Financial Focus - The New Citizens Press

10 financial ‘rules’ you should start breaking now

Rina Risper11 years ago017 mins

By Robert Pagliarini,

Tribune Content Agency

You should always max out your 401(k) and save for your kid’s college education in a 529 plan, right? Maybe not. Most experts have long touted a number of practices that may actually be working against you.

Middle Class Struggles to Preserve Retirement Security

Rina Risper11 years ago07 mins

WASHINGTON, D.C.–It’s no secret that retirement security is eroding for many Americans.

“Half of today’s working-age households are unlikely to have enough resources to maintain their standard of living once they retire,” according to the National Retirement Risk Index, compiled by Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research.

Jill on Money: Financial Thanksgiving

Rina Risper11 years ago07 mins

Why it’s a mistake to put more than 20 percent down on a home

Rina Risper11 years ago08 mins

By Robert Pagliarini,

Tribune Content Agency

For many families across the country, the concept of buying their next home with cash may sound like a fantasy. Yet according to RealtyTrac, the nation’s leading source for housing data, nearly 40 percent of all U.S. homes purchased in the second quarter of 2014 were cash deals.

TAX SOLUTIONS: Business Entity and Liability Protection

Rina Risper11 years ago05 mins

By A.J. Gross, C.P.A., E.A.

We get asked all the time. How do you set up a business? Do you need to file anything? Do you have to register the business? What type of business do you recommend? We will tackle these questions in a multi-part series reviewing the different business types: doing business as (DBA), limit liability company (LLC), and corporation.

Jill on Money: Did QE work?

Rina Risper11 years ago07 mins

By Jill Schlesinger

Tribune Content Agency

Almost exactly six years ago, the Federal Reserve launched an unconventional program of buying bonds to rescue a faltering economy.

Jill on Money: Benefits bonanza

Rina Risper11 years ago07 mins

By Dr. Daneen Skube

Tribune Content Agency

Q. I’ve been in my job for 20 years. When I started in my career, I thought I knew just about everything. Now most days I wrestle with how much I don’t know. How do you deal with getting good enough at what you do to see how much more you don’t know?

TAX SOLUTIONS: Home Office Deductions

Rina Risper11 years ago05 mins

By A.J. Gross, C.P.A., E.A.

Claiming home office deductions increases your chances of an IRS audit. Is that true? In our experience, the answer is generally no. If you run your business out of your home and maintain a home office, then you should take your deductions.

TAX SOLUTIONS: Tips for Paying Your Tax Bill

Rina Risper11 years ago05 mins

By A.J. Gross, C.P.A., E.A.

If you filed for an automatic 6 month extension then tax season is officially over as of October 15, 2014. The IRS doesn’t allow any additional extensions. There are numerous reasons why a decision was made to request more time to file a tax return. One reason is you needed more time to pay the taxes. The following are some tips for paying your tax bill.

Jill on Money: Procrastination nation

Rina Risper11 years ago08 mins

By Jill Schlesinger

Tribune Content Agency

Last month, I had the privilege of interviewing productivity guru David Allen, who wrote a seminal work on the topic called “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity”. At the Financial Planning Association’s Annual Conference, David captivated 1,800 CFP(r) professionals with a terrific explanation of how easily we can be distracted and the best way to find focus and vision.