Recent articles - Smart MNE

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Here’s a running tally of every story on our site. Don’t know why you’re here, but welcome.

Construction site in the middle of a city with a large crane looming in the background

3 Ways to Invest in Real Estate Without Buying a House

BY Chris Baines

University student in cap and gown dances down a brick pathway

Should You Consolidate Your Student Loans 2022?

Close up on hands reveal an empty wallet as the unseen figure groans

4 Ways the Fed Rate Hike Affects Your Wallet

BY Toni Shindler-Ruberg

Illustrated animation of a blue and yellow house emerging from the groun

Mortgage Guide for First-Time Buyers 2022

BY Austin Delery, CFP

Monkey sitting contemplatively with a human skull on lap

Should You Invest in Meme Stocks?

Two gloved workers hang an abstract painting on a concrete gallery wall.

How Fractional Art Ownership Can Reduce Taxes

Vector image of a family holding an umbrella above their hands while balancing on a giant hand

Guide to Umbrella Insurance 2022

BY Chris Baines

Interior of a 1959 classic convertible car

How Classic Cars Can Be Good Investments

Several series I Bonds fanned out on top of each other.

The Pros and Cons of I Bonds

Overhead view of two people on a date drinking coffee.

8 Hot Summer Date Spots in NYC

BY Celeste Polanco

How Rising Interest Rates Affects Your Investment Strategy

Married couple holding a bouquet look across a field following their wedding.

6 Ways to Save on a Wedding in 2022

Parents carrying moving boxes follow their two children into their new house.

How to Invest to Make a Down Payment on a House 2022

Young business professionals talking to each other in an office space.

Why You Shouldn’t Max Out Your 401(k) in Your First Year

BY Jessica Goedtel, CFP, EA

Vector illustration of employees entering and exiting doorways.

7 Things to Do After You’re Laid Off

A view of rolling mountains in the Western Catskills, partially covered in fog, with a meadow and flowers

Your Guide to a Weekend in the Western Catskills

BY Jessica Goedtel, CFP, EA

Married coupling using a laptop to review their tax filings

“Married Filing Separately” Can Help You Save on Taxes

Young family packing their car trunk for a road trip as son reaches for a toy

How to Save Money on a Road Trip in 2022

Car salesman handing customer car keys

6 Tips for Saving on Auto Loans 2022

Modern home office featuring a wooden desk, chair, and monitor

Work From Home Office Essentials 2022

BY Toni Shindler-Ruberg

Retirement-age couple wearing aprons dancing in a kitchen

Should You Have Both a 401(k) and Roth IRA?

BY Austin Delery, CFP

Surrealist collage of a hand holding a paper heart emerging from a smartphone.

How To Use Stock Gains To Reduce Your Taxes

Business people wearing face masks sit in the business class cabin

5 Ways to Save Big On Business Class 2022

BY Holly D. Johnson

Boxer punching forward against a red background

Here’s Another Strategy to Outperform the Market

Shot of a young family of three facing their new home outside with a sold sign in the window file the father points towards the home

What Is a Jumbo Mortgage 2022?

Overlapping corporate tax documents

How Are Stock Options Taxed?

Broker in a suit celebrating in front of multiple monitors

How do No-Fee Brokers Make Money?

Blonde employee wearing a mask waves through a glass office wall to their coworker

Budgeting Tips for Returning to the Office 2022

Group of business people attempting to leap across a ravine to grab money

All About Implementing a LEAPS Option Strategy

An open leather wallet reveals multiple premium credit cards

How Many Premium Credit Cards Is Too Many?

A person feeling overwhelmed by their options in front of many vending machines

Options for Restricted Stock Vesting Tax Withholding

BY Jessica Goedtel, CFP, EA

Vector illustration of a person paying off student loans leaning against a giant calculator wearing a mortar board cap

Pros and Cons of Paying Off Student Loans Early

Businessman in a suit wearing boxing gloves prepares to outperform the market

Here’s One Strategy to Outperform the Market

Young parents considering whole life insurance play with their two kids on the floor in their living room

Is Whole Life Insurance Worth It?

