The Emergency Fund

If you were faced with an emergency, would you have the funds to cover it? Emergencies may vary from needing a new roof for the house to unemployment. An emergency fund with cash and cash equivalents in low-risk investments provide easy access to money should you need it. For more information on how much you should have in your emergency reserve, read this Financial Strategy.

What to Do if You Cannot Pay Your Taxes

If you owe taxes this year and cannot afford to pay the full amount, there are options that you can take to ensure that you will not incur late filing penalties. The best option is to pay as much as you can by the deadline. While you will still incur late payment fees, you will not be penalized for filing late. For more information about this option and to learn more about the possibility of an Installment Agreement, read this C.P.A Insight.

Municipal Bonds

Municipal bonds are issued by a city or other local government, such as counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and hospitals and any other state government entities. Also known as “munis,” municipal bonds are attractive to many investors within taxable accounts, because the interest income is exempt from federal income tax, and in many cases, state and local taxes as well.

Your Credit Report is Important

Your credit score is usually based on the FICO model that weighs reported credit activity in five categories, which consist of payment history, debt-to-credit ratio, length of credit history, new credit applications and types of credit used. For more information on how your credit score is used and how your credit activity is ranked, read this Financial Strategy.