The Economic Policy Institute recently published the 2011 State of Working America’s Wealth and the data is fascinating. It’s also very timely, since many of us have seen our portfolios recover completely from the lows a few years ago, but we’re wondering how we stack up. Some of the highlights are obvious, including the impact […]
What happens if there is a government shutdown at the same time you file your tax return? It’s something we might find out this weekend, since there is a possibility of a government shutdown Friday night. Update: The government has officially shut down as of October 1, 2013. We will continue to monitor the impacts […]
Are you aware that if you owe money to the IRS they can garnish your wages? What a scary prospect. Of course the IRS can do a lot more than garnish your wages; under Internal Revenue Code section 6331, the IRS can levy upon wages, bank accounts, social security payments, accounts receivables, insurance proceeds, real […]
The tuition tax credits are popular right now, and I’m going to assume that many of you who are in college, or have kids in college are familiar with taking the tax credit. However, it’s the less popular tuition and fees deduction that needs some more attention from most people. College Tuition Tax Options When […]
Chase is back with a sign bonus for the Chase Sapphire card! I’m excited that the credit cards are increasing sign up bonuses to try to get our business again, since it means more free money for all of us. How to Get Your Sign Up Bonus Open a new Chase Sapphire card. Spend $500 […]
A reader, Philip, wanted to know: “Will we see pictures of your new vacation home?” Of course Philip! We’re so excited now that our offer was accepted and can’t wait for everyone to see the new place: What do you think? I did say it was a foreclosure, right? Happy Early April Fools’ Day! I […]
It’s time for the 2nd quarter 2011 cash rewards credit cards bonuses. Since many credit cards now offer cash back on a rotating quarterly schedule, we have to reorganize each quarter; I’ll remind you which ones we should be using! Today is the day to switch out the old 1st Quarter 5% Rewards and maximize […]
Now that everything is moving quickly on our new vacation home rental, it’s time to talk tax! There are three high level categories for vacation home tax rules based on how often your rent your home and how often use it personally. Rent a Little When You: Rent Your Home 14 Days or Less If […]
Passive income seems like an oxymoron (albeit an intriguing one): how can I earn money while doing nothing? How can anyone earn money while doing nothing? It turns out that one way to earn money while doing nothing is by investing a sum of money in stocks and mutual funds that reap dividends. And the […]
After making our final offer on a vacation home, we got great news: our offer was accepted! We’re planning to head back down in a couple weeks for the closing. In the mean time, I’m working on getting everything set up for our new vacation home business using many of the suggestions I researched last […]
