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Interest rates, and especially mortgage rates, reflect the economy, as well as consumers’ collective optimism or pessimism. Baby Boomers’ parents lived in post-WWII prosperity when mortgage rates were around 5% – 6%. As Baby Boomers grew into adulthood, we wanted our parents’ mortgage rates, but instead, rates skyrocketed, due to poor economic and foreign policies. […]

Two months of our Blog posts have targeted young people, who (through no fault of their own) are unprepared to face the realities of their own personal financial lives. Over time, a dearth of education leads to a society where nearly half the population ages 55 through 66 have no retirement savings. Worse, perhaps, is […]

A palpable sigh of relief can be heard throughout the land, as Tax Filing Day is again in the rearview mirror. However, an escalating cost of living remains in our faces, as we visit gas stations and grocery stores for life’s necessities, only to return home, and pay our increasing monthly bills. Whatever inflation’s cause, […]

As this Blog gets posted on our website, Tax Filing Day 2024 is behind us. That is not a good reason to put taxes out of your mind for another 11+ months. Instead, since memories are fresh, we will continue our exploration of the process by which we pay our mandated share of income to […]

Not only is April 15 the Due Date for Income Tax filing but April was also designated Financial Literacy Month by George W. Bush in 2003. In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida added financial literacy to Florida’s required curriculum. 35 States now require a course in Personal Finance to graduate, and 28 require a […]

Throughout March, we have been highlighting the need for people to learn more about money while they are young. April, which has now arrived, is designated National Financial Literacy Month. Hardly surprising, as Personal Income Tax Filing Deadline Day occurs in mid-April. While anyone can request an Automatic Extension of time to file, any amounts […]

Despite an earnest effort by California and the current Administration in Washington, D.C., many Americans choose to become self-employed. Two groups are particularly fond of the independent route: young workers and the post-retirement group. For the older group, self-employment offers a route to staying sharp and involved, but for the young, it represents a lifestyle […]

Increasingly, young Americans are opting to join the “gig economy,” rather than working as captive employees for a single employer. Independent workers are variously called self-employed (my favorite term), consultants, contractors, freelancers, and a host of other non-employee descriptors. For them, flexibility with their time and location drives them to operate as “1099 employees,” meaning […]

Americans are woefully uninformed about money, economics, and taxes. No good can come from this, so we at Van Wie Financial are dedicated to improving that situation. Some argue that taxes are boring, complex, and difficult to understand, but others love to talk about (and dream about) money. Too many people are seemingly content to […]