When it’s Time for Kids to Help Mom
When Sandra got her mom’s message, it came as a shock. Mom’s back pain had become unbearable. Unable to get out of bed, she felt her quality of life slipping away. In her detailed text message – which was sent to all four sisters at once – mom said she was ready. Ready to go […]
States that are Dying to Tax You
As a professional communicator, I’ve always been fascinated with the way words are used to influence how people feel about a particular topic. One example I find particularly interesting is how policy makers talk about estate taxes. Those in favor of them are fine with the standard terminology, since the word “estate” signals that it’s […]
Get the Most Out of Tax Changes
They’ve already started to arrive in my mailbox—forms with “Important Tax Information” in bold on the front. Puzzling machine-generated envelopes with multi-step opening instructions: “Unzip here first. Then here. Then here.” Yes, it’s tax season and if you’re like me you’re tossing all that mail into a 2025 Taxes folder with a plan to do […]
Know Your IRAs: For Today and the Future
Every year around this time I talk to my tax person about putting money into an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). He tells me whether to invest in my traditional IRA or my Roth. I thank him, put a note in my to-do list, then google “the difference between traditional and Roth IRAs” to remind myself […]