Top 10 Ways to Avoid an IRS Audit
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to drastically decrease your chances of suffering an IRS audit through several proactive measures. While not fool-proof, simply considering taking these steps will go a long way to helping you avoid the headaches that an IRS audit can bring. Being aware of the IRS audit process – as well as common red flags – will position you much better to avoiding an audit.
Here are several tips to help you avoid an IRS audit:
- Be truthful 100 percent of the time: Many people still do not realize that the IRS has a complex computer system meant to catch lies and mistakes on tax returns. If you are not being truthful, there is a much better chance that your return will be audited. Continue reading “Top 10 Ways to Avoid an IRS Audit” »
You Need A Budget Software – First Glance
Hearing the name floated around a few other personal finance blogs and having it personally recommended to me, decided it was time to try You Need A Budget.
As a Quicken user, I’m comfortable with the program’s functions and a little reluctant to switch to something new. Recently I’ve become more frustrated with the program’s budgeting capabilities, and considering the strong recommendation came from another Quicken user, I decided it was worth a try.
There are Four Pillars which You Need A Budget is based on.
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Give Every Dollar a Job
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Save For a Rainy Day
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Roll with the Punches
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Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck Continue reading “You Need A Budget Software – First Glance” »
Book Review: Generation Earn
Those of us in our twenties have been called a lot of things by our elders, but never have we been referred to as “Generation Earn”.
Kimberly Palmer, senior editor at US News & World Report and author of the Alpha Consumer column, decided she was fed up with the negative labels associated with young professionals and wrote a book to debunk the myth!
Finally… an advocate for those of us on the other end of the perspective.
The Young Professional’s Guide to
Spending, Investing, and Giving Back
My interest piqued just from the table of contents. Broken into only three sections, the book still covers a wide spectrum of ideas, and current ones at that. Job Juggling, Not Your Parents’ Retirement, When Parents Are Landlords, Lessons in Modern Frugality, and The New Rules of Philanthropy to name a few.
Book Review: The Skinny On Series
Remember when Cliff Notes were the lifeline to all those classics you had to read in school? It was a novel idea – taking complex topics, like literature, and breaking it down into quick and easy to understand guides. Then emerged the “Dummies” series whose tagline is “Making Everything Easier” and covered how-to guides from computers and software to religion and spirituality.
Now a new series has hit the market, The Skinny On, which plans to bring the Cliff Notes concept into the 21st Century. Based on the idea that our brains adapt to changing environments, the books are tailored to match the “faster, more staccato, bottom-line and visual reading experience” of the digital era.
The author, Jim Randel, graciously sent me two copies to review:
Networking: Maximizing the Power of Numbers
Creativity: Thinking Outside the Box
Just as the website claims, it only took about an hour to read each during my Thanksgiving roadtrip.
Festive but Frugal – Impress for Less this Christmas
One holiday down, and another around the corner… Starting to feel more generous with your spending as you embrace the festivities? A guest article provided by IVA Advisory Centre, a personal finance specialist based in the UK, they offer a few tips on how to get into the spirit without getting into your wallet.
Whatever expectations you take with you into the festive season, take a moment to ponder what you’ll be taking back out with you on the other side.
When January rolls around, will your lasting memories of Christmas 2010 be of good times and good cheer – or will they revolve around the massive credit card debts that are likely to cause you sleepless nights for much of 2011?
In short, plan your fun carefully to avoid that kind of debt problem. There are many ways to ‘impress for less’: to protect your bank account without gaining a reputation for Scrooge-like behavior when ‘everyone else’ seems to be giving until it hurts.
Money isn’t everything.
Money really isn’t everything. That’s as true at Christmas as it is at any time of the year: the type of presents you give needn’t cost much. In fact, they needn’t cost anything at all. A few ideas…
Continue reading “Festive but Frugal – Impress for Less this Christmas” »
