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If ESG factors are important to you, doing some homework before you choose where to invest your money is key. Remember that financial advisors are a great resource for identifying responsible investment targets. They can provide guidance and in-depth information you may not have access to, including how to diversify your portfolio to make the biggest impact.
So, what is that 13%? The 13% is called an effective tax rate, which is the percentage of taxable income that you actually pay in taxes. To calculate this more easily, divide your total tax owed (line 16) by your total taxable income (line 15) on your Form 1040. The charts below can help give you an idea of what you owe.
Remember that financial education is an ongoing journey. Each of these books adds a unique perspective to your personal finance bookshelf; together, they form a wide-ranging collection to guide you on the way toward achieving financial well-being. Visit your local WaterStone Bank branch to speak with a banker and find out how we can assist you on your financial journey.
FAFSA for the next academic year becomes available on October 1. So, if your student is a rising senior and plans on attending college beginning with the 2025 fall semester, FAFSA will become available on October 1, 2024.
To get started, one parent and the student must both create FSA ID usernames and passwords, which they will use to sign in. Students must also create a save key, a temporary password that enables them to return to partially completed FAFSA forms.
After your application is processed, the student will receive a Student Aid Report. It is important to review this to ensure your information is correct and complete. Students typically receive federal, state and scholarship aid offers from schools in the winter and spring. studentaid.gov has great resources for understanding and comparing aid offers and what they mean for financing education.
Building wealth is a long-term goal: Earning interest and making wise investments puts your money to work for you behind the scenes, while you go on about your life. Strategic financial habits will help you pave the way and weather setbacks on your way to achieving financial success. Visit your local WaterStone Bank branch to speak with a banker and learn how you can start taking steps to building wealth.
The journey to financial well-being begins with setting clear, attainable goals. These objectives will not only provide a roadmap for financial success but are also the building blocks for future stability. This two-part post covering short- and long-term financial goals begins with five actions that will set you up for financial success in the new year and beyond.
Develop a detailed monthly budget that accounts for all your income and expenses. Consider fixed expenses such as rent or mortgage payments, as well as variable expenses, such as grocery and food costs.
Identify a short-term objective to save for, such as a vacation or a new electronic device. Working toward and achieving smaller goals can prove a sense of accomplishment and help you practice disciplined financial habits that lay the groundwork for greater aspirations, such as purchasing a house.
One component of doing taxes that can be particularly confusing is the concept of tax deductions. A tax deduction is an expense that you can subtract from your income, reducing the amount you pay in taxes. Tax deductions lower your taxable income, helping you save money.
How much money did you spend in 2023? Take a close look at all your accounts, expenses and bills to get a clear picture of how you allocated your spending. Did you take a bucket list vacation, funnel money into a college savings account, tackle a home improvement project, or just go out to eat a couple of times a week?
Once you have a solid understanding of your 2023 finances, see where you can adjust for 2024. That could mean spending less in certain areas of your life, increasing your regular contributions to a retirement account, or saving for a big purchase, like a new car.
How did you stack up this year? Did you max out your contributions? Are you at least contributing as much as the employee match? If you can afford to, try to increase your monthly contribution next year. Also, look at allocations; are you satisfied with the ratio of stocks and bonds?
Many employee benefit plans also offer health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA). Did you put any money into these accounts? How much of that money did you use, and what did you use it for? Remember: HSA contributions do not expire, but money in FSAs must be used by the end of the year.
April 15 will be here before you know it. Get ahead of the game by identifying any life events like marriage, divorce, births, deaths, and retirement that could affect your withholding status. An accountant can help you review any taxable transactions, deductible expenses, charitable gifts and more that might impact your taxes.
Last but not least, examine your insurance policies and coverage. Are you getting the most out of your policies? Are they still worthwhile? Is your coverage sufficient for your needs? As with estate planning, this is a good time to make sure your beneficiaries are up to date.
Things like music to listen to, perfumes to smell, food samples to taste, etc. all enhance the senses and create a sense of urgency and desire. This sensory appeal helps people connect with individual products and encourages them to spend more.
Every Thanksgiving table has the standards: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and more. Before you head to the store to stock up, take a close look at your recipes and which ingredients you already have in your pantry. Do you need more cinnamon, or is there a jar hiding in the back of the pantry? Avoiding superfluous spending will help you stay on budget.
A big meal like Thanksgiving usually results in a lot of leftovers. Reduce food waste by sending leftovers home with guests, creating a casserole with your favorite dishes, adding fruits to muffins and oatmeal, and so on. The possibilities are endless, and there are countless recipes online to help you craft a delicious Thanksgiving leftover recipe that just might become a yearly mainstay.
HELOCs are lines of credit that can have fixed or variable interest rates. You may access funds and make interest payments for a specific period of time (usually around 10 years); after that period of time ends, a repayment period begins, during which you may no longer access the funds.
The WaterStone Bank home equity line of credit has no minimum requirements on transactions, allowing you to spend what you need, when you need it. Easier access to your funds means greater financial control, coupled with flexible payment options.
Phone scammers call claiming to be from a legitimate business and ask you to take action. They may request an additional payment so that an essential service, like your power, remains on. Or, they may call and ask you to verify a code that was sent to you via text message from a legitimate business.
Remember, WaterStone Bank will never call or email you directly and ask for your personal information. If you have questions or believe you may have fallen victim to a scam, please call our Customer Support Center at (414) 761-1000, or visit your local branch immediately. For more security tips and additional resources, visit wsbonline.com.
Reviewing your bills after the holidays can be a bit of a gut-punch. You may find yourself a little strapped for cash in the new year, but planning now will help ease the blow later. Plan to take it easy in the new year by eating in, planning at-home date nights and other inexpensive but enjoyable activities. Your presence is the present!
VA loans come straight from the Department of Veterans Affairs and are offered exclusively to U.S. veterans, active-duty military and, in some cases, surviving spouses. Borrowers must provide a certificate of eligibility and meet other qualifications.
The type of loan that is best for you depends on your financial situation, like how much money you can put down on your house, what amount you prequalify for, your credit score and much more. Meet with our Residential Mortgage Loan Officer, Peter Salamone, to learn more about the right option for you. Give him a call at 414-459-4579 or email him at peters...@wsbonline.com.
Many people use a computer on a daily basis for a variety of tasks such as online banking, working, and storing sensitive information. Recently, scammers and hackers have been intensifying their methods of obtaining your information fraudulently, making it harder to recognize before you become a victim. Staying vigilant online and being aware of certain scam tactics allows you to effectively protect your personal information, computer, and finances.
A virus is a small piece of malicious software that is connected to real programs or e-mail attachments. Viruses are virtually undetectable until the user downloads and opens the attachment. The computer becomes infected very quickly -- sometimes without the user even knowing, and all the data stored is now visible to the hacker.
Malware is a certain type of virus that performs a variety of unwanted functions on the user's computer when infected. When malware is downloaded, pop-up ads may be shown, your e-mail may be spammed with unsolicited messages, and your internet activity may be logged and recorded for the hacker to discern.
Ransomware is similar to malware in the sense that it can be unknowingly downloaded onto a computer by opening unsolicited e-mail attachments, downloading pirated software, or even viewing websites with embedded malware. Once ransomware is downloaded, the stakes intensify as it loads an encryption code onto the computer, ultimately locking access to either certain data or the computer itself. The hacker responsible will not remove the encryption until a ransom fee is paid. Businesses with weak cybersecurity systems continue to be the highest target of ransomware attacks, resulting in temporary or permanent loss of sensitive information, as well as extensive financial losses.
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