Income refers to any money that you make. It could be from your part-time job, your hot-shot career, investments, inheritance, or even if you sell property. All income must be reported to the IRS and factored in when you pay your income taxes. Look here for more information about income, taxes and how to protect your assets.
Unemployment Taxes and Other Surprises
Each year, the IRS sends out charming letters telling you that you didn’t report some income on your tax return. Sometimes those CP-2000 letters come as good news, like one did for a client of mine with Alzheimer’s disease whose family found $100,000 worth of bank accounts when the IRS notice showed unreported interest income. But often [...]
Average Length of Time for Refinance
The average length of time for a refinance can vary if they don't have the right documents needed for a mortgage refinance. Q: My husband and I started a refinance late last year with an Internet lender and we are still going through the process. Now, our mortgage broker wants a letter about my husband's [...]
Retroactive Tax Changes from the Fiscal Cliff
We waited and waited all through 2012. Finally, after the calendar flipped over to 2013, our legislators agreed on tax legislation. Some of it gave us permanence in long-disputed areas. Other parts of the legislation are temporary—they work as stopgaps to allow taxpayers to function for the next year or so. Included in the legislation [...]
Tax Withholding Changes for 2013
As you’ve probably realized by now, your paycheck is just a little smaller than it was in 2011 and 2012. For two years, we had the privilege of paying 2 percent less into our Social Security accounts to help stimulate the economy, but that benefit was eliminated for 2013. So what does that mean for [...]
New Tax Laws That Affect You in 2013
In January of this year, Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA). It affects filing taxes for 2013. The good news is that couples earning less than $300,000 ($250,000 singles) won’t face many hits. But folks earning more than this threshold will be hit with substantially higher taxes. Let’s look at a [...]
Loan Modification Not Enough? Sell Your Home
If your loan modification is not enough, you might want to sell your home and find a more affordable home. Q: The good news is that we got a loan modification. Unfortunately, the amount is now too high because my husband's income has decreased. My income is just enough to cover our house payment and [...]
Five Questions to Ask about Your Retirement Plan
January is a good time to make an appointment with your financial planner—or find one if you don’t already have one—to make sure your retirement plan is growing in the right direction. Fee-only financial planner Brent Perry, CFP®, of Piedmont Financial Advisors, LLC, in Indianapolis, Ind., suggests asking your advisor these five retirement questions during [...]
Can I Qualify for HAMP Program on Disability?
If you are on disability, you might qualify for the HAMP program. Also think about if you should downsize to a smaller home. Q: I think my mortgage holder is going to start a foreclosure on me again as they are not cashing my checks and have sent me numerous letters about the "HAMP" program [...]
Investment Income Tax Won’t Hit Most Homeowners
New investment income tax won't hit most homeowners. The Obama health care bill contains a new investment income tax but it won't hit most homeowners. Homeowner's with investment income over $250,000 will be hit with a new investment income tax. Investment income includes investment profit from a home sale, but the investment income tax won't hit most homeowners. Homeowners hit by the new investment income tax must have investment income over $250,000, so the investment income tax won't hit most homeowners.
Single Women Heading Households Seem To Be Less Well Off
Apparently, it's tough being a single woman who heads a household these days.The Consumer Federation of America released the results of an analysis of...