What Happens to Your Money if Your Bank Fails?

What Happens to Your Money if Your Bank Fails?

Jenny Rose Spaudo   Mon, March 13, 2023

With the aftermath of the third largest bank failure in U.S. history upon us following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank late last week, concerns about what happens to customers’ money when a bank has to close down are abundant.  According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), there have been 561 total bank failures from 2001 through 2022. The good news is, prior to 2023’s surge in bank failures, the majority took place during the Great Recession and its aftermath from 2008 through 2011. Zero bank failures occurred in 2021 and 2022.

However, just because most people’s banks don’t fail doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t happen to you. So what happens to your money in that case? And what can you do to avoid the risks of bank failure? Here’s what the experts have to say.

What Happens When a Bank Fails

The vast majority of banks are insured by the FDIC, although some choose smaller deposit insurers. If an FDIC-insured bank fails, the government-backed agency protects consumers’ money by selling the bank to another financial institution or paying depositors directly up to $250,000.

If your bank is sold, your money is typically available in your new account within two business days and your terms and conditions stay the same, said Levon Galstyan, CPA at Oak View Law Group.

“However, it may take longer if a large number of depositors are affected by the bank’s failure,” he added.

Direct Deposits, Pending Transactions and Bills After a Bank Failure

What if you have direct deposits set up through your current employer? If your bank is acquired, you shouldn’t need to take any action. Your deposits should be redirected automatically to your account at your new bank.

However, if there’s a delay and your accounts aren’t immediately transferred to another bank, you might need to reach out to your employer and have them temporarily redirect your paycheck to another account.

“In any case, it’s a good idea to keep track of your direct deposit information and to update it as necessary if you change banks or if there are any changes to your bank account information,” said Galstyan. “This can help ensure that your direct deposits continue to be credited to the correct account and that you have access to your funds in a timely manner.”

Keep in mind that direct deposits and pending transactions differ during a bank failure.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/happens-money-bank-fails-154603575.html

How to Protect Your Money, Even If You're Not Rich

How to Protect Your Money, Even If You're Not Rich

Rosemary Carlson  Sun, March 12, 2023

Asset protection planning is the process of building barriers around your assets, whether those assets are personal or business, to keep them safe from litigation, creditor claims, seizure and burdensome taxes. It's a vital and completely legal component of both financial planning and estate planning. There are a number of key tools you can utilize to accomplish the goal of protecting your assets. A financial advisor can help you structure and organize your assets so that they are more likely to achieve your financial goals.

What Is Asset Protection Planning?

Contrary to what many people think, asset protection planning is not just for the wealthy. The estates of anyone, in any income group, can be sued or suffer from hefty taxation. These strategies can mitigate the effect of creditor claims and other issues on your wealth.

If you want and need to protect your assets, you have to be proactive. It's too late to employ asset protection strategies after a child is hurt on your property and the child's parents sue you or you are at fault in a serious car accident. You want to set up an asset protection plan before any of these things happen to you.

While many people can benefit from setting up an asset protection plan, not everyone can. If you have a lot of debt and few assets and you are subject to a lawsuit, it may be better to take bankruptcy than set up an asset protection plan. That's because it's only worth it if you have significant assets, though some events cannot be protected against. These include tax liens, mechanics liens, alimony judgments and child support claims.

Who Should Have an Asset Protection Plan?

Anyone can put an asset protection plan into place. A plan benefits the following people the most:

While even those with a modest net worth should at least consider asset protection, it's especially important for anyone with a significant amount of assets.

Anyone with a significant, recurring amount of credit card debt.

Homeowners who are underwater on their mortgage. In other words, if your mortgage balance is greater than the value of your home, you need to consider an asset protection plan.

Anyone whose profession carries with it a high probability of liability. Doctors and lawyers are some common examples.

Some assets are not at the mercy of your creditors, such as retirement accounts under the protection of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). You may also legally preserve at least a portion of your home equity. Homes may be put in another individual's name. Bank accounts can be transferred to offshore banks to preserve their value.

How Does an Asset Protection Plan Work?

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https://news.yahoo.com/protect-money-even-youre-not-140024588.html

6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Procrastinate on Your Taxes

6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Procrastinate on Your Taxes

Federal taxes aren’t due until April 18 in 2023, and you might be tempted to wait until the last minute to file. But putting off filing your taxes may not be the best decision. Here are all the reasons why you shouldn’t procrastinate on this yearly chore.

