Here is the 64 million dollar question – do you bribe your kids (give an allowance) to enforce good future financial behavior? Here is an article in The Wall Street Journal by Neil Parmar that discusses good and bad ways to do this plus some data on how people feel about it: http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-right-way-to-bribe-your-children-1411333008 I know my wife and I give my teenage daughter an allowance, hopefully to get her to do chores around the house and to learn about saving and spending, plus budgeting for larger purchases. I have to admit I have never withheld her allowance when she has slipped in her chores (I have threatened but never followed through) and I have slipped her a little loan when she is short on something (but I do take it out of her next allowance) and we do take part of her money to put to savings and some to donate to our church. Overall I am pleased with the way she handles stuff. Now she is going to get her drivers license and she will have to worry about gas and car insurance (there is some money set aside from her aunt to help get a car) so new hurdles [...]
CPA Financial Musings: How Americans Spend: 1993 vs. 2013
How do we in the US spend our money now compared to 20 years ago? The Department of Labor released 2013 spending data which when compared to 1993 shows some interesting changes. See more breakdowns by age catagories in this post by Rani Molla in The Wall Street Journal: http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/how-americans-spend-1993-vs-2013-1763/ One interesting thing is that while tobacco use is down over 20 years in all the age catagories, alcohol usage is only down significantly in the under 25 group, but is down only slightly in the 35-44 group and up slightly in the over 65 group. Housing is higher across the board (what a surprise!) For financial, accounting and tax musings, You can count on us to count for you! Email: bstonercpa@sbcglobal.net Phone: 818-317-6035 Website: www.briantstonercpa.com Android and the IPhone: Has been Featured On https://twitter.com/bstonercpa
Musings of a Burbank CPA: IRS May Shift W-2 Deadlines to Combat Identity Theft and Tax Fraud
Well the Government Accounting Office (GAO) is pushing the IRS to require W2s be filed with the Social Security Administration by January 31 and that Efiling of W2s be required when more than 5 to 10 (no specific number yet) are filed. This will allow the IRS to match W2s before refunds are issued (hopefully) and cut down on identity thieves filing for false refunds. See the details in this article in Accounting Today by Micheal Cohn: http://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-watch/irs-shift-w2-deadlines-combat-identity-theft-tax-fraud-72062-1.html Never mind the pressure this will put on payroll services and accountants to get W2s done that much earlier – with the IRS barely into the 21st century as far as computers and tech , will they really be able to match things that much sooner? Also there are rumblings that Congress is being asked by the Treasury Department to accelerate the W2 filing deadline; I will believe that when I see it. For financial, accounting and tax musings, You can count on us to count for you! Email: bstonercpa@sbcglobal.net Phone: 818-317-6035 Website: www.briantstonercpa.com Android and the IPhone: Has been Featured On https://twitter.com/bstonercpa