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Mar

2025

Understanding ACH Fees: Comparing ACH Cost to Other Payment Methods

By Ashley Kilroy | Budgeting & Goals, Financial Independence, money | Comments Off

ACH payments (or ACH transactions or transfers) move funds between financial institutions electronically, eliminating the need for cash, paper checks, and credit card networks. As with most banking transactions, they can involve a range of costs, which are typically competitive with other payment methods.

The exact amount you end up paying for an ACH transaction will depend on multiple factors, such as the way you use the ACH network and the size of your payments. In many cases, these fees will apply if you are a business owner vs. a consumer. Read on to learn more about how ACH pricing works and compares to other payment methods.

What Is an ACH Transfer?

First things first: ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, the network that powers electronic financial transactions. It’s a hub that includes around 10,000 financial institutions and can support payment processing, such as direct payments, electronic checks (eChecks), electronic funds transfers (EFTs), direct debits, and direct deposits. When considering payment apps, like PayPal and Venmo, know that ACH powers those as well.

ACH transfers work similarly to other payment methods. Take your monthly internet bill, for example. If you signed up for autopay, you had to provide your checking account details. You also needed to agree to a scheduled payment.

After the sign-up, your internet provider requests funds from your bank to pay for the cost. From there, your bank processes the ACH transaction as long as you have enough funds. (It’s worth mentioning that ACH payments are quite secure, but there is fraud out there. ACH Positive Pay offers one way to protect yourself if you are concerned about scammers.)

ACH transfers require an initial setup. Following that, you can make bank-to-bank payments using the ACH network. These payments generally fall into two categories: ACH credit and ACH debit. Either way, you may wonder how long an ACH transfer takes. They usually clear within a few business days and for a relatively low cost.

Typical ACH Payment Fees

As a consumer, you may not pay for ACH processing, though some providers may try to pass along a service charge. In some cases, using ACH may even earn you a discount. For instance, if you automate a home loan payment for a certain date every month, you might be rewarded with a discount on your rate.

However, as a business, you will likely have to spend a bit to conduct ACH business. The usual ACH transfer cost is $0.26 and $0.50, typically landing at $0.40. This means that ACH payments are one of the more affordable options for businesses, although prices may vary depending on the provider you choose to process your payments. That provider is usually known as a third-party payment processor (TPPP).

Here are some standard ACH fees you should be on the lookout for if you accept these payments.

Account Fee

The ACH account fee covers a broad array of costs. It essentially pays for the services needed to manage a payment processing account. These include recording a monthly statement, compliance costs, system maintenance, and transaction monitoring. Generally, your service provider or processor will collect this fee.

ACH Processing Fees

The ACH processing fee covers the expense to send an ACH payment to the recipient’s bank account after going through the Automated Clearing House network. ACH processing fees break up into three categories: debit, credit, and discount, which you’ll now learn about individually.

Debit Fee

The debit fee pays for a customer to make an ACH debit payment to a business. As mentioned above, this ACH debit fee typically costs between $0.20 and $1.50. The charge depends on the risk of the transaction and the type of business.

Credit Fee

ACH credits come into play when a business makes a payment to a third party, vendor, or employee. It’s similar to a debit fee in terms of cost, meaning between $0.20 to $1.50, and it pays for the transaction to be sent through the ACH network.

Higher-risk businesses (which may cluster in certain fields, from financial and travel services, to auctions and tobacco-based businesses) may face an additional charge as well. This can bring the fee to around 0.5% to 1.5% of the payment. In part, this reflects the fact that ACH credit payments tend to be worth a higher dollar amount than ACH debit transactions. As a result, an ACH credit payment is a greater risk for the merchant services provider.

Discount Fee

The name “discount fee” may be misleading for people just learning about ACH charges. It has no connection to discounted prices. Instead, it’s a fee that applies to certain high-risk ACH transactions based on a percentage. With it, payment processors can increase the cost of the service and lessen the risk of the payment.

Other ACH Fees

There are other fees you should know about with ACHs. Because when it comes to paying for financial services, no surprises is often the best policy.

Setup Fee

In some cases, your payment processor may charge you for setup. This one-time fee can be waived sometimes, though; it’s worth inquiring. You’re most likely to be able to avoid the fee if ACH processing comes as an add-on service to another arrangement you’ve made. Alternatively, you can reduce costs by working with a business that does not collect this setup charge.

Monthly Fee

Those who use ACH may also face a unique monthly fee along with processing charges. However, some may be able to pay both fees wrapped into the monthly fee. Usually, this fee costs anywhere from $5 to $30.

Monthly Minimum Fee

This may sound like the monthly fee we just described above, but there may indeed be a monthly minimum fee as well. This is a minimum processing charge that could be assessed in addition to your regular monthly charge. Or it might replace that monthly fee.

Batch Fee

ACH files can contain one or more groupings, called batches. Batches contain one or multiple transactions, and they are sorted based on certain clusters of data. When your ACH transfers are batched in this way, you are charged a batch fee. It’s assessed per each batch processed and is typically under a dollar per batch.

ACH Return Fee

Returning an ACH transfer is possible. However, it usually comes with an ACH return fee that costs between $2 to $5 per transaction.

ACH Chargeback Fee

Customers use chargebacks to dispute what they believe are erroneous payments. This process comes with a chargeback fee, and it’s typically higher than fees for ACH returns. The ACH chargeback fee tends to cost between $5 and $25.

High Ticket Surcharge

The original intention for ACH fees was to apply them to low-ticket (that is, not too pricey) purchases. As a result, there’s an additional charge added for high-ticket transactions. You’ll find that payment processors likely charge a surcharge on purchases over $5,000.

Expedited Processing Fee

You may need expedited processing for an ACH transfer. Depending on the payment processor, this service can come with an additional charge.

Comparing ACH Fees to Other Payment Methods

When it comes to electronic transactions, you may find that different techniques can sound quite similar. However, processes vary, and so too can fees. Here’s what you need to know about the fees associated with other payment methods.

