DINARRECAPS8 10/30/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/30/24

7 Steps I Took To Get Out of Massive Debt

Laura Beck Mon, October 28, 2024 GOBankingRates

I’m a Former Shopping Addict: 7 Steps I Took To Get Out of Massive Debt

When Mary H. of Portland, Oregon looked at her credit card statements in 2022, she felt her stomach drop: $100,000 in debt, mostly from years of impulse shopping and living beyond her means. Today, she’s debt-free and sharing her journey to financial freedom.

Here’s how she turned things around.

Laura Beck Mon, October 28, 2024 GOBankingRates

I’m a Former Shopping Addict: 7 Steps I Took To Get Out of Massive Debt

Here’s how she turned things around.

Step 1: Face the Music

Getting real with herself about the situation was Mary’s first step — and harder than it sounds.

“I had to stop pretending everything was fine,” Mary said. “I lined up all my credit card statements on my kitchen table one Sunday morning and finally added up the total. I cried for hours, but that moment of brutal honesty was my turning point.”

Step 2: Cut Up the Cards (Literally)

“Everyone says this is dramatic, but I needed dramatic,” Mary said. “I cut up every card except one for emergencies. No more ‘treating myself’ to designer bags or justifying splurges as ‘investments.’ Cold turkey was the only way for me.”

Step 3: Track Every Single Penny

Mary started using a budgeting app to track everything — even the $4 coffee runs.

“It was embarrassing to see I was spending over $300 monthly just on random Amazon purchases,” she said. “Knowledge is power, even when it hurts — and trust me, it hurt to know I spent that much on coffee. I’m a cliché.”

Step 4: Find Your Money Triggers

“For me, Instagram was my biggest spending trigger,” Mary shared. All those influencers making everything look must-have made her think she needed to shop, shop, shop.

DINARRECAPS8 10/30/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/30/24

Where Does the Buck Stop?

Victoria Vesovski Tue, October 29, 2024 Moneywise

‘Sitting on their piles of gold’: Adult son outraged his parents, worth $10M+, haven’t offered him help. From midnight diaper changes and years of running on caffeine to those last-minute dashes to buy poster boards and relearning algebra just to help with homework, for decades, parenthood means putting the kids first.

But while you’d drop everything to help them at 4 years old, should the same still hold true at 44?

Where Does the Buck Stop?

Victoria Vesovski Tue, October 29, 2024 Moneywise

But while you’d drop everything to help them at 4 years old, should the same still hold true at 44?

That’s the question one frustrated poster brought to Reddit in a since-deleted post. After a chance peek at his father-in-law’s accounts revealed that his in-laws are sitting on a $10 million fortune, he was left outraged. As he explains, he’s in his late 30s and he and his wife live with their two children in an expensive city.

They’re saddled with $20,000 in credit card debt and their credit scores have suffered, while his wife’s parents have just let them struggle. Outraged that they haven’t stepped in considering their wealth, he turned to his own dad — only to find his parents were just as well off.

“Here are our own parents sitting on their piles of gold, watching us navigate a new level of economics and shopping for discounts and raising our children in sub par school districts and for WHAT?” the user wrote.

The Redditor insists he’d give his last dollar to make his son more comfortable one day, but where does the buck stop?

A Generational Divide

Some baby boomer parents might be struck by the millennial poster’s expectations of his parents. But it’s pretty common these days for parents to help their kids even after they’ve left home — in fact, 65% of them say they provide financial help to their adult children.

DINARRECAPS8 10/29/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/29/24

Flood Insurance Isn't Perfect But You Should Probably Buy It Anyway

Claire Boston · Senior Reporter Sat, October 26, 2024 Yahoo Finance

Flood insurance can be expensive and have major coverage limitations when disasters strike. But as climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather, it’s becoming essential coverage even for those who don’t live in traditional high-risk areas.

