Got Cash? What to Do with Extra Money

February 10, 2021 by Liam Lane Posted in Moving Guide Tagged 401(k), apartment, Auto, big, building, Buy, car, College, Credit, Credit Card, Credit Card Debt, credit cards, Debt, Debts, Emergency Fund, Extra Money, Family, Financial Goals, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, Grow, Home, house, housing, How To, Insurance, Interest Rates, invest, Investing, investment, investments, IRA, keep, Life, Loans, Make, money, More, more money, mortgages, Move, Moving, Personal, Personal Loans, protect, Rates, rent, Retirement, retirement savings, Roth IRA, save, Save Money, Saving, savings, Savings Account, School, Security, Spending, spouse, Student Loans, tax, Taxes

Have you found yourself with extra cash? Lucky you! Laura’s 3-step system will help you spend, invest, or save it wisely.

Laura Adams, MBA

October 21, 2020

investing your emergency money unless you have more than a six-month reserve.

The goal for an emergency fund is safety, not growth.

If you don’t have enough saved, aim to bridge the gap over a reasonable period. For instance, you could save one half of your target over two years or one third over three years. You can put your goal on autopilot by creating an automatic monthly transfer from your checking into your savings account.

Megan mentioned using high-yield savings, which can be a good option because it pays a bit more interest for large balances. However, the higher rate typically comes with limitations, such as applying only to a threshold balance, so be sure to understand the account terms.

Insurance protects your finances

Another critical aspect of preparing for the unexpected is having enough of the right kinds of insurance. Here are some policies you may need:

RELATED: How to Create Foolproof Safety Nets

How to invest for your future

Once you get as prepared as possible for the unexpected by building an emergency fund and getting the right kinds of insurance, the next goal I mentioned is investing for retirement. That’s the “I” in PIP, right behind prepare for the unexpected.

Investments can go down in value—you should never invest money you can’t live without.

While many people use the terms saving and investing interchangeably, they’re not the same. Let’s clarify the difference between investing and saving so you can think strategically about them:

Saving is for the money you expect to spend within the next few years and don’t want to risk losing it. In other words, you save money that you want to keep 100% safe because you know you’ll need it or because you could need it. While it won’t earn much interest, you’ll be able to tap it in an instant.

Investing is for the money you expect to spend in the future, such as in five or more years. Purchasing an investment means you’re exposing money to some amount of risk to make it grow. Investments can go down in value; therefore, you should never invest money you can’t live without.

In general, I recommend that you invest through a qualified retirement account, such as a workplace plan or an IRA, which come with tax benefits to boost your growth. My recommendation is to contribute no less than 10% to 15% of your pre-tax income for retirement.

Magen mentioned Roth IRAs, and it may be a good option for her to rebuild her retirement savings. For 2020, you can contribute up to $6,000, or $7,000 if you’re over age 50, to a traditional or a Roth IRA. You typically must have income to qualify for an IRA. However, if you’re married and file taxes jointly, a non-working spouse can max out an IRA based on household income.

For workplace retirement plans, such as a 401(k), you can contribute up to $19,500, or $26,000 if you’re over 50 for 2020. Some employers match a certain percent of contributions, which turbocharges your account. That’s why it’s wise to invest enough to max out any free retirement matching at work. If your employer kicks in matching funds, you can exceed the annual contribution limits that I mentioned.

RELATED: A 5-Point Checklist for How to Invest Money Wisely

How to pay off high-interest debt

Once you’re working on the first two parts of my PIP plan by preparing for the unexpected and investing for the future, you’re in a perfect position also to pay off high-interest debt, the final “P.”

Always tackle your high-interest debts before any other debts because they cost you the most. They usually include credit cards, car loans, personal loans, and payday loans with double-digit interest rates. Remember that when you pay off a credit card that charges 18%, that’s just like earning 18% on an investment after taxes—pretty impressive!

Remember that when you pay off a credit card that charges 18%, that’s just like earning 18% on an investment after taxes—pretty impressive!

Typical low-interest loans include student loans, mortgages, and home equity lines of credit. These types of debt also come with tax breaks for some of the interest you pay, making them cost even less. So, don’t even think about paying them down before implementing your PIP plan.

Getting back to Bianca’s situation, she didn’t mention having emergency savings or regularly investing for retirement. I recommend using her upcoming cash windfall to set these up before paying off a low-rate student loan.

Let’s say Bianca sets aside enough for her emergency fund, purchases any missing insurance, and still has cash left over. She could use some or all of it to pay down her auto loan. Since the auto loan probably has a higher interest rate than her student loan and doesn’t come with any tax advantages, it’s wise to pay it down first.

Once you’ve put your PIP plan into motion, you can work on other goals, such as saving for a house, vacation, college, or any other dream you have.

Questions to ask when you have extra money

Here are five questions to ask yourself when you have a cash windfall or accumulate savings and aren’t sure what to do with it.

1. Do I have emergency savings?

Having some emergency money is critical for a healthy financial life because no one can predict the future. You might have a considerable unexpected expense or lose income.

