Thursday, May 29, 2014

Tips on how to save more for retirement

Need to save more for retirement? Saving money doesn't have to be hard work. In fact, many successful savers have found simple ways to cut spending and increase their savings. Here are some tips to help you get started and stay on track.

* Figure out how much money you need for retirement. The number of years you have before retirement will help determine how much you will need to invest each month to reach your financial goal.

* Be realistic. Make sure that your savings goal is realistic. If your goal works out to 10% to 15% of your monthly income, it should be achievable. But you may need to cut expenses to free up savings.

*Pay yourself first. Try to treat your savings as your most important monthly bill. Write a check to savings first, or have your savings automatically deducted from your checking account or paycheck.

*Track expenses. Another way to maximize savings is to track your expenses for a few months. This is a great way to spot unnecessary or wasteful spending; it doesn't take much work to see potential cutbacks.

*Take control. When it comes to saving, think "control." For example, control the use of your credit cards. The amount you pay each month in finance charges could go to savings instead. Also, control the use of your ATM card. Get in the habit of giving yourself a regular cash allowance, and try to live with it.

The key to having enough money for a comfortable retirement is to become a serious saver. Start saving early, commit to saving regularly, and save as much as you can. No one ever retired regretting that they had accumulated too large a retirement fund.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Study reveals retirement concerns


Friday, February 21, 2014

Health insurance tax credits are good medicine for small businesses

Small businesses may be missing out on an important new tax perk related to health insurance. And the stakes are even higher in 2014.

The Affordable Care Act provides a tax incentive for small business owners who pay at least a portion of their employees' health insurance. This year as much as 50% (up from 35% in 2013) of the employer's cost for worker health care premiums can be deducted as a tax credit. That's a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your 2014 tax bill. But as with most tax deals, you must meet certain requirements to qualify.

First, you must employ fewer than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. A half-time employee would count as a .5 FTE, so you must consider all workers in your calculation. The fewer FTE employees you have, the higher the tax credit percentage.

Second, the average annual wages of your employees must be less than $50,000. To make the calculation, you would take your total wages and divide by the FTE number you figured above. In most cases the owner's salary is not included in the formula.

Finally, the business owner must contribute at least 50% of the total cost for single coverage. Family coverage is not factored in. The policy must also be purchased through the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP to be eligible for the credit.


A few more wrinkles: if a business doesn't owe tax for the current year, they can apply the credit to past or future years. In addition, the excess of the employer's actual cost of health insurance over and above the credit received can still be deducted as a business expense. And the new rules also mean that small nonprofit organizations can receive a tax credit of up to 35% of their health insurance costs if they meet the above requirements.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Parents can cut taxes with child-related credits

Are you a parent? Give yourself some credit – a child-related tax credit, that is. Here are two that can reduce your 2013 federal income tax liability.

Child tax credit. The child tax credit applies if your dependent children were age 16 or younger at the end of 2013. The basic credit is $1,000 per child, though the amount you can claim may be less when you file a joint return and your income is more than $110,000 ($75,000 for other parents).

You may also qualify for the "additional child tax credit," which can generate a refund even if you owe no tax, and comes into play when your tax bill is less than the basic credit.

Child and dependent care credit. Did you pay a daycare or babysitter to take care of your child so you could work? You can claim a credit of as much as 35% of your expenses, up to a maximum of $1,050 for one child ($2,100 for two or more children). To qualify, your child must generally be under age 13. In addition, both you and your spouse must have earned income, unless one of you was attending school full-time.

You can claim both of these credits on your 2013 federal income tax return in addition to the $3,900 dependency exemption for each child. Contact us if you need more details.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Who must file a 2013 income tax return?

The rules for filing 2013 tax returns are straightforward for most people. Marital status, age, and income level are generally the determining factors. Here's a quick overview of the income levels at which a 2013 return is required.

*Single individual…..$10,000

*Single individual, 65 or older…..$11,500

*Married individual, separate return, regardless of age…..$3,900

*Married couple, joint return…..$20,000

*Married couple, joint return, one spouse 65 or older…..$21,200

*Married couple, joint return, both spouses 65 or older…..$22,400

*Head of household…..$12,850

*Head of household, 65 or older…..$14,350

*Qualifying widow or widower (surviving spouse)…..$16,100

*Qualifying widow or widower (surviving spouse), 65 or older…..$17,300


Different IRS rules govern filing for dependents, those who owe special taxes (e.g., self-employment tax), children under age 19 and noncitizens. Also taxpayers due a refund should file regardless of income level.