Municipal bonds (often referred to as “munis”) can be attractive to income-seeking investors because they provide an income stream exempt from federal and, in certain cases, state and local income taxes. Like other fixed-income investments, munis involve risk. But as part of a broadly diversified portfolio, they can offer you an effective way to increase […]

WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service today reminded individual retirement arrangement (IRA) owners age 70½ or over that they can transfer up to $100,000 to charity tax-free each year. These transfers, known as qualified charitable distributions or QCDs, offer eligible older Americans a great way to easily give to charity before the end of the year. […]

The holidays are just around the corner, and now is the time for employers to start thinking about treating their employees with holidays parties or gifts. Such gestures are always a nice idea. Plus in a tight labor market, they can be a smart way to show appreciation and boost retention. But you need to […]

Some taxpayers may be unaware of all the federal tax reporting requirements for cryptocurrency transactions — especially when it comes to issuing and receiving a Form 1099 for 2023. If you buy something with cryptocurrency, you won’t receive one. However, you may receive a Form 1099 if you receive a crypto payment. There are several […]

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act brought numerous changes to the retirement and estate planning landscape in late 2019. Congress followed up with the SECURE 2.0 Act in late 2022. This law introduced some additional taxpayer-friendly changes, including an increase in the limits for retirement account catch-up contributions for individuals who […]

Automotive hacking is on the rise. The number of cyberattacks into vehicle computer systems increased by a staggering 380% from 2021 to 2022, according to Upstream’s 2023 Global Automotive CyberSecurity Report. Don’t buckle up without taking precautions.  What Is Automotive Hacking? The term “automotive hacking” refers to attempts by outsiders to use technology to invade […]

Do your employees feel like they’re being watched? If they don’t, they may be emboldened to steal. In the same way that putting more police officers on streets tends to reduce crime, making your company’s anti-fraud activities more visible can discourage fraud perpetrators. Good internal controls are critical to preventing fraud. But many companies have […]

There’s more to paying taxes than just federal and state income taxes. Another major tax chore for employers is payroll taxes. These expenditures can be significant, and the reporting requirements can be onerous. So it’s important for small business owners to understand the basics. First off, employers are required to report and deposit payroll taxes […]

Here’s a little-known secret for parents planning to send their children to college in the future: Some of the tax-saving moves you make now could hurt your student’s chances for getting financial aid later. That’s because of the way the financial aid system treats different assets. Retirement plans and IRAs don’t count for college aid […]

You taught them how to read and how to ride a bike, but have you taught your children how to manage money? Many college students and graduates carry a significant amount of student loan debt. Unfortunately, many of them will either default or be delinquent in repaying those loans, which may affect decisions they make for […]