Mecklenburg Times: News for Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties Real Estate, Development, Construction, and Community News in the Charlotte area and throughout Mecklenburg, Union and Iredell counties

Dear Readers: As you may know, I’m a big champion of financial independence, and the month of March gives me a special opportunity to talk about the importance of women taking control of their finances. Why March? Two reasons.  First, ...

Tagged with: women and money

Dear Carrie: I’ve always been a good saver, and now at 29 with a steady job, I have a fairly sizable savings account. My friends are getting into investing, but it seems like such a risk and makes me uncomfortable. ...

Tagged with: investing

Dear Carrie: I’m an unmarried, 100% disabled veteran. My Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation is my only source of income. Are there any tax-advantaged investment vehicles (besides IRAs) for me to grow my tax-free disability benefits? I have very ...

Tagged with: earned income

Dear Carrie: I’ve heard that, generally speaking, you can get by on 70-80% of your annual income in retirement. Is that really a reliable estimate? — A Reader Dear Reader: A lot of people would certainly sleep better knowing they ...

Tagged with: retirement

Dear Readers: I recently heard an interesting story about a man who expressed his love for his wife in an unusual way. It wasn’t with an extravagant gift or a surprise trip to a tropical island. No, he wrote her ...

Tagged with: love and money

Dear Carrie: I just looked at my health insurance bill, and the monthly premiums are almost as much as my car payment! I’m 23 and in good health. The one time I did need to see the doctor, I still ...

Tagged with: health insurance

Dear readers: Today I’m departing from my usual format to share with you my greatest wish for the new year and the next decade: that as a nation, we will come together to unleash the tremendous power of financial literacy. ...

Tagged with: financial literacy

Dear Readers: If I were to ask couples to name the top three things that keep them together, I don’t imagine that shared knowledge and interest in their finances would make the list. Yet money is often cited as one ...

Tagged with: financial literacy

Dear Readers: It’s hard to believe we’re already in 2020. But rather than lament the passing of time, I like to think of a new decade as a time of renewal — a chance to look at what you’ve accomplished ...

Tagged with: finances

Dear Readers, at the beginning of each new year, I’m filled with a sense of new direction. At the same time, I like to look back at the previous year, evaluate what worked and make a fresh commitment to keep ...

Tagged with: Schwab