BLOG
Click links to access individual blogs
• The New Banking Problem

 • Becoming What We See and Hear - The Quiet Power of Influence

 • Creative Ideas to Cut Your Food Bill

 • What Banks Don't Tell You About Credit Cards

 • Seasonal Jobs and Taxes: What You Need to Know

 • Watch Out For These Tax Surprises

 • The Unexpected Benefits of Doodling

 • Estate Planning: Tips for Every Family

 • Fun-Themed Ideas for Your Spring Cleaning

 • Scammers Up Their Game With AI

 • Protecting Your Digital Footprint

 • Increasing the Worth of Your Most Valuable Asset

 • Tax Uncertainty Requires Preparedness

 • High School Students! Here's How You Can Make College More Affordable

 • Tips to Protect Your Social Security Number

 • Fire Survival Starts with a Family Escape Plan

 • The Psychology of Saving - How to Change Your Money Habits

 • Creating a Financial Savvy Family

 • Creating a New Year Financial Review

 • Think Before Tapping 401(k)s and IRAs as Emergency Fund

 • Partner With a Tax Expert if the IRS Comes Knocking

 • Protect Your Valuables BEFORE Thieves Arrive

 • Avoid Sneaky Fees Draining Your Bank Account

 • The Good - and Not So Good - of AI

 • Watch Out for These Tax Myths

 • Straight As: Ideas to Help Your Kids Thrive This School Year

• Ideas to Help Teach Your Kids About Money

• 5 Ideas to Help Save Money

 • Debt Relief and Taxes

 • Banks Won't Always Save You from Scams

 • Early Mortgage Payoff- Small Payments Can Save You Big Money

 • Expand Your Professional Vocabulary

 • Ideas to Lower Back-to-School Shopping Costs

 • Beware of Scammers Targeting Your Tax Info, Warns IRS

 • Tame Your Summer Energy Costs

 • Is trying to retire in your 30s or 40s the right move for you?

 • Prepare Yourself Financially When Purchasing a Vehicle

 • You Need Tax Planning If...

 • Ideas to Help Set Financial Goals

 • Important Moves to Consider When Interest Rates Change

 • Digital Skills for Today's Kids

 • Password Madness: Tips to Keep Your Growing List Under Control

 • Building an Emergency Fund When Cash is Scarce

 • Every Business Needs Cash

 • Beneficial Ownership Rules

 • Give Your Personal Brand a Boost

 • Moves to Improve Your Credit Score

 • Ingredients of a Successful Business Partnership

 • Tips for a Smooth Tax Season

 • Year-End Tax Planning Tips for Your Business

 • Tips to Be Money Smart with Your Vehicle

 • 5 Great Money Ideas

 • Taxes: Knowing the Basics is Key

 • Take a Look at Better Savings Rates

 • Hiring Family Members - What You Need to Know!

 • Multiple Jobs: Be Prepared for Tax Surprises

 • Common Tax Questions

 • Budgeting Basics

 • Never Take on the IRS Alone!

 • Prioritizing Inventory Management Can Help Your Business

 • Safeguarding Your Business's Cash with Segregation of Duties

 • The Home Gain Exclusion: Make Sure You Qualify!

 • Five Small Business Insurance Review Tips

 • Know Your Rights When Debt Collectors Call

 • Getting the Most Out of Homeowners Insurance

 • IRS extends tax deadline to Oct. 16 for disaster areas in California

 • Save Your Business Time and Money by Getting Organized

 • Tips to Get Your Finances in Tip-Top Shape

 • Keys to Keeping Great Business Records

 • Shrink Your Tax Bill in 2023

 • 6 Ways to Cut Your Everyday Expenses

 • 'Tis the Season for Gift Card Fraud

 • Maximize Your College Financial Aid With These FAFSA Tips

 • Planning for Future Care: A Financial Dilemma

 • Student Loan Forgiveness Q&A

 • Taming Monthly Bill Creep

 • Tips to Improve Your Credit Score

 • Debit Card Smarts

 • The IRS Announces Tax Scams

 • Watch for These Tax Surprises

 • Six Simple Ideas to Help Your Small Business

 • Money Management Tips for Couples

 • Summer Jobs and Taxes

 • Making Your Home Office a Tax Deduction

 • The Benefits of Being a Sole Proprietor

 • Debt: Gone But Not Forgotten by the IRS

 • Review Financial Decisions When Interest Rates Change

 • Cryptocurrency: The IRS is Watching You!