ACH vs Wire Transfer

Wire transfers are transactions between two financial institutions where each is responsible for verification. In a wire transfer, a bank sends money from one account into another. This process can take little or virtually no time when it occurs within the same bank. However, if the money must transfer between distant or international banks, it can take a bit longer, but it is often viewed as one of the quickest ways to make a payment.

While this can be a fast method, it’s also costly, often averaging between $25 to $45 when sending money and around $15 when you receive funds in this way. As a result, wire transfers may be best for one-time, large payments.

ACH vs Paper Checks

Paper checks are the traditional route for payment processing and may work well if you want to transfer money between banks in a way that avoids electronic transactions. But the overall cost can vary depending on the business’s size, where the checking account is located, and timing.

It’s not unheard of for banks or financial institutions to offer free checking accounts to small businesses. They may even throw in checks at no additional cost. These two selling points, along with low monthly fees, can make paper checks an incredibly cheap financial method.

However, experiences vary. The financial institution may offer a free checking account, but only if the business maintains a certain minimum balance. Not only that, but monthly fees and the time spent filling out or processing checks can be costly. According to NACHA, sending money via a check results in a cost between $2 and $4 per transaction.

ACH vs Credit Card and Debit Cards

Credit cards are a standard payment method, particularly for businesses collecting online payments. All the cardholder has to do is use their card to purchase the business’ goods or services. When they do, the credit card network verifies that the payer can indeed afford to do so. This is why credit card transactions are considered “guaranteed funds” payments. ACH doesn’t do this vetting during processing, which means transactions can be rejected. Thus, they may result in a penalty fee. Debit cards are another convenient way to pay. A person swipes or taps their card to pay, and funds are automatically deducted from their account.

ACH processing is relatively slow compared to credit card processing. But ACH pricing is lower than credit card and debit fees.

ACH vs Online Invoice with Pay Link

If a vendor includes an easy, clickable payment link in an online invoice to customers, that convenience can trigger fees. In terms of processing, this is likely to cost up to 3.3% of the transaction’s total, and you may also pay a 15- to 30-cent fee for each transaction.

ACH vs PayPal

Now, let’s consider how processing via PayPal stacks up. In the U.S., PayPal fees range from 1.9% to 3.49%, depending on whether the transaction was in-store or online, and then there’s an additional fee per transaction, ranging from $0.09 to $0.49. International transactions will be assessed an additional fee. If you use a QR code with your PayPal transactions, you can lower the cost somewhat.

ACH vs Apple Pay Fees

Apple doesn’t assess a fee from merchants to accept and use Apple Pay for payments, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting a freebie. You will have to pay your processing partner at the standard rates for credit- and debit-card transactions.

The Takeaway

Businesses and individuals alike rely on ACH transfers to process transactions. And there’s a reason for it: These digital payments are quick, convenient, and accessible. ACH transfers also have the benefit of being a lower-cost option compared to methods like wiring funds and some other common techniques. Finding the right way to pay bills and collect payments is a personal decision, with many variables. Money matters, of course, but there may be other benefits to consider as well.

When it comes to your personal banking, finding the right partner is equally important.

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FAQ

Do ACH payments have fees?

Yes, ACH payments come with fees. However, these are generally the lowest fees versus any other payment processing option.

Why do banks charge ACH fees?

Banks charge ACH fees to cover the processing service and potential costs, like penalty fees.

How do you avoid ACH fees?

Since ACH fees vary, the best way to avoid them is through research. Reading terms ahead of time can help you find whether a provider is the right option for you. In general, accessing ACH through a third-party can drastically increase the number of fees.

Do US banks charge for ACH transfers?

As a customer, ACH transfers are typically free, and your bank doesn’t collect a fee. As a business conducting ACH transactions, however, you might be charged a fee for an occasional ACH transaction. It’s more likely, however, that if you are completing these transactions regularly that you will work with and pay a third-party payment processing company rather than your bank.

What is ACH on my bank statement?

ACH stands for Automated Clearing House. It is a network used to transfer funds between bank accounts around the United States. When you see it on your bank statement, you know that payment was made electronically through the ACH network.

About the author

Ashley Kilroy

Ashley Kilroy is a seasoned personal finance writer with 15 years of experience simplifying complex concepts for individuals seeking financial security. Her expertise has shined through in well-known publications like Rolling Stone, Forbes, SmartAsset, and Money Talks News. Read full bio.

Photo credit: iStock/Yaroslav Litun

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Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 11/12/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet

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Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not designate payments as direct deposit. To ensure you're earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, we encourage you to check your APY Details page the day after your Eligible Direct Deposit posts to your SoFi account. If your APY is not showing as the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit, contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. As long as SoFi Bank can validate those details, you will start earning the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit from the date you contact SoFi for the next 31 calendar days. You will also be eligible for the APY for account holders with Eligible Direct Deposit on future Eligible Direct Deposits, as long as SoFi Bank can validate them.

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Mar

2025

Tax Loss Tax Loss Carryforward: What Is It and How Does It Work?

By Rebecca Lake | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

The tax loss carryforward rule allows capital losses from the sale of assets to be carried over from one year to another. In other words, an investor can use capital losses realized in the current tax year to offset gains or profits in a future tax year, assuming certain restrictions are met.

Investors can use a capital loss carryforward to minimize their tax liability when reporting capital gains from investments. Business owners can also take advantage of loss carryforward rules when deducting losses each year.

Knowing how this tax provision works and when it can be applied is important from an investment tax-savings perspective.

Key Points

• Tax loss carryforward allows investors to offset capital losses against future gains, as well as taxable income.

• Investors who take advantage of the tax loss carryforward rule may reduce their overall tax liability.

• Capital loss carryforward rules prohibit violating the wash-sale rule and have limitations on deductions.

• Net operating loss carryforward is similar to capital loss carryforward for businesses operating at a loss.

• Losses can be carried forward indefinitely at the federal level, but capital losses must be used to offset capital gains in the same year.