Without emergency money to fall back on, you’re living on the edge, financially speaking. So never turn down the opportunity to build a cash reserve before spending money on anything else.

2. Do I contribute to a retirement account at work?

Getting a windfall could be the ticket to getting started with a retirement plan or increasing contributions. It’s wise to invest at least 10% to 15% of your gross income for retirement.

Investing in a workplace retirement plan is an excellent way to set aside small amounts of money regularly. You’ll build wealth for the future, cut your taxes, and maybe even get some employer matching.

3. Do I have an IRA?

Don’t have a job with a retirement plan? Not a problem. If you (or a spouse when you file taxes jointly) have some amount of earned income, you can contribute to a traditional or a Roth IRA. Even if you contribute to a retirement plan at work, you can still max out an IRA in the same year—which is a great way to use a cash windfall.

4. Do I have high-interest debt?

If you have expensive debt, such as credit cards or payday loans, paying them down is the next best way to spend extra money. Take the opportunity to use a windfall to get rid of high-interest debt and stay out of debt in the future.

5. Do I have other financial goals?

After you’ve built up your emergency fund, have money flowing into tax-advantaged retirement accounts, and are whittling down high-interest debt, start thinking about other financial goals. Do you want to buy a house? Go to graduate school? Send your kids to college?

How to manage a cash windfall

Review your financial situation at least once a year to make sure you’re still on track.

When it comes to managing extra money, always consider the big picture of your financial life and choose strategies that follow my PIP plan in order: prepare for the unexpected, invest for the future, and pay off high-interest debt.

Review your situation at least once a year to make sure you’re still on track. As your life changes, you may need more or less emergency money or insurance coverage.

When your income increases, take the opportunity to bump up your retirement contribution—even increasing it one percent per year can make a huge difference.

And here’s another important quick and dirty tip: when you make more money, don’t let your cost of living increase as well. If you earn more but maintain or even decrease your expenses, you’ll be able to reach your financial goals faster.

About the Author

Laura Adams, MBA

Source: quickanddirtytips.com

Roth IRA Rules and Contribution Limits for 2021

February 10, 2021 by Liam Lane Posted in Moving Guide, Retirement Tagged 401(k), Compound Interest, earnings, Featured, Fees, Finance, Financial Advisor, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, Grow, Home, invest, Investing, investment, investments, IRA, keep, Life, Make, money, More, Move, Moving, mutual funds, Personal, personal finance, Popular, Purchase, Retirement, Roth IRA, save, Save Money, savings, tax, Taxes

$6,000 for the 2021 tax season.

Interested in learning more about the specifics of the Roth IRA? Here’s everything you need to know.

How Much Can You Contribute to a Roth IRA?

For the 2021 tax season, standard Roth IRA contribution limits remain the same from last year, with a $6,000 limit for individuals. Plan participants ages 50 and older have a contribution limit of $7,000, which is commonly referred to as the “catch-up contribution.”

You can also contribute to your IRA up until tax day of the following year.

Contribution Year	49 and Under	50 and Over (Catch Up)
2021	$6,000	$7,000
2020	$6,000	$7,000
2019	$6,000	$7,000
2018	$5,500	$6,500
2017	$5,500	$6,500
2016	$5,500	$6,500
2015	$5,500	$6,500
2014	$5,500	$6,500
2013	$5,500	$6,500
2012	$5,000	$6,000
2011	$5,000	$6,000
2010	$5,000	$6,000
2009	$5,000	$6,000

What You Need to Know About Roth IRAs

Here’s the thing about opening a Roth IRA: not everyone can use this type of account. We’ve included a few important Roth IRA rules you need to know about below.

Fund Distributions

Roth IRA accounts come with a few unique benefits outside of future tax savings. For example, you don’t have to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) out of a Roth IRA at any age, and you can leave your money in your account for as long as you live.

You can also continue making contributions to a Roth IRA after you reach age 70 ½ provided you earn a taxable income that’s below Roth IRA income limits.

Income Limits

Not everyone can contribute into a Roth IRA account due to income caps. There are income guidelines that must be followed — it’s even possible to have an income so high you can’t use a Roth IRA at all.

If your taxable earnings fall within certain income brackets, your Roth IRA contributions might be “phased out”. This means you can’t contribute the full amount toward your Roth account.

Here’s how Roth IRA income limits and phase-outs work, depending on your tax filing status.

Married couples filing jointly:

Couples with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) below $196,000 can contribute up to the full amount.
Couples with a MAGI between $196,000 and $205,999 can contribute a reduced amount.
Couples with a MAGI of $206,000 or more can’t contribute to a Roth IRA.

Married couples filing separately:

Couples with a MAGI below $10,000 can contribute a reduced amount.
Couples with a MAGI of $10,000 or more can’t contribute to a Roth IRA.

