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August, 2018:

Alimony and Taxes, 2019 style

In 2019, when the new alimony rules kick in, this will make major changes to the way we think about alimony arrangements.

Social Security Survivor Benefits

Understanding Social Security survivor benefits.

Time for your paycheck checkup!

This time of year is a perfect time for a paycheck checkup to make sure that you are having enough tax withheld from your pay. Do it soon!

Financial Counseling and Marriage

Many individuals who are dating and growing closer together learn more and more about the other person. Habits (good and bad) likes, dislikes, and traits all make themselves known at some point in the relationship. Before getting married, many individuals choose to seek counseling. This can help answer questions about whether they are doing the right thing, religious reasons, etc. Some couples choose to continue this counseling into marriage to further strengthen the relationship. Couples may consider seeking financial counseling before marriage as well. Many couples can be reluctant to talk about money or worse, think that the money problems will solve themselves once the marriage starts. Issues such as debt, poor credit, spending habits (both extreme frugality and frivolous spending) are just some of the many items that should be discussed before entering marriage. They are also good discussion points if they are occurring during marriage. As many readers […]

Eligible Rollover Distributions (ERDs)

What are eligible rollover distributions? And what are not eligible rollover distributions? IRS only defines one of them, you have to figure out the rest.

Report pension changes to SSA

When you have a pension from non-SS-covered earnings, you must report pension changes to Social Security, so that WEP and GPO can be recalculated.

Is It Really Cheating?

In the past we’ve written about financial autonomy, spending a little on yourself, and balance between saving and spending. Although it been a while, we’ve also brought up health and fitness axioms from time to time – mainly through shameless self-promotions of my book (designed to cure insomnia while doubling as a doorstop). Today I wanted to stress the importance of balance in your personal finances as well as your health. One of the ways I’ve found to keep me keep balance is cheating. Cheating? It’s not as bad as it sounds. Although having a negative connotation, the concept is what can help maintain balance. Here’s how. In my book, one of the axioms I present is having a cheat day when it comes to healthy eating. What is a cheat day? A cheat day is a day you set aside (mine are usually Sundays) every week where you eat […]

The Deadline for Spousal IRA Rollover

Do you have a deadline for a spousal IRA rollover? In many (most?) cases, you don’t. But it pays to understand the rules and how they apply to you.