What Is Tax Loss Carryforward?

Tax loss carryforward, sometimes called a capital loss carryover, is the process of carrying forward capital losses into future tax years. A capital loss occurs when you sell an asset, like a stock, for less than your adjusted basis.

Capital losses are the opposite of capital gains, which are realized when you sell an asset for more than your adjusted basis. In either case, taxes may come into play.

Adjusted basis means the cost of an asset, adjusted for various events (i.e., increases or decreases in value) through the course of ownership.

When you invest online or through a brokerage to purchase a stock or other security, knowing whether a capital gain or loss is short-term or long-term depends on how long you owned it before selling.

• Short-term capital losses and gains occur when an asset is held for one year or less.

• Long-term capital gains and losses are associated with assets held for longer than one year.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows certain capital losses, including losses associated with personal or business investments, to be deducted from taxable income.

There are limits on the amount that can be deducted each year, however, depending on the type of losses being reported.

For example, the IRS allows investors to deduct up to $3,000 from their taxable income if the capital loss is from the sales of assets like stocks, bonds, or real estate. If capital losses exceed $3,000 ($1,500 if you’re married, filing separately), the IRS allows investors to carry capital losses forward into future years and use them to reduce potential taxable income.

How Tax Loss Carryforwards Work

A tax loss carryforward generally allows you to report losses realized on assets in one tax year on a future year’s tax return. Realized losses differ from unrealized losses or gains, which are the change in an investment’s value compared to its purchase price before an investor sells it.

IRS loss carryforward rules apply to both personal and business assets. The main types of capital loss carryovers allowed by the Internal Revenue Code are capital loss carryforwards and net operating loss carryforwards.

Capital Loss Carryforward

Another way to describe the process of using capital losses to offset gains is that IRS rules allow investors to “harvest” tax losses, meaning they use capital losses to offset capital gains, assuming they don’t violate the wash-sale rule.

The wash-sale rule prohibits investors from buying substantially identical investments within the 30 days before or 30 days after the sale of a security for the purpose of tax-loss harvesting.

If capital losses are equal to capital gains, they will offset one another on your tax return, so there’d be nothing to carry over. For example, a $5,000 capital gain would cancel out a $5,000 capital loss and vice versa.

Remember that short-term capital losses must be applied to short-term gains, and long-term capital losses to long-term gains, owing to the difference in how capital gains are taxed.

However, if capital losses exceed capital gains, investors can deduct a portion of the losses from their ordinary income to reduce tax liability. Investors can deduct the lesser of $3,000 ($1,500 if married filing separately) or the total net loss shown on line 21 of Schedule D (Form 1040).

But any capital losses over $3,000 can be carried forward to future tax years, where investors can use capital losses to reduce future capital gains.

To figure out how to record a tax loss carryforward, you can use the Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet found on the IRS’ Instructions for Schedule D (Form 1040).

Recommended: A Guide to Tax-Efficient Investing

Net Operating Loss Carryforward

A net operating loss (NOL) occurs when a business has more deductions than income. Rather than posting a profit for the year, the company operates at a loss. Business owners may be able to claim a NOL deduction on their personal income taxes. Net operating loss carryforward rules work similarly to capital loss carryforward rules in that businesses can carry forward losses from one year to the next.

According to the IRS, for losses arising in tax years after December 31, 2020, the NOL deduction is limited to 80% of the excess of the business’s taxable income. To calculate net operating loss deductions for your business, you first have to omit items that could limit your loss, including:

• Capital losses that exceed capital gains

• Nonbusiness deductions that exceed nonbusiness income

• Qualified business income deductions

• The net operating loss deduction itself

These losses can be carried forward indefinitely at the federal level.

Note, however, that the rules for NOL carryforwards at the state level vary widely. Some states follow federal regulations, but others do not.

How Long Can Losses Be Carried Forward?

According to IRS tax loss carryforward rules, capital and net operating losses can be carried forward indefinitely. Note that the loss retains its short- or long-term characterization when carried forward.

It’s important to remember that capital loss carryforward rules don’t allow you to roll over losses without corresponding gains. IRS rules state that you must use capital losses to offset capital gains in the year they occur. You can only carry capital losses forward when and if they exceed your capital gains for the year.

As noted above, the IRS also requires you to use an apples-to-apples approach when applying capital losses against capital gains.

For example, you’d need to use short-term capital losses to offset short-term capital gains. You couldn’t use a short-term capital loss to balance out a long-term capital gain or a long-term capital loss to offset a short-term capital gain.

Example of Tax Loss Carryforward

Assume that you purchase 100 shares of XYZ stock at $50 each for a total of $5,000. Thirteen months after buying the shares, their value has doubled to $100 each, so you decide to sell, collecting a capital gain of $5,000.

Suppose you also hold 100 shares of ABC stock, which have decreased in value from $70 per share to $10 per share over that same period. If you decide to sell ABC stock, your capital losses will total $6,000 – the difference between the $7,000 you paid for the shares and the $1,000 you sold them for.

You could use $5,000 of the loss of ABC stock to offset the $5,000 gain associated with selling your shares in XYZ to reduce your capital gains tax. Per IRS rules, you could also apply the additional $1,000 loss to reduce your ordinary income for the year.

Now, say you also have another stock you sold for a $6,000 loss. Because you already have a $1,000 loss and there is a $3,000 limit on deductions, you could apply up to $2,000 to offset ordinary income in the current tax year, then carry the remaining $4,000 loss forward to a future tax year, per IRS rules.

This is an example of tax loss carryforward. All of this assumes that you don’t violate the wash-sale rule when timing the sale of losing stocks.

The Takeaway

If you’re investing in a taxable brokerage account, it’s wise to include tax planning as part of your strategy. Selling stocks to realize capital gains could result in a larger tax bill if you’re not deducting capital losses at the same time.

With tax-loss harvesting, assuming you don’t violate the wash sale rule, it’s possible to carry forward investment losses to help reduce the tax impact of gains over time. This applies to personal as well as business gains and losses. Thus, understanding the tax loss carryforward provision may help reduce your personal and investment taxes.

