You’ve went all year waiting to file your taxes, but now that it’s time, you can’t remember where you stashed all those receipts you need to provide proof for your fuel expenses. If this sounds like you, there’s no need to fret. Simply keep these last minute income tax filing tips in mind and you’ll not only lessen your stress, but you can also save money on your taxes.
Gather the documents you need
If you’re self-employed, you’ll need 1099s from your clients. However, even if you don’t get one, you can still report the income. Simply tell your tax accountant how much your total income was and he can figure your taxes for you. If you’re not self-employed, make sure to bring all of your W2s with you to your tax appointment. Other important documents to bring include:
- Out of pocket medical expenses paid
- Job-related expenses
- Failure to pay documentation (where clients failed to pay you for the services you provided)
- Savings and retirement account information
Don’t forget student loan expenses
Did you pay interest on a student loan? If so, you need to let your tax accountant know how much interest was paid. This amount in itself can bring forth huge tax savings.
E-file
Want your tax refund fast? If so, take comfort in knowing that 90 percent of tax filers are going to receive their refunds within 21 days after filing as long as they e-file. This means if you want your tax refund fast, you need to e-file, too. All this requires is that you allow the government to deposit your refund into your checking or savings account automatically. Its as simple as that.
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Riding ATVs with your buddies or family combines the thrill of the great outdoors with the power of a four wheeling machine. Insurance protects your investment if it’s damaged or stolen, and some riding clubs require insurance before they’ll allow you to join. Lower your ATV insurance premiums with seven tips.
1. Buy a utility model. Sporty models or ATVS with bells and whistles look and ride nice, but they may cost more to insure. Utility models are often economical to insure. Likewise, keep in mind that the ATV’s mileage, condition and age also affect your premium.
2. Take a safety course. Most ATV dealers offer safety courses that include a book test and riding instruction. Your insurance company may reward you and anyone who shares your machine for knowing how to navigate your ATV safely in all terrains.
3. Maintain a clean driving record. Your insurance premium stays low when you operate the ATV safely and only on grounds where you have permission to ride legally.
4. Store your ATV safely. Locking your toy in the garage and installing an anti-theft device on it can reduce your insurance costs.
5. Compare policies. Different insurance companies offer different deductibles, coverage options and rates, so take your time and comparison shop.
6. Use one company for all your insurance needs. Most companies give you a discount when you combine, home, auto and ATV insurance.
7. File claims only when you have to. You pay for insurance so that you can file a claim if you have to, but don’t file for every little damage or your premium will rise.
If you love riding your ATV, make sure it’s properly insured. Then, use these seven tips to obtain a lower premium. Call us today for additional information on how we can help you find the affordable ATV insurance coverage you need.
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Spring cleaning does more than remove dirt and grime left over from winter. It also protects your house and reduces maintenance costs. So, try four spring cleaning tips this season as you cleanse your home.
1. Wash walls, windows and baseboards.
Often overlooked during weekly cleaning, the walls, windows and baseboards of your home harbor plenty of dirt and dust. Wash them at least once a year to ensure they look nice and to protect their finish.
*Move the furniture away from the walls, and wipe down the walls with a slightly damp cloth or magic eraser.
*The baseboards are also easy to wash off with a damp cloth. A toothbrush reaches into all the crevices.
*Use vinegar on the windows instead of glass cleaner to cut through accumulated dirt and prevent streaks.
2. Scrub the carpet.
Accumulated dirt, pet dander and odors can quickly ruin your carpets. Instead of merely running the vacuum each week, deep clean the carpets at least once a year. You can easily rent a carpet cleaner and do the job yourself or hire a professional cleaner as you prolong the life of your floors.
3. Care for furniture.
Modern or antique, your furniture will last longer when it’s free from dirt. Take time this spring to wipe off each piece from top to bottom. Use a soft cloth on wood to prevent scratches, and remember to spot treat dirty upholstery, flip the cushions and repair any tears or holes in the fabric.
4. Reduce clutter.
In addition to attracting pests and rodents, clutter reduces your ability to exit your home in an emergency. Commit to tossing or donating clutter like piles of books, excess furniture or anything you haven’t used in six months. Your home will thank you.
With these four spring cleaning tips, you’re able to reduce maintenance costs over time. So, look forward to protecting your home this season.
