Appreciate Finance Blog
College decisions, refinancing and knowing about finances
Here we are in August of a long summer where most of us have not been able to take big vacations. Hopefully we've been able to get away and take road trips, somehow finding rest and relaxation without the usual options that we have. Our family has traveled around the...
Did your child’s college issue you a refund due to the COVID-19 Pandemic?
If so and if the funds you used for the payment came from a 529 plan, you may have to re-contribute the money to avoid being taxed and penalized. *Note: This article is about a specific 529 program but the information applies to all of them. Due to the COVID-19...
Do you have a Solo 401k?
You must file form 5500 by July 31st if the balance in the account was more than $250,000 Dec 31st of 2019. If you have a 401K and manage it yourself, the Form 5500 Series is an important compliance, research, and disclosure tool for the Department of Labor, a...
Do you have unclaimed property?
If you think you, or someone you know, may have unclaimed property, you may want to view this link. California's Unclaimed Property Law requires corporations, businesses, associations, financial institutions, and insurance companies (referred to as "Holders") to...
Best way to pay off credit card debt
By Kevin Gibbons For the past eight years, we’ve used the “snowball” approach in helping clients create a plan to pay down their credit card debt. In this method: You pay the minimum required on all your debts, except for the one with the lowest balance. For that one,...
Philanthropy in the time of coronavirus
As unemployment claims pass 40 million and the anxious people who file them grow more desperate, an altruistic instinct has emerged among those who are more financially secure. But the sheer breadth of the pain is almost overwhelming, and the appeals are everywhere....
Cyber Security 101: Online Safety Tips
Staying Safe Online The internet has become an essential part of our daily lives. During this global pandemic, we have come to appreciate and rely more on the many products and services that we can access online for both our personal and work lives. It is more crucial...
Four people to never take financial advice from
Unsolicited or unprofessional financial advice might seem harmless enough, but blindly following it can send you down a scary path if things don’t go right. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you by avoiding taking money advice from these four types of amateur...
Security tip: How to locate and erase a missing Android phone
If you have an Android phone, smart watch or other device you want to be able to track and find in case it is lost or stolen, you will want to read this article. A great security feature is that you are able to erase everything on your phone, if necessary, remotely....