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Tax Implications of the CARES Act
In a podcast transcript posted at www.forbes.com, Nicole Kaeding, vice president of policy promotion and economist with the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, discusses the CARES Act’s provisions and the tax-related issues related to them with David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes Today…
Explaining “Payroll Taxes” and Who Pays Them
Yahoo Finance contributor Rickie Houston, in a post on their site, examines the composition of “payroll taxes,” a term that has again surfaced in the stream of commentary surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic implications. Houston’s article defines the term…
Investing for Retirement: When to Take Action
Let’s take a break from the COVIS-19 news stream and focus on something with a longer-term focus…building financial resources for your retirement years. To be effective, there are several key life points that need be considered when making planning decisions,…
Economic Impact Payments – Who Doesn’t Qualify
The economic impact payments signed into law on March 27 as a key part of the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” or the “CARES Act” are scheduled to begin arriving in Americans’ hands soon, but some folks will not qualify. In…
Veterans Get Relief from Debt Collection Concerns During Pandemic
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced yesterday that they plan to suspend collection actions on veteran debts or, if preferred, extend repayment terms on pre-existing VA debts. In a post on connectingvets.radio.com, reporter Abbie Bennett explained that the announcement follows directions…
Avoiding the Mistakes That Produce Financial Shortfalls in Retirement
We’ve heard this before…there are some basic missteps you can take that will cost you comfort in the long run. One of the most frequently heard suggestions is to avoid filing for benefits too early, while close behind it is…
A Realistic Look at the “Maximizing Social Security” Incentive
In a post on tucson.com, nationally syndicated former SSA analyst Tom Margenau takes a look at the popular notion that there exists a secret way of getting the highest possible payout from their earned Social Security benefit. As he points out, the “secret”…
COVID-19 and Your Decision to Claim Social Security Benefits
Those who have been weighing their options for Social Security benefits know that filing early (i.e. before their full retirement age – FRA) will result in a reduction from their FRA benefit. Likewise, they know that deferring their filing beyond…
“No Brainers” for Improving Financial Security in Retirement
The Motley Fool’s Christy Bieber, in a post on nasdaq.com, outlines five basic missteps that are likely to derail your plans for a comfortable financial position in your retirement years. They’re really nothing new, in fact their pretty basic, but still many…
Looking Ahead to 2021 COLA (Or, Lack Thereof)
Nobody really knows what will happen when the CPI-W numbers for the third quarter of 2020 are compared to 2019’s third quarter, but there is mounting speculation that there will likely be a year-over-year decline in living costs (at least…