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People are losing jobs to robots and technology at an accelerating rate. Have you used one of those self-serve checkout stands lately? One was installed at my local CVS only 3 months ago. Awkward at first but seems like old hat now. The manager there told me the new system allowed him to let two full time clerks go. Two jobs lost to robots and their technology that will never reappear. Here’s just some of the other jobs that are suffering the same fate as retail clerks:
- Pharmacists
- Soldiers
- Reporters
- Drivers
- Fast food workers
- Assembly workers
- Bank tellers
- Secretaries
- Stock traders
- Warehouse workers
- …and there is more
Technology alone changes the employment landscape. Objects like the iPhone have the consequence of laying off Kodak workers, as well as workers in the mapping, printing, alarm clock and record industry.
I recently listened to an interesting podcast (all Radiolab podcasts are interesting!) about work in a shipping warehouse for online mega-providers, such as Amazon. If you thought stop watches were banned in the workplace at the beginning of the last century, guess what – they’re back! Technology, along with its gamification, is reducing worker output to a competitive logarithm using the most minute of performance indicators.
Years ago Buckminster Fuller (otherwise known as “Bucky”) surmised that the rise of computers and technology would bring use to a place where it is inefficient to have full scale employment. It would actually be cheaper to pay people to stay at home. And we are getting there. Even in a “good” economy we have 7% unemployment. And we are being asked to pay for those folks who have to stay at home…because there are no jobs. This has more to do with the macro-economics of production than it does anything a politician can influence.
While Bucky believed that less is more, most folks don’t think that way. In their idleness they will want to be serviced, entertained and otherwise cared for, by a growing service class economy. So the fantasy of growing the middle class back to where it was before all these technology changes is a pipe dream. A political football divorced from reality. There will be a continued division between highly paid knowledge workers and low paid service workers. Sooner or later we will end up paying service workers to stay home or do some form of public service.
As we march forward you will either be a highly paid knowledge worker who cannot yet be replaced by a machine or a low paid service worker who cannot yet be replaced by a machine. That’s true for your kids’ future too!
FYI – Looks like John Henry would be out of a job today. Now trains lay their own tracks http://www.wimp.com/traintrack/
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You might be wondering why you even need to think about disability insurance in the first place. After all, your employer offers you this type of insurance so you should be covered if you have to be out of work due to illness or injury. Unless you are well-versed in the intricacies of your particular insurance policy, though, you could be unpleasantly surprised if you are out of work for an extended period of time.
Your First Steps
The first thing you should do is go over your current insurance policy. If your employer provides disability insurance, then you have some coverage. It is likely not to be enough, though. Most employer-provided insurance policies offer only short term disability. This coverage is often only for the short term and phases out after about six months. Long term disability — the type that kicks in after you reach the time constraints of your short term insurance — often lasts only five or ten years.
Think Long Term
It is easy to become complacent and think that you will never need long term disability insurance. Many catastrophic accidents, injuries and illnesses, though, can make you unable to work at your previous potential for a number of years. For the best protection, you need to make sure that your long term disability insurance covers you until at least the age of 65. After that, social security officially kicks in to provide you with the coverage you need.
In order to meet your responsibilities, you need to think in the long term. Talk to your insurance agent today to build a plan for both short and long term disability insurance that will protect your family and everything you have worked so hard for.
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The moment has finally arrived — you’ve done all the research, test driven your favorites and decided on the brand new car you want to buy. You simply need to make a down payment, call your insurance company and drive that baby home. Since you have full coverage on your brand new wheels, you’re all set in case the unthinkable happens, right? Not so fast!
Insurance and Your Vehicle
It’s a well-known fact that the minute you drive your vehicle off the car lot, it starts depreciating. This is because your brand new car is now considered to be used and its value declines sharply. In fact, the average car loses about 30 percent of its value in the first year alone. This is important to know because without gap insurance, your insurance coverage may pay only for its current value, not what it would cost you to replace it.
Gap Insurance Explained
Gap insurance is designed to cover the shortfall that often exists between the amount your insurance company is willing to pay for your vehicle and what it would cost you to replace it. While you might think this amount is nominal, it could add up to being several thousand dollars. This could make it difficult for you to enjoy a comparable vehicle.
Do You Need Gap Insurance?
There are certain situations when you should consider gap insurance — if you put less than 20 percent down, if your car loan is for five or more years, if you put more than 15,000 miles on your vehicle each year, if you combined negative equity from another vehicle into your current loan or if you lease your vehicle. If you own your vehicle outright or if you have a great deal of equity in it, you probably don’t need gap insurance.
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