Congratulations, you have been selected for an audit! Those words are as likely as any to cause terror in the unlucky individual who reads them. The IRS may not phrase an invitation to participate in an audit exactly that way, but the gist is unmistakable: You are about to undergo an official examination of your tax return for at least one filing year. What should you do?
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Why You Need an Estate Plan
One of the most common financial myths is that estate planning is only relevant for individuals and families with high net worth. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth. Everyone needs an estate plan, even if the estate is a modest one.
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A Primer on Federal Estimated Quarterly Taxes for Individual Taxpayers
Americans often refer to April 15 as Tax Day, but for a large number of taxpayers “Tax Day” actually comes more than once a year. Some individuals must file and pay estimated quarterly taxes four times over the course of a year in order to comply with their tax responsibilities.
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Is a Family Office Right for You?
While the idea of a family office has been around for quite some time, you might assume it’s a service more appropriate for the Bezos and Buffet families than yours. That was true in earlier years, but more and more families are discovering that a family office can prove useful for households that are merely well-off rather than truly wealthy.
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Budgeting and Cash Management: What You Need to Know
Most of us grew up receiving long lectures from our parents about the importance of budgeting and saving money. But how many of us were actually taught to prepare and properly adjust a budget to our financial needs?
Invest in Your Children’s Education–Contribute to a 529 Plan!
Contribute to 529 plans–it’s never too early or too late to start putting money away for a child’s college education. The education days will be here sooner than you think and likely more expensive than you were planning on! 529 contributions are not limited to parents; this is for grandparents, aunts, uncles or anyone with interest in helping provide the means necessary for a child’s higher education.
Pros and Cons of a Health FSA
We work hard for our money, so it is important to spend it in the most effective ways possible. A health flex spending account (FSA) allows you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses that are not covered by insurance that you would normally need to pay for with out-of-pocket after-tax money.
Tips to a Financially Balanced Life
In today’s DIY-dominated world, more and more “things” can be completed with a nail gun, a gallon of paint, recycled wood and an extra hour of free time. These may not be the exact ingredients in the recipe to reduce your overall spending, but the DIY mentality can certainly be applied! Here are a handful of easy, do-it-yourself, non-lifestyle changing tips to help you live a more financially-balanced life.
“The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive.” – Coco Chanel