The week's best financial advice

Three top pieces of financial advice — from "starter accounts" for retirement to going into debt for a wedding

Couples are taking out loans to pay for their weddings.
(Image credit: iStock)

Here are three of the week's top pieces of financial advice, gathered from around the web:

Startup investing goes Main Street

Small investors will now get their shot at trying to find the next Twitter, Instagram, or Uber, said Marcy Gordon at the Associated Press. Starting in mid-2016, startups will be able to sell stock in their companies online, under new crowdfunding rules just finalized by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors with annual income or net worth less than $100,000 will be allowed to invest up to $5,000 annually; those who make more can invest up to 10 percent of their annual income. Previously only "accredited investors" who met strict wealth requirements were allowed to fund startups. Startup investing is risky, with about half of all small businesses shuttered within the first five years. To protect investors from scams and shady businesses, crowdfunding securities offerings can be made only through brokerage firms or funding platforms registered with the SEC.

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'Starter accounts' for retirement

Workers who don't have a 401(k) or other retirement plan through their jobs have a new, government-backed option to help them get started on their savings, said Charisse Jones at USA Today. The Treasury Department's "myRA" savings program officially launched last week with free, no-risk retirement accounts for Americans earning less than $131,000 a year, or $193,000 if married and filing taxes jointly. The myRA accounts, to which workers can contribute from their paychecks, bank accounts, or tax refunds, "cost nothing to open and have no fees," and savers can put in as little as a dollar. The plans follow the same rules as a Roth IRA, but the money is invested in a government security that's guaranteed not to lose value.

With this debt, I thee wed

Is it worth going into debt for a wedding? asked AJ Smith at Yahoo. With the average wedding costing just over $30,000 in 2014, many couples are turning to personal loans to pay for their nuptials. Like most other personal loans, wedding loans generally range from $2,000 to $35,000. These loans also typically have better rates than credit cards, especially for borrowers with good credit. The appeal is being able to host a dream wedding without emptying a savings account. But most financial experts warn against such borrowing when it's possible to either cut expenses or save up for the big date. The real question for couples: "Are you sure this one-day event is worth taking on a large amount of debt?"

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