Recent disasters like Hurricane Helene, which severely flooded inland, mountainous parts of North Carolina, and catastrophic rainfall in central Vermont underscore the risks of flooding in areas far from the coasts. Last weekend, record-setting rain in Roswell, N.M., brought flash flooding that killed two people.

Flood Insurance Isn't Perfect But You Should Probably Buy It Anyway

Claire Boston · Senior Reporter Sat, October 26, 2024 Yahoo Finance

In the last 20 years, nearly every county in the US has experienced some degree of flooding, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, better known as FEMA. Conventional homeowners insurance offers little to no flood protection, and nationwide just 4% of households carry flood insurance.

That gap in insurance coverage can leave homeowners with catastrophic bills following an unexpected disaster.

“A lot of people think that flood is a covered peril, be it within their homeowner’s policy or their renter’s policy,” said Mark Niess, vice president of private flood at insurer Wright Flood. “There is coverage for water, but there’s not necessarily coverage for flood.”

Flooding is frequently cited as the most expensive type of natural disaster — a single inch of water can cause $25,000 of property damage.

Most flood coverage is provided by the US government’s National Flood Insurance Program, after private insurers exited the market en masse nearly 100 years ago following catastrophic flooding of the Mississippi River.

Homeowners who sit in 100-year floodplains — areas deemed to have a 1% chance of flooding in a given year or a 30% chance over the life of a typical mortgage — are considered “high risk” and are required to have flood insurance if they have government-backed mortgages.

But more and more homes that don’t sit in floodplains are also at risk as the planet warms. Many of FEMA’s flood zone maps haven’t been updated in years, and even those that have been rely on historical storm data and don’t take into account how climate change and an atmosphere that holds more moisture will affect future flooding.

Buncombe County, N.C., which was hit hard by flooding from Hurricane Helene, experienced more than 50 floods between 1996 and 2019, according to FEMA data. But few structures in the county were designated as being in a flood zone, and less than 1% of buildings were covered by NFIP policies.

The lack of insurance is financially devastating. Data provider CoreLogic pegs the total uninsured losses from Helene between $20 billion and $30 billion.

“We know that a lot of things have changed related to how our communities are experiencing flood risk, even just in recent years,” said Anna Weber, a senior policy analyst for environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“Not only do we have to update the flood maps so that they are accurately describing current conditions, we also have to look into the future so we understand what we’re going to be experiencing in the decades to come.”

Flood-prone states like Florida, Texas, and Louisiana have the most homes insured under the NFIP, but in states as varied as Massachusetts and Arizona, nearly every county has experienced 50 or more floods between the late 90s and 2019, according to FEMA data.

DINARRECAPS8 10/28/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/28/24

Property Theft Is A Genuine Risk

Christy Bieber Updated Sun, October 27, 2024 Moneywise

What Happens If Someone Sells Your Property In America Without Your Knowledge? It’s a lot more complicated than you might think

If you own a home or property, you need to know how this scam works and what you can do to protect your real estate from dishonest actors.

Property Theft Is A Genuine Risk

Christy Bieber Updated Sun, October 27, 2024 Moneywise

What Happens If Someone Sells Your Property In America Without Your Knowledge? It’s a lot more complicated than you might think

If you own a home or property, you need to know how this scam works and what you can do to protect your real estate from dishonest actors.

Property Theft Is A Genuine Risk

Home or land theft can technically happen with any property, but it's more common with vacant real estate. Vacation houses, inherited properties, and homes people have moved out of to move into nursing homes are common targets.

Scammers can target these properties in a few ways. Usually, the process starts with finding out who owns a property using online information and creating fake IDS so they can pretend to be the true owner.

Next, they'll either:

Transfer the property to themselves and then sell it and pocket the cash, or get a cash-out refinance mortgage on it, pocket the money, and never make a payment

Find A Buyer And Sell The Property Directly To Them, Often In A Quick Sale.

