Andy | Saving to Invest

Traditional IRA versus Roth IRA – 2025 Contribution and Phase-out Income Limits

I regularly receive reader questions asking me to clarify the difference between a Roth IRA and Traditional IRA plan. Both are excellent retirement investment vehicles, but based on your income and tax situation one may be a better first choice than the other. Shown below is a table with some key differences…

How to Get Your UBER rating as a Passenger and see How Drivers Rate You

Uber, now a verb in the dictionary, is the revolutionary ride hailing service (think taxi on your phone) that millions of people use daily. You basically request an "Uber" via your smartphone, it shows up and drops you off to your destination and your credit card (already on file) is…

The Layoff that was a Layup Due to My Financial Savvy

A few weeks ago life was good and things were going along swimmingly. I could go to Whole Foods and pick out whatever organic produce I wanted without looking at the price tag. My wife and kids could shop without waiting for a holiday sale. Date nights were at nice…

2024 Tax Filing Deadline – Get Your Refund and Avoid Penalties

With the deadline for the primary part of the tax season upon us make sure you file in time to avoid penalties or submit a free extension request for an October filing date - you still need to pay any taxes due. If you have filed you hopefully have gotten your tax refund…

California Unemployment Insurance (EDD) Benefits in 2026 — What You Can Get and How to File

The maximum weekly unemployment benefit in California is $450, and it has been stuck at that level since 2005. If you lost a job paying $60,000 a year, that's about $1,154 per week — you'd be capped at less than 40% of what you made. It's a number worth knowing…

How Can I Actually Speak to a Real Person at the IRS For My Tax Refund Payment Status

With so many people experiencing high levels of frustration around getting information on their tax refund, I thought I would take consolidate feedback and tips across various forums and post some practical ideas on how to contact the IRS and get a live agent on the line. Note that for…

URGENT: IRS Identity Review (5071C) – Verify Return or Delay Refund

You filed your return in a timely manner and were waiting for your refund to be sent within the standard timeline that the IRS promises. But alas, it has been much longer than that and you are wondering, "Where is my DAMN refund!" In several recent cases it appears that the IRS…

Can I Amend My Tax Return to Get Missing IRS Tax Credits and Payments? Amending Your Tax Return via Form 1040X Online – Rules and Deadlines

With stimulus check and other tax credits like the advance CTC payments now only being paid via tax return filings, based on past year tax returns and adjusted gross income levels, many eligible recipients have scrambled to amend tax returns to get these payments as a refund payment. The good…

Which Fund Allocations Should I Choose for My 401K or IRA Contributions in 2016 Given Markets, Economy and Elections

With the markets rocky, US and global economies facing headwinds and a presidential political campaign in full swing, choosing how to allocate your current and future retirement savings for the medium to longer term is no easy task. But rather than just leave your current 401K and IRA allocations as is…

Thank God I Got My Tax Refund! Americans Get Religious and Pray For Divine Intervention With IRS Refund Delays

People are again getting very frustrated with delays they are seeing around getting their federal tax refunds. Despite the IRS saying that 9 out of 10 refunds will be processed in under 21 days, there have been a lot of people who seem to waiting a lot longer than the standard…

Checking Your IRS Tax Refund Status on WMR or IRS2Go For Direct Deposit Payment Date

With tax season underway, lots of taxpayers are keen to get an update on their refund processing status' on the IRS' Where is My Refund (WMR) website or on the IRS2Go mobile app. These tools provide taxpayers with three key pieces of information: IRS confirmation of receiving their tax return, approval…

Will H&R Block, TurboTax and Other Online Tax Software Providers Help With IRS Refund Delays?

On one of my more popular articles answering the question, "Where is my refund? " I got the following representative comments which was the genesis of the title of this post. So I thought I would take some time here to address the obligations of these online tax providers when it…

Obamacare ACA Maximum 2015 Penalty To Top $12,000 For Higher Income Earners

For the 2015 tax year, the Obamacare or Affordable Care Act (ACA) shared responsibility is set to double from a maximum $975 per household in 2014 to approximately $12,850 per household. This is based on the percentage of income criteria, versus the flat tax/penalty amount outlined below. To avoid being…

2016 Affordable Care Act Tax Reminders

The IRS has released some useful reminders when it comes to tax rulings and obligations around the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it is more commonly known. For the vast majority of taxpayers providing proof of health insurance coverage (and avoiding a penalty) will simply mean checking a box to…