Some small businesses struggle with employee morale for a variety of reasons, one of which may be economic uncertainty. If you want to boost employees’ spirits without a big financial outlay, an achievement awards program is a relatively low-cost fringe benefit that may be a win-win addition. Under such an initiative, you can hand out […]

As the year winds to a close, your chance to lower your 2024 tax bill also winds down. If you’re age 70½ or older, you may want to make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your IRA before year end. Normally, distributions from a traditional IRA are taxable. But the amount of your QCD is […]

While the use of paper checks has greatly diminished, thieves still view them as a source for stealing revenue. In fact, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warns that many thieves are returning to old-fashioned financial theft, using paper checks. That’s one reason why the U.S. Postal Service urges us to not send checks through the […]

If the fringe benefits of your job include employer-paid group term life insurance, a portion of the premiums for the coverage may be taxable. And that could result in undesirable income tax consequences for you. The cost of the first $50,000 of group term life insurance paid by your employer is excluded from taxable income. […]