Financial security is something we all strive for, well most of us anyway. Some people are perfectly content living paycheck to paycheck and claiming their house is their savings. Part of me wishes I could be that relaxed to have such a laid back view of things.For those of us that do want to have some level of financial security we try to save and invest our money at any opportunity. Some people do this on their own, while the majority of people...more
A sales tax is a tax that is placed on the purchases of goods or services. The federal government does not have a national sales tax. Qualifying products or services are only taxable by a particular state government. Each state has the ability to impose their own sales tax rate. At the current time Oregon, New Hampshire, Montana, Hawaii, and Delaware are the only states that do not impose a state sales tax. It is possible for different counties...more
Each year there are millions of Americans who prepare their own federal and state tax returns and even more individuals have their taxes professionally prepared. Whatever choice a taxpayer makes there are a number of important tax tips that everyone should know. A W-2 or 1099MISC is needed to accurately prepare a federal or state income tax return. There is always a chance that a taxpayer may misplace these forms or for one reason or another the forms may not have reached them. For federal tax returns and most state tax returns a W-2 or a 1099MISC is required. Individuals who do not attach these items are likely to prevent their tax returns from being processed or cause a refund delay. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) states that all taxpayer should receive their W-2 or 1099MISC forms before February 15th. Individuals who did not receive these items are encourage to contact their employer to determine why the forms have not arrived. Taxpayers who misplaced their W-2 or 1099MISC forms are encouraged to contact their employer right away to receive a copy. Taxpayers must do so because even if a wage or income form is missing a tax return is due on the traditional April 15th deadline...more
There is a great range in rates for commercial surety bonds these days. Principals can see premiums range from 1-15% of the amount of the bond. Even a small bond at 15% can be extremely costly. In part 1 of 2 of this article, we will review what bonding companies look at when deciding a rate. Part 2 of this article will discuss what you can do to...more
Office Design TipsWherever you work, at a home office or at a work office, your office working experience depends entirely on its design and productivity. If you ask any experts, they will tell you that your office environment and ambience can tell a lot about your efficiency and productivity. A bad office design and an insipid office environment...more
You've finally come to that stage in life when you can afford to own a credit card, not as a supplementary cardholder but as the principal cardholder. Finally, you've earned the right to have a credit card in your own name and to be able to purchase whatever you want without having to ask anybody else's permission. But now that that time has come, you find yourself in a quandary - what type of credit card should you apply for?There are just two basic choices for you - do you want a credit card that offers rewards and one that doesn't?The Non Reward Type of Credit CardThese credit cards do not offer you any reward points or bonuses no matter how many times you use their credit cards or how prompt you are when it comes to credit card payments. Instead, this type of credit cards allow you to waive interest charges for a certain period of time or avail of lower interest rates than those offered by reward types of credit cards.Basically, there are two choices that you're given when it comes to the non reward type of credit card. The first one would be a credit card that offers 0% APR intro rates. When you get yourself this kind of credit card, you'll be able to purchase anything without...more
We often talk about the big debate about whether leaders or born or made. Are we just born with the all the skills and traits necessary to inspire others to want to follow us, or is it more of a process of learning these skills? While that debate...more
Invariably, when I do a seminar, especially one about money or starting your own business, one or two people will come up to me and ask "What's a good business to get into to make a lot of money?" Wrong question! In my experience, whenever I've done...more
Depending on which company supplies your credit card and which credit card you have, you are likely to have access to a whole range of additional services that come along with your credit card. These will be different for all credit card providers...more
Everyone is well aware of the problematic health care industry. It seems the more and more you pay for your health care benefits the less and less they cover. There are many factors that go into the reasons for this failing health care system and I...more
Researching a topic can be frustrating sometimes. You search the web for information only to find much of it not exactly related to the topic you are searching for. This has prompted our experts to help provide better information for people like you....more
Consumer credit reports are often used by businesses to help them decide whether to lend money or provide other types of benefits to a particular consumer. Credit bureaus provide credit report information on consumers to interested parties, to enable...more