Ideas For Better Savings Rates
Before the housing bubble burst in 2008, you could find high yield savings accounts that were paying rates over 5.0 percent. Today? These same banks are paying less than .10 percent. So where are you supposed to put your money? Is there anywhere else you can put your hard-earned cash and generate a modest return? […]
A Happy Banker Makes for a Happy Business
With the onset of COVID-19, small business banks are more nervous about potential loan losses than ever. Here are several tips for your business to maintain a great working relationship with your lender. These same tips can also be used if you want to plant seeds with your banker for potential future loans. Produce timely […]
Common IRS Surprises
No one likes surprises from the IRS, but they do occasionally happen. Here are some examples of unpleasant tax situations you could find yourself in and what to do about them. An expected refund turns into a tax payment. Nothing may be more deflating than expecting to get a nice tax refund and instead being […]
Turn Your Home Office Into a Tax Deduction
If you are working from home for the first time in 2020, you may be wondering if your home office is tax deductible. The bad news? If you’re working from home for an employer, you normally can’t deduct your home office expenses. Here’s a quick look at the basic requirements to be able to deduct […]
Who Needs to Shovel that Walkway? Landlord Responsibility for Pathway Maintenance
Saving Yourself from Slip, Trip, and Fall Lawsuits With colder weather approaching, if you are a Massachusetts residential landlord, it pays to review your responsibilities for clearing snow and other weather-related debris from rental properties. Contrary to what you may assume, Massachusetts law does not specifically assign responsibility for shoveling snow out of walkways or […]
Estate Planning Basics: Comparing Powers of Attorney and Living Wills
No Time Like the Uncertain Present to Prepare for the Certain Future While it is always the time to get your affairs in order, since putting off these important decisions can lead to financial and emotional pain for your survivors, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought mortality to the forefront of many minds and has […]
Retirement Savings Tips for Small Business Owners
As an owner of a small business, you’ve proven that you’re a self-starter by operating a successful private enterprise. Of equal importance is applying your skills towards saving for your future. Here are some of the most popular tax-advantaged retirement vehicles for small business owners in 2020 and some tips on saving for retirement. Options […]
Steer Clear of Money-Making Scams While You’re Stuck at Home
Scammers are targeting people looking to make money while stuck at home. While there are plenty of legitimate opportunities to earn extra cash, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says to steer clear from the following money-making scams: At-Home Medical Billing Businesses. Many medical billing business opportunities are worthless. Their promoters don’t tell the truth about […]
How to Walk the Tightrope When Raising Prices
Raising prices can be fraught with risk during good economic times. So what happens if you try to raise prices during bad economic times? As Hamlet would say, “Ah, there’s the rub.” If you raise prices, you risk losing clients to competitors. If you don’t, decreasing revenue or rising costs can capsize your company. So […]
Social Security Benefits Increase in 2021
Estimated average Social Security retirement benefits starting January 2021 All retired workers in 2020 $1,523/mo All retired workers in 2021 $1,543/mo Did you know? You can increase your Social Security retirement benefits by 5-8% when you delay applying until you’re age 70. 1.6% cost of living adjustment for Social Security retirement benefits and SSI payments […]