Vector image of business people pursuing an MBA in finance walk across a book bridging a large gap

Invest in Yourself: Top MBA Programs for Investment Banking

Resignation. businessmen holding boxes for personal belongings and resignation letters.Quitting a job,The big quit.The great Resignation.

How to Save for Retirement When You Fear Layoffs

BY Ryan Lasker, CPA

Retired model, Tyra Banks, waves her hands with the caption, "I'm retired, y'all."

How to Approach Early Retirement Planning

BY Austin Delery, CFP

La Compagnie all-business-class A321neo plane.

My Experience Flying on La Compagnie

BY Matthew Wexler

Illustration of a hand holding ladder as person climbs, profiting off of bond laddering concept

How Bond Laddering Can Increase Your Returns

Woman holds credit card as she debates between Amex Gold vs Delta Gold

Go for the Travel Gold: Amex Gold vs. Delta Gold

Animated person runs from collapsing 3-D bar, representing banks in a recession

How Recession Affects the Banking Industry

Connect with nature in NYC at Prospect Park Brooklyn, Historic Lullwater Bridge on a summer day.

6 Places to Connect With Nature in NYC

BY Celeste Polanco

Montauk Point, Long Island, New York

Spend a Weekend in the Hamptons Guide 2022

BY Matthew Wexler

Yellow yield sign warning drivers of twists in the road representing yield curves

The Yield Curves (Usually) Don’t Lie

Green plant grows from bowl of coins represents learning what is a backdoor Roth IRA and how to fund it

A Guide to the Backdoor Roth IRA

BY Trevor Rosenthal, CPA

Family on their beach during their luxury cruise

These Cruise Lines Bring Luxury Travel Within Reach

BY Holly D. Johnson

Close-up of eye and pyramid on the American dollar bill involved in the new global minimum tax plan

Global Minimum Tax: Definition, Benefits & Impacts

Family wondering how much they can afford to spend on a house touring a home with a real estate agent

How Much Can I Afford to Spend on a House?

Costco travel beings a family of yellow animated minions to a luxury beach vacation

Costco Travel: 4 Tips for Saving on Luxury Vacations

BY Holly D. Johnson

Man wanting to start margin trading shouting, "Somebody lend me some money!"

Margin Trading: What It Is and What You Need To Know

n abstract rendering of a car

How Much Can You Afford to Spend on a Car?

Investment Banker Lamide Elizabeth on how to survive investment banking

5 Tips from a Current Investment Banker to New Investment Bankers

BY Lamide Elizabeth

Blonde boy spending a day alone in NYC hangs out the window of a taxi smiling as he drives across a bridge.

7 Things To Do in NYC Alone

BY Celeste Polanco

Red joker puppet bench presses during his 10-minute workout

10-Minute Workouts You Can Do Between Calls

BY Celeste Polanco

6-figure cash bonus tied in a gold bow.

What’s the Best Use of a 6-Figure Bonus?

Quant Ratings: Are They Really Worth Your Money?

Quant Ratings: Are They Really Worth Your Money?

Passport and airline and hotel credit cards stacked on top of a map.

Are Hotel Credit Cards Worth It?

BY Holly D. Johnson

Man learning how to exercise stock with a cigar in his mouth laughing as a woman places cash on the ntable

When to Exercise Stock Options

BY Austin Delery, CFP

Stickers on the windshield of a car for sale at a used car dealership

Used Car Prices Might be Stabilizing

BY Ryan Lasker, CPA

Two-tier waterfall surrounded by green trees

5 weekend getaways in upstate New York 2022

Futuristic geometrical bull and bear facing off

5 things to do with your money when entering a bear market

Federal Reserve System Fed of USA press conference concept. Microphones TV and radio channels with symbol and flag of US Federal Reserve. 3d illustration

Fed hikes rates by 75 bps, largest increase this century

BY Ryan Lasker, CPA

Internal Revenue Service federal building

Why interns should expect a big tax refund

Man shopping in a supermarket while on a budget. He is looking for low prices due to inflation, standing looking at his phone in front of a row of freezers. He is living in the North East of England.

