Most financial experts suggest keeping three to six months worth of household expenses in savings to help in case of emergency. But with record inflation, that task just got a lot harder to accomplish as virtually every safe place to put your emergency funds will not provide interest rates that keep pace with inflation. But…

A quiz to celebrate April tax month! With this year’s April tax deadline right around the corner, here’s a fun quiz that explores how states tax their citizens. So you think it’s rough in your state? Try answering the following questions: The moral of the story? Logic does not drive tax laws…legislatures do!

Interest rates are expected to increase this year in response to inflation that is running at a 40-year high. How will you be affected? Any interest rate revision can cause a ripple effect throughout the economy. Accordingly, the Federal Reserve’s actions probably will exert at least a moderate influence over financial choices that you may…

Leveraging the kiddie tax rules With careful tax planning, you can use the kiddie tax rules to reduce your tax obligation. Here’s what you need to know. Background The term kiddie tax was introduced by the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The rules are intended to keep parents from shifting their investment income to their…

According to a recent Deloitte survey, 91 percent of people agree to terms and conditions without reading the legal agreement. While reading through legally complex language may be slow and painful, it’s more important than you think. Here are four reasons why reading entire legal agreements make sense: You miss a major technicality. Many agreements have…

Here’s how to get your overpayment as soon as possible Delayed tax refunds, penalties for not filing 2020 tax returns on time that were actually filed on time, and timely tax payments being flagged as late are just some of the headaches taxpayers are grappling with due to a massive backlog of several million unprocessed tax returns…

In today’s digital age, it is impossible to avoid the internet. Even if you don’t have a computer and actively avoid social media, there is information about you in some corner of the web. Here are some ideas to help you manage your digital footprint: Actively manage your security settings. Every app, social media site and…

Home-based businesses can be financially rewarding and provide a certain amount of flexibility with your day-to-day schedule. Here are some tips to keep your business running at full steam. Stay on top of accounts receivable. It’s easy to get caught up with fulfilling your business obligations while invoices you’ve sent out go unpaid. Agree to payment…

5 Surprising Taxable Items Wages and self-employment earnings are taxable, but what about the random cash or financial benefits you receive through other means? If something of value changes hands, you can bet the IRS considers a way to tax it. Here are five taxable items that might surprise you: Scholarships and financial aid. Applying for…

This year is a little more challenging With tax season now officially underway, here are several tax documents that may be easy to miss in your mailbox or inbox: Child tax credit letter. From July through December 2021, the IRS paid out 50% of projected child tax credit payments to qualified households. The IRS is sending…