Savings and Investing - North Light Financial Services

Why Retirees Need Good Credit Scores

Why Retirees Need Good Credit Scores Careers & businesses end, but the need to borrow remains. We spend much of our adult lives working, borrowing, and buying. A good credit score is our ally along the way. It retains its importance when we retire. Retirees should do everything they can to maintain their credit rating. A FICO score of 700 or higher is useful whether an individual works or not. For example, some retirees will decide to refinance their home [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-07-20T10:29:28-04:00July 20th, 2017|Personal Finance, Savings and Investing|Comments Off

The Advantages of HSAs

The Advantages of HSAs Health Savings Accounts offer you tax breaks & more. Why do people open up Health Savings Accounts in conjunction with high-deductible health insurance plans? Well, here are some of the compelling reasons why younger, healthier employees decide to have HSAs. #1: Tax-deductible contributions. These accounts are funded with pre-tax income – that is, you receive a current-year tax deduction for the amount of money you put into the plan. Your annual contribution limit to an HSA [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-06-01T10:43:28-04:00May 18th, 2017|Health Insurance, Personal Finance, Savings and Investing|Comments Off

Little Things that May Help Your Retirement Saving

Little Things That May Help Your Retirement Saving Over time, these seemingly small factors could make a major difference. Saving for retirement takes decades and demands the investment of significant amounts of your income. As this major effort unfolds, you should recognize that some subtle factors and seemingly minor decisions could end up making a sizable and positive impact on your financial future. Your investment yield may be less important than the amount you save. Beating the S&P 500 feels [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-05-11T13:13:21-04:00May 4th, 2017|Investing, Personal Finance, Savings and Investing|Comments Off

Active & Passive Investment Management

Active & Passive Investment Management What do each of these terms really mean? Investment management can be active or passive. Sometimes, that simple, fundamental choice can make a difference in portfolio performance. During a particular market climate, one of these two methods may be widely praised, while the other is derided and dismissed. In truth, both approaches have merit, and all investors should understand their principles. How does passive asset management work? A passive asset management strategy employs investment vehicles [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-04-25T10:02:54-04:00April 20th, 2017|Business/Economic News, Investing, Savings and Investing|Comments Off

What Could You Do With Your Tax Refund?

What Could You Do With Your Tax Refund? Instead of just spending the money, you could plan to pay yourself. About 70% of taxpayers receive sizable refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. Just how sizable? The average refund totals about $2,800.1 What do households do with that money? It varies. Last year, consumer financial services company Bankrate asked Americans about their plans for their federal tax refunds. Thirty-one percent of the respondents to Bankrate’s survey said that they would save [...]

By info@northlightfinancialservices.com|2017-04-11T14:21:48-04:00April 6th, 2017|Financial Fitness, Income Taxes, Savings and Investing|Comments Off