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About the author

Rebecca Lake

Rebecca Lake has been a finance writer for nearly a decade, specializing in personal finance, investing, and small business. She is a contributor at Forbes Advisor, SmartAsset, Investopedia, The Balance, MyBankTracker, MoneyRates and CreditCards.com. Read full bio.

You may also be interested in:

Everything You Need to Know About Taxes on Investment Income

Investment Tax Rules Every Investor Should Know

What Is Tax Lien Investing?

About the author

Rebecca Lake

Photo credit: iStock/bymuratdeniz

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SoFi Invest is a trade name used by SoFi Wealth LLC and SoFi Securities LLC offering investment products and services. Robo investing and advisory services are provided by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Brokerage and self-directed investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.

For disclosures on SoFi Invest platforms visit SoFi.com/legal. For a full listing of the fees associated with Sofi Invest please view our fee schedule.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Disclaimer: The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of future results.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Mar

2025

23 Ways to Make Extra Income From Home

By Rebecca Lake | Budgeting & Goals, Financial Independence, relay | Comments Off

If you’re interested in how to make extra income from home, today there are more opportunities than ever before. Some ways to earn extra income from home include side hustles, online businesses, and remote jobs. Finding the right money-making project for you just depends on your skills, experience, and interests.

We’re sharing some of the most popular ideas for how to bring in extra income from home in 2024 and beyond.

How to Make Extra Income From Home

There are a variety of ways to make extra income from home, many of which allow you to use the skills you already have. Others may require a little training or research to get started before you can begin earning supplemental income.

When comparing side hustles, business ideas, and work-from-home second jobs for extra income, consider:

• How much time is required to make money

• Typical earnings and how much you can expect to make

• What, if anything, might be required to get started

Timing can also influence the types of ideas you explore for making extra income from home. For example, if you need to make a quick $1,000, then selling things around the house can put cash in your pocket faster than starting an online business. If you need a little help staying on top of your side-hustle earnings, a money tracker app like SoFi’s can help.

And remember, the benefits of a side hustle go beyond making extra income. Side gigs can be a creative outlet, source of fulfillment, or a stepping stone to a new career. With that in mind, here are 23 of the best extra income ideas from home.

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1. Tutor

Tutoring can be a fulfilling way to make extra income from home for stay-at-home parents or students. There are numerous websites that connect tutors with students who need help with their school work. You can also offer tutoring to students locally in your home to make extra income.

2. Online Teacher

Teaching online is another popular work-from-home extra income idea. While tutoring may involve working with a single student one-on-one, you might teach multiple students online at the same time. For example, anyone can sign up to teach K-12 classes live via Zoom on Outschool.com. You don’t need a teaching degree or previous experience, though you will need to be able to pass a background check.

3. Course Creator

Course creation is one of the best passive income ideas for people who like teaching but don’t want to do it all the time. Platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, and Teachable allow you to create and upload virtual courses then sell them to people online. These types of platforms charge fees to host your course, but if you come up with a popular topic or idea, you can earn money from teaching online.

4. Sell Artwork and Designs Online

Selling artwork and designs can be a great way to earn residual income from home. For example, you can create unique designs and license them to a platform like Canva or Creative Fabrica. You earn money as people purchase licensing rights to use your designs.

Recommended: Should I Sell My House Now or Wait?

5. Online Bookkeeper

Bookkeeping is an in-demand skill, and if you’re experienced at tracking accounts and managing financial statements, this can be a reliable way to make extra income from home. It’s possible to find virtual bookkeeping jobs online with companies that are interested in outsourcing their bookkeeping and payroll.

6. Low-Content Book Publishing

Low-content books are books that have little to no content inside. Composition notebooks and blank journals are two prime examples of low-content books. If you have a knack for design, you can create low-content books and upload them to a self-publishing platform like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Amazon lists your books for sale and handles the printing and shipping for you. Meanwhile, you earn royalties for each unit sold.

7. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is another option for earning residual income or passive income from home. Affiliate marketing simply means recommending products or services and linking to a sales portal. If someone purchases the product or service through your link, you earn a commission. You can try affiliate marketing through a blog or social media channels such as Instagram or Twitter. Just keep in mind that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has specific disclosure rules influencers are required to follow.

8. Copywrite or Edit

Copywriting is another high-demand skill as companies and businesses are often willing to pay good money for website or marketing copy. Editing is also something you might consider doing to make extra income from home if you’re skilled at writing and have a good eye for detail.

9. Data Entry

Work-from-home extra-income jobs in data entry might appeal to you if you’re good at typing and you know your way around databases or spreadsheets. It’s possible to find remote data entry jobs by searching job boards like Indeed.com or FlexJobs.

10. Start a YouTube Channel

YouTube is one of the most visible social media platforms. You might consider starting your own channel as a way to make extra income without leaving the house. To get started, you’ll need a decent camera and a great idea for content, and you’ll need to meet YouTube’s minimum requirements to monetize your channel with ads. You can also make money with a YouTube channel by selling digital products, creating sponsored content, and affiliate marketing.

11. Freelance Your Skills

Freelancing can span a wide range of work from home jobs for extra income. For example, you might work as a freelance photographer, website developer, or project manager. The great thing about freelancing is that you can apply skills that you already possess to make money while potentially increasing your income even more by learning new skills along the way.

12. Sell Your Photos

If you’re great with a camera, selling your photography is another idea for how to make extra income from home. Sites like Shutterstock, Foap, and SmugMug allow amateur and professional photographers to list photos for sale and earn money by selling licensing rights. You can study a range of websites that sell pictures to get an idea of which subjects are most popular and in-demand.

Recommended: Does Net Worth Include Home Equity?

13. Print on Demand

Print-on-demand is a terrific way to make passive income from home. With print-on-demand, you create unique designs and upload them to a POD shop. When someone buys an item, such as a coffee mug or tote bag, the POD shop prints your design onto it and ships it out to the customer. If you’re looking for a place to get started with print on demand, Redbubble, Society6, and Printify are a few sites you might consider.

