Mortgage Interest Deduction

Mortgage Interest Deduction – what is it?  if you’re a first-timer, or haven’t owned a home yet, you may wonder if it applies to you. This term has been splashed across the front pages of many media outlets. What is it and what does it mean for today’s homeowners?  The “mortgage interest deduction”, or MID, [...]

How Long Should I Keep This Junk?

I’m SUCH a purger of unnecessary stuff at home, and it’s pretty exciting to recycle or shred a ton of old paperwork – check out these recommendations on how long to keep important documents: -Tax Returns: 7 years This includes, but is not limited to, W-2 and 1099 forms, mortgage interest statements, property tax records, [...]

Declutter Your Financial Life

Misplaced bills, late payments and forgotten invoices can cause plunging credit scores, penalties and unnecessary stress. Protect your money—and prevent a headache—by ringing in the New Year with a resolution to organize your finances. File as you go. It’s tempting to stack mail and other documents in an “I’ll get to it later” pile – [...]

Considering Becoming a Landlord?

When we looked into purchasing rental property in 2000, we had no idea what we were doing, or how to go about it. We were nervous that being landlords would put us in an early grave due to stress, or at least cost us tons of money. We knew if we could keep up the [...]