Single tax filers:

Single tax filers with a MAGI below $124,000 can contribute up to the full amount.
Single tax filers with a MAGI between $124,000 and $138,999 can contribute a reduced amount.
Single tax filers with a MAGI of $139,000 or more can’t contribute to a Roth IRA.

Retirement Account Conversions Allowed

If you have another type of retirement account, like a traditional IRA or even a workplace 401(k), it might be tempting to convert this account into a Roth IRA. This is known as a Roth IRA conversion which requires you to pay income taxes on your distributions now so you can avoid income taxes later on.

Although that might sound aggressive and unnecessary, there are many scenarios where a Roth IRA conversion can make sense. For example, let’s say you’re not earning a lot of money in a specific year and you want to convert to a Roth IRA while paying an extremely low tax rate. You could fork over the taxes now and avoid paying income taxes on distributions later in life when you’re taxed at a higher rate.

As mentioned earlier, Roth IRA accounts don’t require you to take a minimum distribution while you’re alive. Moving your money into a Roth IRA can make sense if you don’t want to be forced into required minimum distributions (RMDs) like you would with a traditional IRA or a 401(k) at age 72.

With a Roth IRA conversion, you’d create an opportunity where your money could grow and compound, untouched, for a much longer stretch of time.

IRA Recharacterization

A recharacterization takes place when you move money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, or from a Roth IRA to a traditional IRA. More specifically, recharacterization changes how specific contributions are designated depending on the type of IRA.

For example, maybe you believed your income would be too high to contribute to a Roth IRA in a specific year but found your income was actually low enough to contribute the full amount. If you already contributed to a traditional IRA, a recharacterization could help you move your funds into a Roth IRA, after all.

Of course, the opposite is also true. You might’ve thought your income qualified you to contribute to a Roth IRA but at the end of the year, you found out you were wrong after already making Roth contributions. In that case, a recharacterization to a traditional IRA could make sense.

These moves can be complicated, and there might be significant tax consequences along the way. It’s best to consult with a financial advisor or tax specialist before changing the designation of your IRA contributions and face potential tax consequences.

Early Withdrawal Penalties

You can withdraw your Roth IRA contributions at any time without penalty. Also, you can withdraw contributions and earnings 59 ½ and older, if you’ve had the Roth IRA account for at least five years. This is considered a qualified disbursement that won’t incur early withdrawal penalties.

But there are downsides if you need to withdraw your earnings ahead of retirement age. If you choose to withdraw your Roth IRA earnings before age 59 ½, you’ll face a 10% penalty. Some exceptions apply, though.

For example, you can withdraw earnings from your Roth IRA account without paying a penalty if you’ve had the account for at least five years, and you qualify for one of these exemptions:

You used the money for a first-time home purchase,
You’re totally and permanently disabled, or
Your heirs received the money after your death.

Where to Get Help Opening an Account

If you feel like a Roth IRA is the best retirement vehicle for goals, you can open a Roth IRA account with almost any brokerage account. But they don’t all offer the same selection of investments to choose from. Some brokerage firms also offer more help creating your portfolio, and some charge higher (or lower) fees.

That’s why we suggest thinking over the type of investor you are before you open a Roth IRA. Do you want help creating your portfolio? Or do you want to select individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs and create your own?

Always check for investing fees as you compare firms, and the types of investments each account offers. We did some basic research for you to come up with a list of the best brokerage firms to open a Roth IRA.

$0 per trade
$0 mutual fund
$0 set up
0.25% – 0.40% account balance annually

Get Started

Summary

Opening a Roth IRA is a great idea if you want to avoid taxes later in life, but you’ll want to start sooner rather than later if you hope to maximize this account’s potential. Remember that all of the money you contribute to a Roth IRA can grow tax-free over time. Getting started now lets you leverage the power of compound interest to the hilt.Before opening a Roth IRA account, compare all of the top online brokerage firms to see which ones offer the investment options you prefer at fees you can live with. Also consider which firms offer the type of help and support you need, including the option to have your portfolio chosen for you based on your income, your investment timeline, and your appetite for risk.

Good Financial Cents, and author of the personal finance book Soldier of Finance. Jeff is an Iraqi combat veteran and served 9 years in the Army National Guard. His work is regularly featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Inc.com and Entrepreneur.

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Source: goodfinancialcents.com

10 Financial Steps to Take Before Having Kids

February 10, 2021 by Liam Lane Posted in Life Hacks Tagged 401(k), Auto, away, budget, Budgeting, Buy, Buying, College, Compound Interest, Credit, Credit Card, Credit Card Debt, Debt, Debts, Education, Emergency Fund, Family, Featured, Fees, Finance, Financial Goals, Financial Plan, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, government, Grow, Health Insurance, Home, How To, hsa, Insurance, Interest Rates, invest, investments, IRA, Life, Life Insurance, Loans, Make, Manage Money, money, Mortgage, News, Personal, personal finance, planning, Popular, Raising a Family, Refinance, refinancing, Retirement, retirement planning, retirement savings, Roth IRA, Salary, save, Saving, savings, Savings Account, School, Spending, Student Loans, tax, tax credit, Taxes, Travel

average of $233,610, and that’s for each child. This figure doesn’t even include the cost of college, which is growing faster than inflation.