You’ll Have Time to Choose the Right Tax Prep Software

If you wait until the deadline to file your taxes, chances are you’ll settle on the same tax software you used last year. There’s no time to comparison shop when you’re up against the clock. So, you’ll likely end up paying more to file your taxes, or you won’t get the free features you could have.

One affordable, user-friendly option to consider this year is TaxAct. In addition to its free file option for simple returns, TaxAct offers Deluxe, Premier and Self-Employed tax prep products. This is essentially the same tiered system offered by the other major services, except each of TaxAct’s federal filing products is priced noticeably below many top competitors.

TaxAct also provides live expert help to all filers for free. The service, called Xpert Assist, gives you unlimited live assistance from tax experts. They’ll answer any questions you may have, and they’ll also perform a quick review before you finish filing. TaxAct makes it easy to import last year’s returns if you used another tax service, and most tax forms are also easily importable.

You’ll Have More Time To Double-Check Your Return

It can be easy to forget about a deduction when putting together your tax return. If you start working on it early, you’ll have more time to review it and correct information if needed to ensure you get all the deductions you’re entitled to.

In addition to missing out on deductions, you’re more likely to make errors if you’re in a rush.

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://www.gobankingrates.com/taxes/filing/reasons-shouldnt-procrastinate-taxes/

11 Female Financial Leaders Share the Best Money Advice They Ever Received

11 Female Financial Leaders Share the Best Money Advice They Ever Received

Jaime Catmull   Fri, March 10, 2023

With a plethora of money advice out there, it can be hard to know what’s actually good advice and what you can skip.  So to find tips you can trust, I spoke to women who work in the financial industry about the best advice they personally have received. Here are their favorite pieces of money advice.

Tanya Van Court, Founder and CEO, Goalsetter

“No matter how much money you make, you can have a wealthy mindset. People with a wealthy mindset use their dollars to build their own wealth instead of using their dollars to make others wealthy.

That means having an attitude towards money that is more focused on how you can multiply it versus how you will spend it. For example, I have two friends who both have the same salary.

One spends that money on rent, a nice car, designer clothes and lives paycheck to paycheck. The other has a mortgage and rents out some of the space to subsidize the payment, buys cars at auction and then resells them for a higher price, and never pays full price for clothes. By doing this, she is freeing up a lot of money that can be invested and will grow over time to serve her in the future.”

Samantha Melting, Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Bank, Synchrony

“The best advice I have ever received is to invest in you by paying yourself first. When you make yourself the priority, you are investing in your future self and positioning yourself to be financially resilient for whatever comes your way. Doing this has also created a positive relationship with money for me. It has given me opportunities to make smart decisions, reach new goals and reduce the stress of unexpected financial challenges.”

Jessica Bieligk, Chief Commercial Officer, Paceline

“The best financial advice I’ve received was from my parents. It was to always spend within my means and to approach my finances the same way I approach my career, my relationships and my well-being — set goals, show up, be intentional and be consistent. If you carve out a little bit of time (each day or each week) to stay engaged in your finances, like most wellness goals, it becomes muscle memory and allows you to achieve more than you thought possible.

Whether you’re talking about physical health or financial wellness (the two are inextricably linked, by the way), the science shows that we improve health outcomes by improving healthy behaviors.”

Michelle Brownstein, CFP, Senior Vice President of the Private Client Group, Personal Capital

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/10-female-financial-leaders-share-120031850.html

When Does Capital Gains Tax Apply?

When Does Capital Gains Tax Apply?

Taxes   Updated for tax year 2022.

You sold your house, an investment property, or something else of value. When do you tell the IRS?

When you sell a valuable asset, such as real estate, the IRS wants to know about it.  In fact, for the sale of many assets, the IRS finds out even if you don’t tell them, thanks to reporting forms such as Form 1099-S, Proceeds From Real Estate Transactions.

No matter how large the transaction is or how much money you received due to the sale, you wait until you file your income tax return to report the sale to the IRS.

However, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to do anything until next year. In fact, it could be an expensive mistake if you wait until you prepare your tax return to plan for any tax on capital gains.

It’s very important when you sell an asset to determine if you need to make estimated tax payments or otherwise plan for the tax consequences of the sale.

Why Worry About Estimated Tax Payments?

The IRS may require you to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you have substantial income, such as that from the sale of an asset not subject to withholding.

