Articles by Kevin Mercadante

Kevin Mercadante is a former mortgage loan officer and blogger behind Out of Your Rut. He is an expert in mortgages, career strategies and retirement planning. Education: B.S. in Accounting and Finance from Montclair State University.

How to Reduce Your Liability After Your Rental Car Accident? Learn about the different options that are available if you get into an accident with a car rental, including personal insurance and collision damage waivers. The Best Ways to Insure Expensive Jewelry and Valuable Items Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante The Best Ways to Insure Expensive Jewelry and Valuable Items Find out about the different ways that you can insure expensive jewelry and other valuable items just in case they are lost, stolen or damaged. Roth IRA Conversion Ladder: Get More Tax-Free Income in Retirement Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Roth IRA Conversion Ladder: Get More Tax-Free Income in Retirement The biggest benefit to a Roth IRA is that distributions from the plan can be taken... Are You Too Old to Open and Contribute to a Roth IRA? Find out if you're too old to open a Roth IRA for retirement savings contributions, including the age rules and income limits that may apply. Diminished Value Claim: How to File for Money Back Find out how to file a diminished value claim to get paid for the decrease in car value after an accident (even if the repairs were excellent). SIPC Insurance: What Assets are Protected? Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante SIPC Insurance: What Assets are Protected? You may or may not be aware of SIPC, even if you are an investor. But if you’re... Preferred Stocks: Should You Invest in Them? Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Preferred Stocks: Should You Invest in Them? When you invest in stocks it’s almost always in common stock. But there’s a... Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs): How Do They Work? Learn how dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) work to help you put money back into a market position automatically to continue building your stakes. How a Divorce Can Affect Your IRA, 401(k), and Other Retirement Accounts Learn what happens to money in your IRAs, 401(k), and other retirement accounts in the event of a divorce, a potentially-devastating event for one's finances. Life Insurance Rules: How to Prove Insurable Interest Photo of Kevin Mercadante Kevin Mercadante Life Insurance Rules: How to Prove Insurable Interest Not only can you purchase a life insurance policy for yourself, but you can also...