14. Online Transcription

Transcriptionists make money by transcribing digital files into written or typed documents. Online transcription jobs can be a good way to put your typing skills to use, and there are even remote work opportunities out there for beginners. You may need to purchase special transcription software to start this work-from-home idea, but with the right gigs, you can easily make a part-time income from home.

15. Get Paid to Proofread

Proofreaders review written documents for spelling errors, grammatical errors, and typos. The work that they do is similar to copyeditors though it’s more focused on finding flaws in the mechanics of a piece of writing, rather than issues with tone or flow. Remote-work job boards can be a good place to begin looking for proofreading jobs for beginners.

16. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants help business owners run their companies. You might do a variety of things as a VA, including managing email, setting appointments, keeping track of scheduling changes, posting social media content, or copywriting. This is another low-cost side hustle you can start from home as long as you have an internet connection and a laptop.

17. Start a Blog

Blogging is not necessarily a way to get rich quick, but it can be a way of making extra money from home. There are different ways blogs can earn money, including ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, product sales, and services. If you’re interested in starting a blog, you might want to spend some time on YouTube checking out tutorials to see what you’ll need to get up and running.

18. Get Paid to Chat

Remote chat operator jobs and remote customer support jobs are a fun way to put your people skills to work while earning extra income from home. Plenty of companies hire people to handle customer support via live chat or by phone from the comfort of their own home. This can be a good flexible job option for a stay-at-home parent.

19. Pet Sit

Pet sitting might be a perfect way to earn extra income from home if you love cats or dogs. You can advertise your services locally as a pet-sitter or dog walker, and make money according to a schedule that works for you.

20. Earn Cash Back From Shopping Apps

Cash back apps pay you back a percentage of what you spend, either in cash or points that can be redeemed for cash or gift cards. For example, you might use a cash back app to earn 5% back when shopping for clothes at your favorite online retailer. Cash back apps are an easy way to make extra income from home doing things that you’re already spending time on.

21. Babysit in Your Home

In addition to pet-sitting, you might consider offering child care or senior care services in your home. If you’re planning to keep multiple children in your home, you’ll want to first check your state’s laws. Once you reach a certain number of children, you might be considered a daycare, which means you’ll need to get licensed and be regulated by the state.

22. Grow a Garden

Gardening can be a relaxing hobby, but it also has potential to be an excellent way to make extra income from home. You can sell the fruits and veggies that you grow at your local farmer’s market or to people in your neighborhood. Depending on where you live, you might even be able to branch out and raise chickens so you can sell fresh eggs for supplemental income.

23. Bake or Prep Meals

If you love to bake or are a pro at meal planning, you might be able to monetize those hobbies and skills to earn money at home. For example, you can sell your homemade baked goods at your local farmer’s market or craft fair, or to local restaurants. You can also sell readymade meals to busy parents and seniors who need a little help with cooking. Just be sure to check any regulations regarding home kitchens that might apply where you live.

Reporting Extra Income on Your Taxes

Finding ways to make extra income from home can offer some financial breathing room, but it’s important to consider the tax consequences. IRS rules require you to report side hustle income or money earned in the gig economy on your taxes, even if you make money at home. Generally, there are two rules to know about reporting extra income:

• Form 1099 must be issued when gig earnings exceed $600.

• Gig workers may be required to pay estimated quarterly taxes.

Unless you’re specifically hired as an employee of a company that you’re doing work for, then the IRS considers you to be an independent contractor. You’ll need to keep track of all your earnings throughout the year and make sure you’re reporting them accurately on your taxes when you file.

You’ll also want to include receipts for any expenses you might be able to deduct. For example, if you’re making extra income from home as a freelance writer and you need to buy a new laptop, you may be able to write that off as a business expense. Or you may be able to deduct home office expenses.

Downloading a free budget app can make it easier to keep track of your business or side gig expenses. If you’re unsure how to handle a tax return with extra income, you may want to talk to a tax professional.

The Takeaway

Making extra income is one of the main benefits of a side hustle, though you may also want to start a second job as a creative outlet. Today, there are many flexible work-from-home gigs for all sorts of skill sets and backgrounds. Some require training or certification, but many can be started with just a laptop and dream. Ideally, you can leverage a hobby or passion into a side job, such as meal-prep, pet-sitting, childcare, design and photography, and more.

Take control of your finances with SoFi. With our financial insights and credit score monitoring tools, you can view all of your accounts in one convenient dashboard. From there, you can see your various balances, spending breakdowns, and credit score. Plus you can easily set up budgets and discover valuable financial insights — all at no cost.

SoFi helps you stay on top of your finances.

FAQ

How can I make an extra $1,000 a month?

Some of the best ways to make an extra $1,000 a month are freelancing, blogging, monetizing a YouTube channel, and selling digital products. These are all extra income jobs that you can do entirely online. You may also be able to make an extra $1,000 a month by pet-sitting, making homemade baked goods, or selling things around the house you no longer need.

What can I do for an extra income?

There are lots of different ways to make extra income. You could start by increasing your hours at work if you get paid on an hourly basis. Or you might negotiate a pay raise at your current job. You can also get a second job, start a side hustle, get paid to do gig work, or start an online business.

What is a good side hustle?

The best side hustle for you is the one that works for your schedule and allows you to use the skills you have to make a good income. That said, good side hustle options include freelancing, editing and copywriting, blogging, and taking surveys online for cash or gift cards.

About the author

Rebecca Lake

Photo credit: iStock/Alessandro Biascioli

SoFi Relay offers users the ability to connect both SoFi accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc.’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. Based on your consent SoFi will also automatically provide some financial data received from the credit bureau for your visibility, without the need of you connecting additional accounts. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score is a VantageScore® based on TransUnion® (the “Processing Agent”) data.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SORL-Q324-042

Mar

2025

Everything You Need to Know About Lifestyle Funds and Lifestyle Investing

By Rebecca Lake | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing, Preparing for Retirement | Comments Off

Lifestyle funds are investment funds that base their asset allocation on someone’s age, risk tolerance, and investing goals. Individuals who want to build wealth over the long term in a relatively hands-off way might consider lifestyle investings.

