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New Expanded Child Tax Credit Payment Details: Dates, Timeline, Form, &...
I wanted to share a few quick noteworthy updates on payment details for the new expanded Child Tax Credit in 2021 that was part of the American Rescue Plan legislation that was passed by Congress and...
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FIRE Update: 1-Year Post FIRE Review
Wow – time really does fly. In mid-April, I officially reached my 1-year “FIRE-versary”. As a quick recap, a declined job relocation and subsequent hiring freeze during the pandemic last April led to a...
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Why I Have Stopped Bringing Up Personal Finance Topics in Conversation
The art and practice of personal finance has afforded Mrs. 20SF and me many wonderful things. It allowed us to pay off students loans. It allowed us to pay off a mortgage early. It allowed Mrs. 20SF...
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The Child Tax Credit Portal is Open. Here’s what you Should Know.
A number of new IRS tools are now live for the new expanded Child Tax Credit in 2021 that was part of the American Rescue Plan legislation passed by Democrats in Congress and signed by President Biden...
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I Bonds Review: Where & How to Buy, Interest Rates, Risks, & Pros & Cons
A 20SF reader recently asked about my thoughts on current inflation concerns and how to hedge against it. While most signs point towards many current inflationary pressures being temporary in nature...
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The Office is Dead! Long Live the Office! FIRE & the Future of Work
In light of most in-office work settings becoming at-home work settings for the last year and a half, there has been a lot of talk about <cue echoey outer space narrator voice> “The future of...
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PSA: The 2021 Maximum Charitable Donation Tax Deduction is Up to $300 or $600...
The 2021 Charitable Donation Maximum Deduction is $600 for Married Filing Jointly & $300 for Other Filers I wanted to provide a PSA reminder to all as the 2021 calendar and tax year quickly come to...
View ArticleNew Series I Bond Rate for November 2021 – April 2022: 7.12%!
Big news for savers and investors searching for the rare strong rate of return paired with low risk: the U.S. Treasury Series I Savings Bond interest rate for November, 2021 was just announced and it’s...
View Article2021 & 2022 Maximum 401K Contribution Limits
The IRS has announced the 2022 maximum 401K contribution limit for employees, which is the max that workers can legally contribute to a 401K in a given calendar year. The 2022 maximum 401K contribution...
View Article2021 & 2022 Maximum IRA Contribution Limits
The IRS has announced the 2022 maximum IRA contribution limit, which is the max you can contribute to your IRAs in a given calendar year. The 2022 maximum IRA contribution limit will be the same as the...
View ArticleSaver’s Tax Credit Qualifications for 2021 & 2022
The Saver’s Tax Credit details below have been updated for the 2021 and 2022 tax years. What is the Saver’s Credit? The Saver’s Credit (aka the ‘Retirement Savings Contribution Credit‘) is a lesser...
View Article2021 & 2022 Tax Brackets (IRS Tax Rates) & Standard Deductions
The IRS has released its 2022 tax brackets (a bracketed rate table for the IRS federal income tax rates) and standard deduction amounts, and there are a number of inflation adjustments over the 2021...
View ArticleCapital Gains Tax Rates & Overview (Updated for 2021 & 2022)
Capital gains tax rules do not make for a particularly thrilling topic. But, seeing that this is a personal finance blog geared towards young professionals and we should all be investing as early as...
View ArticleEarned Income Tax Credit Basics (2021 & 2022)
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the most significant tax credits available in the entire IRS tax code. It is also simultaneously one of the most complicated and popular tax credits as...
View ArticleRakuten: $40 Referral Bonus Promo. Sign Up Before 12/7/21 (Easy Money!)
If you like to take advantage of the occasional free/easy money promotion (who doesn’t?), here’s an easy $40 promo from the Rakuten shopping portal for you (for a limited time – now through 12/7/2021)...
View ArticleSave Money on Amazon: A Huge List of Amazon Discounts, Promos, & Price Hacks
Let’s start this “saving money on Amazon” guide with a few disclaimers. First, spending money you wouldn’t otherwise spend is not saving money. Second, only buy stuff from Amazon (or anywhere) that you...
View ArticleThe 2021 Year-End Financial Checklist (15 Personal Finance To-Do Items)
With yet another taxing year coming to a close, your first instinct may be to go into survival mode until you get a few holiday days off, indulge in a little self-medication that may or may not include...
View ArticleA Guide to ACA Open Enrollment for 2022
I alluded to it in my financial year-end to-do checklist article, but open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act has already begun and is quickly coming to a close. Yes, the ACA lives on, and with the...
View ArticleHow to Beat Inflation: A Measured, No-Panic Approach
How Long Will High Inflation Last? Inflation hysteria is in full effect. When economic hysteria of any kind hits, I find it’s always best to break things down in a rational, actionable way. Amongst the...
View Article2021: The 20somethingfinance Year in Review
2021: what can you say? It was certainly better than 2020. No need to revisit that year. While 2021 wasn’t a banner year in human history, with new COVID variants wreaking havoc on public health and...
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