The IRS rules for substantiating deductions for charitable contributions are strict. The taxpayers in a recent U.S. Tax Court case found this out the hard way when the court denied their deduction of more than $37,000 for numerous noncash items donated to various charities. To add insult to injury, the court assessed a 20 percent accuracy-related...

To increase website traffic, you need to employ two corresponding, yet very different methods to help your site land top rankings in the major search engines, SEO and SEM. Don’t become confused by the two terms or use them interchangeably: Search engine optimization (SEO), is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a...

The Internet has revolutionized our lives. It facilitates financial transactions and the transmission of information. But with opportunities come risks. If you feel like you’ve lost control of your “digital dossier,” you’re not alone. There are weekly news stories about sensitive personal data being hacked online and sold on the black market. Risks Abound Online surveillance...

As the weather and economy continue to warm up, employers around the country may be looking to hire more workers, including some already employed at high-paying jobs. If you go to work for a new firm — or your current employer transfers you to a different branch — you may be able to deduct certain moving...

Although it may not seem like it initially, a divorce is a major financial transaction. As such, it has serious tax implications and potential tax pitfalls. This is especially true when it comes to splitting up tax-favored retirement accounts between divorcing spouses. Planning ahead is critical to getting good tax results. Use a “QDRO” to...

The Baby Boomer generation — a population “boom” of nearly 80 million people born from 1946 to 1964 — has been affecting consumer market trends for decades. Now they’re ushering in a new wave of trends as they transition to the next stage of their lives as retirees, grandparents and mentors. But as consumers, their attitudes...