A Real Zombie Mortgages
Despite what the movies would have you think, there’s a very real zombie problem in the United States that only a few people understand BUT one that can have a hugely negative impact on homeowners. Zombie Mortgages. I know how it sounds, but the reality is this: in the Great Recession, many mortgage companies who […]
ETAAC delivers 2021 Annual Report
IR-2021-131, June 23, 2021 WASHINGTON — The Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC) today released its annual report to Congress, featuring 10 recommendations with a focus on the prevention of identity theft and refund fraud. The report groups the recommendations into two sections: recommendations to Congress involving the IRS budget, information return filing and federal […]
Rethinking the Job You Do or Rules For Enjoying The Job
Stop me if you’ve heard this one, “I like my job, but…” It’s a hard truth that a lot of us like parts of the jobs we’re paid for, but accept that our jobs have plenty of things we don’t like about them, too. Over the years, as I’ve interacted with people from all walks […]
Online tools to help families manage Child Tax Credit payments
Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant helps families determine whether they qualify for Child Tax Credit payments Update Portal helps families monitor and manage Child Tax Credit payments IR-2021-130, June 22, 2021 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today launched two new online tools designed to help families manage and monitor the advance monthly payments of […]
Rethinking the Customer
A lot of folks probably looked at the title of this post and cringed – “Rethinking the Customer? They’re not the problem!” I get it, it seems like the wrong thing to do … but it’s not. The entire process your business follows, after all, is about the customer, right? They already exist and they […]
Rethinking the Management Position
Many, many times, in speaking with business owners, I hear the stories of how they inadvertently created a system – big or small – and even though the system isn’t a good one, they have trouble “fixing” it. It’s even worse when the business has some size to it – managers don’t acknowledge change or […]
Greed or Fear?
People of a certain age will remember Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street and one of his most famous lines… “The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. […]
“We’re the Folks That…”
For years now, when I converse with small business owners, I’ve heard the common complaint, “we can’t make any money, and we’re busier than ever!” Even though I’m not a business coach, when we dig into that comment, I often find that all that “busy-ness” is unfocused… Simply burning up resources for the sake of […]
Is it time to buy my own home?
One of the most rewarding things I see, as a tax professional, is when clients and friends come to me for advice about “tax things.” I’m happy to share my knowledge, and open up my Rolodex for referrals about many, many things – how to structure your start up, determining a plan for retirement, understanding […]
Is it time to worry about the price of money?
Truthfully, the economy is better today than it was this time last year, and now that unemployment numbers are dropping, stimulus money is available, and more and more companies are getting back to work, there are a lot of worries about the actual value of a dollar. In the short term, with many gurus projecting […]
