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With April 15 drawing closer, many Americans may be wondering if filing a bankruptcy case will discharge their tax debt.  The simple answer is “no, taxes are not discharged in a bankruptcy case;” however, nothing is ever simple in life and certainly not in bankruptcy.  As with any rule, there are exceptions and some tax debt may be discharged by filing a bankruptcy case.  You must meet certain conditions but if you do, you may be able to wipe out your tax debt in bankruptcy. For a list of … [Read more...]

If you owe Uncle Sam this year, you may be eligible for one of several installment plans that the IRS uses to help taxpayers pay their taxes.  Most people assume that they will simple file for an extension and have more time to pay their taxes. However, that is not the case.  If you fail to pay any taxes owed with the extension request, you may be charged interest and penalties when you do file your tax returns in a few months.  If you owe, it is better to file your returns and request an … [Read more...]

Do you have a strong sense of financial security or are you living paycheck to paycheck hoping that things will finally “turn around” for you too.  Current research revealed that a full 40% of Americans could not come up with $2,000 in an emergency.  The survey also asked if respondents had an emergency fund to survive a financial crisis.  Almost 60% of the respondents replied they did not have the funds to make it even three months if they lost their income.  It is frightening how unstable most … [Read more...]

If you are one of the millions of taxpayers who have waited until the last minute to prepare your tax returns, you are not alone (I am right there with you too).  Millions of Americans have waited until the last hour to begin the headache of preparing and filing their tax returns.  If you are pushed to the limit, remember you can request an extension; however, this will not extend your liability to pay any taxes owed by April 15 (you could face some penalties and interest if you owe taxes but … [Read more...]

If you are ready to purchase your first home, there are hidden costs you may not be aware of that can drive up the purchase price.  They can come in the form of home inspection fees or survey costs that you may not have anticipated since this is your first home purchase.  Your mortgage company may have a lengthy list of fees that include everything from a tax service fee to a credit report fee. For more read “The Hidden Costs of Buying a Home” Image credit: Diana Parkhouse … [Read more...]

If you owe taxes, the Internal Revenue Service could file a lien against your home.  A tax lien is a document filed with the property records office where your deed is recorded.  A tax lien is placed in the public record so that if you try to sell your home, you must pay the tax lien in order to transfer clear title.  It is not just Uncle Sam that can place a tax lien on your home; most state and local governments have the authority to issue tax liens. For more read the full article at “What … [Read more...]

Have you finished your tax returns or are you one of the millions of Americans who have waited until the last minute to begin the dreaded deed? If you fall into the second category, you may be interested in these seven tax deductions and tax creditors that can save you money.  If you need to reduce your tax bills, check this to see how everyday things can lower your taxable income. For more read the full article at “Do these deductions and credits apply to you?” Image credit: eFile989 … [Read more...]

Buying a home is probably one of the biggest investments that you will make during your lifetime.  Likewise, your mortgage will probably be the largest debt that you owe during your lifetime as well. There are ways that you can reduce the cost of your mortgage if you only know where to look.  For example, if you obtain a mortgage from a bank that you already use, they may give you a discount on the interest rate.  Consider financing your closing costs on a zero percent credit card rather than … [Read more...]

There is an obvious joke somewhere in here about the massage chairs sold at Brookstone and the items sold at Spencer’s stores; however, we will leave that to the readers.  Brookstone is preparing to file a bankruptcy with Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc. (owner of the Spencer’s and Spirit retail chains) poised to step in to purchase the specialty retail store.  According to sources, Spencer is expected to pay roughly $120 million for the bankruptcy Brookstone that is carrying about $140 million in … [Read more...]

Is that a typo - - is there really a reason why you would not want Uncle Sam to give you some of your hard-earned money back each year?  According to a recent poll, over half of Americans say they intentionally plan to get a refund each year.  However, there are reasons why this is a bad idea.  For one, you are giving the government an interest free loan by letting it use your money all year long.  In addition, if you are taking out high interest loans to help pay the bills, you are not only … [Read more...]