Category: Making Money Moves

  • Diverse group of coworkers laughing and giving high fives in a bright, open workspace

    Refinancing Your Mortgage 

    When you refinance your mortgage, you take out a new home loan and use some or all of the proceeds to pay off the existing one.  Why refinance your mortgage?  There are a variety of reasons why you may want to consider refinancing your mortgage, such as:  When should you refinance?  It used to be said that…

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    Paying for Graduate School 

    Maybe you’ve decided that graduate school is the path to advancement in your current job or your ticket to a better career. Or maybe you just want to take a few classes to upgrade your skills. Either way, returning to school as an adult often involves financial sacrifices. How will you pay for it? Personal…

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    Cost Increases at Private Colleges Outpaced Public Colleges in 2025-2026 

    Every year, the College Board releases new college cost data and trends in its annual report. The numbers represent average costs for in-state public colleges, out-of-state public colleges, and private colleges and are based on a survey of approximately 4,000 colleges across the U.S.  Over the past 20 years, average costs for tuition, fees, housing,…

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    Estimating College Costs 

    What is the forecast for college cost increases?  A college education is expensive. All those benefits of personal growth, expanded horizons, and increased lifetime earning power come at a price, a price that increases every year. According to the College Board’s annual Trends in College Pricing Report, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the average cost…

  • Black couple laughing and celebrating good news together while reviewing finances on a laptop

    The ABCs of 529 Plans 

    529 plans are tax-advantaged education savings vehicles and one of the most popular ways to save for education today. Much like the way 401(k) plans revolutionized the world of retirement savings a few decades ago, 529 plans have changed the world of education savings.  An overview of 529 plans  Congress created 529 plans in 1996…

  • Mother joyfully spinning her young daughter in an embrace against a glowing sunset field

    How Will I Manage to Send My Child to College? 

    Being able to send your child to college is near the top of the wish list for most parents. But that diploma doesn’t come cheap. Unless you are very well off financially, it’s difficult to sit on the sidelines for years and then suddenly find the money to pay for college when your child is…

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    What is my tax bracket? 

    Generally, a tax bracket is the income tax rate at which you are taxed for a certain range of income. The income ranges vary, depending on your filing status: single, married filing jointly (or qualifying widow(er)), married filing separately, or head of household. Brackets are expressed by their marginal tax rate, which refers to the…

  • Illustrated figure scratching their head while a large "TAX" form falls beside them

    What Can You Learn from Your Tax Return? 

    Tax season may be behind you, but don’t stash away your tax return quite yet. It’s full of information that might help you improve your finances or make a difference in next year’s tax picture. Here are four things you could learn from reviewing your return.  Are your retirement contributions on track? The W-2 you received…

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    Help! I Can’t Pay My Tax Bill 

    You’re almost done with your federal income tax return, and you’re already thinking of ways to spend your refund. Then, the unthinkable happens — instead of a refund, you find that you owe $3,000. Or perhaps you’ve just received an IRS notice in the mail claiming that you owe $9,000 for the retirement plan distribution…

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    I need a bridge loan for a home purchase. Is securities-based lending a possible option? 

    You’re retiring and want to downsize to your dream house. However, you have a problem: You need to use the proceeds from the sale of your current home to pay for the new one. One option you might consider is using a securities-based loan (SBL) or line of credit as a bridge financing solution, potentially…