Posts by Derek Miller:
All debt is not created equal. If you take on a mortgage to buy a house, that can be a smart move as long as you can afford it. Likewise, student loan debt is often considered to be “good debt” by experts, as pursuing a higher education degree has the potential to increase your lifetime earnings. On the other hand, going into credit card debt to finance a lavish lifestyle is generally viewed as an example of bad debt. Read more
Tax season is a time of high stress for many Americans. It’s also the time when some Americans receive an unexpected windfall in the form of a tax refund. According to the IRS, the average tax refund is $3,120 and almost 83% of all tax returns result in a refund. While your tax refund may feel like a gift, it’s important to remember that you earned that money just like you did your paychecks. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to treat it like your other income. This includes creating a plan for the best way to use it. Read more
Running is more than a way to stay in shape. Sure, it’s great exercise, but runners also run as a way to explore new places, to test their limits and even participate in races to raise money for charity. Although running is one of the more accessible sports, not all cities are equal when it comes to what they offer to runners. Some cities give runners the choice to run through parks, on trails or at the gym. Others give runners more chance to push themselves with year-round races. Read more
Cities like San Francisco and New York tend to dominate the headlines when it comes to exploding housing markets. But there are plenty of smaller housing markets with tons of potential that don’t get… Read more
Credit card complaints can be difficult to address. Sometimes credit card companies are hard to reach or it’s not clear who you should be complaining to. In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008,… Read more
Most retirement advisors will tell you saving early and leveraging the power of compound interest makes for a smoother road to retirement. But what if you’re unable to save in your younger years,… Read more
In 2015, 73% of Americans had credit card debt, according the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card debt can sneak up on you. One month you’re on top of it, making regular payments, and the… Read more
Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing expenditures in the country. Nationwide healthcare costs reached over $10,000 per person in 2016 and that figure’s expected to grow at a 5.8% clip until 2025,… Read more
When looking to sell their house, most owners probably want to make a profit and sell the home for more than they paid for it. But the selling price isn’t the only factor to consider, there are… Read more
Calling all those bargain hunters with wanderlust! There is a lot of ground to be covered, literally, by judiciously using airline reward miles. For many people racking up reward miles has become a… Read more
People take many factors into account when deciding where to buy a home. For some homebuyers access to good public schools is crucial, while for others safety is the top priority. Homebuyers may also… Read more
Does retirement sometimes seem like a pipe dream? It’s true that incomes and jobs aren’t what they once were. Plus, planning for something 20, 30 or 40 years in the future can be difficult. But with… Read more
You finally have enough savings for a down payment and you’re ready to buy a house. How much will monthly house payments cost? Like with any big financial commitment, it’s important to know how much… Read more
Homeownership rates still have not fully recovered from the 2007 housing crisis, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows. For some age groups, foregoing homeownership is not a hard decision. It can… Read more
Ever feel like you’re one step away from looking under sofa cushions to cobble together your next rent payment? You’re probably not alone. In past studies we’ve highlighted cities where rent payments… Read more
Home is where the heart is, so the saying goes. For homeowners, their home is also where they probably invested a large chunk of their money. In some places homeownership has proved to be a… Read more
You’ve worked hard for 40-odd years and now you are ready to ready to enjoy a long relaxing retirement. But where should you live? You probably want to be somewhere affordable to get the most out of… Read more
Raising a family can be tough. First of all, it’s expensive. The USDA estimates that raising a child born in 2015 would cost a family $233,000 over 18 years. It’s common nowadays for both parents to… Read more
Buying a home takes a lot of planning. Neighborhoods need to be researched, open houses attended and, if you have children, schools need to be investigated. But first and foremost, before you can… Read more
Folks at all income levels dream of the chance to retire with enough money to live comfortably. And retiring early, when you’re young enough to fully enjoy it, is an especially enticing prospect. In… Read more
The number of Americans driving to work alone is on the rise, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. With the increase in drivers comes traffic, which means more time and money spent idling… Read more
Some people eat just to live. For others, colloquially known as foodies, eating is the reason to live. Foodies’ lives are enriched by the act of eating great food. Some love to cook gourmet meals,… Read more
The NFL salary cap (which limits how much teams can spend on players) has risen from $40 million in 1996 to $155 million in 2016. This means NFL salaries have increased by almost 400% over the past… Read more
Coffee is the lifeblood for many Americans. It is not uncommon to hear people say they can’t start the day without that first cup of joe. However much like beer, a unique culture around coffee is… Read more
Homeownership rates are on the decline for all age groups across the country, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows. This trend is particularly pronounced for millennials, whose homeownership rates… Read more
