The Social Security Number (SSN) and card issued is an important document which is with you throughout your life, and not just in your retirement. It is needed if you need any benefits (disability benefits, survivor benefits) or if you need a record of your earnings. Losing such an important document need not necessarily put you in a fix since ssa.gov lets you apply for your Social Security card replacement in a hassle free manner. This online facility is available for those living in the District of Columbia and some states (list available online), upon meeting the requirements. If your Social Security card is stolen, right after placing a theft report, contact your local SSA (Social Security Authority) or visit their website to request a Social Security card replacement. Once your card is stolen, it can be misused as using your SSN; one can get other personal information about you and apply for a loan. To prevent theft, keep your card in a safe place and do not carry it with you. Replacing your Social Security card involves simple steps: Fill out form SS-5 (this same form is used to apply for a new card, request a replacement card and to correct information on the card).

Form 1099 is a type of a tax form that is required to report your income for your return. The payer sends the original form 1099 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and a copy of the form to you. There are many different kinds of 1099 used to report different types of income, which are denoted by one or more letters (such as 1099-K or 1099-MISC). Below are a few tips to prepare a free 1099 form for e-filing your tax return. Find a good e-filing service Electronic filing, or e-filing, your 1099 forms with your tax return requires a special file formatting software. This is usually best handled by developers, and it is advisable that you find a good e-filing service to handle your filing of free 1099 forms. There are several online services that allow you to create an account and help you prepare your tax returns, including the free 1099 forms. Apply for e-filing If you want to e-file your tax forms including the free 1099 forms yourself, you must apply to the IRS to let you file electronically. Check the year on the tax forms The forms are changed by the IRS every year and it is essential that you make sure you have the current year’s version.

As with any investment, stocks tend to carry their risks. Many companies, to conserve the surplus funds they have, would limit the number of dividend payments they make. Add to it the volatile market conditions that leave lesser and fewer opportunities for increasing profits. Or rather, fewer possibilities to provide a consistent and steady revenue source, for companies, and in turn for its investors. Some of the risks involved in investing in dividend stocks are as follows: Dividends earned by shareholders are taxed by the Government. So your net income from this investment source would be lesser when you do the right calculations. Companies that are supposedly doing well, may at some point in time, because of various factors – natural or human-made, might collapse and their share prices would slump. This would result in three situations at the same time – depreciate the actual value of your investment, put you in a position where you do not receive any dividends at all, and thirdly, the company might lose shareholders who are interested or even entirely dependent on the dividend payouts. Businesses need to ensure their constant growth, which in turn would result in the non-stop availability of funds, for reinvesting and for bonus payoffs.

As more and more people are entering the retirement phase, saving for retirement has become more important than ever. A pension annuity calculator is a valuable tool that helps one plan for income in retirement. It is an indicator of the amount of money one will receive in payment over a period. Options are provided to choose payments annually or per month. The inflation rate is also taken in to account to provide an idea of what the annuity payout will be worth over time. For a person who is retired or semi-retired, having a steady flow of income is a relief in old age. In fact, annuities are not the only way to plan for retirement anymore. It pays to shop around for annuity before deciding. Some quick facts on annuity and pension annuity calculator that will come in handy: Annuities being a safer bet for retirement planning, buy an annuity when you start your retirement, irrespective of what age. The earlier you retire, the longer the money has to last. This is one of the reasons many Americans choose to be semi-retired in their golden years. While calculating your prospective retirement income, external factors such as interest rates on the investments play a role.

Roth IRA is one of the many retirement investment accounts. This is the one which gives you a tax-free source of retirement income. Here we will discuss why you should choose Roth IRA over all other investment accounts. Tax diversification: You will be allowed to pay income tax on your retirement savings upfront. This will help you not to stick back with a tax bill during retirement when you are not in a condition to pay it. The account owners are mostly allowed to take tax-free distributions in retirement. You can entirely avoid paying taxes on your investment growth. Prepay your retirement tax bill: Usually, you contribute money that you have already paid as taxes on to a Roth IRA. So, if you are in low tax brackets, this will be beneficial for you. Later if you suddenly rise on to high tax brackets, as you already have paid taxes, you will not have to do that again. Tax-free withdrawals in retirement: If you take Roth IRA distributions after the age of 59 and a half, and if the accounts are at least five years old, it will be tax-free. On the other hand, you will have to give income tax on every withdrawal from traditional IRAs and 401(k)s.

The basics of wealth management For those who are deeply involved with creating wealth, there is little time for anything else. And that includes managing the finances they bring in. Wealth managers help them do precisely that. Wealth management is a high-level professional service by individuals or management firms who regulate and control money flow by providing prudent investment advice and making financial plans for the post retirement life of affluent people. They also offer support with accounting and taxation services, and legal paperwork to manage estates, and charge clients specific fees to do all this. Coordinating between the various entities involved here are the accountants, attorneys, insurance officers and the clients themselves is all part of the responsibilities of a wealth manager. Offering advice and consultatory services beginning from how money flow can be increased, to finally settling the assets after a person’s demise according to their will. Everything they do in between, to maintain or increase their cash reserve or assets by way of investments or to supervise credit options, to decide on insurance plans and so on, is taken care of by wealth managers or management firms. There are either designated investment professionals for every customer or a team of specialists working together to handle the finances of one client.