For tax year 2022, you may need to make quarterly payments if you owe more than $1,000 when you prepare your tax return, and your withholding and refundable credits are less than 90 percent of your total tax or 100 percent of your tax for the previous year.

If you don’t make estimated tax payments, you could face penalties and interest charges on the amount of tax you should have paid during the year.

Will You Pay Additional Taxes Because Of Capital Gains?

First you need to determine if your tax bill will go up as a result of the sale. If you didn’t have a substantial gain, the sale may not affect your taxes much.

For example, if you sold an asset, no matter how valuable it was, for less or little more than you paid for it, there’s little to worry about. However, if you realized significant appreciation on your asset and sold it for a big profit, your capital gains tax may drastically affect your overall tax bill.

Perhaps the easiest way to find out if you owe more money due to selling an asset is to run next year’s tax numbers using our income tax calculator. Simply answer all the questions based on your expectations for the entire year. It’s all right to estimate. As you work through the calculator, you’ll be able to see how the sale affects your tax refund or the amount due.

How Else Can I Estimate The Tax On A Capital Asset?

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20 Genius Things Mark Cuban Says To Do With Your Money

20 Genius Things Mark Cuban Says To Do With Your Money

You might have heard this billionaire's name, but who is Mark Cuban and how did he make his money? It's possible you know him as one of the sharks on the hit show "Shark Tank," but Cuban is more than just a TV personality -- he's also the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and a successful investor. In fact, Cuban's companies are so successful that he made his first million in 1990 after selling his business to CompuServe and then earned a $5.9 billion paycheck after he sold his online streaming audio service to Yahoo in 1999.

Cuban knows how to be rich and successful, and he isn't afraid to share his insight. Check out Mark Cuban's advice, so you can learn how to budget money and think like a billionaire.

Be a Little Bit of a Risk Taker

Talk to any self-made millionaires or billionaires and they might preach the importance of taking calculated risks. Sometimes, risks and rewards go hand-in-hand, as Cuban pointed out in a 2017 interview with Money magazine while discussing the value of investing your savings.

He explained that it's possible to save a million dollars, but only if you're disciplined and take risks. Many who achieve higher levels of financial success aren't afraid to invest for the betterment of their future -- whether they're investing in the market, a business or their education.

But Invest Only Up To 10% in Risky Investments

If you do take risks in the investment realm, limit the amount you contribute.

"If you're a true adventurer and you really want to throw the Hail Mary, you might take 10% and put it in bitcoin or Ethereum, but if you do that, you've got to pretend you've already lost your money," Cuban told Vanity Fair. "It's like collecting art, it's like collecting baseball cards, it's like collecting shoes -- something's worth what somebody else would pay for it. I'd limit (risky investments) to 10%." 

Put It in the Bank

In an exclusive interview with Young Money, a personal finance education and media company, Cuban offered this general investing advice and then followed the statement by saying, "The idiots that tell you to put your money in the market because eventually it will go up need to tell you that because they are trying to sell you something. The stock market is probably the worst investment vehicle out there."

Although some investors believe the stock market is the ticket to wealth, others believe the market is too risky and volatile. Your stock can be profitable one day, yet it only takes one downturn to lose it all. Rather than put all your eggs in the stock market, Cuban encourages keeping some money in a savings account for a rainy day so you're protected if something goes wrong. In his own words, "Buy-and-hold is a sucker's game ... Those who put their money in CDs sleep well at night and definitely have more money today than they did yesterday."

Save 6 Months of Income

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/20-genius-things-mark-cuban-201212050.html

How to Avoid Capital Gains Tax

How to Avoid Capital Gains Tax

Helping people make smart financial decisions

March 2023

Saving for retirement is all about investing, and no matter how you go about it, you’re going to end up paying taxes on what you save and earn. Taxes on capital gains can eat up a significant portion of your earnings each year.

When you’re building wealth and planning for retirement, it’s important to not leave any money on the table. That’s why it’s important to point out that a fiduciary financial advisor can help you optimize a tax strategy and identify savings opportunities to lower your tax liability.

An advisor can also help you manage assets and plan for retirement, so you can worry less about meeting your financial goals. According to a 2021 Fidelity study, financial advice can add between 1.5% and 4% to account growth over extended periods.1

The hypothetical study discussed above assumes that professional financial advice can add between 1.5% and 4% to portfolio returns over the long term, depending on the time period and how returns are calculated and is based on the Fidelity Whitepaper “Why work with a financial advisor, November, 2021”. Please carefully review the methodologies employed in the Fidelity Whitepaper.

