In the News: Donor-Advised Funds: Impactful Giving the Easy Way
In today’s Marietta Daily Journal, Bil Lako, CFP®, explains how easy it is for the charitably inclined to establish their own donor-advised fund to increase the impact of their giving.
QuickBooks Tip: How to Enter Bills
We’re in a bit of a transitional period with business bill-paying. Some paper bills still come via the U.S. Mail, however you may also be getting some through email. Others don’t come at all: You might get a reminder email, but you have to go to the vendor’s site to make a payment. How do…
Are my student loans eligible for public service loan forgiveness?
If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. The PSLF, which began in 2007, forgives the remaining balance on federal Direct Loans after you have made 120 monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time…
Most Common Types of IRS Tax Problems
Receiving notification from the Internal Revenue Service that there’s some kind of problem is one of the most bone-chilling situations an American taxpayer can experience. Just receiving an envelope with a return address from the IRS can strike fear. There are many different reasons that the IRS might reach out, but some are more common…
Reviewing Your Estate Plan
An estate plan is a map that explains how you want your personal and financial affairs to be handled in the event of your incapacity or death. Due to its importance and because circumstances change over time, you should periodically review your estate plan and update it as needed. When should you review your estate…
Mitigating the Effects of Employee Burnout: What You Need To Know
Make absolutely no mistake about it: Not only is employee burnout very real, it’s probably costing your business a lot more money than you realize. It’s also not a problem that you’re necessarily going to be able to buy your way out of, either. According to one recent study, a massive 70% of the workforce…
Evaluating an Early Retirement Offer
What’s the severance package? Most early retirement offers include a severance package that is based on your annual salary and years of service at the company. For example, your employer might offer you one or two weeks’ salary (or even a month’s salary) for each year of service. Make sure that the severance package will…
In the News: Market performance and portfolio construction
How does one account for market return when building a portfolio? Bil Lako, CFP® says ask yourself, “What is your overall tolerance for risk?” and then build the portfolio from there.
Cybersecurity Tip: Weapon of Mass Persuasion
By: Tim O’Pry | Chief Security Officer In an October 2018 speech, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke on what he believes are the wonders and dangers of technology. A summary of that speech was detailed in this INC online article and the one statement they identified as among the more significant was: “Our own information,…
Reasonable Compensation and S Corporations
Unlike a C corporation, which itself pays the tax on its taxable income, an S corporation does not directly pay taxes on its income; instead, its income, losses, deductions, and credits are distributed across its shareholders’ individual tax returns on a pro rata basis. These distributions are not subject to self-employment (Social Security and Medicare)…