Money Matters: 10 Tips for Becoming a Knowledgeable Renter

Posted on May 3, 2017 by The Dunmorean

By Nathaniel Sillin

On the hunt for a new apartment? A move can be an exciting opportunity to explore a new area or meet new people. However, competitive rental markets can make it difficult to find a desirable place on a budget.

Keep these 10 tips in mind to manage the process like a pro. They’ll help you stand out from the crowd, get a good deal, enjoy the neighborhood and manage your rights and responsibilities as a renter.

Talk to Other Tenants. Speak with current or past renters to get a sense for the building and landlord. Ask about the neighborhood, noise, timeliness with repairs and any other pressing questions. Consider looking for online reviews of the landlord as well, and research the neighborhood.
Upgrade Your Application. Go beyond the basic application requirements and include pictures, references, credit reports and a short bio about yourself and whoever else may be moving in. Try to catch the landlord’s eye and show that you’ll take care of the property. You can order a free credit report from each bureau (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) once every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com.
Understand Your Lease. The lease may list the rent amount, terms of the security deposit, guest polices and other crucial details. Read it carefully and ask questions if you don’t understand something. State laws regarding rent control or other regulations can impact your situation as well. If you can afford one, you could hire a lawyer to review and explain the lease.
Negotiate the Terms. You can’t always negotiate lower rent (it’s worth trying), but there may be flexibility when it comes to the security deposit, parking spaces, administrative fees, or the lease’s length.
Learn Your Rights. Protect yourself by learning about your rights as a renter. They can vary by state, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a directory with links to tenants’ rights websites for each state.
Do a Walkthrough. Walk through the apartment with the landlord, look for damages and document anything you find. You’ll thank yourself later when you move out and ask for your full security deposit back.
Consider Renters Insurance. Renters insurance costs about $15 to $30 a month for a policy that covers $50,000 worth of losses. It reimburses you if your belongings are stolen, damaged or destroyed by a covered cause, such as a fire. The insurance also helps pay for legal fees if, for instance, someone sues after getting injured at your home.
Make Your Own Repairs. Prior to signing the lease, ask if you can take on some of the maintenance responsibilities in exchange for reduced rent. You could offer to handle and pay for basic upkeep, such as replacing lights or smoke detectors, and making minor repairs.
Pay Attention to Bills. Evaluate which bills you’ll pay in addition to the rent, such as gas, heat, water, electricity, trash, Wi-Fi or parking. A more expensive apartment that includes these can save you money overall.
Talk to Your Landlord. Hiding financial trouble helps no one. Talk to your landlord and ask for an extension if you can’t make rent. Good tenants can be hard to come by, and your landlord will likely prefer open communication and a late check to being left in the dark.

Bottom Line: Being an informed renter is especially important in a competitive rental market. Take simple steps to improve your rental and money management skills and you’ll benefit for years to come.

Money Matters: Year-End Tax Moves That Could Save You Money

Posted on December 7, 2016 by The Dunmorean

By Nathaniel Sillin

The end of the year is approaching and between visiting friends and family and celebrating the holidays, your taxes may be the last thing on your mind. However, putting off tax preparation until later could be a costly mistake. While tax season doesn’t start until mid-January, if you want to affect the return you file in 2017, you’ll need to make some tax moves before the end of 2016.

You might make this a yearly tradition – while there may be slight alterations in the rules or numbers from one year to the next, many of the fundamentals behind tax-saving advice remain the same.

Sell losing investments and offset capital gains or income. Do you have property, stocks or other investments that have dropped in value and you’re considering offloading? If you sell the investments before the end of the year, you can use the lost value to offset capital gains (profits from capital assets). Excess losses can offset up to $3,000 from ordinary taxable income and be rolled over to following years.

Optimize your charitable contributions. Many people make an annual tradition of donating their time and money to support charitable causes. It’s a noble thing to do and could come with a tax benefit. The value of your donation to a qualified charitable organization, minus the value of anything you receive in return, could offset your taxable income.

Charitable contributions are deductible if you itemize deductions. However, most taxpayers find it best to take the standard deduction – $12,600 for married people filing jointly, $9,300 for heads of households and $6,300 for single or married people filing separately for the 2016 tax year. If it’s best for you to take the standard deduction for 2016 but you think you may itemize your deductions next year, consider holding off until the new year to make the donations.

Defer your income to next year. You might be able to lower your taxable income for 2016 by delaying some of your pay until after the New Year. Employees could ask their employer to send a holiday bonus or December’s commission in January. It could be easier for contractors and the self-employed to defer their income since for them, it’s as simple as waiting to send an invoice.

Don’t let FSA savings go to waste. Employer-sponsored Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) let employees contribute pre-tax money into their FSA accounts, meaning you don’t have to pay income tax on the money. FSA funds can be spent on qualified medical and dental procedures, such as prescription medications, bandages or crutches and deductible or copays.