 • Protecting Your Digital Footprint

 • Small Business Tax Return To-Do-List

 • Ideas to Improve Your Financial Health in 2022

 • Five Great Money Tips

 • Fake Products (and Money!) Are Big Business

 • Year-End Tax Planning Ideas For Your Business

 • Time to Schedule Your Tax Planning Session

 • IRS Backlog of Historical Proportions

 • Protect Your Valuables BEFORE Thieves Arrive

 • Make the Most of Your Vehicle Expense Deduction

 • Help! I Just Got a Letter From the IRS

 • Manage Your Business's Unemployment Taxes

 • Common Tax Mistakes When Selling a Home

 • The Hidden Tax Consequences of Cryptocurrency

 • Building a Fortress Balance Sheet

 • Taxes: These Basics are for Everyone

 • Starting a Business Now Could Make a Lot of Sense

 • What's New in 2021

 • Organized Business Records Save Time and Money

 • Your Identity is NOT Your Own!

 • Seven Tips For Financial Wellness In 2021

 • PPP Loan Expenses Are Now Tax Deductible

 • Deductibility of Business Meals Provided by Restaurants in 2021 and 2022

 • Ideas For Better Savings Rates

 • Retirement Savings Tips for Small Business Owners

 • Steer Clear of Money-Making Scams While You're Stuck at Home

 • How to Build Your Emergency Fund - When You Have No Money

 • Great Tips to Improve Your Credit Score

 • What does the executive action deferring payroll taxes mean for employers and employees?

 • Should You Incorporate Your Business?

 • How to Eliminate a Tax Surprise

 • New law provides relief for eligible taxpayers who need funds from IRAs and other retirement plans
• How Stay-at-Home Orders Change Money Habits

 • IRS guidance provides RMD rollover relief

 • Financial Questions to Ask Mom and Dad

 • The New Face of Banking

 • PPP borrowers get concessions, additional guidance on forgiveness

 • The IRS clarifies the deductibility of PPP-funded expenses

 • SBA extends the PPP repayment deadline for self-certification

 • Beware of Scams Tied to COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments

 • Answers to Common COVID-19 Unemployment Questions

 • CARES Act provides COVID-19 pandemic relief to businesses

 • The IRS announces new COVID-19-related assistance for taxpayers

 • 3 Major Charity Scam Red Flags

 • 2020 Social Security Benefits

 • Avoid These Common Tax Mistakes

 • What Employers Need to Know About Assembly Bill 5

 • Bill Collector Calling? Know Your Rights

 • Tips to Protect Yourself From Tax Scams

 • The IRS Is Not Always Right

 • Select the Right Health Insurance for Your Business

 • The IRS Loves Your Business...and That is NOT Good

 • Help Older Adults Stand Up Against Scams

 • Amazon and eBay Sales Tax ALERT!

 • No Excuses. Time to Lower Your Tax Bill.

 • How To Protect Your Social Security Number

 • You Know You Need Tax Planning If...

 • What You Need To Know About IRS Audits

 • How to Correct Common Financial Mistakes

 • Don't Leave Your Business Exposed

 • Watch Out! 7 Vacation Costs That Sneak Up on You

 • Major Life Changes Ahead? Read This!

 • 7 Tax-Free Ideas to Bolster Your Business Benefits Package

 • Stay prepared to sell your business

 • Great uses for your tax refund

 • How to File Nonprofit Taxes

 • 7 Common Missing Tax Return Items

 • Is a Tax Surprise Waiting for You?

