Money Management Made Simple

Spring cleaning has always been the time to flip mattresses, clean windows, and get behind or under those appliances to see what's been growing during the winter. This is also a great time to purge old or unwanted items from your home. Personal files and financial documents also deserve some attention. Here are a few things to consider for this year's spring cleaning.

What's the best way to determine your starting salary and still have your business make money at the same time? Just like with your personal finances, a budget for your business is the foundation for its economic success and growth.

Many people have the skills and talent to start good businesses, but they lack the accounting knowledge or passion to keep those businesses profitable. For instance, an enthusiastic lawn care company might create beautiful landscapes. Then they avoid things like tracking tax-deductible mileage to customers' homes and so crucial financial savings are lost.

If your business is like most, the 80-20 rule applies. That is, 80% of your profits come from 20% of your customers.

Most people believe they have to pay the taxes on gains from the sale of their home, but did you know there's a good chance you may not have to?! Here are 8 tax facts to keep in mind if you're selling your house this year

Are you like most people who have a "healthy respect" (aka nightmarish fear) of the IRS and have every receipt, every return, every writing implement ever used or needed for filing your last 35 years' taxes? Has your filing system expanded from a drawer to a whole closet "just in case"? While that may be a little exaggerated, it's not uncommon for people to still have boxes and boxes of papers the...

The start of a new year is more often than not the start of new plans for new habits. Most people "resolve" to get healthy physically, but in a recent  Fidelity  study one-third of Americans will vow to get healthy financially. Whether you find yourself wanting to save more, spend less or pay off debt, here are the top four ways you can lead by example and have winner's bragging rights to go along...

All the gifts have been opened, the leftovers frozen, and normalcy is starting to settle back into your days — until you open the mailbox and get that first credit card bill (and then another) reminding you of just how much you spent on spreading that holiday cheer. Instead of carrying the dread and the debt with you into the new year, this season why not implement some understanding and strategy...

COVID-19 has shaken things up for 2020. However, there are very feasible ways to recover next year. Let us take a very close look at business after COVID-19 and five ways to jumpstart your COVID comeback.

Transitioning from a brick and mortar to an online business is not an easy task. It's more than having a smartphone device and an internet connection. It involves various steps to set up a profitable online store. Below are the seven steps to follow in moving your business online.

With the current COVID economy leaving so many Americans out of work, many people are turning to freelancing as a means of supporting themselves. If this includes you, you are to be commended for taking the initiative. If this is your first time working as a freelancer, you might not be aware of the nuances of reporting and paying your taxes under this scenario. We hope the following information w...

We all know what it's like to be cruising along on financial autopilot when BAM! Out of "nowhere" a major "unexpected" hit comes and knocks us into a scrambling tailspin. Whether it's medical expenses, taxes, that credit card bill we lost track of, car repairs or anything outside the norm, those extraordinary "hits" can set our vacations plans back years. But let's face it. Those types of hits are...

Thoughts truly do become things no matter what it is you've got on your mind. If you're always thinking about lack and debt, all you'll be able to see and focus on is lack and debt. If you begin to notice and speak about prosperity and happiness, you'll attract more of that to you as well. Positive self-talk is imperative to every aspect of life – especially your financial health. It's not hard to...

In our busy lives, it's sometimes tough to corral our financial records. Bills, paycheck stubs, tax returns, and bank statements can disappear into dusty attic corners and bulging desk drawers. Important insurance policies can hide out beneath bins of holiday ornaments and electrical supplies. Mortgage documents can sneak into old books or hide themselves in nooks and crannies throughout the house...

Many small business owners pay too little attention to their financial statements. This is due in part to not understanding just what the statements have to offer. In fact, many may not be able to tell you the difference between a Balance Sheet and an Income Statement.

Your business can't be profitable if you don't get paid. Regular accounting tasks may not be the most exciting aspect of running a business but they are necessary. Although important, it can be all too easy to procrastinate and not get these critical tasks done regularly. Here are some ways you can stop procrastinating and complete your bookkeeping tasks regularly

One of the questions I've been getting a lot lately is, "Is it better to lease a car for business purposes and can I claim the lease payments on my taxes?" The short answer is: Yes to both. The more detailed answer is: …but there are caveats to how you can claim the deductions. Leasing a new automobile is a great idea if you put a lot of miles and wear and tear on your vehicle for business travel,...

When it comes to taxes, being self-employed has some advantages. Whether you work for yourself on a full-time basis or just do a little moonlighting on the side, the government has provided you with a variety of attractive tax breaks.

In just a couple of months, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the everyday lives of  individuals  globally. Businesses must explore the financial and operational difficulties brought about by the COVID -19 pandemic while  quickly addressing  their employees, clients, and suppliers' requirements. Here are the top 6 most common points:

In our virtual and paperless generation, it's easy to keep tabs on your checking account balance without really taking the time to review each monthly transaction. You know about how much you've spent, so at first glance it all seems "about right." What you may be missing, though, are some changes to your bank's policies where they now charge fees for some of the things you do…or do not.

If you're living beyond your means, you could be courting financial disaster. Here are some indicators that you need to get your credit card usage under control.

Are you a business owner who's tried doing your own taxes and gotten so frustrated you ended up not claiming anything because the tax laws on what's deductible or not are…clear as mud? Let's dig in and sift through some of the muck to pull out some IRS terminology for clarity.