SmartAsset’s free quiz simplifies the time-consuming process of finding a financial advisor. The short questionnaire can help match you with up to three fiduciary financial advisors, each legally bound to work in your best interest. Advisors are rigorously screened through our proprietary due diligence process.

Here are some common strategies for avoiding capital gains taxes and how you can implement them.

What Are Capital Gains Taxes?

When you own an investment or other asset – such as real estate, land, a business or stocks, for example – and later sell that asset for a profit, you have realized capital gains. The tax that is then levied on the profit portion of your sale is called capital gains tax.

Depending on how your gains are classified, and your total taxable income for the year, your capital gains tax rate can vary. This percentage could be as low as 0% or as high as your ordinary tax rate. Consider consulting a financial advisor to determine how your gains will be classified so you can know what to expect when taxes are due. Click here to get matched with up to three advisors who serve your area.

How to Avoid Capital Gains Taxes

Handing over a chunk of your profit can be painful. Thankfully, there are a few ways that you can reduce the amount of capital gains taxes you will pay after selling an asset.

1. Choose Long-Term Investments

Capital gains can be classified as either short-term or long-term, each of which has its own tax rates.

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5 Steps To Take Right Now To Be Rich in 5 Years

5 Steps To Take Right Now To Be Rich in 5 Years

Bob Haegele  Wed, March 8, 2023

You probably have heard that getting rich quick won’t work in most cases unless you win the lottery or receive a large inheritance. But, if you are trying to build wealth yourself, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

On the other hand, if you want to build real, sustainable wealth, it’s important to have a concrete plan with defined steps. Then, of course, you must follow through on those steps.

In other words, it’s not enough to have a vague goal of wanting to be rich. Without specific steps to help you achieve your goals, you won’t be able to move forward or — worse — you may even move backward.

Thankfully, our experts have provided their best tips for building wealth, which you can turn into actionable steps. Depending on how you define it, you may not be “rich” in five years, but you certainly can set yourself up for success and be well on your way long before then.

1. Know Where Your Money Is Going

Knowing where your money is going is the first step of any successful financial plan. If you don’t know where your money is going, it may be tough to put it to better use. Typically, this step would involve setting up a budget, but Mark Wilson, founder and president at MILE Wealth Management, has a different take.

“I’m not recommending massive spreadsheets here,” he said. “I’m recommending (roughly) categorizing your spending items. Instead of tracking every line item, he recommends establishing Owe, Grow, Give and Live categories. Wilson gave examples of what each category might entail:

Owe counts mortgage/rent, student debt, credit cards, taxes (income, property), etc. — nondiscretionary debt

Grow includes your short-term and long-term savings

Give is the amount you give to charity

Live is everything else — your “more discretionary” expenses

Wilson recommends allocating a certain percentage of your money to each category; for example, 25% Owe, 10% Grow, 5% Give, 60% Live. You might adapt those percentages to how you spend your money, but each category is important.

2. Financially Educate Yourself

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/5-steps-now-rich-5-140025032.html

4 New Scams Targeting Americans and How To Keep Your Money Safe

4 New Scams Targeting Americans and How To Keep Your Money Safe

Josephine Nesbit    Wed, March 8, 2023

Scams always seem to be on the rise, and criminals are constantly developing new tactics to swindle the average American. Recent Federal Trade Commission data showed that consumers reported losing nearly $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022 — a 30% increase over the previous year — with the most commonly reported being imposter fraud.

“Right now, transnational criminals from all over the world have their sights set on American citizens, American banks and the American government,” Haywood Talcove, the CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Government Group, wrote to GOBankingRates.

“Vast amounts of Americans’ personally identifiable information (PII) is available on the dark web, and it was this information, in conjunction with weak fraud prevention systems, that led to our government losing hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud during the pandemic,” added Talcove. “Now that ‘pandemic relief’ programs are over, or winding down, these same fraudsters are using our PII, except they’re going after individuals rather than the government.”