CollegeBoard data found that for the 2019-2020 school year, the average in-state, four-year school costs $21,950 per year including tuition, fees, and room and board.

Kids can add meaning to your life, and most parents would say they’re well worth the cost. But having your financial ducks in a row — before having kids — can help you spend more time with your new family instead of worrying about paying the bills.

10 Financial Moves to Make Before Having Kids

If you want to have kids and reach your long-term financial goals, you’ll need to make some strategic moves early on. There are plenty of ways to set yourself up for success, but here are the most important ones.

1. Start Using a Monthly Budget

When you’re young and child-free, it’s easy to spend more than you planned on fun activities and nonessentials. But having kids has a way of ruining your carefree spending habits, and that’s especially true if you’ve spent most of your adult life buying whatever catches your eye.

That’s why it’s smart to start using a monthly budget before having kids. It helps you prioritize each dollar you earn every month so you’re tracking your family’s short- and long-term goals.

You can create a simple budget with a pen and paper. Each month, list your income and recurring monthly expenses in separate columns, and then log your purchases throughout the month. This gives you a high-level perspective about money going in and out of your budget. You can also use a digital budgeting tool, like Mint, Qube Money, or You Need a Budget (YNAB) to get a handle on your finances.

Regardless of which budgeting tool you choose, create categories for savings (e.g. an emergency fund, vacation fund, etc.) and investments. Treat these expense categories just like regular bills as a way to commit to your family’s money goals. Your budget should provide a rough guide that helps you cover household expenses and save for the future while leaving some money for fun.

2. Build an Emergency Fund

Most experts suggest keeping three- to six-months of expenses in an emergency fund. Having an emergency fund is even more crucial when you have kids. You never know when you’ll face a broken arm, requiring you to cover your entire health care deductible in one fell swoop.

It’s also possible your child could be born with a critical medical condition that requires you to take time away from work. And don’t forget about the other emergencies you can face, from a roof that needs replacing to a job loss or income reduction.

Your best bet is opening a high-yield savings account and saving up at least three months of expenses before becoming a parent. You’ll never regret having this money set aside, but you’ll easily regret not having savings in an emergency.

3. Boost Your Retirement Savings Percentage

Your retirement might be decades away, but making retirement savings a priority is a lot easier when you don’t have kids. And with the magic of compound interest that lets your money grow exponentially over time, you’ll want to get started ASAP.

By boosting your retirement savings percentage before having kids, you’ll also learn how to live on a lower amount of take-home pay. Try boosting your retirement savings percentage a little each year until you have kids.

Go from 6% to 7%, then from 8% to 9%, for example. Ideally, you’ll get to the point where you’re saving 15% of your income or more before becoming a parent. If you’re already enrolled in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, this change can be done with a simple form. Ask your employer or your HR department for more information.

If you’re self-employed, you can still open a retirement account like a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k) and begin saving on your own. You can also consider a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA, both of which let you contribute up to $6,000 per year, or $7,000 if you’re ages 50 or older.

4. Start a Parental Leave Fund

Since the U.S. doesn’t mandate paid leave for new parents, check with your employer to find out how much paid time off you might receive. The average amount of paid leave in the U.S. is 4.1 weeks, according to a study by WorldatWork, which means you might face partial pay or no pay for some weeks of your parental leave period. It all depends on your employer’s policy and how flexible it is.

Your best bet is figuring out how much time you can take off with pay, and then creating a plan to save up the income you’ll need to cover the rest of your leave. Let’s say you have four weeks of paid time off, but plan on taking 10 weeks of parental leave, for example. Open a new savings account and save weekly or monthly until you have six weeks of pay saved up.

If you have six months to wait for the baby to arrive and you need $6,000 saved for parental leave, you could strive to set aside $1,000 per month for those ten weeks off. If you’re able to plan earlier, up to 12 months before the baby arrives, then you can cut your monthly savings amount and set aside just $500 per month.

5. Open a Health Savings Account (HSA)

A health savings account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged way to save up for health care expenses, including the cost of a hospital stay. This type of account is available to Americans who have a designated high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP), meaning a deductible of at least $1,400 for individuals and at least $2,800 for families. HDHPs must also have maximum out-of-pocket limits below $6,900 for individuals and $13,800 for families.

In 2020, individuals can contribute up to $3,550 to an HSA while families can save up to $7,100. This money is tax-advantaged in that it grows tax-free until you’re ready to use it. Moreover, you’ll never pay taxes or a penalty on your HSA funds if you use your distributions for qualified health care expenses. At the age of 65, you can even deduct money from your HSA and use it however you want without a penalty.

6. Start Saving for College

The price of college will only get worse over time. To get a handle on it early and plan for your future child’s college tuition, start saving for their education in a separate account. Once your child is born, you can open a 529 college savings account and list your child as its beneficiary.

