jeffrey levine

Sometimes It Pays to Treat Your Kids Unequally

As the father of more than one child, I understand the desire to try and treat children as equally as possible. You certainly don’t want one child to think you love him/her any less, or more, than your other children (though children will inevitably feel that way at one time or another), and you want the best for all of your children. But while children may share the same parents, may grow up in the same house and may be raised in the same manner, they are very much like snowflakes. Each one is truly unique.For those not set on a predetermined course of action when developing an estate plan, there are definitely scenarios where, from a purely financial perspective, it can pay to treat children differently. In fact, doing so can, in some cases, leave everyone with more than they would have otherwise.

The Ultimate Rainy Day Fund; The Roth IRA

A recent Pew Charitable Trusts study released in March came to the scary conclusion that roughly one-third of Americans would have trouble coming up with $2,000 in the event of an emergency. Clearly, this is a problem. Try as one might, emergencies are bound to happen from time to time. Some of them may not have an impact on your finances, but many emergencies will. With that in mind, let’s talk for a moment about the ultimate emergency fund, the Roth IRA.

Do You Have to File an Amended Return?

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably wondered at some point, “Do I need to file an amended return for that?” It is in that spirit that we offer you seven common errors and whether or not you should file an amended return after you discover them.

Conquer Your Fear of Tax Season

One of the most common questions asked during tax season is, “Do I have to file a tax return?” The answer, of course, is a bit complicated, but in general, if your income is equal to or greater than the sum of the standard deduction plus your personal exemption, you must file a return. The standard deduction is higher for those 65 or older, so age makes a difference in some cases.

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