Taxes
Money Roundup: How to Avoid an Audit, When to Close a Credit Card Account, and More
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Of all the great (and crazy!) financial advice floating around out there, here are 10 articles that are worth reading. Don’t Get Audited: The IRS’s Dirty Dozen Red Flags (AOL DailyFinance). I recently described generosity as An Irrational Financial Act. Unfortunately, the IRS seems to agree. Claiming an Adult Child as a Dependent on Your ... [Read more]
1 Comment » 
Carnival of Personal Finance – Words of Wisdom Edition
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
It’s my pleasure to host this week’s 345th edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. If you’re not familiar with a blog carnival, it’s a showcase of some of the best writing from throughout the blogosphere, with bloggers submitting one of their best recent posts. This particular carnival, which features rotating hosts, has been in ... [Read more]
Five New Financial Normals
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Writing about the “new normals” brought on by the Great Recession has become, well, a new normal for many media outlets. Adding to the conversation, Fortune magazine has come up with five new normals that it believes really will stick. Here they are, along with my thoughts. 1. Long-term unemployment. For those who have jobs, ... [Read more]
A Reverse Bailout
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
While Uncle Sam gets all the press for its various bailouts, every year millions of taxpayers give the U.S. governmenet something of a bailout in the form of income tax overpayments. Over 70 percent of taxpayers get refunds each year, and according to USA TODAY, this year’s refunds are averaging over $3,000. That’s up over ... [Read more]
Extra Credit for Homebuyers
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
One element of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus package is a tax credit for first-time homebuyers of up to $8,000. As described in an LA Times article, the credit recently got even more valuable when it was made available to help cover closing costs or for use as part of the down payment. For those ... [Read more]
An Unsettling Approach to Debt
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
The New York Attorney General’s office has announced an investigation into 14 debt settlement companies across the country, which it says “often prey upon consumers who find themselves unable to keep up with credit card payments in these difficult economic times.” In a recent press release, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo described debt settlement as a ... [Read more]
Free Filing For All
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
If you’re anticipating an income tax refund this year, the fastest way to get that money is to file your tax return electronically and have the refund automatically deposited. The process takes as few as 10 days. This year, the IRS has expanded its e-file program, making it possible for nearly everyone to file electronically ... [Read more]
Multiplying Your Tax Rebate
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
With rebate checks soon to start showing up in people’s mailboxes, retailers are eager to see us spend the money in their stores. For a limited time, several are offering to add 10 percent to the value of your tax rebate if you use the full amount to purchase gift cards at their stores. The ... [Read more]
Story Follow-Ups
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
In a recent post I summarized an article about appealing your property assessments. One reader wondered what implications a successful appeal might have on his homeowner’s insurance coverage. In another article I had commented on the importance of married couples using joint financial accounts wherever possible. A reader wrote to say that even though many ... [Read more]
Getting Ready for Your Rebate
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
Are you among the 130 million taxpayers who will receive a rebate as part of the government’s economic stimulus plan? (Check eligibility requirements here) If so, with the government poised to begin sending checks in May, now would be a good time to decide what you’ll do with the money. Single tax payers will receive ... [Read more]
