Managing and automating your finances has never been easier. There are so many online and mobile tools available (most for free!) that setting yourself up for financial success involves little more than 30 minutes of set-up and a few minutes of monitoring a month. You’re more likely to meet your financial goals if those goals are specific and actionable. Online tools, apps, and calculators put … [Read more...] about The Best Financial Tools, Apps, and Calculators I Recommend All the Time
Taxes
Tax Tips for Freelancers, Side-Hustlers, and the Self-Employed
If you work as a full-time contractor or freelancer, own your own business, or earn income through a side hustle, your tax situation is going to be a bit different. When you work as a W-2 employee, a portion of each of your paychecks automatically goes toward taxes and Social Security and Medicare payments. But when you strike out on your own, taxes aren’t taken out of your paychecks. It can feel … [Read more...] about Tax Tips for Freelancers, Side-Hustlers, and the Self-Employed
3 Tax Mistakes Accountants See Every Year (and How to Avoid Them)
A quick temperature check one month out from Tax Day: how are you all doing? Stressed? Tired? Bragging to your friends about how you finished your taxes ages ago? (Pro tip: stop doing that if you want friends around for Tax Day 2018!) By now you might be deep into kicking yourself for being less-than-diligent about some things that are making your tax return more complicated than it needs to be. … [Read more...] about 3 Tax Mistakes Accountants See Every Year (and How to Avoid Them)
How Tax Credits and Deductions Can Lower Your Tax Bill
Here’s a typical year in the life of clients I work with: They bought their first house and installed new windows They bought a new computer for their freelance gig They had a baby that started daycare at three months old They’ve got a few years left of student loan payments They got LASIK They donated money to charity As you can see, things get expensive in your 20s and 30s! But … [Read more...] about How Tax Credits and Deductions Can Lower Your Tax Bill
4 Legal Ways to Lower Your Tax Bill
By now, you might have completed your tax returns for 2016 … and for some of you, the joy of getting your taxes out of the way is lessened by how much you owe the IRS. If it makes you feel any better, a big tax bill is a sign you made a lot of money last year! But I know that coughing up a few thousand bucks in the next few weeks is a pretty crappy way to celebrate your success. What if I told … [Read more...] about 4 Legal Ways to Lower Your Tax Bill