Given the backdrop of economic uncertainty and the rise in both life expenctancy and medical costs, prospects look difficult for those facing retirement shortfalls. Fortunately, a financial advisor can show you how pulling these key levers can help your retirement nest egg last. Work Longer: Working longer is one of the easier solutions for thoseContinue reading →
If you thought that running a successful business on your own was hard enough already, think again. As a self-employed individual, defined by the IRS as someone who operates a trade, business or profession, (either by yourself or as a partner), you are required to pay self-employment tax as well as income tax. Self-employment taxContinue reading →
Credit cards are magic little pieces of plastic that allow you to use money without having it, right? Wrong. The reality is that credit cards are magic little pieces of plastic designed to make money for the credit-card companies. Not being aware of your full responsibilities as a credit card holder can bury you deepContinue reading →
As residents of areas affected by Hurricane Sandy found out, a natural disaster can bring out not only emotional hardship, but financial hardship as well. From keeping important documents safe and accessible to having enough cash on hand to get by until things return to normal, being prepared for a disaster is an important partContinue reading →
Thirty-four states offer some sort of tax deduction or tax credit for contributions made to a 529 plan. But in 29 of those 34 states, the tax break is available only for contributions made to an in-state plan. Only in Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, and Pennsylvania give residents a tax break for contributing to anyContinue reading →
By now, most people have heard about the provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that may impose a penalty on employers who do not provide health insurance to their employees. But the ACA has numerous other health plan provisions and deadlines that employers must be concerned about. Below are just three, along with theContinue reading →
Maybe it’s a good thing that the April 15 federal tax deadline coincides with the urge to spring clean. It feels good to throw out some of the financial records stuffing your filing cabinets. But before you head for the dumpster, make sure you’re not disposing of records you may need. You don’t want toContinue reading →
The IRS and construction firms are often at loggerheads over whether certain workers should be treated as employees or independent contractors. Typically, the IRS will contend that the workers are employees, while the construction firm will argue that the workers should be classified as independent contractors. It’s not just semantics; there could be a bundleContinue reading →
Under the sweeping Affordable Care Act (ACA), which passed in 2010 and was upheld by the Supreme Court last year, the healthcare system in the United States will be overhauled and millions of uninsured Americans will become covered. The ACA has numerous provisions – some that have already taken effect and some major changes scheduledContinue reading →
Economic espionage has captured the attention of the United States government as a potential threat to the countries prosperity and national security. One court case involving an engineer stealing trade secrets from his employer’s system and sharing them with a competitor after leaving the company underlines the importance of protecting intellectual property. Although companies takeContinue reading →