An IRA is a great way to save for the future, but only about 14% of eligible Americans are contributing to one. That's a shame, because an IRA is a tax-advantaged investment tool that can help you invest for retirement — whether you're just starting out, in the middle of your working years or headed toward the finish line. What is an IRA anyway? First things first: an IRA — actually, "Individual Retirement Arrangement," though most people call it an account — is not an investment … [Read more...]
Traditional vs Roth IRA – Your Retirement Fund
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The difference between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA comes done to one word – tax-deferred vs. tax-exempt. Both will allow you to accumulate wealth without paying taxes, but with the traditional IRA you will get a tax bill for the profits and contributions when deductions are made. The Roth IRA, on the other hand, doesn’t do that. As long as you follow the rules, you never pay taxes on the gains. However, you don’t get a break on your yearly income tax. For this reason, many … [Read more...]
Self-Employed Taxes
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Some general guidelines on reporting your income on a Schedule C Tax Form. When you own a small business or operate as an independent contractor, the government wants your money to pay Social Security and Medicare tax through their self-employment tax. Specifically, they want to tax the profit that you have seen from your business. But don’t worry yet. The full amount of taxable income is determined by more than just the total profit made. A self-employed designation is determined by … [Read more...]