When this happens, innocent buyers typically pay the scammer, the documents with the forged IDs are submitted to authorities, and the county will officially transfer ownership to the "buyer," who becomes the new legal owner in the eyes of the law. This leaves the rightful owner without the title and deed to the house and forced to go to court to try and get their property back.

Sadly, as the Internet has made it easier to find property owners and forge documents, rates of home theft are on the rise. While the FBI doesn't have a separate category specifically for this offense, the agency's 2023 Internet Crime Report shows there were 9,521 fraud complaints related to real estate totaling over $145.2 million in annual losses.

Also, the New York Post reported recently on the growing number of title fraud claims, including a recent Detroit case involving a scammer who stole more than 30 homes.

DINARRECAPS8 10/27/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/27/24

4 Reasons You Should Never Rely on a Promised Inheritance

Cindy Lamothe Fri, October 25, 2024 GOBankingRates

Many adult children see their future inheritance as a safety net — a lump sum of money they can rely on for financial security. But that’s the worst way you can think about it, say experts. “Counting on an inheritance to secure your financial future is akin to building a house on quicksand,” said Kevin Shahnazari, founder and CEO of FinlyWealth.

“The foundation is unstable and can disappear in an instant, leaving you vulnerable and unprepared,” he explained. “I’ve witnessed clients who postponed crucial financial planning, banking on a substantial inheritance, only to find themselves in dire straits when that inheritance failed to materialize or was significantly less than expected.

4 Reasons You Should Never Rely on a Promised Inheritance

Cindy Lamothe Fri, October 25, 2024 GOBankingRates

“One particularly poignant case involved a client who delayed retirement savings for years, assured by her parents of a seven-figure inheritance. When her parents’ business unexpectedly failed, not only did the inheritance evaporate, but she found herself supporting her parents financially — a double blow to her retirement plans.”

Shahnazari said this scenario underscores the unpredictability of inherited wealth and the importance of building your own financial foundation.

Marty Burbank, elder law attorney and owner of OC Elder Law has witnessed the same. “Relying on a promised inheritance to achieve financial goals is risky.”

“I’ve seen many cases where expected inheritances were drastically reduced by unexpected medical expenses, estate tax liabilities or even family disputes. In my experience with estate planning, I’ve witnessed situations where parents had to sell assets for long-term care, leaving heirs with far less than anticipated.”

Below are some more reasons why you should never rely on a promised inheritance.

It Strains Family Relationships

According to Shahnazari, relying on an inheritance can strain family relationships. “I’ve seen siblings turn against each other and children grow resentful of parents when inheritances don’t meet expectations or are distributed unevenly,” he said.

Shahnazari explained these emotional costs can far outweigh any potential financial gains.

It Fuels Complacency

Additionally, promised inheritances can lead to complacency in personal financial planning, Burbank said. “For example, in my work at OC Elder Law, I encountered clients who deferred retirement savings, thinking they would inherit a significant sum.”

He said this mindset hindered their financial growth, leaving them unprepared when the inheritance fell short.

It Can Lead To Missed Opportunities

DINARRECAPS8 10/26/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/26/24

6 Obstacles Women Face While Building Wealth

Kimberly Lankford Tue, October 22, 2024 GOBankingRates

Women face extra challenges when working toward building wealth. Not only do they tend to earn less than men, but taking time off from work (or reducing their schedules) to raise children or care for aging relatives makes it more difficult for them to save for the future — even though they may need a larger nest egg to help cover their longer life expectancies.

“Women continue to face headwinds that put them at greater risk of not achieving a financially secure retirement — the persistency of the gender pay gap, time out from the workforce for parenting and caregiving, and [the fact that] statistically, women live longer than men, which implies we have to save even more for retirement,” said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of the Transamerica Institute and the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. “These factors can put a woman on a very different trajectory in terms of her long-term retirement savings and retirement outcomes.

Here are obstacles women face when building wealth, and advice to learn what you can do to overcome them.

6 Obstacles Women Face While Building Wealth

Kimberly Lankford Tue, October 22, 2024 GOBankingRates

Here are obstacles women face when building wealth, and advice to learn what you can do to overcome them.

