TOPLINE Tens of millions of Americans have filed for unemployment in recent weeks and although the data is sobering, jobless claims have declined from their peak earlier this month giving a slight boost to investors who are desperate for positive news. Job loss claims may have peaked as the market looks towards re-opening the economy.
Taxes
Getty Are you receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement benefits, or VA benefits? If you are and you are generally not required to file a tax return, and you have children, you need to be aware of a new deadline. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) previously announced that folks in those
Blank United States Treasury checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing … [+] facility. (Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images) Getty Images The IRS has already processed over 80 million stimulus checks during the first week of sending out payments. However, there are still approximately 60 million stimulus checks that still
WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump sits down with staff, ranked by Budget Director Mick … [+] Mulvaney and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, during a federal budget luncheon in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, DC Wednesday February 22, 2017. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images) The
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Getty The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued guidance for some taxpayers who took out federal or private student loans to finance attendance at a nonprofit or for-profit school. The guidance offers relief for students whose loans have been discharged by the Department of Education and
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin The Phase One agreement marks a ceasefire in the long-running trade war. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Topline: President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the long-awaited Phase One trade deal in an elaborate ceremony at the White House on Wednesday, marking a
Getty Owners of substantial retirement accounts received good news recently from both the IRS and Congress, but the changes won’t solve the problems many of them have. I’m talking about those who aren’t likely to need most of their IRA or 401(k) balances to fund their retirements. Instead, they have other income and assets to
Woman showing global and network hologram by using the user interface technology. Getty For an international tax junkie, the last six weeks have been a perplexing time: The U.S. Treasury Department threw a major wrench into the OECD’s most recent multilateral tax coordination project. The project is the latest incarnation of the base erosion and
Economic Security Planning, Inc. Today’s column addresses questions about limits a family could receive, whether working longer can increase benefit amounts, whether delaying till 70 is still worth it, whether filing at 62 might be better and filing for survivor benefits while still working. Larry Kotlikoff is a Professor of Economics at Boston University and
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin The deal includes Chinese commitments to buy more U.S. goods in four industries. Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Topline: With the Phase One trade deal signing scheduled for tomorrow, new details have emerged about China’s pledge to significantly ramp up purchases of U.S. exports including manufactured
Key tax numbers have been inflation-adjusted for 2020. Many of these are important for employees, … [+] their paychecks, and their basic tax planning for 2020. Getty We’re all super busy in January, but don’t forget basic tax planning for 2020. At the start of each year, key numbers in many tax-law provisions are adjusted
Photo: Getty Like many others, I have watched WeWork’s fall from grace with interest. In recent months, the shared workspace company’s valuation has plummeted, and its future remains in doubt. But as an advocate for small-business owners who want to buy their properties instead of renting, I find the specific details of the WeWork saga
Comfortable retirement: Still out of reach for most. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty … [+] Images) Corbis via Getty Images Congress ended 2019 by producing a budget of sorts. That fact, in itself, constitutes a rare accomplishment for this country’s dissipated and ever-distracted representative bodies. Such documents, as always, offer much to praise or
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin The U.S. is leaving tariffs on some $250 billion worth of Chinese goods in place until a phase two … [+] trade deal. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Topline: Hours before the Phase One trade deal is scheduled for signing, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin praised some aspects
DES MOINES, IOWA – JANUARY 14: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) makes a point as former South Bend, … [+] Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) listen during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University on January 14, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. Six candidates out of the field qualified for the
Social Network Backgrounds Getty The Gig economy has been expanding rapidly over the past decade and the number of users involved with platforms like Uber, Lyft & Airbnb has grown exponentially. The IRS recently launched the Gig Economy Tax Center on www.irs.gov. This is a brand new section of the IRS website dedicated to help
Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Stocks recovered earlier losses to end Monday in the green. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Topline: Despite ongoing U.S. tensions with Iran that derailed markets last week, U.S. stocks staged an impressive rebound on Monday, recovering from earlier anxiety on Wall Street. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones
Getty If you are above a certain age, you remember it being called “Christmas Vacation,” not “Winter Break.” And if you’re old enough to remember that earlier phrase, you’re old enough that retirement is probably high on your mind. Well, while you were on your Christmas vacation, things changed. Specifically, the rules of your retirement
Getty The Internal Revenue Service has announced that it has reached an agreement with Free File, Inc. (FFI). According to the IRS, the deal will help make the Free File program more taxpayer-friendly while strengthening consumer protections in several key areas. (You can read the agreement, which downloads as a PDF, here.) “This updated agreement is part of a larger
(Photo by Sandy Huffaker) Corbis via Getty Images Every personal finance commentator tells you to get out of credit-card debt. I’ll take this logic a step further by condemning mortgages. Once upon a time, a mortgage was a ticket to prosperity. Someone who bought a suburban home in the 1960s on a 30-year mortgage enjoyed