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If you’re looking to raise a family, the city you call home can affect many parts of your life. It potentially impacts the jobs available to you, how much you earn, how much it costs to live comfortably and how easy it is to build savings. Other factors like local schools and population also play a large role. We at SmartAsset understand that choosing where you and your family live is a big decision, and that’s why we created this list. Using data across 12 states in 10 metrics, we ventured to find the best places in the Midwest to raise a family. Read More...
By definition, a fiduciary is an individual organization who manages assets on behalf of another person or entity. Fiduciary financial advisors hold a relationship of trust with their clients and abide by fiduciary duty. Fiduciary duty is the ethical obligation to act solely in someone else’s best interest. In theory, this should minimize conflicts of interest and make a financial advisor more trustworthy. We go over what fiduciary duty entails, why it’s important to work with a fiduciary advisor and how you can find a financial planner in your area.and is ethically bound to act in that person’s best interest. Read More...
Intimidating as it may seem, investing is one of the premier ways to grow money over time. While the stock market attracts the most attention for those looking to build wealth, there are plenty of other investments to pick from, such as bonds, mutual funds and certificates of deposit (CDs). As a beginner, though, it can be hard to know where and how to get into investing. In the end, a determination of your long-term financial goals, like retirement, will dictate what types of investing strategies are best for you. It can also be helpful to enlist the help of a financial advisor to help you make smart investing decisions based on your specific needs. Read More...
In about 62% of two-parent households, both parents work, according to 2017 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s up about 1% from the previous year. Not only are more parents working, but Census data also shows that men and women across the country worked more in 2017 than in 2016. It’s also not much of a surprise that more parents are working. Housing costs, childcare and the overall cost of living continue to rise while incomes have seen less growth. So if you want to make ends meet now while also achieving big goals like buying a home and socking away money in a savings account, you’ll need to work more. Considering multiple factors, we created this list of the best cities in the U.S. for working parents. Read More...
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Editor's Picks
Apr 19, 2019 Many people dread tax season. But if you're expecting a tax refund for the 2018 tax season (which you filed in 2019), you've got something…
Mar 29, 2019 "Chartered financial analyst" (CFA) and "certified financial planner" (CFP) are common certifications for individuals working in finance,…
Mar 13, 2019 If your portfolio is too large for you to handle on your own, it may be time to call in a professional. Wealth managers work with their…
Apr 09, 2019 Fee-only financial planners earn compensation for their services only. They don't earn commissions or kick-backs for recommending certain…
Feb 11, 2019 If you’re young and you're looking to purchase a new home to live in, maybe you should consider turning your first home into an investment…
Data Articles and Studies
Tech jobs are particularly desirable, because they pay well, show long-term signs of growth and are less vulnerable to automation. But women have faced systemic difficulties in getting these jobs. And even when women do find jobs in the tech world, they earn 84% of what men in tech do, according to Census Bureau data, and thus have less opportunity to save. This is true at the national level, but there are some cities where parity between men and women in tech is less of a concern. Read More...
A large majority (75%) of taxpayers overpay on taxes and receive a tax refund, according to IRS data. A smaller proportion (19%) see the opposite: They will have overestimated their withholdings and learn they still owe the IRS some money. Apart from overpaying and underpaying, there is another small, exclusive group of savvy Americans who manage the Goldilocks fantasy: withholding just the right amount so, come tax time, the tax balance between them and the IRS reads an even zero. Read More...
Americans have greater than $800 billion in outstanding credit card debt, according to data from the New York Federal Reserve. What’s more, roughly 8% of credit card debt is delinquent by 90 days or more. If you’re someone saddled by debt and trying to avoid those lofty interest rates by paying it off, moving somewhere affordable with high-paying jobs is a great strategy. That allows you to accumulate money in your savings account so you can easily pay off any charges you rack up. Below, we rank the best places to get out of debt. Read More...
Videos
Patrice Washington says she is an accidental personal finance blogger. Regardless, it’s a role she seems born to play, and one she’s certainly making the most of! Patrice is now much more than a personal finance blogger, she is a personal finance educator, author and advocate. You can see, hear and read Patrice pretty much everywhere from the Steve Harvey TV and radio show to her own books on personal finance. We caught up with Patrice in New Orleans for this edition of SmartAsset Talks. Read More...
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