When it comes to growth, businesses have two broad options. First, there’s organic growth — that is, progress made through internal efforts such as boosting sales, expanding into other markets, innovating new products or services, and improving operational efficiency. Second, there’s inorganic growth, which is achieved through externally focused activities such as mergers and acquisitions […]
Identity theft can have a significant impact, especially when it involves children. Cybercriminals target the identities of children because they have unblemished credit histories that tend to be infrequently reviewed. That means a fraud may go undetected for years, often until the child has a credit report run when applying for a job or student loan. […]
The landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was passed in late 2017, but the law is still in the headlines today. Most TCJA provisions that affect individual taxpayers are scheduled to expire after 2025. However, there are six noteworthy exceptions that will remain on the books after 2025, unless Congress passes additional legislation to override them. Disallowed […]
According to LongTermCare.gov, approximately 70% of Americans will need long-term care (LTC) at some point in their lives. This could mean in-home nursing help or an extended stay in a nursing home or assisted-living facility. You’ve probably heard of LTC insurance and may have received mixed messages about it vs. other funding options. The truth is, […]
If you own a closely held corporation, you can borrow funds from your business at rates that are lower than those charged by a bank. But it’s important to avoid certain risks and charge an adequate interest rate. Basics of this strategy Interest rates have increased over the last couple years. As a result, shareholders […]
Starting in 2024, employers can offer their nonhighly compensated employees the option to participate in emergency savings accounts that are linked to their company defined contribution retirement plan accounts. This option was introduced in the SECURE 2.0 Act. Defined contribution plans include 401(k) plans. Employees can then make contributions out of their salary to fund their […]
Perhaps you’ve been in this situation before: You have a financial emergency and need to get your hands on some cash. You consider taking money out of a traditional IRA or 401(k) account but if you’re under age 59½, such distributions are not only taxable but also are generally subject to a 10% penalty tax. […]
Starting September 1, 2023, federal student loans will begin accruing interest again. And loan payments will officially restart in October 2023. As part of federal relief measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with federal student loan debt weren’t required to make payments, and interest charges were suspended. Those relief measures have been in place since March […]
“Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams,” according to the IRS. The scams may come in through email, text messages, telephone calls or regular mail. Criminals regularly target both individuals and businesses and often prey on the elderly. Important: The IRS will never contact you by email, […]
Occupational fraud can be defined as crimes committed by employees against the organizations that they work for. Perhaps its most dangerous variation is executive fraud — that is, wrongdoings by those in the C-Suite. Senior-level execs are in a prime position to not only inflict substantial amounts of financial damage, but also severely impair the […]