Financial Planning Insights

Investment is risky. No one makes an investment with the intention of losing money but the potential is always there. Many of the potential investment risks are avoidable if you are aware of them and take the proper precautions. You need to familiarize yourself with the investments that you are making and how much risk they involve. In most cases,..

The United States government is funded by our tax dollars. Almost all of us strive to pay whatever is legally due during tax return time. But thieves take advantage of many working Americans each year. These scammers take hard-earned money from taxpayers illegally. The IRS estimates that millions of dollars are lost by Americans each year to tax..

Asset protection should be a high priority for anyone who has any financial assets. As a business owner, it is a little more complicated. You have personal assets and you may also have business assets. When it comes to personal assets, it is important that they are kept separate from your business assets. Here are 5 tips that you can use to help..

There are so many different options as far as fringe benefits that companies offer within their employee benefits that it can become confusing tax-wise. Your W-2 shows many of these perks so we often think they are all taxable. However, in the case of health insurance, it is not a taxable event. But as it is with all tax rules, there are..

Congratulations on starting your new business. With all the things that are involved in starting a new business, you may not have had the time to consider all the tax ramifications of a startup business. The IRS categorizes startup costs as those related to the research that went into the formation of your business and then the actual formation of..

One of the vast number of employee perks that are offered now to draw new employees is the provision of life insurance. Most medium-to-large size companies, as well as some small businesses, provide group life insurance for workers, managers, executives and owners. Group life insurance is an inexpensive way to give employees a valuable benefit...

By the time you get to your 30s, you should have established yourself in your career. You may be married and may even be a parent. You have a lot of demands on your money. In spite of those demands, you can still build your wealth in your 30s. By following some or all of these suggestions you can help to guarantee that you will be well established..

The topic of fringe benefits has become a source of concern for many working class individuals. If you aren't aware of exactly what a fringe benefit is, the IRS defines a fringe benefit as: "a form of pay (including property, services, cash or cash equivalent) in addition to stated pay for the performance of services". Clear as mud, right? Not..

US citizens or resident aliens living abroad are subject to paying federal income taxes. The IRS automatically grants a two-month extension to file tax returns, but any taxes due must be paid by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest. In this guide to foreign income tax we discuss the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion in depth and how you can..

If you are a small business owner looking to create an investment program for yourself and your employees, a Keogh Plan may be a good option. Keogh Plans were invented by Eugene Keogh in the 1960's. Designed specifically for the self-employed, the plans have since then become somewhat obsolete with SEP-IRA plans being the preferred choice. Due to..