Some states offer tax benefits for those who contribute to a 529 account. For example, Indiana offers a 20% tax credit on up to $5,000 in 529 contributions each year, which gets you up to $1,000 back from the state at tax time. Many plans also let you invest in underlying investments to help your money grow faster than a traditional savings account.

7. Pay Off Unsecured Debt

If you have credit card debt, pay it off before having kids. You’re not helping yourself by spending years lugging high-interest debt around. Paying off debt can free-up cash and save you thousands of dollars in interest every year.

If you’re struggling to pay off your unsecured debt, there are several strategies to consider. Here are a few approaches:

Debt Snowball

This debt repayment approach requires you to make a large payment on your smallest account balance and only the minimum amount that’s due on other debt. As the months tick by, you’ll focus on paying off your smallest debt first, only to “snowball” the payments from fully paid accounts toward the next smallest debt. Eventually, the debt snowball should leave you with only your largest debts, then one debt, and then none.

Debt Avalanche

The debt avalanche is the opposite of the debt snowball, asking you to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first, while paying the minimum payment on other debt. Once that account is fully paid, you’ll “avalanche” those payments to the next highest-rate debt. Eventually, you’ll only be left with your lowest-interest account until you’ve paid off all of your debt.

Balance Transfer Credit Card

Another popular strategy involves transferring high-interest balances to a balance transfer credit card that offers 0% APR for a limited time. You might have to pay a balance transfer fee (often 3% to 5%), but the interest savings can make this strategy worth it.

If you try this strategy, make sure you have a plan to pay off your debt before your introductory offer ends. If you have 15 months at 0% APR, for example, calculate how much you need to pay each month for 15 months to repay your entire balance during that time. Any debt remaining after your introductory APR period ends will start accruing interest at the regular, variable interest rate.

8. Consider Refinancing Other Debt

Ditching credit card debt is a no-brainer, but debt like student loans or your home mortgage can also weigh on your future family’s budget.

If you have student loan debt, look into refinancing your student loans with a private lender. A student loan refinance can help you lower the interest rate on your loans, find a manageable monthly payment, and simplify your repayment into one loan.

Private student loan rates are often considerably lower than rates you can get with federal loans — sometimes by half. The caveat with refinancing federal loans is that you’ll lose out on government protections, like deferment and forbearance, and loan forgiveness programs. Before refinancing your student loans, make sure you won’t need these benefits in the future.

Also look into the prospect of refinancing your mortgage to secure a shorter repayment timeline, a lower monthly payment, or both. Today’s low interest rates have made mortgage refinancing a good deal for anyone who took out a mortgage several years ago. Compare today’s mortgage refinancing rates to see how much you can save.

9. Buy Life Insurance

You should also buy life insurance before having kids. Don’t worry about picking up an expensive whole life policy. All you need is a term life insurance policy that covers at least 10 years of your salary, and hopefully more.

Term life insurance is extremely affordable and easy to buy. Many providers don’t even require a medical exam if you’re young and healthy.

Once you start comparing life insurance quotes, you’ll be shocked at how affordable term coverage can be. With Bestow, for example, a thirty-year-old woman in good health can buy a 20-year term policy for $500,000 for as little as $20.41 per month.

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10. Create a Will

A last will and testament lets you write down what should happen to your major assets upon your death. You can also state personal requests in writing, like whether you want to be kept on life support, and how you want your final arrangements handled.

A will can also formally define who you’d like to take over custody of your kids, if both parents die. If you don’t formally make this decision ahead of time, these deeply personal decisions might be left to the courts.

Fortunately, it’s not overly expensive to create a last will and testament. You can meet with a lawyer who can draw one up, or you can create your own using a platform like LegalZoom.

The Bottom Line

Having kids can be the most rewarding part of your life, but parenthood is far from cheap. You’ll need money for expenses you might’ve never considered before — and the cost of raising a family only goes up over time.

That’s why getting your money straightened out is essential before kids enter the picture. With a financial plan and savings built up, you can experience the joys of parenthood without financial stress.

goodfinancialcents.com

5 Sacrifices to Help You Max Out Your Retirement Account Next Year

February 10, 2021 by Liam Lane Posted in Life Hacks, Retirement Tagged 401(k), big, budget, Buy, car, cars, Credit, Credit Card, Credit Card Debt, Debt, Extra Money, Family, Finance, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, frugal, Frugality, Home, How To, invest, IRA, keep, Life, Lifestyle, Loans, Make, money, Mortgage, Pay Off Debt, Personal, Personal Loans, planning, Retirement, retirement savings, Rewards, Roth IRA, save, Saving, savings, second, Side Hustle, Spending, Travel

Are you at the point where you’re ready to invest more in retirement each month but aren’t quite sure how? Maybe you want to increase your savings rate but the numbers don’t add up. I’ve always said that saving something is better than nothing. If you can’t max out savings like your retirement account, it’s not a big deal and you can always work your way up to this goal year after year. We’ve put together 5 sacrifices to max out your retirement account.

