compromise

Back in April you might have filed your federal income tax forms only to find you actually owe money to the government instead of breaking even or getting a return. It can be a trying time for anyone especially in light of the recent recession woes affecting personal finances. If you discovered that you owe [...]

I believe that the younger Americans in their 20s and 30s are more focused on quality of life versus previous generations.  As such, these individuals value experiences, value their time, and value the possibility of early retirement. With market crashes, high unemployment, bankrupt social security, underfunded pension plans, and more ugly economic factors, the possibility [...]

Ohana, multi-family living, “boomerang children”. No matter what you call it, extended families living under one roof or on one property can be a cultural norm or a way to cope with the financial difficulties that many are facing. Many say it’s “Easier said than done.” They are correct. There are many issues to work [...]

Filing an unfiled tax return or even multiple years of unfiled tax returns isn’t as big of a deal as you may believe. Even if you cannot pay the taxes that are owed with the return it isn’t that big of a deal. It is a big deal if you keep waiting longer and longer [...]

If you pay estimated taxes, you may find yourself facing a tax debt when you come to fill in your tax return. As estimated tax payments are predominantly based on your income for the previous tax year, you can easily be crippled with a tax bill that is more than you anticipated if your income [...]

The global economy runs on a binge and purge cycle, which makes it especially difficult to stay steady and mindful on a personal level. It can be hard to resist living beyond your means during boom times, and even harder to keep your head up during the busts. But no matter how stormy it gets [...]

Banks secure your money. They do this by offering insurance (FDIC or otherwise), and are liable for any stolen funds. Because of this, they have an intrinsic interest in protecting that money — making sure it doesn’t end up in the hands of some criminal looking for a free lunch. However, they don’t insure your [...]

Regardless of your financial situation, your credit score is an important aspect of your finances. This is especially true if you’re planning to borrow money for any reason. With a better credit score, you could get better interest rates and terms on your mortgage, car loan, and other type of loans. As such, it’s a [...]

An important factor in achieving financial success is setting good goals that you can work toward. Like traveling, you can get to where you want quicker if you know where you are going instead of wandering about aimlessly. However, you can’t just say that your goal is to retire rich someday. For a goal to [...]

It’s holiday shopping time and some of you may still be working through your shopping list.  Shopping online is a good way to save money, but it’s also nice to be at the store and walk around — this is especially true for clothing.  A great compromise between being at the store and saving money [...]