some — or all — of your medical debt forgiven. The rationale behind the provision is simple: Hospitals that want the tax benefits of being a nonprofit should work to make healthcare more affordable for those who need it. Here’s what you need to know about receiving financial assistance from nonprofit hospitals. Nonprofit Hospitals and Financial Assistance If your hospital is a nonprofit with a financial assistance policy, you may be eligible for partial or total forgiveness of your medical bills. If you qualify, the amount that’s eligible for forgiveness will vary based on your income, the area median income (AMI) or federal poverty line and your hospital program’s specific eligi...