ASK A FINANCIAL PLANNER In early 2020, 61% of U.S. workers surveyed said that retirement planning makes them feel stressed.1 Investor confidence was continually tested as the year wore on, and it’s likely that this percentage rose — perhaps even substantially. If you find yourself among those feeling stressed heading into the new year, these tips… Read more »
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First, let’s clear up a common misconception about credit scores. It’s often thought that you have just one singular score, or one for each of the three credit bureaus. The truth is that you actually have many credit scores. This is due to a number of factors: 3 Major Credit Bureaus There are three major… Read more »
ASK A FINANCIAL PLANNER There’s no doubt about it — last year was tumultuous. The coronavirus pandemic, a contentious election, and widespread protests were just some of the events that impacted our nation in 2020. Fortunately, the arrival of new vaccines has brought hope for a brighter 2021. If you are looking forward to a… Read more »
The Criminal Investigation (CI) unit is a special criminal division of the IRS. The CI is tasked with investigating and uncovering tax-related crimes and prosecuting these cases. Each year the CI provides the IRS an annual report detailing the work of the CI and highlighting their successes and enforcements related to tax and financial crimes…. Read more »
Saving money can often be a challenge—especially during times of financial uncertainty. As humans, we’re wired to take care of our needs now, and worry about later… well, later. However, saving money is a critical component of financial wellness. Here, we break down why saving (even a small amount) can make all the difference: Saving… Read more »
Headed to the course to practice your swing? Did you know you can redeem your SESLOC HomeFREE Checking™ debit card and Visa Signature® Rewards card points for merchandise to help you improve your accuracy and enjoy the day on the links? Check out the top 10 SESLOC Rewards to up your game. Not registered? Head… Read more »
ASK A FINANCIAL PLANNER Ultimately, an employer is offering a good insurance benefit package if it’s one that appeals to you and meets your needs. But here are some specific things you might look for. Perhaps the most important piece is the health insurance offered. You’ll want coverage that adequately meets your medical needs. Hopefully,… Read more »
During our recent webinar presentation, Money Management in Turbulent Times, we asked our attendees to collaborate and share their top tips for cutting costs. Cutting costs is an important strategy for stretching your budget so you can pay your debt down faster or hit your savings goals quicker. Check out the top 15 tips to cut costs… Read more »
There are many misconceptions about how marginal tax brackets work and how they impact your federal tax return. This is what you need to know: For the 2020 tax year (to be filed by in 2021), the IRS set marginal rates of 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. Your tax rate depends on… Read more »
The IRS has announced that the federal income tax filing season for tax year 2020 returns begins on Friday, February 12, 2021. Although tax seasons frequently begin in late January, the additional time will allow the IRS to update its programming and test its system to take into account any changes made by the Consolidated… Read more »
The U.S. Department of Education has designated February as Financial Aid Awareness Month, and this year there’s a lot to talk about. On December 21, 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, another relief package in response to the pandemic. Included in the bill were several provisions related to education, including many changes to… Read more »
