What is a 1099 IRS Tax ...

In an effort to help make filing taxes easier this year, we are breaking down the various IRS tax forms to help you know if you need them, and how to use them. IRS form 1099 covers many different kinds of income other than wages, salaries, and tips. Since you don’t have to submit...

W-4 Withholding Tax For...

In an effort to help make filing taxes easier this year, we are breaking down the various tax forms to help you know if you need them, and how to use them. Each time you begin a new job, one of the forms you’ll be asked to fill out is a Form W-4 . This form helps your employer...

3 Types of Mortgage &am...

Recession-related job loss , cut backs, and bank crackdowns have left many debt-mired homeowners wondering what they can possibly do to  save their homes from foreclosure . Unfortunately, for every downtrodden soul, there is a scumbag con artist waiting to take advantage. These crooks...

How to Properly Adjust ...

My husband and I recently did our taxes, and we were shocked by the amount of money we were being refunded by the government. At first we were elated because it was enough to pay off our car, so that we would now be able to live debt free . At the same time, we were kicking ourselves...

What Is a Ponzi Scheme ...

On March 12, 2009, Bernie Madoff pled guilty to the largest Ponzi scheme in history. He successfully swindled investors out of $65 billion. Although many Wall Street experts revered Madoff as a genius, many financial professionals were not surprised to learn that he was one of the...

Interesting Money Facts...

In the book Smart Is the New Rich: If You Cant Afford It, Put It Down , author Christine Romans list sets of facts (throughout the book) that she calls “Romans’ Numeral”. Today I’ll be sharing a few of these and giving my comments on them. Here goes: 30+ percent...

Making Work Pay Tax Cre...

When you file your taxes this year, you’ll discover that your job earned you a nice bonus. The Making Work Pay tax credit was first available in 2009 and again this year. With this credit, you get a bonus of up to $400 (or $800 if you file as married filing jointly) just for...

7 Amazing Olive Oil Ben...

I have a ridiculous amount of olive oil in my house. To me, olive oil is like baking soda and  vinegar : one of those wonder products I can’t live without. I use olive oil with abandon in the kitchen (especially since it’s delicious, and healthy for your heart too) but I...

Personal Finance Round-...

The verdict is in. I have found myself guilty of not taking the value of my time seriously enough. When I was younger, I played video games and sat around not doing much. I called that using my “free time.” Really, there’s no such thing as free time. Time is the most...

Claiming Qualifying Dep...

As any parent knows, dependents are a great way to get tax deductions . Everyone in the U.S. is eligible to receive a “personal exemption” of $3,650 on their taxes. However, if they don’t support themselves (such as children) their personal exemption can be transferred...