The Best & Cheapest Tax Software for 2023: Top Tax Prep Comparison Review
This best and cheapest tax software comparison review has been updated for 2023 tax filing (for 2022 tax year returns). The tax season start date will soon arrive and the tax deadlines have been...
View ArticleHow to Do Your Taxes in 2023: a DIY Tax Filing Guide
A Guide to Filing your Taxes in 2023 We’re smack dab in the middle of the 2023 tax filing season. If you visit the IRS website and have a look around, there really is no simple tax guide to get you...
View ArticleHow to Pay Taxes with a Credit Card (and Profit) in 2023
This article on how to pay your taxes with a credit card has been updated for the 2023 tax season. Want to take a bit of the sting out of paying taxes? Good news. You can easily and quickly pay taxes...
View ArticleFDIC Insurance Amount Limit Details: Everything to Know ASAP
Fresh off the 2nd and 3rd largest bank failures in U.S. history (Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, respectively), it seems like it might be a good critical time to do a refresher on FDIC...
View ArticleCredit Unions Fail More Often than Banks. Are Your Deposits Fully Insured?...
Credit unions, as fiscally conservative member-focused non-profit institutions that distribute profits to their members, are surely safer than for-profit banks with return-hungry shareholders, right?...
View ArticlePSA: H&R Block Online & Download Discounts Still Available for Filers
As many of us have been dreading, the federal tax deadline is coming soon (Tuesday, April 18, 2023). With few exceptions (e.g. if you’ve filed a tax extension or your income level does meet the...
View ArticleAll of the Electric Vehicles Still Eligible for an EV Tax Credit in 2023
Those who are interested in purchasing an electric vehicle (and getting a tax credit for doing so) in the near future will want to pay close attention to this one. The IRS has finally released a...
View ArticleIs the I Bond Party Over? Here’s How to Cash Out I Bonds.
The buzz around I bonds in the personal finance community has been off the charts the last 2 years, with guaranteed interest rates not seen anywhere else in recent decades, and no risk-free comparable...
View ArticleRakuten $40 Referral Bonus Promo + 15% Cash Back (Ends Soon)
This week, popular shopping portal site Rakuten (formerly “Ebates”), is offering a very nice $40 referral welcome bonus for new users who join via a Rakuten referral link from existing users (myself...
View ArticleIRS Announces Maximum HSA Contributions for 2023 & 2024
This article has been updated for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. If you’ve been following this site, you know that I have been a big fan of health savings accounts (HSAs) and made the maximum annual HSA...
View ArticleDIY & the Value of Time (Thoughts from a DIY Deck Rebuild)
You may have noticed that I was AWOL from this site for, well… the entire summer. That wasn’t originally planned, but in retrospect, it was necessary. Smashing keys on my laptop needed to take a...
View ArticleSave Money on Amazon: A 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 Article3 Ways to Get Free COVID Tests from the USPS, Insurance, & Locally (in 2023)
9/25/23 Update: free mail delivery orders have resumed on the USPS COVID test order website and deliveries restarted the week of 9/25/23. There is a limit of one order per residential address. Each...
View ArticleAre COVID Vaccinations & Booster Shots Still Free? (2023 Update)
This article was last updated in October, 2023. As we push through another cold, flu, and (likely) COVID season, I wanted to share the major updates on the current availability status and pricing of...
View ArticleSaver’s Tax Credit Qualifications for 2023 & 2024
What is the Saver’s Credit? The Saver’s Tax Credit details in this article have been updated for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. The Saver’s Credit (aka the ‘Retirement Savings Contribution Credit‘) is a...
View ArticleNew Series I Bond Rate for November 2023 – May 2024: 5.27%
This article has been updated to reflect the current new Series I bond rates for November, 2023 to May, 2024 period. The new I bond rate has been set at a composite 5.27% (up from a 4.30% APR in the...
View ArticleRakuten Referral Bonus Promo: Easy $40 Cash Back (Ends Soon)
A PSA for some easy cash back as we head into the holiday season: popular shopping portal site Rakuten (formerly “Ebates”), is currently offering a generous $40 cash back referral welcome bonus for new...
View ArticleEarned Income Tax Credit Tables & Basics (for 2023 & 2024)
This article has been updated for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of the most significant tax credits available in the entire IRS tax code. It is also...
View ArticleFlexible Spending Account (FSA) Basics & FAQs (for 2023 & 2024)
This article has been updated for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. I’ve gone in to great detail on my love for health savings accounts (HSAs), but also want to pay some attention to their cousin, the...
View Article2023 & 2024 Capital Gains Tax Rates
This article has been updated for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. Capital gains tax rules do not make for a particularly thrilling topic. But, seeing that this is a personal finance blog geared towards...
View Article