Taxes are complicated. You would think that if the government wanted to make sure everyone paid their taxes, they would make it easier to file. You would also think that the internet would make it easy to file online with but a few clicks. There is a whole industry – from Turbo Tax to HR… Read More
The Cost of Free Investing (as reported by Arielle O’Shea on www.forbes.com)
The old saying goes: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” But in the day of the internet, is that still true? It seems like things that used to cost money are getting cheaper all the time, with some of them now featuring $0 price tags. Investing is one such industry that has been… Read More
How Much House Can You Afford? (as reported by Jonathan Ping on www.mymoneyblog.com)
Too many people spend more than they can afford on a home, and it comes back to bite them in the long run because they can’t afford to make the payments and end up underwater. Part of the reason for this is that we often answer the question, “how much house can I afford?” with… Read More
Married Women Still Defer to Husbands for Financial Planning (as reported by Cassie Werber on qz.com)
One might think that in today’s world, with more parity between the sexes, that more women would be taking the lead when it comes to investing. But that is not what the results of a recent survey by UBS tells us. The survey found that married women were much less likely to have responsibility for… Read More
Tax Identity Theft (as reported by Aly J. Yale on www.thesimpledollar.com)
Identity theft is a major problem during tax season. Tax identity theft traditionally occurs in one of two ways. The first situation arises when someone files a fake tax return using your social security number in an attempt to steal your refund. The second situation arises when someone has used your social security number to… Read More
Save Your Tax Forms (as reported by Janna Herron on www.usatoday.com)
Too many people make the mistake of trashing their tax paperwork right after they file their taxes. They take the time to organize everything in order to complete their taxes online or with a personal accountant, so that they can file on time and, hopefully, get a refund. But then as soon as they’re done,… Read More
What To Do With Your Tax Refund (as reported by Jessica Dickler on www.cnbc.com)
In 2018, the IRS issued some 100,000,000 tax refunds. The average check was for just under $3,000. For many people, a tax refund is an important part of their year, financially. People count on it and often use it to treat themselves in a way they otherwise would not. But there are good ways and… Read More
Tax Deductions You May Qualify For (as reported by Mia Taylor on www.thesimpledollar.com)
Taking deductions on your taxes has always been a complicated endeavor. But the recent tax law passed by Congress in 2017 tried to make the process far simpler for most people. To do this, they raised the “standard deduction” to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married couples filing together. This means that there… Read More
Measure Targets Financial Literacy (as reported by Amelia Harper on www.rockymounttelegram.com
Measure targets financial literacy BY AMELIA HARPER Staff Writer Monday, March 4, 2019 If a new bill co-sponsored by state Sen. Rick Horner, R-Nash, makes it through the General Assembly, high school students may soon be required to pass a financial literacy course to graduate. Senate Bill 134, the Economics & Financial Literacy Act, was filed… Read More
No Such Thing as a Safe Job (as reported by Trent Hamm on www.thesimpledollar.com)
The recent government shutdown disrupted people’s lives and work all over this country. And it brought with it a useful set of lessons in the world of personal finance. Let’s review them- First, there is no such thing as a “safe” job. While we all seek stability through work, we must admit that events and… Read More