Here are the details on four new scams targeting the American public and how to better protect yourself:

1. Voice Cloning and AI Deepfakes

Scammers are using artificial intelligence to mimic your voice, or that of a loved one, using examples of your speech online pretending to be in trouble. For example, you could get a call from your grandson’s number saying he’s in jail and needs $5,000 to bail him out with directions to pay. You rush to the bank and wire the funds only to learn it was all a scam.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, if something seems off, ask security questions to verify the person on the other end. Voice cloning and AI deepfakes are sophisticated, but they won’t be able to answer personal questions without a delay.

2. ATM “Tap and Glue” Scheme

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/4-scams-targeting-americans-keep-231857156.html

Half of Americans Say They’d Lose Everything in a Recession: Here’s How To Be Prepared

Half of Americans Say They’d Lose Everything in a Recession: Here’s How To Be Prepared

Gabrielle Olya   Wed, March 8, 2023

While economists are having trouble predicting if and when a recession will hit, many Americans believe one is inevitable. Three-quarters of Americans (75%) worry there will be a recession in 2023, while 69% say one is already here, according to a new Real Estate Witch poll.

Even more alarming, more than half of Americans (55%) said they would lose everything if a recession occurred.

“Although the job market is strong and wages are rising, many Americans are at risk financially simply because the cost of living is rising faster than income,” said Jaime Seale, data writer at Clever Real Estate. “That causes Americans to dip into savings, retirement accounts or lean on high-interest credit cards. Once in debt, that can make it more difficult to get back on track financially.”

On a positive note, the majority of people (87%) said they are taking steps to prepare for a possible recession. Here’s a look at the ways Americans are prepping for an economic downturn — and which ways are the most effective.

Saving More Money

The majority of people (44%) said they are saving more money to prepare for a recession, which is a smart money move.

“One of the best ways to prepare for a recession is to put savings in an emergency fund to cover three to six months of expenses,” Seale said. “Americans should be able to draw from this account immediately if they lose their job or have an unexpected emergency.”

Having an emergency fund can help people stay out of debt, which is particularly important during a recession.

“Interest rates tend to rise during a recession,” Seale said, “and, if consumers have a variable rate, like on many credit cards, they could pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars extra each month, putting even more pressure on their finances in tough economic times.”

Other measures Americans are taking to prepare for a recession include cutting back on non-essential spending (44%) and taking on additional income (32%).

Paying Off Debt

To continue reading, please go to the original article here:

https://news.yahoo.com/half-americans-d-lose-everything-130024910.html

Why Everyone Should Have These 5 Types of Savings Accounts

Why Everyone Should Have These 5 Types of Savings Accounts

Heather Taylor   Tue, March 7, 2023

You might have heard of different types of savings accounts before, but how do you know which accounts are the best fit for your savings needs?

Your overall financial picture may require using one or more savings accounts to reach your financial goals. Let’s review some of the most common savings accounts and the types of savers these accounts make for an ideal match. Read on to see why everyone should have these savings accounts.

Savings Account

Ideal for: Someone who is beginning to grow their savings or wants to immediately access their money

Those who open a savings account may use it for short- or long-term savings. This money should always be available to you without withdrawal fees.

Jaspreet Chawla, SVP of savings products at Navy Federal Credit Union, said savings accounts pay interest on the money you deposit in the account. However, this interest typically isn’t significant. While the interest is smaller than other savings account options, Chawla said your money will always be accessible to you.

Money Market Savings Account

Ideal for: Those saving to reach a financial goal, such as building an emergency fund or making a large purchase

A money market savings account is a type of deposit savings account. It accumulates dividends based on the account balance. Compared to most savings accounts, a money market account pays interest on your deposits at a higher rate. This can help grow your funds, which can be easily accessed through ATM withdrawals, transfers and writing checks.

Keep in mind, however, there are certain requirements necessary for opening a money market savings account. Chawla said these accounts often have minimum balance requirements. The higher your balance, the greater your earnings will be.

High-Yield Savings Account

Ideal for: Short-term savings goals, like buying a car or taking a vacation, or storing an emergency fund

Ben McLaughlin, president at SaveBetter, said high-yield savings accounts are similar to traditional savings accounts but offer better interest rates. If you need to quickly access funds on short notice, you’ll often be able to do so with a high-yield savings account.

“Savers should note savings account rates are variable, meaning they may change at any time based on overall market conditions. The good news is banks are expected to continue offering even more attractive interest rates on average, as the Fed is widely anticipated to continue to increase rates,” McLaughlin said.

Savings Certificate

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https://news.yahoo.com/why-everyone-5-types-savings-120111573.html