Derek Silva
Credit Card and Retirement Expert
Derek Silva is determined to make personal finance accessible to everyone. He writes on a variety of personal finance topics for SmartAsset, serving as a retirement and credit card expert. Derek is a member of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® (CEPF®). He has a degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has spent time as an English language teacher in the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores. The message Derek hopes people take away from his writing is, “Don’t forget that money is just a tool to help you reach your goals and live the lifestyle you want.”
Posts by Derek Silva:
Investing is never easy, and trying to figure everything out on your own can be incredibly stressful. That’s why many people hire a professional financial advisor who understands the market and can make smart investment choices for you. But the tough part is finding someone you actually trust, that understands your long term financial goals. SmartAsset has built a way to address this problem, making it easier than ever to find the right financial advisor who understands the market and can help you achieve your financial goals. Of course, it’s easy to be skeptical about finding a financial advisor online, so here’s everything personal investors need to know. How does SmartAsset find the right advisor? When you visit the SmartAsset site, you’re invited to answer a series of questions. The questionnaire only takes a few minutes, and helps provide a better idea of when you want to retire and how comfortable you feel with investing. You’ll be asked about your current assets and income, so… Read more
The average life expectancy in the U.S. has increased dramatically from about 70 in 1967 to about 80 in 2017. Those who reach age 65 also have a one in five chance of living into their 90s. A longer life is great news. It means you have time to check more off your bucket list. At the same time, it means you need to plan for a longer retirement. If you retire at 65, a 30-year retirement is quite possible. Even if you save $1 million for your retirement, you have to make sure to budget it out so it lasts. Here are 11 steps to set yourself for a happy retirement without draining your savings too soon. Read more
Tax season can be stressful but the saving grace is that many tax filers will receive a refund. In January 2018, the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) revealed that more than 70% of tax filers are expected to receive refunds after filing their federal income tax returns. Many people even count on a refund to help them pay down debt or cover bills early in the year. That means a delayed refund can cause problems for some. Let’s look at common reasons for a tax refund delay and how you may be able to prevent it. Read more
You’ve worked hard for decades and now the time has come to enjoy yourself. Regardless of what you do in your retirement, you should always be aware of how much you have left for retirement savings.… Read more
When you file your federal income taxes, you have the choice between taking the standard deduction and itemizing your deductions. Which you choose should depend on which strategy will maximize your… Read more
Money affects basically every aspect of our lives. However, learning to properly manage your money isn’t always easy to do. So how can you learn about personal finance while also getting advice that… Read more
Chartered financial analyst, or CFA, and certified financial planner, or CFP, are common certifications for individuals working in finance. These certifications are designed to tell a client (and… Read more
When you file your federal income tax return, you can check the status of your refund by visiting the IRS website or its mobile app. However, each state has its own process for handling state income… Read more
When filing federal income taxes, everyone has to choose a filing status. There are five filing statuses: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household and qualifying… Read more
We all know that we should save for retirement, but actually doing that is a challenge. There is good news though. According to the Economic Policy Institute, Americans have been saving more for… Read more
Everyone filing federal income taxes for the 2017 tax year will need to get their returns in by the filing deadline. There is one general date by which most filers need to get returns in. You may… Read more
If filing your federal income taxes has you filled with apprehension, you may want to find a tax filing service to help you. The right service will not only take the pain out of filing your taxes,… Read more
With the new year starting, it’s just about the time to file your federal tax return. But there’s no need to get stressed out. Tax filing services are making it easier than ever to file your taxes.… Read more
The start of a new year means it’s time to file your federal tax return. Many people stress about filing taxes but there are a number of tax filing services nowadays to make the process easier. Two… Read more
In December 2017, President Trump signed the new tax plan into law. While most of the changes from the plan went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018, they will not affect taxpayers when they file their… Read more
Financial coach Lauren Greutman is dedicated to helping others save money. Saving is something that Greutman struggled with for years. Her inability to save led to $40,000 of debt. But through… Read more
Beth Kobliner has achieved success in journalism and finance over the past few decades. Her work has featured in a number of financial publications and she’s made the rounds on TV and radio. She… Read more
The majority of U.S. states charge a sales tax on retail goods and services. New York state is no different. The state’s sales tax is relatively low but once you add on taxes from individual counties… Read more
David Bach has spent the past two decades teaching people how to get rich. He isn’t trying to pull a fast one though. He says up front that he is not selling get-rich-quick schemes. In fact, his… Read more
Governments, at all levels, may charge sales tax for goods and services. Retailers collect sales tax at the point of sale on their goods and then they send their collections to the government.… Read more
Putting away money for retirement isn’t always easy. Once you figure out how much you need to save for retirement, then you need to actually save that money. Consistently putting money into savings… Read more
AJ Smith didn’t always focus on personal finance. She liked to work and earn money – that was about as far as she planned. But over the course of her career she came to see just how important… Read more
Imagine a world where you don’t have to constantly stress about money. You have enough to cover your bills and regular expenses. More than that, how would you like to know that you can afford to live… Read more
According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s (EBRI) 2016 Retirement Confidence Survey, many people aren’t confident that they’re doing a good job of financially preparing for retirement.… Read more
Ramit Sethi built himself up from humble beginnings to become a millionaire entrepreneur and best-selling author. The advice on his blog isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s his approach that sets him… Read more