There are different types of lifestyle funds investors may choose from, based on their appetite for risk, the level of risk needed to achieve their goals, and their investing time horizon. Lifestyle assets often also appear inside different types of retirement accounts, including employer-sponsored retirement plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Whether becoming a lifestyle investor makes sense for you can depend on what you hope to achieve with your portfolio, how much risk you’re comfortable taking, and your overall time horizon for investing.

What are Lifestyle Funds?

A lifestyle fund or lifestyle investment holds a mix of investments that reflect an investor’s goals and risk tolerance. These investment funds tailor their investment mix to a specific investor’s needs and age to provide a simplified solution for reaching their goals.

Lifestyle funds may invest in both equities (i.e. stocks) and fixed-income securities, such as bonds and notes. These funds may require fewer decisions by the asset owner, since they adjust automatically through changing lifestyle needs until you reach retirement. With lifestyle assets, as with other types of funds, it’s important to consider the balance between risk and reward.

Lifestyle funds that carry a higher degree of risk may offer higher returns to investors, while those that are more conservative in terms of risk may yield lower returns.

💡 Quick Tip: How do you decide if a certain trading platform or app is right for you? Ideally, the investment platform you choose offers the features that you need for your investment goals or strategy, e.g., an easy-to-use interface, data analysis, educational tools.

How Do Lifestyle Funds Work?

Typically purchased through a retirement account or a brokerage account, lifestyle funds work by creating a diversified portfolio to meet an investor where they are, while also taking into account where they’d like to be 10, 20 or 30 years from now.

An investor can choose from an initial lifestyle fund allocation, then adjust the risk level up or down based on their preferences. A fund manager reviews the asset allocation for the fund and rebalances periodically to help an investor stay on track with their goals.

The level of risk an investor takes may correlate to the average age of retirement, which for most people is around 65. So someone who’s 25 years old now has 40 years to invest for the future, meaning they can afford to take more risk to achieve their goals. As they get older, their tolerance for risk may decrease which could mean moving away from stocks and toward fixed-income investments.

Unlike target-date funds, the level of risk in lifestyle funds doesn’t change significantly over time. So if you were to choose an aggressive lifestyle fund at 25, the asset allocation of that fund would more or less be the same at age 65. That’s important to understand for choosing the lifestyle fund that’s appropriate for your risk tolerance and goals.

Recommended: Explaining Asset Allocation by Age

Two Stages of Lifestyle Funds

Lifestyle investing can work in different stages, depending on where you are in your investing journey. Lifestyle funds accommodate these different stages by adjusting their asset allocation.

This is something the fund manager can do to ensure that you’re working toward your goals without overexposing yourself to risk along the way. The two stages of lifestyle funds are the growth stage and the retirement target date stage.

1. Growth Stage

The growth stage represents the period in which a lifestyle investor is actively saving and investing. During the growth stage, the emphasis is on diversifying investments to achieve the appropriate balance between risk and reward. This phase represents the bulk of working years for most people as they move from starting their careers to reaching their peak earnings.

In the growth stage, lifestyle funds hold an asset allocation that reflects the investor’s goals and appetite for risk. Again, whether this is more conservative, aggressive or somewhere in-between depends on the individual investor. At this time, the investor is typically concerned with funding retirement accounts, rather than withdrawing from them.

2. Retirement Target Date

The retirement target date stage marks the beginning of the countdown to retirement for an investor. During this stage, the focus shifts to preparing the investor to begin drawing an income from their portfolio, rather than making new contributions or investments.

At this point, a lifestyle investor may have to decide whether they want to maintain their existing asset allocation, shift some or all of their assets into other investments (such as an annuity), or begin drawing them down in cash. For example, an investor in their mid-50s may decide to move from an aggressive lifestyle fund to a moderate or conservative lifestyle fund, depending on their needs, anticipated retirement date, and how much risk they’re comfortable taking.

Different Types of Lifestyle Funds

Lifestyle funds aren’t all alike and there are different options investors may choose from. There are different ways lifestyle funds can be structured, including:

• Income-focused funds. These lifestyle funds aim to produce income for investors, though capital appreciation may be a secondary goal. Fixed-income securities typically make up the bulk of lifestyle income funds, though they may still include some equity holdings.

• Growth-focused funds. Lifestyle growth funds are the opposite of lifestyle income funds. These funds aim to provide investors with long-term capital appreciation and place less emphasis on current income.

• Conservative asset allocation funds. Conservative lifestyle funds may have a long-term goal of achieving a set total return through both capital appreciation and current income. These funds tend to carry lower levels of risk than other lifestyle funds.

• Moderate asset allocation funds. Moderate lifestyle funds often take a middle ground approach in terms of risk and reward. These funds may use a “fund of funds” strategy, which primarily involves investing other mutual funds.

• Aggressive asset allocation funds. Aggressive lifestyle funds may also use a “fund of funds” approach, though with a slightly different focus. These funds take on more risk, though rewards may be greater as they seek long-term capital appreciation.

Lifestyle Investment Risks

Investing for retirement with lifestyle assets has some risks, so it’s important to make sure that the fund you choose matches your risk tolerance. Risk tolerance refers to the amount of risk an investor is comfortable taking in their portfolio. Risk capacity is the amount of risk needed to achieve investment goals.

Typically, younger investors can afford to take more risk in the early years of their investment career as they have more time to recover from market declines. But if that investor has a low risk tolerance, they may still choose to stick with more conservative investments. If their risk tolerance doesn’t match up with the amount of risk they need to take to achieve their investment goals, they could fall far short of them.

