Budget Check Up: Tax Time is the Right Time

Every year, about 150 million households file their federal tax returns. For many, the process involves digging through shoe boxes or manila folders full of receipts; gathering mortgage, retirement, and investment account statements; and relying on computer software...

Does Your Child Need to File an Income Tax Return?

As parents, we encourage our children to work, so they can learn important values about work and independence. At what point, if at all, do children need to file an income tax return for the money they earn? The IRS does not exempt anyone from the requirement to file...

Five Most Overlooked Tax Deductions

Who among us wants to pay the IRS more taxes than we have to? While few may raise their hands, Americans regularly overpay because they fail to take tax deductions for which they are eligible. Let’s take a quick look at the five most overlooked opportunities to manage...

Your End-of-Year Financial Checklist

The end of the year can help remind us of last-minute things we need to address and the goals we want to pursue. To that end, here are some aspects of your financial life to think about as this year leads into the next. Keep in mind, this article is for informational...

Is Inflation Peaking?

You see it in prices at the grocery store and the gas station. You feel it in your monthly budget. So why don’t the financial markets seem too concerned about inflation? Remember, financial markets are considered “discounting mechanisms,” meaning they are looking six-...

Tax Changes: What’s In, What’s Out?

While it’s still too early to draw any final conclusions, Congress is getting closer to outlining what tax law changes are under consideration to pay for the proposed $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Plan.1 For now, it appears that changes to capital gains and...