The Gender Pay Gap

Women on average earn less than men — 83 cents for every $1 paid to men. This gender pay gap has a snowball effect on so many other aspects of a woman’s financial life, making it harder to save for retirement, easier to land in debt and even affecting the size of their Social Security benefits.

Starting out with a low salary can impact your earnings for years, especially if raises are based on a percentage of your income and future jobs base your salary on your previous earnings. That’s even before considering that many women take time off to raise children or care for aging parents.

But there are several things you can do to help improve your income. Start by doing some research to assess how your pay compares to others in similar positions.

“Have conversations with peers outside of your company so you can get that comparison,” said Samantha Garcia, a wealth advisor with Halbert Hargrove in Long Beach, California.

If you find you’re being underpaid, you should be proactive and ask for a raise. It may be intimidating to have this conversation when you’re young and getting started in your career, but that may be the best time to bring it up.

“Sometimes it’s easier to have those conversations at the entry-level positions, rather than when you’re 10 years in and you realize there’s a 20% difference between your pay and a male’s pay. There are bigger dollars then,” Garcia said. “The earlier you can start to have those conversations, the better.”

Now is a particularly good time to ask for a raise or other benefits because employers are making extra efforts to keep good employees.

“If you’ve been sticking with the company during COVID and now realize there’s a pay differential, it’s a great time to use that leverage to go after what you want — that pay or benefit increase. Have that fearless conversation with your boss,” Garcia said.

Having Less in Retirement Savings

Earning less money and taking time off to raise kids makes it more difficult for women to save for retirement — even though their retirement savings needs are usually larger because of their longer life expectancies.

“Because they earn less, they save less,” said Shelly-Ann Eweka, senior director of financial planning strategy for TIAA. “In general, women invest more conservatively, women retire on average about two years younger, and they live on average five years longer than men. It’s all compounding. They have less income and are living longer in retirement.”

DINARRECAPS8 10/23/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/23/24

Rich Americans May Be About To Lose A Tax Benefit They Love

Rich Americans May Be About To Lose A Tax Benefit They Love — and now they're racing to get their affairs in order

Christy Bieber Mon, October 21, 2024 Moneywise

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

Generate Key Takeaways

The clock is ticking for wealthy families who want to take advantage of a major tax break that allows for the tax-free transfer of up to $27.22 million in assets.

The tax break was established by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in 2017, and it is sunsetting automatically in 2025 — so it could disappear for the foreseeable future.

Here's what the tax break is, along with some details on how families are rushing to take advantage of it and some advice on whether you should do the same.

Rich Americans May Be About To Lose A Tax Benefit They Love — and now they're racing to get their affairs in order

Christy Bieber Mon, October 21, 2024 Moneywise

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

Generate Key Takeaways

The clock is ticking for wealthy families who want to take advantage of a major tax break that allows for the tax-free transfer of up to $27.22 million in assets.

The tax break was established by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in 2017, and it is sunsetting automatically in 2025 — so it could disappear for the foreseeable future.

Here's what the tax break is, along with some details on how families are rushing to take advantage of it and some advice on whether you should do the same.

Tax breaks on wealth transfers could be cut in half next year

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made many changes to the tax rules, but one of the biggest modifications involved a significant increase to the estate and gift tax exemption.

In 2017, wealthy individuals could transfer a total of $5,490,000 in assets without incurring estate or gift taxes. This is called the lifetime exemption and it applies to gifts you make above the annual exempt amount, as well as to assets that you transfer upon your death.

The new law significantly increased the amount you could transfer. The limit jumped up to $11,180,000 in 2018 and has been adjusted upward automatically each year.

In 2024, it's possible to transfer as much as $13,610,000 without owing taxes. This is per person doing the transferring. Married couples can combine their exemptions to transfer $27.22 million.