Right now, the maximum contribution limits for a 401(k) is $19,000 and $6,000 a traditional or Roth IRA. This year, I was finally able to max out my retirement account contributions for the first time. I know how it seems like you’d have to fork over a lot of money each year to do the same thing, and that’s because you will. However, you can save enough to max out your retirement for the year and still live a comfortable life.

You may have to make some sacrifices, but they may not produce super drastic changes to your budget or your lifestyle. Here are 5 reasonable sacrifices to help max out your retirement account next year and every year afterward.

Your Car

One thing that you can sacrifice to help you max out your retirement account is your car. While you can probably save a ton of money by not having a car especially if you live in a big city, you don’t have to give up owning a car completely. My husband and I both drive older paid-off cars and we love it. With the average car payment hovering around $400 to $500 per month, that’s a lot of money to fork over each month just to drive.

In fact, $500 per month is all you need to max out an IRA right now since the annual contribution limit for anyone under 50 is $6,000. Since cars depreciate in value so much, it often doesn’t make financial sense to buy a brand new car. Used cars can be paid off quicker and you may even be able to buy a decent used car in cash. From there, you can use that money that you would save by not having a car loan and put it toward retirement savings.

Here are 5 reasonable sacrifices to help max out your retirement account . Click To Tweet

Live in a Smaller Home

My husband and I are sacrificing our dream home right now and I’m totally fine with that. We bought our first home a few years ago when we were 26 and 29 years old. It’s a nice starter home and it’s small. We don’t even have a basement but our family size is small right now so it’s fine. By having a smaller home and making it work, we save a ton of money on our mortgage, maintenance, repairs, and cleaning.

Now, would I love to have more space, walk-in closets or an extra enclosed room to serve as my office? Sure, but it’s not killing me that we live in a 1,300 sq ft home and instead I’m choosing to focus on what I love and enjoy about our home. I love how we have an extra bathroom and a nice fireplace in the family. We always have a decent-sized yard with a wrap-around deck and garden boxes that were already set up when we moved. Even though we are technically ‘sacrificing’ our dream home right now, I know that we will buy it later down the line and I’m content with where we’re at now.

RELATED: 6+ Easy Ways to Save Thousands on Home Repair

Frugal Travel

Some people give up traveling to pay off debt and save more. You don’t have to do this even if you’re willing to make sacrifices to max out your retirement next year. Instead of giving up travel altogether, find ways to make it more affordable so you can go on trips, and still invest generously. This is why I love frugality. Being frugal allows you to get creative and use the resources available to spend wisely on your values and save where you can.

Instead of paying for flights full price, you can wait for sales or sign up for a rewards credit card. Instead of spending tons of money on a hotel, see if you can stay with a friend or relative when you travel or book an Airbnb. Usually, when I travel, I’m not super picky about where I stay so long as it’s clean. I also plan to cook some meals if possible if our accommodations allow it.

I’ll usually book an Airbnb or a suite with full kitchen access so I can prepare breakfast and snacks. You don’t have to dine out for all 3 meals when you travel and breakfast is one of the easiest meals to prepare whether you have full access to a kitchen or not.

RELATED: How to Plan for Budget Travel This Year

Delay Your Gratification

We live in a society where people want everything fast and right now. This often leads to getting items and services before you can pay for them in full. If you want to avoid debt and living above your means, practice delayed gratification regularly and budget for larger purchases instead of financing them.

My husband and I used to have a ton of credit card debt, student loans, personal loans, and car loans. This debt really ate into our disposable income. Even after paying it off, I’ve still been tempted to finance things like furniture and other purchases. I choose not to and to delay my gratification. By simply waiting and planning, I save a lot of money and do a better job of committing to live below my means.

When you slow down on financing purchases and making impulse buys regularly, you’ll find that your budget is not so tight. You may even wind up with thousands extra each year that you can invest.

Your Time

Time is not a renewable asset. Once you use your time, it’s gone. You can never go back or relive a day where you wasted time. Keep this in mind when considering sacrifices to max out your retirement account. However, it should also be motivation to make good use of your time especially when it comes to working and earning extra money. If you’re looking to start maxing out your retirement account, odds are you’re still earning an active income where you’re trading time for money. If you want to earn more or increase your savings rate, you may have to get a second job or a side hustle.

Even if you want to establish a passive stream of income, you’ll need to dedicate time or energy to get that idea off the ground. Of course, sacrificing your time to work is not a waste. You can even make the most of your effort by choosing work that is enjoyable and fulfilling. Or start a side business where you can do things you love and still make good money.

Try to stick to your budget and save your money wisely to make it all worth it in the end. Pay yourself first consistently and remain dedicated to your goal in order to max out your retirement next year and each year afterward.

