The most fruitful periods of growth often happen when they are the least expected. Teachers and parents call them teachable moments. By reflecting on how you handle the situation, you can learn a lot about yourself. The disruption caused by this year’s pandemic is a massive teachable moment for all of us regarding money. Here are three ways you can take advantage of our recent stay-at-home orders to improve your spending and saving habits. Take a

Small business owners, self-employed workers and freelancers received some welcome news when Congress recently passed the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act. This new law clarifies how businesses can qualify to have all or a portion of its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiven. Here is what you need to know: December 31, 2020 is the new deadline to spend loan proceeds. When the PPP program was rolled out this spring, businesses were given 8 weeks after loan

Millions of Americans already received their economic impact payment. But what if you’re still waiting or your payment was for an incorrect amount? Here are some common scenarios why you may not have received your payment, or the payment you did receive was for an incorrect amount, and what you can do. Your payment was sent to a closed bank account. If you didn’t update your banking information or mailing address before your payment was processed,

Find out if you owe the IRS an estimated tax payment You may owe the IRS a tax payment for your 2020 tax return and not know it. Most Americans have income taxes withheld from their paychecks, with their employer sending a tax payment to the IRS on their behalf. This year, however, many more Americans will have to write Uncle Sam a check to pay a portion of their 2020 taxes on or before July

This month: July 15 – Individual income tax returns for 2019 are due – C corporation tax returns for 2019 are due – 1st and 2nd quarter 2020 estimated tax payments due Other July 15 Deadlines – Gift tax returns – 2019 IRA contributions – 2019 HSA contributions

Don’t let social distancing get in the way of your personal and professional relationships Keeping up with your friends and maintaining professional relationships is a challenge as most in-person activities have come screeching to a halt. Drive-by birthday parties, video happy hours and pre-recorded commencement speeches are the new normal. Despite social distancing guidelines, here are some tips to stay connected. Embrace digital communication. Whether you were ready for it or not, face-to-face contact has been

Many Americans have been focused on their own finances over the past several months. But don’t neglect helping those closest to you with their finances as well, especially aging parents. Here are some questions to ask your parents to help them sort through their financial picture. Have you decided when you’ll start taking Social Security benefits? If your parents have not started taking Social Security, a discussion in this area will help both of you. Generally,

Shuttered businesses are realizing that lifting lockdown restrictions doesn’t mean a return to business as usual. Social distancing guidelines and a public wary of venturing into crowded environments means light customer traffic for many businesses. Here are several ideas to help local businesses financially as they re-open their doors: Continue buying gift cards. For many small businesses, positive cash flow is the primary factor whether they survive this economic downturn. Buying gift cards is a great

It suddenly got a lot more difficult to buy a home The banking sector is the latest industry to dramatically change how it operates in response to the current economic environment. The most visible change for consumers are new requirements for taking out a mortgage. Here are some tips for working with banks and other lending institutions in the midst of tighter lending requirements and a heightened awareness of staying healthy. Save more for a mortgage

Numerous new laws provide economic relief to individuals and businesses hardest hit by this year’s pandemic. This much-needed financial assistance, however, comes with a few strings attached. Here are three potential surprises if you use the available economic relief packages: • Getting a tax bill for unemployment benefits. While the $1,200 economic impact payments most Americans received does not have to be reported as taxable income on your 2020 tax return, there is currently no such