That big increase will go away next year unless lawmakers act again. When it goes away, the amount you can transfer tax-free will fall to somewhere in the $6 million to $7 million range. Assets above that threshold will be subject to a 40% transfer tax.

As a result of this change, many wealthy families are eagerly transferring assets this year while they can still take advantage of the larger exemption to move money to children and other loved ones without owing the IRS a cut.

Should you follow the lead of wealthy families?

While the change to the estate and gift tax exemption could profoundly impact wealthy Americans, it is likely to have no consequences at all for the vast majority of people.

DINARRECAPS8 10/22/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/22/24

13 Lessons From Millionaires

Laura Gariepy Mon, October 21, 2024 GOBankingRates

13 Lessons From Millionaires That Financial Planners Use To Help Others Get Rich

Financial planners have seen it all while working with clients — from financial ruin to financial freedom. Over the years, they’ve learned what separates millionaires from those who struggle to get their monetary footing.

Eight of them shared the insights they’ve picked up from clients in the seven-figure club that they now use to help others build the life of their dreams. Here are 13 of those lessons below, and when you’re done, check out these lessons too.

13 Lessons From Millionaires

Laura Gariepy Mon, October 21, 2024 GOBankingRates

13 Lessons From Millionaires That Financial Planners Use To Help Others Get Rich

Create a Financial Plan

Joe Petry, CFP and founder of Mayfair Financial, said, “My wealthier clients have figured out that having a plan can make a big difference. Lower taxes, maximized Social Security, and a sound investment approach can represent a million dollars or more over a 30-year retirement.”

He added, “Having a [financial] plan can also save us from ourselves. Our financial decisions are emotional, whether we realize it or not. A plan can help us avoid trying to time the market or putting too much of our nest egg in one or two hot stocks.”

Limit Debt

Limiting the amount of debt you carry to a mortgage and maybe an auto loan is key to building wealth, said David E. Barfield, CFP and founder of Datapoint Financial Planning, LLC.

However, if you’ve got other types of debt or your current debt prevents you from saving for the future, don’t panic. You can take control by implementing one or more debt repayment strategies.

Maintain an Emergency Fund

Barfield also recommends building and maintaining an emergency fund. That way, you can cover urgent, critical expenses with cash. While everyone’s situation is different, the consensus is that you need at least three months’ worth of living expenses stashed away.

However, if that amount feels impossible to amass right now, squirrel away what you can. Some money in the bank is better than no money in the bank.

Live Below Your Means

“A common trait among millionaires is living below their means,” said Jorey Bernstein, founder of Bernstein Investment Consultants. “To cultivate wealth, focus less on your income and more on your spending habits. Budgeting isn’t about limiting your freedom; it’s about making your money work effectively for you.”

However, as you look for ways to improve your spending habits, be aware that you can slash your expenses too far. If possible, don’t reduce your insurance coverage or skimp on healthcare. Doing so could cost you more money in the long run.

Prioritize Your Spending

“I have a single female multi-millionaire client,” Petry said. “She never had a particularly high-paying job. Her superpower is knowing what things bring her joy and what things don’t. She doesn’t value a big house or lots of new clothes. Cruises are her passion.

DINARRECAPS8 10/20/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/20/24

7 Valuable Lessons About Saving Money

Sean Bryant Fri, October 18, 2024 GOBankingRates

Growing up with frugal parents, I was often the kid who was teased for having secondhand clothes, not going on vacations, and bringing generic-branded food to school. However, now that I am an adult, I am very thankful for the valuable lessons my parents taught me about saving.It has shaped my views on

money, spending, saving and finances in general. While many of my friends have struggled with debt or excessive consumerism, I have never had to face these issues.

Within this article, I’ll go through some of the valuable life lessons my frugal parents taught me about money.

7 Valuable Lessons About Saving Money

Sean Bryant Fri, October 18, 2024 GOBankingRates

It has shaped my views on money, spending, saving and finances in general. While many of my friends have struggled with debt or excessive consumerism, I have never had to face these issues.