Mortgage calculators are designed to help people who want to buy a home evaluate their monthly mortgage payments. However, there are several kinds of mortgage calculators available in the market. Some help with making the initial payment on the house whereas there are others who help with the bi-weekly or monthly payments. Listed here are the mortgage calculators that are effective. Refinance mortgage calculators : Refinancing is a serious thing that has to be taken quite seriously. It is not as straight forward as it seems and must be cautiously handled. The refinance mortgage calculators are the ones that clients look for to refinance any property should look at. There are various kinds of costs and fees associated with refinancing a house. The basic and preliminary work of the refinance calculator is to look at what the new monthly payment will be. This tool helps you decide whether you want to travel down that path or not. Mortgage qualification calculators : This calculator looks at all the other payments like student education loans, car payments, and credit card debts that a person has and utilizes the fixed rate principal. The mortgage qualification calculators help you analyze and calculate whether you will be eligible for applying for a home loan or not.

Good mortgage lenders offer you good interest rates and better customer service. Going with a reliable and renowned mortgage lender ensures you of snagging your dream home for sure. When compared most of the mortgage lenders have been found to have a few typical and common features. Here is a list of those features that are common to most mortgage lenders: Easily accessible: You may find many local, individual mortgage lenders who might not have more than one branch or office in the state; this can prove to be an inconvenience if you move to another place or state. You can expand your search by searching for lenders who are widely spread and are known in the mortgage industry. It is better to stick with a company that is well rooted than some mortgage lender who is new to the business. Going with a bigger firm make you feel more comfortable than a local mortgage lender who will process only a few loans every month. In this case, bigger is any day a better bet. They are not the middlemen: Mortgage lenders are of three types – direct lenders, mortgage brokers, and lead generators. It is better to approach a mortgage lender directly than go through a mortgage broker otherwise simply a middle man.

When it comes to choosing the best mortgage lenders in the country to borrow money to buy that dream house, there are a few who have held their ground and proved time and again at being the best mortgage lenders in quality as well as service. Scroll down to take a peek at the best mortgage lenders: Bank of America home loans: The unveiling of the Home Navigator System an online tool that is designed to make the whole process of applying for a home loan really simple is what took Bank of America to the top of the list of being one of the best mortgage lenders around. Users can even track their application and submit documents electronically. They also have a scheme called the Affordable Loan Solution Mortgage which allows the home buyers to reduce the amount of money needed for the down payment. Chase Mortgage: Chase offers broad lending options. Customers can pick any mortgage option that would suit their needs like their 15- to 30- year loans, Jumbo loans VA loans, ARM mortgages and more. They also offer online tools for simple and easier loan management. Citi Mortgage: Home ownership Preservation was created by Citi to provide home owners access to counselors that could help to prevent the loss of their home.

Refinancing is nothing but getting a new mortgage to replace your original one. People opt for refinancing only when they get a better interest rate and term. When the first loan is paid off, the second loan is created by forming a new mortgage and throwing out the original one. ‘Is refinancing a good option for everyone?’ The answer to that question could be no. For borrowers who have a good credit score, refinance mortgage can be a good option as it provides the borrower to convert his mortgage from a variable loan rate to a fixed one which will also bring a decrease in the interest rates. This is not an option for borrowers with a low credit score or too much debt as it is a risky process. For any home owner repaying his mortgage is a difficult process. Particularly with the high-interest rates and the unstable economy, it is not as easy to make your mortgage payments. If you ever find yourself in this situation, then you can consider refinancing your mortgage. Ignorance is not bliss in this case; being ignorant if you want to refinance a mortgage can be very risky and can get you into a lot of trouble.

All of us have experienced a drop in our finances. We think of various ways to get out of the situation, but we hit a snag. This is when many people turn to the best balance transfer, which will help them to lower their credit card debt. In case you are stuck in such a situation, don’t panic. Listed below are some of the options available to you: There is nothing like being able to get a balance transfer at this time in order to lower your credit card debt. Paying interest on debts is what puts you in even deeper debt. Best balance transfer cards can help you as most of them come with 0% interest payments for the promotion period. But make sure that you are aware of the balance transfer fee that banks charge you as they may sometimes work out more in favor of the bank than in favor of you. To qualify for the best balance transfer you would need an excellent or good credit, only then can you be eligible to obtain a 0% card. That is a big hurdle that you need to jump over in order to get debt free. The next hurdle would be to get a high credit line on the 0% card to transfer your entire high-interest balance to it.