Greatvest Tools

You've just gotten a new job. Yay! But now you have to pick out benefits at the new job. Yikes! Our guide to the (often) overwhelming options. Getting a new job is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Maybe it's your first job, or maybe you've upgraded to a better job. Regardless, you're probably balancing the excitement of your new salary with the stress of meeting new performance expectations. That said, the last thing you probably want to think about is choosing your benefits. Yet you're required to make crucial decisions that affect you for the next year within the first 30 days of employment. To make life easier on you, we've put together a simple benefits guide to help you choose your benefits appropriately at that new job. Health-related benefits Medical Medical Insurance is a must-have with your new benefits package. That is unless you're getting them through a spouse or significant other. If not, this is usually the first thing you...

Grace periods are a holdover from another era -- but understanding them is key to managing consumer debt. Learn how to time your purchases and save big. Maybe you've just gotten your first credit card, or maybe you've had one for a while, but aren't yet sure how to use it. Regardless, there are some important things you need to understand -- particularly in the fine print. According to this 2013 CARD Act report, a majority of consumers often misunderstand grace periods. By understanding grace periods, you can avoid unnecessary interest charges, and exploit the billing cycle to get more time to pay off big-ticket items. What are grace periods? A grace period is the time between the end of a billing cycle (also known as a "statement date") and the day your payment is due. During this time, no interest accrues to your outstanding balance -- so long as you pay the balance off the balance in full by the due date. If you don't, then the grace period no...

Even when you have insurance, you're not always covered. An unexpected surgery, outpatient procedure, or ER visit may come with unforeseen medical bills. Nearly a third of Americans have gotten a medical bill they didn't expect. For 43 million Americans in 2014, these and other bills led to medical debt reported to the credit bureaus, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How do you deal with a surprise medical bill you didn't expect (and might not even understand)? 1. Review the bill carefully and check for mistakes Hospital billing departments handle a lot of data. It's surprisingly common for bills to have errors. Around eight out of 10 hospital bills contain mistakes. You may be billed for a service or procedure you didn't actually receive. Your bill may have the wrong date, or the provider might have inaccurate insurance information for you. Even for treatment you did receive, the charges for specific items sometimes seem unu...

As a student, you've got tuition bills and not a lot of income. Fortunately, you've also got access to a range of tax credits. Tax benefits for students. No one ever complains about getting tax breaks. For busy, hardworking students, taking advantage of the tax benefits available can go a long way. Taxes can be a complicated subject to follow, which is why it's best to focus on one area of your tax situation at a time and choose a reliable tax professional or software system to help you file if you are confused about any of the basics. If you are a student and need to file taxes this year, be sure to keep these tax benefits in mind and see if you qualify. The American Opportunity Credit The American Opportunity Credit is an education-related tax credit available to students who are enrolled in an accredited university, college, vocational school. This particular credit applies only to college students who are in their first four years of post-sec...

Taxes are hard enough, when it comes time to do yours, you shouldn't be paying more than you have to. TaxAct offers a simple tax service for a fraction of the cost. It's almost April, and you know what that means -- you're quickly running out of time to get your tax done and filed. As you may have learned in years past, purchasing tax prep software is not cheap. Worse yet, you often end up paying more than you expect because certain fees and "required upgrades" don't materialize until you're ready to file. Of course, few of us would opt for the alternative: Doing our own taxes with paper and pencil. Tax software is money well-spent, even for simple returns. Not only does software save you time preparing your return, it saves you a trip to the post office and allows you to file electronically -- meaning you'll receive any refund due that much faster. That doesn't mean, however, you should pay more for tax prep than you absolutely n...

Getting ready to start making payments on your student loans? Here's our step-by-step guide to organizing your student loans, so you never miss a payment. Do you have multiple student loans? For many borrowers, the biggest student loan headache isn't coming up from with the money but keeping track of the repayment schedules. Between federal and private loans, undergraduate and graduate loans, subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and more loan varieties, you might forget what you owe whom...not to mention the different monthly deadlines. Too much confusion can have consequences. University debt collectors have seen students fall behind on repayment because they mistakenly thought separate loan payments were combined. An ounce of prevention can head off repayment snag and give you piece of mind. No matter how many different loans you've got on your plate, there's a way to organize them. Start with a spreadsheet Even if you're not a natural-born organizer,...