Source: everythingfinanceblog.com

How I Invest – The Best Interest – My personal investing breakdown

February 10, 2021 by Liam Lane Posted in Home Improvement Tagged 401(k), Buy, car, Debt, earnings, estate, Extra Money, Financial Wize, FinancialWize, front, government, Grow, house, how i invest, index fund, index funds, invest, Investing, investment, investments, IRA, Life, Make Money, market, money, Mortgage, mutual funds, Original, Personal, principal, Purchase, real, Real Estate, Retirement, Roth IRA, Salary, save, Saving, savings, Savings Account, savings accounts, Security, stock market, tax, Taxes, trusts, Vs.

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One of the most common questions I receive from readers like you—especially since Grow (Acorns + CNBC) published my story last week—asks me how I invest.

All this theoretical investing information is fine, Jesse. But can you please just tell me what you do with your money.

That’s what I’ll do today. Here’s a complete breakdown of how I invest, how the numbers line up, and why I make the choices I make.

Disclaimer

Of course, please take my advice with a grain of salt. Why?

My strategy is based upon my financial situation. It is not intended to be prescriptive of your financial situation.

I’ve hesitated writing this before because it feels one step removed from “How I Vote” and “How I Pray.” It’s personal. I don’t want to lead you down a path that’s wrong for you. And I don’t want to “show off” my own choices.

I’m an engineer and a writer, not a Wall Street professional. And even if I was a Wall Street pro, I hope my prior articles on stock picking and luck vs. skill in the stock market have convinced you that they aren’t as skilled as you might think.

All I can promise you today is transparency. I’ll be clear with you. I’ll answer any follow-up questions you have. And then you can decide for yourself what to do with that information.

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Are we clear? Let’s get to the good stuff.

How I Invest, and In What Accounts…?

In this section, I’ll detail how much I save for investing. Then the next two sections will describe why I use the investing accounts I use (e.g. 401(k), Roth IRA) and which investment choices I make (e.g. stocks, bonds).

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How much I save, and in what accounts:

401(k)—The U.S. government has placed a limit of $19,500 on employee-deferred contributions in 2020 (for my age group). I aim to hit the full $19,500 limit.
401(k) matching—My employer will match 100% of my 401(k) contributions until they’ve contributed 6% of my total salary. For the sake of round numbers, that equates to about $6,000.
Roth IRA—The U.S. government has placed a limit of $6,000 on Roth IRA contributions (for my earnings range) in 2020. I am aiming to hit the full $6,000 limit.
Health Savings Account—The U.S. government gives tremendous tax benefits for saving in Health Savings Accounts. And if you don’t use that money for medical reasons, you can use it like an investment account later in life. I aim to hit the full $3,500 limit in 2020.
Taxable brokerage account—After I achieved my emergency fund goal (about 6 months’ of living expenses saved in a high-yield savings account), I started putting some extra money towards my taxable brokerage account. My goal is to set aside about $500 per month in that brokerage account.

That’s $41,000 of investing per year. But a lot of that money is actually “free.” I’ll explain that below.

Why Those Accounts?

The 401(k) Account

First, let’s talk about why and how I invest using a 401(k) account. There are three huge reasons.

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First, I pay less tax—and so can you. Based on federal tax brackets and state tax brackets, my marginal tax rate is about 30%. For each additional dollar I earn, about 30 cents go directly to various government bodies. But by contributing to my 401(k), I get to save those dollars before taxes are removed. So I save about 30% of $19,500 = $5,850 off my tax bill.

Editor’s Note: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that 401(k) contributions are taken out prior to OASDI (a.k.a. social security) taxes. That claim was incorrect. 401(k) contributions occur only after OASDI taxes are assessed.

Many thanks to regular reader Nick for catching that error.

Second, the 401(k) contributions are removed before I ever see them. I’m never tempted to spend that money because I never see it in my bank account. This simple psychological trick makes saving easy to adhere to.

Third, I get 401(k) matching. This is free money from my employer. As I mentioned above, this equates to about $6,000 of free money for me.

Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

Why do I also use a Roth IRA?

Unlike a 401(k), a Roth IRA is funded using post-tax dollars. I’ve already paid my 30% plus OASDI taxes, and then I put money into my Roth. But the Roth money grows tax-free.

Let’s fast-forward 30 years to when I want to access those Roth IRA savings and profits. I won’t pay any income tax (~30%) on any dividends. I won’t pay capital gains tax (~15%) if I sell the investments at a profit.

I’m hoping my 30-year investment might grow by 8x (that’s based on historical market returns). That would grow this year’s $6000 contribution up to $48000—or about $42000 in profit. And what’s ~15% of $42000? About $6,300 in future tax savings.

Health Savings Account (H.S.A.)

The H.S.A. account has tax-breaks on the front (36.7%, for me) and on the back (15%, for me). I’m netting about $1300 up-front via an H.S.A, and $4,200 in the future (similar logic to the Roth IRA).

Taxable Brokerage Account

And finally, there’s the brokerage account, or taxable account. This is a “normal” investing account (mine is with Fidelity). There are no tax incentives, no matching funds from my employer. I pay normal taxes up front, and I’ll pay taxes on all the profits way out in the future. But I’d rather have money grow and be taxed than not grow at all.

