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The federal tax code changes constantly. With so many new laws about deductions and credits, it can seem overwhelming to tackle your yearly income tax preparation on your own. If you choose to seek professional help, there’s certainly no shortage of tax preparation services to help you navigate the code as it applies to your personal situation.
Roughly 30% of Americans, however, choose to file their own taxes.
If that many people are comfortable filing their own taxes, it can’t be that complicated, can it? What’s the difference between these two methods of tax preparation, and how do you determine which is right for you?
Here are four questions to ask yourself as you decide how to file your taxes this season. [ continue reading… ]
On January 31st, I made my final payment to my debt management plan. In 55 months, my wife and I eliminated $109,000 of credit card debt.
To say we are ecstatic would be an understatement.
Over the last four and a half years, it’s been suggested more than once that we took the wrong path to eliminate our debt. I’ve been told that bankruptcy would’ve been a far better choice. So, I decided to put our debt management plan and bankruptcy into a head-to-head debt relief battle, and see which option comes out on top. [ continue reading… ]
So many people are intimidated by investing because they feel like they don’t know enough to be effective. I get around the difficulty of individual stock picking by investing mainly in index funds and ETFs, as well as choosing dividend aristocrats when I do go for individual equities.
Chris Camillo, the author of Laughing at Wall Street, has a different approach. He believes that every day, people can invest in what they know and make potentially huge profits. “I think it’s important for ordinary people, like myself, who don’t work on Wall Street, to leverage a skill set to have an advantage over Wall Street,” he says.
What Do You Know that Wall Street Doesn’t?
Many people outside of Wall Street have the ability to observe game changers that could change things up for companies. Camillo says that’s when you should invest in the company, then wait for Wall Street to come in later and drive the price up. [ continue reading… ]
After sweating bullets at work and muddling through another day, you come home to a screaming brawl between your two teenagers. Your head is about to explode, but it’s April 12th and your taxes are due in a couple of days.
You’ve been putting it off because there’s nothing in it for you. It’s depressing to think of how much Uncle Sam rips from your wallet each year — but procrastinating doesn’t bring your dollars back.
What does help is to make sure you’re not giving him more than he should get. Here are 10 ways to get more back from Uncle Sam. [ continue reading… ]
It’s January, which means it’s time to start preparing your income tax return for 2013.
Looking at the bright side, you’ll have at least one more tax return in which to enjoy credits for your higher education expenses, home efficiency improvements, and charitable donations from your IRA. These, as well as a number of other tax breaks, expired in 2013 — and may or may not be renewed for 2014.
What’s certain is there are a few major tax changes in 2014 that could really alter the results of your return. Here are the most significant changes, and what you need to know about them.
Regular contributor Emily Guy Birken has just released a new book: The Five Years Before You Retire. Read on for her suggestions on how to make 2014 a great year for your retirement portfolio — and for a chance to win a copy of her book!
Saving for retirement is something like cleaning out the basement: you know you need to work on it, but it’s something you’d rather deal with later.
Unfortunately, putting off retirement planning has much more dire consequences than letting your old CD collection and athletic equipment gather dust. Missing out on investment opportunities and the magic of compound interest could haunt your golden years in a way that losing your copy of Appetite for Destruction never will.
Here are three simple steps you can take in 2014 to get your retirement planning on the right course: [ continue reading… ]
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