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  • Tax Changes 2019

    Posted Date November 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWith the start of the fourth quarter of 2019 underway, it’s time to see what the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will expect of filers for their 2019 taxes. The following are a list of major changes that filers need to be aware of: 1. Removal of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Individual Mandate Penalty With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), filers and households who failed to carry adequate health insurance according to the ACA’s minimum coverage requirements will no longer have to pay the penalty on their 2019 taxes. This is... View Article

  • 5 Ways to Save on Holiday Gifting

    Posted Date November 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readBelieve it or not, the holidays are right around the corner. And try as you might, overspending is real – whether you plan ahead or wait until the last minute. With this in mind, here are a few ways to get a handle on spending and save money on gifting. Set Limits. Decide how much you’re going to spend overall on holiday gifts and how many people you’re buying for. Then do the math. For instance, you might want to spend $250 for 10 people. That’s $25 per person. However, there might be those you want... View Article

  • LIFO Versus FIFO and How Each Method Values Inventory

    Posted Date November 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readAs the name implies, First-In, First-Out (FIFO) is a way for companies to value their inventory. The first items put into inventory or produced by the company are accordingly the first taken out of inventory or transferred to customers and therefore expensed. When it comes to accounting for acquisition and/or production costs, initial and earlier costs are the first to be expensed, with more recent costs staying on the balance sheet to be expensed later. Assume a company already has 200 widgets costing $4/widget. From there, the company increased its inventory at three more times during... View Article

  • What to Expect and How to Prepare for a Recession

    Posted Date November 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readEconomists generally determine that the country has fallen into a recession after two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Since 1967, the United States has experienced seven recessions. The thing is, predicting a recession is a little like predicting a tornado. Experts are never exactly sure if or when one will occur, but they can cite when conditions a ripe for one based past experience. The good news for predictors is that the economy follows a similar pattern of indicators in the months leading up to a recession. The bad news is that... View Article

  • How to Stay Safe with Business Email Compromise on the Rise

    Posted Date November 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readAccording to a report by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released in July, financial institutions have incurred more than $9 billion in losses due to Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes since 2016. With such staggering losses, businesses and even individuals can’t afford to ignore BEC attacks. What is BEC? BEC fraud involves cyber thieves posing as company executives or a business contact with the intention to commit wire transfer fraud or obtain sensitive information. The main targets are businesses working with foreign suppliers or a business that carries out regular wire-transfer payments. To carry out... View Article

  • How Parents Can Save Money for College-Bound Kids

    Posted Date October 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readNo matter how old your children are, it’s always a good idea to start saving for college as soon as possible. (Yes, even when they’re still in diapers.) This might sound overwhelming, especially if you haven’t started, but take heart, it’s never too late. Here are a few things to do before you start saving, as well as smart ways to gather the resources you’ll need. Figure Out How Much College Will Cost Is your child interested in a state school? A small private university? Or a trade school? Create a list of schools, do the... View Article

  • How to Inflation-Proof a Retirement Portfolio

    Posted Date October 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readStatistics indicate that the average life expectancy is longer than it used to be, but empirically we see this every day among elderly people who have lived much longer than they probably expected. This phenomenon spotlights a particular component of retirement planning that was not as significant in the past as it is now: long-term inflation. While we’ve not experienced annual inflation rates this century as high as the latter part of the 20th century, inflation can balloon at any time. But what can be even more devastating to a retiree on a fixed income is... View Article

  • What is VPN and Why Do You Need It?

    Posted Date October 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readThe rise in the number of data breaches reported every other day has become a major concern – even to the ordinary internet user. As a result, we have all become aware of the need to maintain privacy while online. One of the measures promising to keep you safe on the internet is the use of a virtual private network (VPN). But before rushing to install one of the many VPNs available, it’s important to understand what a VPN is, why you need it, if it is foolproof and other ways to stay safe on the... View Article

  • Debt Relief for Military Service Members, Veterans, Family Farmers and Small Business Owners

    Posted Date October 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readSmall Business Reorganization Act of 2019 (HR 3311) – Scheduled to take effect starting in February 2020, this new law offers small businesses more agreeable terms when filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy status. The bill gives owners: More time (90 days) to file a reorganization plan with easier rules for extension The ability to retain ownership of the company even if debts are not paid in full A new formula for debt payments based on projected disposable income over three to five years Reduced red tape through the appointment of a “standing trustee” (instead of a... View Article

  • How to Get the IRS to Pre-Approve Your Taxes

    Posted Date October 1, 2019 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readIt might seem odd, but it is possible to get the IRS to give you a straight-forward and binding answer to ambiguous tax positions in advance. How does this happen, you ask? The answer is through an IRS private letter ruling. IRS private letter rulings provide many benefits, but they are not easy to obtain. There are costs, potential delays, and even then, you run the risk of not being granted a ruling. This dynamic might seem odd as the entire point of applying for a private letter ruling is to obtain certainty. If your position... View Article

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