Within this article, I’ll go through some of the valuable life lessons my frugal parents taught me about money.

Distinguishing Needs From Wants

Growing up with frugal parents taught me the valuable skill of distinguishing between my needs and wants. While my friends were often caught up in the latest trends and fads, my parents refused to buy every item I asked for. Instead, they emphasized the importance of prioritizing needs, like a new winter coat, over wants, like the newest toy.

This is something that I have carried through to my adulthood. Now, I try to focus on essential expenses and cut back on frivolous spending. This has helped me make informed financial decisions and avoid unnecessary debt.

How To Budget

I also learned how to budget and the importance of budgeting. I observed my parents tracking what they spent and saved as a child. They were careful not to spend more than they could afford.

If they had a goal, they saved towards it. This early exposure to budgeting taught me how to set my own clear financial goals and how to allocate resources according to those goals.

“Children in frugal households witness budgeting as a regular activity,” said Jake Claver, CEO of Syndicately. “This exposure naturally ingratiates the concept of budgeting in their daily lives.

It becomes less of a chore and more of an integral part of their financial routine. By learning to allocate resources and plan expenses from a young age, children are better equipped to manage their finances effectively as adults.”

Delayed Gratification

Delayed gratification is a lesson I was more reluctant to learn as a child but one I am now thankful for as an adult. When there was something that I wanted to buy, my parents encouraged me to wait and to think about the purchase and what it would mean in terms of longevity, monetary value, and the value I placed on the item. They then encouraged me to save my money and if I still wanted to purchase the item later, I could.

DINARRECAPS8 10/19/24 DINARRECAPS8 10/19/24

6 Wealth-Destroying Mistakes People Make Every Day Without Knowing It

Nicole Spector Fri, October 18, 2024 GOBankingRates

When we think about wealth, we tend to think mostly about building and maintaining it. But we need to look at the other side of the equation, too: losing wealth. It’s easier to do than you think, and you could be losing wealth regularly with no idea that you’re doing so.

GOBankingRates spoke with financial experts to learn about wealth-destroying mistakes people make every day, without even knowing it.

6 Wealth-Destroying Mistakes People Make Every Day Without Knowing It

Nicole Spector Fri, October 18, 2024 GOBankingRates

GOBankingRates spoke with financial experts to learn about wealth-destroying mistakes people make every day, without even knowing it.

Not Monitoring Expenses

Got an iron-clad budget in place? Great! But are you also meticulously managing and monitoring your daily expenses? If not, you’re likely losing wealth.

“Many misjudge their expenses or don’t keep an eye on their spending patterns,” said Steven Kibbel CFP, ChFC, CLU, senior editor at InternationalMoneyTransfer.com. “The ‘leak’ may impede attempts to increase wealth. You may reduce wasteful expenses and increase your savings by keeping a close eye on your spending and developing a thorough budget.”

Holding Too Much Cash

It’s crucial to have liquid cash easily available in the event of an emergency, but it’s important not to store too much cash in a savings account, even if it’s generating interest. By keeping too much of your savings in cash, you’re losing money in the long run.

“You’re not only missing out on a huge opportunity to invest and grow your money but you are also allowing your money to erode in value over time relative to inflation,” said Carla Adams, founder and financial advisor at Ametrine Wealth.

“Certainly you should keep a portion of your money in cash (an emergency fund should typically be about 3-6 months of your living expenses), but long-term savings should get invested in stocks and/or bonds.”

Yes, investing in the stock market does come with risks, but there are ways to go about it so you still come out on top.

“Investing in the stock market may seem incredibly risky — and it can be if you’re investing in individual stocks — but if you invest in broad index funds, you can expect an average return rate of about 10% per year,” Adams said. “Short-term market fluctuations can be huge at times; but, for long-term savings, the risk you take on will pay off and your money will double roughly every seven years if you’re invested in an all-equity portfolio.”

Making Just the Minimum Monthly Payment on Credit Cards