Summary of How I Invest—Money Invested = Money Saved

In summary, I use 401(k) plus employer matching, Roth IRA, and H.S.A. accounts to save:

About $7,100 in tax dollars today
About $6,000 of free money today
And about $10,500 in future tax dollars, using reasonable investment growth assumptions

Don’t forget, I still get to access the investing principal of $41,000 and whatever returns those investments produce! That’s on top of the roughly $25,000 of savings mentioned above.

I choose to invest a lot today because I know it saves me money both today and tomorrow. That’s a high-level thought-process behind how I invest.

How I Invest: Which Investment Choices Do I Make?

We’ve now discussed 401(k) accounts, Roth IRAs, H.S.A. accounts, and taxable brokerage accounts. These accounts differ in their tax rules and withdrawal rules.

But within any of these accounts, one usually has different choices of investment assets. Typical assets include:

Stocks, like shares of Apple or General Electric.
Bonds, which are where someone else borrows your money and you earn interest on their debt. Common bonds give you access to Federal debt, state or municipality debt, or corporate debt.
Real estate, typically via real estate investment trusts (REITs)
Commodities, like gold, beef, oil or orange juice

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Here are the asset choices that I have access to in my various accounts:

401(k)—my employer works with Fidelity to provide me with about 20 different mutual funds and index funds to invest in.
Roth IRA—this account is something that I set up. I can invest in just about anything I want to. Individual stocks, index funds, pork belly futures etc.
H.S.A.—this is through my employer, too. As such, I have limited options. But thankfully I have low-cost index fund options.
Taxable brokerage account—I set this account up. As such, I can invest in just about any asset I want to.

My Choice—Diversity²

How I invest and my personal choices involve two layers of diversification. A diverse investing portfolio aims to decrease risk while maintaining long-term investing profits.

The first level of diversification is that I utilize index funds. Regular readers will be intimately familiar with my feelings for index funds (here 28 unique articles where I’ve mentioned them).

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By nature, an index fund reduces the investor’s exposure to “too many eggs in one basket.” For example, my S&P 500 index fund invests in all S&P 500 companies, whether they have been performing well or not. One stellar or terrible company won’t have a drastic impact on my portfolio.

But, investing only in an S&P 500 index fund still carries risk. Namely, it’s the risk that that S&P 500 is full of “large” companies’ stocks—and history has proven that “large” companies tend to rise and fall together. They’re correlated to one another. That’s not diverse!

Lazy Portfolio

To battle this anti-diversity, how I invest is to choose a few different index funds. Specifically, my investments are split between:

Large U.S. stock index fund—about 40% of my portfolio
Mid and small U.S. stock index fund—about 20% of my portfolio
Bond index fund—about 20%
International stocks fund—about 20%

This is my “lazy portfolio.” I spread my money around four different asset class index funds, and let the economy take care of the rest.

Each year will likely see some asset classes doing great. Others doing poorly. Overall, the goal is to create a steady net increase.

Updating My Favorite Performance Chart For 2019 — An asset class “quilt” chart from 2010-2019, showing how various asset classes perform each year.

Twice a year, I “re-balance” my portfolio. I adjust my assets’ percentages back to 40/20/20/20. This negates the potential for one “egg” in my basket growing too large. Re-balancing also acts as a natural mechanism to “sell high” and “buy low,” since I sell some of my “hottest” asset classes in order to purchase some of the “coldest” asset classes.

Any Other Investments?

In June 2019, I wrote a quick piece with some thoughts on cryptocurrency. As I stated then, I hold about $1000 worth of cryptocurrency, as a holdover from some—ahem—experimentation in 2016. I don’t include this in my long-term investing plans.

I am paying off a mortgage on my house. But I don’t consider my house to be an investment. I didn’t buy it to make money and won’t sell it in order to retire.

On the side, I own about $2000 worth of collectible cards. I am not planning my retirement around this. I do not include it in my portfolio. In my opinion, it’s like owning a classic car, old coins, or stamps. It’s fun. I like it. And if I can sell them in the future for profit, that’s just gravy on top.

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Summary of How I Invest

Let’s summarize some of the numbers from above.

Each year, I aim to save and invest about $41,000. But of that $41K, about $15K is completely free—that’s due to tax benefits and employer matching. And using reasonable investment growth, I think these investments can save me $15,000 per year in future tax dollars.

Plus, I eventually get access to the $41K itself and any investment profits that accrue.

I take that money and invest in index funds, via the following allocations:

40% into a large-cap U.S. stock index fund
20% into a medium- and small-cap U.S. stock index fund
20% into an international stock index fund
And 20% into a bond index fund

The goal is to achieve long-term growth while spreading my eggs across a few different baskets.

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And that’s it! That’s how I invest. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or drop me an email.

If you enjoyed this article and want to read more, I’d suggest checking out my Archive or Subscribing to get future articles emailed to your inbox.

This article—just like every other—is supported by readers like you.