Top 10 Personal Finance Articles of the Month — January 2018

Retirement

Roth IRAs Just Became an Even Better Deal for Retirement Savings — Alicia Adamczyk, TwoCents

At the very tail end of 2017, the Republican-controlled Congress passed a sweeping tax bill that, among other things, lowered the top tier tax bracket. As a result of this bill, Roth IRAs — which enable you to pay taxes on your retirement contributions now and take them out tax-free later — may be an even stronger option for young workers. In this piece Alicia takes a closer look at Roth IRAs and how to switch your savings to a Roth account.

Disaster-Proof Your Retirement Plan — Mark Arola, Kiplinger

When it comes to retirement, it can be difficult to know what to expect. Moreover some unexpected changes in circumstances could mean disaster for your retirement savings and your plan overall. That’s why Mark offers some advice on how to protect against two potential retirement derailers: long-term care costs and bear markets.

These 3 Ticking Tax Bombs Could Destroy Your Retirement  — Dan Caplinger, The Motley Fool

Another source of retirement-related stress comes in the form of taxes. Unlike with Roth IRA, traditional IRAs require owners to pay taxes on their withdrawals, taking a big chunk out of what you’ve saved up. Dan takes a look at this dilemma and two other “tax time bombs” retirees could be facing.

Traveling

7 Ways to Balance Work and Travel While on the Road  — Nick Wharton, Wisebread

While most might think of vacations purely as relaxation time, a growing trend finds travelers mixing work with pleasure and conducting business on the road. Of course the abilty to properly “workation” is quite a skill as finding a balance between enjoying yourself and being productive can be difficult. With that in mind, Nick offers a few tips for working remotely while seeing the world.

Get Away in 2018: Planning and Budgeting for Your Next Trip — Kyle Burbank, Money@30

Even though the year has just begun, many of us are already dreaming of our next vacation. Whether you’re eyeing a springtime getaway, a summer cruise, or autumn adventure, planning your trip while sticking to a budget can often be a challenge. Enter Kyle with a few ideas for finding your ideal destination, booking on a budget, and saving money once you arrive.

9 Credit Card Tips to Take With You Overseas  — Chanelle Bessette, NerdWallet

Speaking of saving money, something many credit card holders might not realize is that the foreign transaction fees some cards charge can really add up. Furthermore not all of your cards will enjoy the same acceptance rates abroad as they do here in the States. Becuase of this and much more, Chantelle takes a look at what you should know when looking to bring your credit cards overseas.

Personal Finance Tips

11 Little Things You Didn’t Realize Impact Your Credit Score — Carolyn Steber, Bustle

We all know that there’s a lot of data that goes into calculating your various credit scores. Given this abundance of factors, there can be a few that are easy to forget about until it’s too late. To help, Carolyn highlights a number of activities and errors that can impact your credit.

Move Over, Credit Score – There’s a New Number in Town  —Erin Lowry, Brit + Co

In terms of financial health indicators, your credit score is just one of several numbers that matter. For example, one rarely discussed but extremely important figure is your debt to income ratio. Erin explains what DTI is and what yours says about your finances.

I Switched to an Online Bank Account. Here’s What I Love (And What I Don’t) — Carson Kohler, The Penny Hoarder

As new technologies catch on, we continue to see customers migrate away from traditional banks and toward alternatives like apps and online banks. However, while these new financial institutions offer some strong perks, they also hold a few drawbacks. For his piece, Carson takes a look at these pros and cons as well as how they specifically relate to the online bank Aspiration.

Seven Signs Your Debt is Out of Control (and What to Do About it) — Holly Johnson, The Simple Dollar

Is your debt getting the best of you? Sometimes it may not be clear that your debt is anything more than a nuisance until it really lands you in trouble. Thankfully, as Holly points out, there are a few warning signs to watch out for and some ways to reverse course once you spot them.

Thanks for checking out my top 10 personal finance articles published last month and congratulations to all of the bloggers who made the list. To find more of these great articles on a daily basis, be sure to follow me on Twitter @jondyer9 and of course visit DyerNews.com.