With the economy the way it is right it is important to have a hold on your finances. But sometimes it is hard. Lots of people are on strict budgets and every penny helps. There are many people that I know, myself included, that have had a major life change and could definitely use the money. Job loss and layoffs have been a huge problem over the past couple of years. Home prices are down, and they have not taken a turn for the better yet. I think it’s been about 4 years now that the mortgage industry has been in a depression so to speak. Foreclosures are very often the subject of newscasts. We hear every day about how the rate is rising. This has been especially true here in the Chicago area. Add to that the rising cost of gas and food and it is enough to depress you. And just recently here in IL we were shocked when they not just raised, but increased highway tolls by as much as 110%!! That gives new meaning to the term highway robbery. 🙂
Because of this a lot of us might wonder what to tell our kids about money. Well… I for one due not shelter my children. And sometimes this is the subject of debate with friends who say “you talk to your kids about your finances?” “Well yes…. I sure do.” I do not give them specifics on how much money Mommy makes or anything. But, I make certain that they know that they do not just get everything that they ask for because things cost money. And making money is sometimes hard work. I want to make sure that they do not have a false sense of security. They have everything that they need, and more. But they also know that if they want that fancy new gadget that just came out that they may not get it just because. As they get older, they learn more about the value of money and what it means to work.
Now we are at the end of January and that means that tons of people are already thinking tax refund they will get. As you drive around you may notice that it seems more H&R Block Offices just popped up overnight. For some this may be the one time of year that they feel a little financial reprieve. At tax time hopefully most of us feel a glimmer of hope. We hope to get ahead of the curve a bit when it comes down to getting a refund. Many people look forward to using their tax refund to take a vacation, get home improvements, or pay off bills. As W2s and 1099s roll in, you should think about making sure that you get the maximum refund available to you. Many people think they are saving money by doing their taxes themselves when in reality they may be unknowingly cheating themselves out of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. This may not be the case if your tax situation is simple and you have no home business, properties, or otherwise. But, if you are a small business owner, you own a home, you have children, or any other expenses that may be written off, a professional tax consultant can make sure that nothing gets missed. You would be surprised how just finding one more thing to claims you net you a few more bucks.
So when you get your taxes done, never settle for less. The Never Settle for Less campaign means that an H&R block agent can help you weed through the unknown and make sure that you get the best refund. Continue to Never Settle for Less by Filing online at http://www.hrblock.com/index.html or in an H&R Block Office.
Disclosure: Although this is a compensated post on behalf of H&R Block and Technorati, all opinions are my own.
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