Death isn’t something that most people want to think about, but it’s inevitable. It can also be expensive. The average funeral that involves a casket, viewing, and burial costs $8,300, while a funeral with a viewing and cremation costs $6,280, according to the latest data from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). Keep in mind these are just median costs for relatively standard services from funeral homes. Other potential death-related expenses, such as buying a cemetery plot and...

While the terms pre-qualification and pre-approval are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings and purposes. Typically, getting pre-qualified is more of a preliminary step to determine the size of a mortgage you could get. Meanwhile, being pre-approved means receiving conditional approval for the loan amount you're going to borrow. Key Takeaways Pre-qualification is typically based on data you submit and is more of a preliminary estimate of the mortgage size you could...

A 529 plan can be a great way to save money for college, as earnings are generally exempt from federal and state income taxes if used for qualified education expenses. However, withdrawals from these accounts for non-qualified education expenses can be subject to taxes plus an additional 10% penalty. Fortunately, this penalty doesn’t apply under certain circumstances, such as when the beneficiary receives some form of tax-free educational assistance. Key Takeaways A 529 plan is a...