 • School yourself on the student loan interest deduction

 • The 6 Biggest Threats to Your Finances

 • Last-Second Money-Saving Tax Moves

 • Retirement Contributions Get a Boost in 2019

 • 5 Estate Planning Myths

 • Disaster Preparedness Tips for Taxpayers and Businesses

 • Five Tax Breaks for New Parents

 • Setting up Your Business Accounting System

 • Ideas to Improve Your Financial Health

 • It's tax-planning time

 • Managing Money Tips for Couples

 • 6 tax benefits of owning a home

 • Five Great Finance Tips Everyone Should Know

 • How to handle a gap in health care coverage

 • Update on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

 • When an extension makes sense

 • Tax checklist for business startups

 • Answers to commonly asked tax questions

 • New FASB Standards for Nonprofit Accounting

 • The best way to avoid an audit: Preparation

 • Boost your retirement savings now

 • IRS Urges Travelers Requiring Passports to Pay Their Back Taxes

 • Scam Alert: IRS Urges Taxpayers to Watch Out for Erroneous Refunds; Beware of Fake Calls to Return Money to a Collection Agency

 • How to Get a Green Light for Commuting Expense Deductions

 • Federal requirements for substantiating charitable contributions

 • How to cut taxes under the new tax act

 • FBI Warns of Online Dating Scams

 • IRS issues 2018 standard mileage rates

 • Year-end tax checklist

 • The Equifax breach and you: be proactive

 • Beware of Bogus Charities

 • Planning A Wedding Over The Holidays?
   Plan For Taxes Too

 • Don't Include The IRS On Your Gift List

 • Ready To Start Year-End Planning?
   Focus On The Big Picture.

 • Know When To Sell

 • Put Your Tax and Financial House
   in Order

 • Are You Prepared For These Common
   Business Problems?

 • Scams Against the Elderly:
   Know the Danger Signs

 • Tax Benefits of Corporate Retirement
   Plans

 • Maneuvering the Corporate
   Retirement Plan Maze

• Documenting your Business Travel and
   Entertainment Expenses

 • Maximizing your Travel and
   Transportation Deductions

 • Deducting Business Meals and
   Entertainment Expenses

 • Do Yourself a Favor by Filing
   Your Taxes

• Do I Need A CPA?
Scroll down for more ⇩
What Banks Don't Tell You About Credit Cards

Credit cards may offer convenience and opportunities to build credit, but they also come with terms and conditions that aren't always advertised. Here are several credit card secrets that banks may not tell you about.

• Minimum payments are a trap. Banks design minimum payments to look appealing (typically 2% to 3% of your balance). But paying only the minimum allows interest to grow on your remaining balance, which can result in you paying two or three times (or more!) of the original purchase price over time. If possible, pay your credit card balance in full each month.

• Interest rates are negotiable. If you've been a reliable customer and consistently make payment on time, there's a good chance your bank might lower your annual percentage rate if you ask. Simply call the customer service number on the back of your card and ask if you can lower your rate. Banks prefer to keep loyal customers rather than risk losing them to competitors.

• The high cost of rewards programs. Banks design these programs to encourage spending, which increases the likelihood that cardholders will carry a balance and pay interest. Some rewards cards also have high annual fees that can erode the value of the rewards you earn. To truly benefit from rewards programs, only use your card for planned purchases and pay off the balance in full each month.

• Late fees are avoidable. Many credit card issuers offer a grace period for late payments. If you miss your payment due date, call your bank immediately and explain the situation. This can often result in the bank waiving its late fee, especially if it's your first offense. Banks don't widely advertise this because they profit significantly from late fees.

• Introductory offers have strings attached. Offers like 0% interest or bonus rewards often come with terms and conditions that are easy to overlook. For example, some rewards programs require you to spend a certain amount within the first three months to qualify for the bonus. If you don't read the fine print, you might miss out on the offer or end up spending more than you intended. Always understand the requirements before applying for a new card.

• Banks monitor your spending habits. Banks track your spending patterns and use this data to their advantage. For example, if you consistently pay off your balance in full, you might not be as profitable to them, which could result in fewer promotional offers. On the other hand, customers who carry balances and pay interest may receive more marketing for additional financial products. Being mindful of your spending habits can help you avoid falling into costly traps that are pushed by banks.

Credit cards can be a valuable financial tool, but only if you understand how they work and how to avoid the hidden pitfalls. By paying off your balance in full, negotiating fees and rates, and leveraging rewards strategically, you can take control of your credit card rather than letting it control you.