ArtBistro

To help lighten the blow of Tax Day across the nation, various dining establishments and retailers are offering consumers freebies, deals and discounts — just for today!Here are a few we dug up, but be on the look out for local deals in your area! • Chick-fil-A is offering a “Tax Relief Day Special” that, according to a SmartMoney.com article, ...

No one can guarantee you a healthy and prosperous retirement. Life is just too unpredictable. But you can increase your odds of enjoying your twilight years in comfort by pursuing a regimen of common-sense steps. Here are six top ones: h4. Decide carefully on health care You can do at least three things to help secure your health in retirement: Take ...

Everyone has at least one frugal friend who always crows about how much money he saves by clipping coupons or frequenting discount stores. And while this friend’s behavior/bragging is a great reminder of how you should be more financially savvy — especially when the U.S. economy isn’t in the best shape — he may overlook some simple savings strategies that you’ve ...

WASHINGTON, DC /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - New rules adopted by the Office of Thrift Supervision today will help protect consumers from certain abusive credit card lending practices that can result in excessive fees and interest rate charges. The rules were developed in conjunction with the Federal Reserve Board and National Credit Union Administration, which are expected to adopt the same regulations later today. ...

Ripple effects of a dour economy are making this college application season as nerve-wracking for some admissions officers as it is for applicants. But for savvy families, there may be new opportunities. "A lot of schools are going to be concerned about meeting their requisite enrollment thresholds," says Barmak Nassirian of the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers. "They ...

In 2008, legislation was passed to help rescue US markets and the economy. But did you know that these bailout bills also included a bundle of income tax breaks? The biggest ones are known as "extenders" - popular tax breaks that might seem permanent to most taxpayers, but actually must be renewed every year or two. Stuffed inside the *Emergency Economic ...

Misinformation and myths plague the insurance industry. Many times consumers aren't sure how much insurance to purchase or if they have purchased the right kind to begin with. If you're one of the thousands of Americans that don't understand insurance and what it offers read this list of the top 5 insurance myths and the facts behind them." h4. 1.) Auto ...

We all know that before bringing you on board, a potential employer will do some vetting. They'll scour the internet searching for digital dirt, or any discrepancies from your resume. They'll try to get a glimpse into your personality. They want to know as much as they can about you. After all, they’re about to let you – an unknown quantity ...

I've done my own taxes for years now. As an artist, at least a portion of my income has come under self-employment. I would love to pay someone to do this for me, but there was a mound of work just to prepare it for the accountant. By the time I got all of that information in order, added up, divided ...

The following is a general list of what you can and cannot deduct on a Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business). h4. Can: supplies, materials and labor - excluding yourself If you traveled for your self-employed business you can deduct the expenses if the trip: Travel, meals, expenses related to the production of goods Advertising: cost to produce, postage etc. ...

The best way to cut down the work on tax day is to be organized before tax day. Some simple tips: h4. Income Keep track of your income. Collect 1099s, save invoices, and deposit slips. As you deposit this money, make a note who it is from so that you don't have to look at it and wonder later. Make a ...

Taxes are overwhelming and complicated. There is form after form and it gets tough to keep them all straight. The most painful part, however, is seeing the toll it takes on you wallet. TurboTax, Military.com and ArtBistro have brought you expert financial advice to make your taxes and painless as possible and hopefully save a lot of money in the process. ...

Commitment to your job sometimes requires digging into your own pocket to purchase a uniform or treat a client to 18 holes of golf. But such unreimbursed expenses can pinch financially, unless you learn IRS rules for deducting work-related costs from your taxable income. Fastidious record keeping and advice from a tax professional can also help mitigate the suffering. "Many of ...

Every week you introduce more paper into your home, in the form of newspapers, magazines, flyers, coupons, schoolwork, correspondence, bills, and other documents. It may or may not be difficult for you to ensure that reading material and advertising is discarded when you are finished with it, but when it comes to financial documents, it can be much more challenging to ...

Learn how one business saved this amount each month by cutting back on non-essentials. Your business can use these methods to decrease expenses, too. There's no escaping it: The economy is officially dismal. Many companies are being forced to increase sales and/or decrease costs in order to remain competitive or, in some cases, survive. That's why we decided to do ...

Have questions about planning for retirement? Our Money Mentors have some answers. They aren't financial pros. They're ordinary folks who, as retirees, manage their own finances. Their nest eggs, excluding their homes, vary from a couple hundred thousand dollars to $2 million. The one thing they have in common is experience as retirees — and the desire to share the lessons ...

Tax season is right around the corner and several military families will attempt to file their taxes on paper. However filing taxes on paper is a long and cumbersome process. If an individual taxpayer chooses to file without the help of a certified public accountant (CPA), the process can take hours. And, if mistakes are made the repercussions can take the ...

Investment losses, job loss or downsizing, an upward adjustment on your adjustable rate mortgage, and higher prices on everything from gas for your car to rice for the table are only some of the current factors that could derail your financial planning for your golden years. When your income is not covering all your expenses, it can be tempting to simply ...

With all the doom and gloom over housing, you might be surprised to know that this is a fantastic time to get a mortgage. Not if you have poor credit, to be sure. But you can get a great deal on a 30-year, fixed-rate, conforming loan these days if you have a solid FICO score, a manageable debt burden, and proof ...

There's nothing like a little hard-won experience. Personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani got out of $100,000 in credit-card debt in three years. Now the author of books like "Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom," she writes and speaks about how others can follow her example. BusinessWeek's Ben Steverman recently spoke to Khalfani about the "bling-bling lifestyle" that leads young ...