When considering lifestyle funds, it’s important to consider your risk mix and risk level. While lifestyle funds can simplify investing in that you don’t necessarily need to make day-to-day trading decisions, it’s still important to consider how your risk tolerance and risk capacity may evolve over time.

As you move from the growth stage to the retirement target date stage, for instance, you may need to make some adjustments to your lifestyle fund choices in order to keep pace with your desired goals.

💡 Quick Tip: When you’re actively investing in stocks, it’s important to ask what types of fees you might have to pay. For example, brokers may charge a flat fee for trading stocks, or require some commission for every trade. Taking the time to manage investment costs can be beneficial over the long term.

Advantages of Lifestyle Funds

In addition to their risks, lifestyle funds offer numerous advantages to investors, starting with simplicity. When you invest in a lifestyle fund, you know more or less what to expect in terms of asset allocation, based on the risk tolerance that you specify. These funds don’t require you to be an active investor in order to realize returns.

Some funds also automatically rebalance on behalf of investors, so there’s very little you need to do, other than be mindful of how the fund’s risk mix reflects your risk tolerance at any given time.

A lifestyle fund can offer broad diversification, allowing you to gain exposure to a variety of assets without having to purchase individual stocks, bonds or other securities.

Compared to other types of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), lifestyle funds may carry lower expense ratios. That can allow you to retain more of your investment returns over time.

Finally, lifestyle funds encourage investors to stay invested through market ups and downs. That can help you to even out losses through dollar-cost averaging.

Lifestyle Funds vs Target Date Funds

If you have a 401(k), then you’re likely familiar with target date funds as they’re commonly offered in workplace retirement plans. A target date fund, or lifecycle fund, is a mutual fund that adjusts its asset allocation automatically, based on the investor’s target retirement date. These funds are distinguishable from lifestyle funds because they typically have a year in their name.

So a Target Date 2050 fund, for example, would attract investors who plan to retire in the year 2050. Target date funds also take a diversified approach to investing, with asset allocations that include both stocks and fixed-income securities.

The difference between target date funds and lifestyle funds is that target date funds follow a specific glide path. As the investor gets closer to their target retirement date, the fund’s asset allocation adjusts to become more conservative. Lifestyle funds don’t do that; instead, the asset allocation remains the same.

The Takeaway

Whether you choose to invest with lifestyle funds, target date funds, or something else, the most important thing is to get started saving for retirement. The longer your time horizon until retirement, the more time your money has to grow through the power of compounding interest.

If you feel like incorporating lifestyle funds into your investing strategy may help you reach your financial goals, be sure to take the pros and cons into consideration. It may also be helpful to consult with a financial professional for guidance.

¹Opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $3,000 in the stock of your choice.

FAQ

What is a lifestyle pension fund?

A pension fund is a type of defined benefit plan, in which employees receive retirement benefits based on their earnings and years of service. A lifestyle pension fund is a pension fund that allocates assets using a lifestyle strategy in order to meet an investor’s goals and needs.

What is a lifestyle strategy?

In investing, a lifestyle strategy is an approach that chooses investments that can help an investor to reach specific milestones or goals while keeping their age and risk tolerance in mind. With lifestyle funds, the asset allocation doesn’t change substantially over time.

What is a lifestyle profile?

A lifestyle profile is a tool that investors use to help them select the most appropriate lifestyle funds based on their age, risk tolerance goals.

About the author

Rebecca Lake

Photo credit: iStock/GaudiLab

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Mar

2025

What Are Variation Margins? How Do They Work?

By Rebecca Lake | Growing Wealth, invest, Investing | Comments Off

Margin variation is money needed to maintain margin level in a margin account. Variation margins serve as collateral or security against potential losses. Another way to think of it is as unrealized profit or loss in open derivative positions.

When a margin account balance drops below the brokerage’s specified limits, the brokerage can extend a margin call to request a futures variation margin payment. If a trader does not have the funds to meet the margin call, the brokerage may sell securities in their account to make up the difference.

What Is Variation Margin?

Variation margin is a collateral payment made by one party to a counterparty to cover any change in value of underlying assets used in futures contracts.

Traders may make these payments on a day-to-day or intraday basis as directed by the clearing house. Variation margin serves as a risk management tool for the clearing house. By collecting these payments, the clearing house can sustain its targeted risk level while allowing traders to have margin debt in their accounts.

💡 Quick Tip: Are self-directed brokerage accounts cost efficient? They can be, because they offer the convenience of being able to buy stocks online without using a traditional full-service broker (and the typical broker fees).

Margin Trading Basics

To understand variation margins, it’s helpful to review some of the basics of margin trading. When an investor trades on margin, it essentially means they’re trading using borrowed money. So, for example, an investor who wants to purchase futures contracts may invest 50% of their own money and borrow the remaining 50% from their brokerage.

In exchange, the brokerage requires investors to maintain an initial margin, maintenance margin, and variation margin amount in liquid funds. Each one represents a different balance threshold. Margin accounts require investors to meet the minimum requirements.

Recommended: How Does a Margin Account Work?

How Do Variation Margins Work?

Variation margin works by filling gaps in margin account balance levels. When trading futures, variation margin allows clearing houses to continue facilitating trades while managing risk. Understanding stock volatility can help with understanding how variation margin works.

Equity prices fluctuate as volatility ebbs and flows in the markets. Changing prices can directly affect investor profits or losses, and trading equity derivatives on margin can amplify those profits and losses.

Variation margins work by accounting for changes in the prices of financial securities being traded. Traders make these payments, typically in cash, from the party who lost value to the party that’s gained value in a margin transaction. The amount due depends on the type of security being traded, expected price movements for that security and overall market conditions. That’s why it’s called variation margin, as the amount may vary from transaction to transaction.

Variation Margin Example

Here’s a simple example of how variation margin works. Assume an investor purchases 100 shares of stock for $30 each. The initial margin for the purchase is set at 50%. This would mean the broker would need to have $1,500 in their account at all times in order to make trades (50% of 100 x $30). Meanwhile, the maintenance margin is $1,000.