Inflation Didn’t Peak in April, Runs at 8.6% Annually

BY Ryan Lasker, CPA

Unrecognizable athletic legs during exercising training in a health club.

A Guide to Fringe Benefits

A stock ticker that says “asset allocation”

A guide to 401(k) asset allocation

BY Chris Baines

3 Tips for Diversifying Your Portfolio

Wooden model houses with yellow arrows up.

How to get started in passive real estate investing

BY Yuri Kapilovich, CPA

The 6 top personal finance apps for 6-figure earners

BY Austin Delery, CFP

Close up of a woman's hands as she explores platforms for index fund investing on her phone

Top 5 Brokerage Platforms for Index Fund Investing

Young couple unpacking boxes in Shaker-style kitchen.

Luxury moving tools worth the splurge

BY Celeste Polanco

Two people talking with a mannequin dressform in between them, one wearing a black t-shit and beanie, the other wearing a suit, with the caption, “You feature the back door a lot, don’t you?”

A Step-by-Step Guide to the Mega-backdoor Roth Conversion

Person withdraws paper from an envelope.

How to make the most of your sign-on bonus

BY Austin Delery, CFP

Animated family loads up their already full car, with boxes anchored to the roof.

These States Have the Highest and Lowest Tax Burdens

BY Roger Wohlner

Bottom-up angle of a woman holding a credit card, debating the benefits of Amex Platinum vs. Amex Gold

Amex Platinum vs. Amex Gold Comparison

BY Taylor Medine, CFEI

A young man works out in his apartment using a dumbell

Build your home gym with these 8 items

BY Celeste Polanco

Medical Insurance Concept With Family And Stethoscope On Wooden Desk

How to choose a health insurance plan

Skyline of New York with the Empire State Building

Become a New Yorker in 100 days

BY Celeste Polanco

Homer Simson on the phone chanting, “Sell!”

A guide to tax-loss harvesting

BY Austin Delery, CFP

8 NYC rooftops that are perfect for the summer

8 NYC rooftops that are perfect for the summer

BY Celeste Polanco

A couple sits at a table with their financial advisor.

3 signs you’re ready for a financial advisor

Employee working from home enjoys a more creative employee benefit package than ever before, including things like pet insurance

Top Work Benefits in 2022

Tax forms on a table

How much should I withhold for taxes?

How to save for retirement as an intern

BY Austin Delery, CFP

Man moving to New York walking saying, "Right here is my favorite New York pizza joint"

3 Tips for Landing Your Perfect New York Apartment

BY Celeste Polanco

A character in the movie Hustlers waving a credit card in her hand.

Best premium credit cards in July 2022

Female traveler wearing face mask showing electronic boarding pass on phone to ground attendant at check-in counter at airport terminal during pandemic.

Why High Earners Should Earn Airline Miles

BY Holly D. Johnson

Fran in "The Nanny" saying, "Guess who just got a new job?"

How to make the most of your first paycheck

BY Roger Wohlner

Cropped shot of a couple using their laptop and going through paperwork at home

Do you need life insurance in your 20s?

Businessman standing in the fast moving crowds of commuters. This is entirely 3D generated image.

How to prepare financially to move to a new city

Walter White saying “We are a family” in Breaking Bad.

3 Ways to Help Your Parents Buy a Home

Shot of a group of people toasting with their drinks at a nightclub

The 6 Best Happy Hour Spots in NYC This Summer

BY Celeste Polanco

Yellow paper speech bubble with "HSA" cut out of the middle on a blue background

How To Use Your HSA as an Extra Retirement Account

Man in sling says, “I’m not a freeloader, okay? It’s just that I can’t afford health insurance and I expect it to be free.”

How US Health Insurance Works: The Ultimate Breakdown