FSA funds that you don’t use by the end of the year could get forfeited. However, employers can give employees a two-and-a-half month grace period or allow employees to roll over up to $500 per year. Check with your employer to see if it offers one of these exemptions, and make a plan to use your remaining FSA funds before they disappear.

What can wait until after January 1? Procrastinators will be pleased to hear that there are tax moves you can make after the start of the new year.

You have until the tax return filing deadline, April 18 in 2017, to make 2016-tax-year contributions to a traditional IRA. The money you add could offset your income, and you’ll be saving for retirement – a double win.

The maximum contribution you can make is $5,500 ($6,500 if you’re 50 or older) for the 2016 tax year. However, the deductible amount depends on your income and eligibility for an employer-sponsored retirement plan.

Bottom line. Don’t wait for the tax season to start to take stock of your situation and get your finances in order. While there are a few tax moves that can wait, what you do between now and the end of the year could have a significant impact on your return.

Money Matters: Six Ways to Save On Your Next Car

Posted on September 28, 2016 by The Dunmorean

By Nathaniel Sillin

Looking for an eco-friendly subcompact or the thrills that come with a sports car? Perhaps the practicality of a sedan or a spacious SUV better fits your needs? No matter what type of vehicle is calling your name, planning your purchase can help you save as much money as possible.

Consider these six savings tips while shopping for your next car. Whether you’re concerned about upfront, monthly or long-term costs, there’s something here that can help you.

Look for a fuel-efficient car. Buying a hybrid or all-electric vehicle rather than a gas guzzler could help you save money on long-run fuel costs. Plus, state and federal tax credits might give you some additional upfront savings.

If you’re sticking to a fully gas-powered car, you can still save money by choosing a fuel-efficient model. Once you pick a class of car and determine your budget, use the Environmental Protection Agency’s miles-per-gallon rating for each vehicle to estimate and compare the monthly fuel costs.

Compare the long-term costs of different cars. In addition to fuel, consider the long-term costs of maintenance, repairs, insurance, taxes, depreciation, fees and financing.

To help you with the calculations, Kelly Blue Book has a 5-Year Cost to Own tool that lets you compare long-term costs for 2015 and 2016 models. Edmunds’s True Cost to Own® tool does a similar thing for 2010 and newer models.

Buy a “new-to-you” car. Buying a used car rather than the equivalent brand-new model can usually save you money. However, you’ll want to look at each used car on an individual basis. Consider how it feels during a test drive and its history if you can access it.

You may be able to buy a warranty for your used car, or you could purchase a certified pre-owned (CPO) car from a dealership. Dealers inspect CPOs before selling them with a manufacturer’s warranty. If you’re not buying a CPO, you could hire a mechanic to perform a pre-purchase inspection. It’s not a guarantee, but the inspection can help ensure you won’t get caught off guard by any unexpected issues.

With the right deal on a used car, you might be able to buy the car outright instead of financing the purchase. By paying cash, you avoid accruing interest, making monthly payments and worrying about loan-origination fees.

Negotiate the purchase. Most people don’t enjoy haggling with a car salesperson, but even non-confrontational negotiating tactics can help you save money.

For example, once you pick a make and model, you could shop online for available vehicles at nearby dealerships. Reach out to each dealer’s internet sales team and ask for their best total cost, inclusive of taxes and fees.

Take the lowest offer and ask the other dealers if they can beat it. If one of them can, take your new lowest quote and again ask the rest of the dealers to go lower. Keep going until you get a price that works best for you.

You could use the same tactic with dealerships outside your area. However, you may have to travel and pick up the car or pay to transport it.

Another helpful resource is negotiation services like Authority Auto, which negotiates competitive prices on new and pre-owned cars. For a fee, the online service negotiates each part of the process to get you a better deal and take some of the stress out of the car-buying experience and only charge a percentage of what they save you.

Consider leasing instead of purchasing. Taking out a lease is similar to purchasing a long-term rental. You’ll have to return or buy the car at the end of the lease, and you may have to pay fees if you drive too many miles or damage the vehicle.

The lease down payment and monthly payments will be lower than buying the same car outright. However, you can still save money by shopping around and negotiating because the down payment and monthly payments depend on the vehicle’s sale price.

If you like to drive a new car and always want to be under warranty, starting a new lease every few years could make sense. On the other hand, there’s more long-term value in buying if you tend to have a lot of wear and tear on your cars.

Use alternative means of transportation. Forgoing the purchase of a car altogether might not work for everyone, but it’s worth considering if you live in a city or don’t regularly drive long distances. Instead of owning a car, you could get around with a mix of carpooling, public transportation, walking and biking. You could also still have access to a car if you join a car-sharing program or use a ride-sharing app or taxi service.

Bottom line: There are many ways to save money on your next car, and you should almost certainly plan your purchase before signing any dotted lines. Start by researching all your options, including living without a car, buying used and leasing. If you decide to purchase a car, you can compare the long-term cost of different makes and models and save money upfront by haggling with sellers.