If the stock’s share price were to fall to $20, then the brokerages would deduct $1,000 in losses from the initial margin balance. Now the initial margin balance is $500. The new initial margin amount required becomes $1,000 (50% of 100 shares x $20 per share). So the investor would have to add $500 to their account as a variation margin payment to meet the new initial margin requirement.

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Variation Margin Calculation

Calculating variation margin depends on the type of security being traded and its price movements. So it’s something that must be done on a transaction-by-transaction basis, since every security is different.

But there is a simple variation margin formula that can be used for calculations:

VM = Initial margin – Margin balance

So to calculate variation margin, an investor needs to know three things:

• Initial margin requirement

• Maintenance margin requirement

• Current price of the underlying security

Finding variation margin means doing some math to determine how much the new initial margin requirement works out to when the price of the underlying security drops. But as the previous variation example illustrates, it’s not overly complicated.

Initial Margin vs Variation Margin

Initial margin and variation margin are often mentioned together when discussing margin trading but they’re not the same thing. Initial margin refers to the amount of money an investor can borrow inside a margin account.

Regulation T of the Federal Reserve Board allows investors to borrow up to 50% of the purchase price of securities being traded on margin. Though some brokerages may require a larger deposit to satisfy initial margin requirements.

Initial Margin	Variation Margin
Money that must be paid upfront to purchase securities on margin	Money that’s paid when a security being traded on margin loses value
Paid in cash prior to purchasing securities	Paid daily or intraday, typically in cash
Federal regulations set at initial margin at a minimum of 50% of the security’s price, though brokerages may set the amount higher	Amounts due for variation margin can depend on the type of security, its price movements, and market conditions.

Variation Margin and Maintenance Margin

Maintenance margin is another term often used in discussions of margin trading and it’s often used synonymously with variation margin. The maintenance margin represents the minimum amount of equity a trader must maintain in a margin account at all times. Equity is the difference between the value of securities held in the account and any amounts owed to the brokerage.

Under Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules, maintenance margin must be at least 25% of the total market value of margin securities being held. Brokerage firms set the bar higher, however, requiring investors to meet a 30% or 40% margin maintenance requirement.

The maintenance margin is not the same thing as minimum margin. Minimum margin is the minimum amount required to open a margin account. FINRA requires this amount to be $2,000 or 100% of the purchase price of margin securities, whichever is less.

The Takeaway

To recap, variation margin is a collateral payment made by one party to a counterparty to cover any change in value of underlying assets when discussing futures contracts. It’s a fairly high-level concept, and many investors may not need to worry much about it, or even encounter it if they stick to a relatively simple investment strategy.

With that said, margin trading can potentially yield significant returns for investors, though it has more risks than traditional trading. Understanding variation margin and margin requirements can help traders manage that risk.

¹Opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $3,000 in the stock of your choice.

FAQ

Is variation margin a derivative?

Variation margin is not a derivative, but is a factor in derivatives markets. It’s one of the chief types of collateral that is required to protect investors or other parties in the market.

Is variation margin the same as mark to market?

Variation margin is a type of collateral, and is determined, in part, but the size of a party’s exposure in a trade – that, too, depends on mark-to-market value of the derivatives at play. As such, the two are not the same.

Can variation margin be negative?

It is possible for variation margin to be negative, and in that case, it would mean that there’s been a loss.

Is variation margin collateral?

Variation margin is a type of collateral, and is payment made by one party to a counterparty to cover any change in value of underlying assets used in futures contracts.

Why is variation margin important?

For investors or traders, variation margin is important as it informs them of the amount of funds that they need to solidify margin levels in order to trade.

Photo credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio

About the author

Rebecca Lake

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

SOIN1023008

What Is an ACH Transfer?

Typical ACH Payment Fees

Account Fee

ACH Processing Fees

Debit Fee

Credit Fee

Discount Fee

Other ACH Fees

Setup Fee

Monthly Fee

Monthly Minimum Fee

Batch Fee

ACH Return Fee

ACH Chargeback Fee

High Ticket Surcharge

Expedited Processing Fee

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Comparing ACH Fees to Other Payment Methods

ACH vs Wire Transfer

ACH vs Paper Checks

ACH vs Credit Card and Debit Cards

ACH vs Online Invoice with Pay Link

ACH vs PayPal

ACH vs Apple Pay Fees

The Takeaway

FAQ

Do ACH payments have fees?

Why do banks charge ACH fees?

How do you avoid ACH fees?

Do US banks charge for ACH transfers?

What is ACH on my bank statement?

What Is Tax Loss Carryforward?

How Tax Loss Carryforwards Work

Capital Loss Carryforward

Net Operating Loss Carryforward

How Long Can Losses Be Carried Forward?

Example of Tax Loss Carryforward

The Takeaway

You may also be interested in:

How to Make Extra Income From Home

Check your score with SoFi

Track your credit score for free. Sign up and get $10.*

1. Tutor

2. Online Teacher

3. Course Creator

4. Sell Artwork and Designs Online

5. Online Bookkeeper

6. Low-Content Book Publishing

7. Affiliate Marketing

8. Copywrite or Edit

9. Data Entry

10. Start a YouTube Channel

11. Freelance Your Skills

12. Sell Your Photos

13. Print on Demand

14. Online Transcription

15. Get Paid to Proofread

16. Virtual Assistant

17. Start a Blog

18. Get Paid to Chat

19. Pet Sit

20. Earn Cash Back From Shopping Apps

21. Babysit in Your Home

22. Grow a Garden

23. Bake or Prep Meals

Reporting Extra Income on Your Taxes

The Takeaway

FAQ

How can I make an extra $1,000 a month?

What can I do for an extra income?

What is a good side hustle?

What are Lifestyle Funds?

How Do Lifestyle Funds Work?

Two Stages of Lifestyle Funds

1. Growth Stage

2. Retirement Target Date

Different Types of Lifestyle Funds

Lifestyle Investment Risks

Advantages of Lifestyle Funds

Lifestyle Funds vs Target Date Funds

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