Has your child requested your assistance with beginning a business? On the off chance that the appropriate response's truly, odds are you may not know where to begin. Since the disappointment rate for new organizations is high, it would be…

Participating in a 401(k) or similar retirement plan is a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. If you have the option of participating in a 401(k) plan, avoid these five common mistakes: Not taking full advantage. Too many employees …

If you’ve gone back and forth about whether or not it’s a good idea to send your child to college with a credit card, you aren’t alone. Opinions are divided, both among parents and financial advisors. The outcome depends on the kids and th…

Staying out of debt is simple, but it’s not easy. It requires resilience — forgoing impulsive purchases in exchange for long-term financial freedom. Personal debt can be categorized as necessary or unnecessary. Necessary debt can generally…

Your customer is satisfied — but a month has gone by, and your invoice is still outstanding. You’d like to work with the customer in the future. So how do you get your money without losing the customer? Here are two strategies that may hel…

Need to save more for retirement? Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you get started and stay on track: How much money do you need? The number of years you have before retirement will help determine how much you will need to i…

As you look forward to starting your new job, it’s important to keep in mind how your employment change will affect your taxes. Here are three tax-smart tips that’ll put you in the best position come tax season: 1. Roll over your retiremen…

A lot of people consider self-employment because they’ve lost their seemingly stable jobs in the corporate world. Others just dream of making it on their own. As online marketing becomes easier and more accessible, and employees discover t…

Even with the best of intentions, many companies talk up customer service but don’t actually deliver. In order to really provide great customer service, every employee needs to be tuned in to how he or she can contribute to keep customers …

If you’re a business owner and your company lends you money, you’ll enter it in the books as a shareholder loan. However, if your return is audited, the IRS will scrutinize the loan to see whether it is really disguised wages or a dividend…

It’s tempting to take a break from everything this summer, but you may regret it come tax season if you push off tax planning. Here are some tips to help you keep your head in the game even when your feet are in the pool: If you are a sole…

Credit cards should be a convenient short-term way to pay, not a source of regular spending. Unfortunately, some people have a hard time staying true to this concept. Instead of paying off the entire balance due on the card each month, the…

The advantage of filing a joint tax return is well known — couples generally save money when compared with filing separately. However, there is at least one potential disadvantage. Both spouses are liable for the entire income tax bill, in…

For many business owners, business appraisals can provide vital planning information and help mitigate risk. Consider what it may be able to do for you: Establish a verifiable value for your business. This can show whether assets have appr…

Wedding season is upon us! Did you know couples often enter into marriage without ever having had a discussion about financial issues? As a result, they find themselves frequently arguing about money. If you are planning a wedding, here ar…

It’s easy to get in the mindset that if you want things done the right way you have to do them yourself. But that isn’t always the best approach at work, even if you firmly believe you’re the best person for the job. There simply isn’t eno…

If you’re a business owner, one of the first questions to ask yourself is whether or not you should incorporate. The biggest advantage of incorporating is that it limits your legal liability. Your responsibility for debts and other liabili…

Are you receiving a tax refund this year? No doubt you’ve already heard about why you shouldn’t be giving the government an interest-free loan. Maybe you’ve decided to revise your withholding or estimated tax payments to reduce the amount …

If you need more time to file your 2017 income tax return, you can get an extension — no explanation is necessary. There are a lot of reasons why you may need more time to file your 2017 individual income tax return. For instance, you migh…

If you plan on having the IRS deposit your tax refund into one or more individual retirement accounts (IRAs), most of the hard part is already done: You’ve already decided that you want to save the money instead of spending it on new patio…

When determining whether or not to carry life insurance on your children, you’ll find that people have a variety of opinions. Here’s a look at some of the most common considerations for and against life insurance policies on children: Fina…

Emergency funds can be helpful for everyone. Any unexpected hit to your finances, and unanticipated illness or a natural disaster might all be reasons you may need money right away. What is an emergency fund? An emergency fund is designed …

Emotions make us human. They can also cause us to make rash decisions. Business owners and managers often let emotions dominate the decision-making process. This is especially true when choices are based on “sunk costs.” Why sunk costs can…

Chances are you’re a little confused about what to keep and what to throw when it comes to tax and financial records. No worries. It’s time to sort through what you’ve got and keep only the important stuff. Here’s what to keep in mind: Kee…

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed at the end of December 2017 with some of the most sweeping changes taxpayers have seen in 30 years. Here are a few big changes to come out of the new act — and what you can do about it. The medical expe…

There’s no doubt you’ve seen TV advertisements telling seniors that their lives could improve if they use reverse mortgages to harvest the equity in their homes. They go on to tell you that you can free up money to take an expensive trip, …

Unless a small business owner handles all aspects of computing and paying payroll, there is room for fraud. Even if your company has only a few employees — it does not guarantee your funds will be safe. How payroll fraud happens Perhaps on…

As you review your filing requirements for 2018, make sure you don’t overlook the nanny tax related to household employees. If you have a housekeeper or any other household employee, you could be liable to pay state and federal payroll tax…

Now is the perfect time to review your financial affairs. You have to gather information to prepare your tax return at this time. Why not take one more step and do something positive for the wellbeing of your wallet? The following suggesti…

It’s not uncommon to lose track of your beneficiaries, including which accounts have them, and who you designated. However, it is important to keep them current. Make your beneficiary designations a priority When you designate a beneficiar…