The sweetest 90-year-old lady has been my client for years. She meticulously summarizes her potential itemized tax deductions and gives me a detailed list. But I can’t use a bit of it on Schedule A when I’m filing taxes. Why? Her standard tax deduction far exceeds any itemized tax deductions she could possibly generate. What [...]
“Stay away from that. It’s a major red flag!” That’s what I keep hearing from people as they’re filing taxes. “Oh no, I don’t want to risk an audit. Not on my return—no office-in-home deduction for me.” Don’t be silly. Practically everyone is working from home these days. Thanks to special new security precautions and [...]
When buying a home, building a new home, or remodeling an existing home, keep in mind design concepts that make your home welcoming for everyone, regardless of age or ability. You may find that such inclusive concepts, dubbed “universal design,” make sense both socially and for your budget. Universal design holds that new environments and [...]
Mounds and mounds of papers and files are all over my desk, overflowing to the cabinet behind me, onto the couch, and taking over the floor, with even more boxes streaming into the hallway. The piles are multiplying—they’re spreading to block the front door! Do you ever have this nightmare when you think of your [...]
When it comes to money, some people are savers and some are investors. (Then there also are some who are neither, but that is another post.) If you have always been a saver, becoming an investor can be a scary proposition. The first step in this process is to flip that switch from saving money [...]
Have you ever reached that point in a diet when you’re eating all the right things and getting regular exercise, but your weight loss plateaus anyway? Changing up the way you think about your eating habits and trying something new can jumpstart your weight loss. As we’ve talked about before, dieting techniques can be applied [...]
When selling a home in an unfavorable market, it can be hard to face some facts. Most likely, your home will not command the price you want. It might be hard to cut your losses and move on. And you may find you have more emotional ties to selling your home than logical ones. Such [...]
“I got my tax refund before you did!” Do you have friends that say that to you? Isn’t it annoying? By now, a lot of your friends have probably already gotten their refunds or have finished filing their taxes. But there are still others dragging out filing taxes, just like you. Do you want to [...]
Tax return filing season lasts for just over 9 months for individuals and around 8 months for partnerships and corporations. You would think that would be more than enough time to gather last year’s data or do last year’s books and start filing taxes. But some people find it impossible to get things done, even [...]
Prepaid debit cards are popular with some parents because such cards provide the experience of paying with plastic without actually borrowing money and without the chance of overdrafting. Prepaid debit cards are touted as valuable aids in teaching teenagers about money management. However, the recent furor over some celebrity-endorsed prepaid debit cards has many re-examining [...]
