Author: Donohoo Accounting Services

Little Things Add Up: Responsible Money Moves During Your Vacation

This summer, it seems a little more feasible to step out of our homes and travel to a new destination. Whether you’re taking a flight across the country or hopping in the car for a four-hour road trip, you should want to have a general idea for how much money you can expect to spend from departure to arrival and back. Below are some tips on how to make sure you don’t overspend on a vacation, while also enjoying your trip.

Know Before You Go

Before you leave for your trip, obviously take a peek at your bank accounts and decipher how much money needs to be allotted from savings to checking. If you have a local bank, find out what the different rates are for ATM withdrawals. If you bank with a larger national bank like Chase, research for ATMs nearby where you’re staying.

Money Talks

In a world where people use credit cards and money exchange services like Venmo, sometimes old reliable cash still holds its weight. By having hard cash in the form of traveler’s checks, you have a visible fixed amount and once it’s spent, there’s no more money to spend on that given day. Sort the cash out per day and allot it per person as well if it is a family vacation.

If traveler’s checks don’t sound like your cup of tea, a responsible move to make sure you stick to the budget is to write down what you spend when you’ve spent it.

Research Your Destination

If you hadn’t done it prior to booking the vacation, be sure to research some of the popular tourist attractions and what the costs of them are. When researching the area or areas, make note of the difference in prices between the weekday and weekend rates, as they might be different for some attractions.

Also, with differences in weekday and weekend prices, certain times of the day might be cheaper than others. For example, a mini-golf course at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday might be significantly cheaper than 8 p.m. on a Saturday.

Track And Weigh

With online banking, it’s incredibly easy and user-friendly to log into your account and see how much you’ve spent and where you’ve spent it at.

Another thing to consider is weighing your opportunity cost while on vacation. There are always those small little unforeseen costs such as parking that can pop up at a moment’s notice. Planning ahead and weighing these costs can be an easy way to stay in line with your budget.

Organize And Attack

Making budgets and sticking to them can be a combination of overwhelming, anxious and nerve wracking. That’s why here at Donohoo Accounting Services, we have trusted associates that can help you with any and all financial needs.

From making a small budget to extensive accounting work, we have been helping clients resolve their tax and financial issues for more than 20 years. If you’re ready to get a handle on your finances but need some help, visit our website and schedule a free consultation today! For more tips and our latest updates, check us out on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!

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Six Credit Score Myths You Need to Know

If you’re like most people, you know the basics of what a credit score is for and how it works. Your score is a make-or-break determinant of whether you qualify for a loan and there are key things to know, and to avoid, concerning your score. Let’s debunk a few of the myths around credit scoring to put control in your hands, and avoid any potential harm to your score.

CREDIT MYTH #1: There’s only one credit score

There are actually thousands of formulas for calculating credit. Depending on what score your potential lender uses, your score could vary. However, FICO scores are most common, and widely available online.

CREDIT MYTH #2: Checking your credit score can lower your score

Only hard inquiries from lenders can lower your score. When you check your credit score, there is no impact on your credit. Hard inquiries, however, are flags on your account when a lender accesses your credit history, and can lower your score because it indicates you may be increasing the amount of your credit. Do this too often and you can be seen as a risk to financial institutions.

CREDIT MYTH #3: Lowering your debt will immediately raise your score

It depends on the type of debt you pay off, and your credit limits. Paying off debt is important, and often high debt can result in a lower score. Keeping your credit card balances low, for example, can help to keep your score high.

CREDIT MYTH #4: Your job impacts your score

The job you have and how much money you make a month has no direct impact on your credit score. However, the bank or loan company may want to see your proof of employment and a few paystubs to ensure that you have a steady source of income. This can help people who are building their credit score by proving they have the funds available to pay off the loan.

CREDIT MYTH #5: Closing your credit cards will raise your score

Potential lenders are more concerned with how much credit you are using rather than how much you could be using. Closing a credit card could actually lower your score because it decreases the amount of credit you have. Remember, your credit score is all about giving lenders a blueprint for how you manage your money. If you have nothing to show them, they can’t draw up a plan.

As a leading accounting services firm in Cincinnati, Donohoo Accounting Services strives to make our clients feel comfortable discussing their tax situation and finances. Still have questions about your credit score, and how you can improve it? Let’s get you on track! Contact us today or give us a call at 513-528-3982 to schedule a free consultation! For more tips and our latest updates, check us out on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!

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Spring Clean Your Financial Documents

With tax season upon us and the hint of Spring around the corner, now is the perfect time to focus your spring-cleaning efforts on your financial documents and be ready for the year ahead. Here’s what we recommend you do:

Have A System

Store all of your important papers all in one place. A traditional filing cabinet works great, with separate folders allocated for your utility bills, pay stubs, bank statements, credit card statements and investment information.

Keep similar statements together so you can find what you need quickly. Safely store your important documents in a fireproof and water-resistant container.

To Keep Or Not To Keep

You don’t have to keep everything forever. Here are some rules of thumb to guide you.

          • Utility bills. Keep these for about a year in case there is a billing question that comes up.
          • Pay stubs. Hang on to these for a year, too, or until you can cross reference it to your year-end W-2 statement.
          • Bank statements. Keep these for one year unless you plan to apply for a car or home loan, then keep two years of statements. Lenders typically ask for two years’ worth of statements, and many banks give you free access only to the past six months.
          • Credit card statements. You can typically pitch credit card statements that are older than a year unless you’ve used them to pay for home office or home improvement expenses. If they impact your taxes, keep those statements until you sell your home.
          • Investments. You can throw out the monthly or quarterly statements if you have the yearly statements, but hold on to statements that show trading confirmations.
          • Tax records. Keep all of your tax returns and the supporting documents for at least three years. The IRS can challenge returns for the previous six years if they suspect you haven’t reported income, so you may want to play it safe and hang on to them for six years, especially if you are self-employed. Returns that are decades old and several residences in the past will likely not be needed.
          • Other important documents. There are some documents you will keep forever—birth certificates, marriage licenses, estate planning, death certificates, etc. These documents should be kept in a place that protects them from flood, fires and theft.

Shred

When you have identified what you no longer need to keep and store, don’t just throw them in the trash. Shred them. This will protect you from identity theft, an all too common and devastating problem that results when dumpster divers go through your trash in search of personal information. Then they use it to make purchases or apply for new credit cards.

Donohoo Accounting Services is here to help you with your financial paperwork, tax preparation and business and personal tax returns. If you have questions about which financial documents you should keep, which you should get rid of, or if you need help with your taxes, give us a call at 513-528-3982. We would be happy to assist. For more tips and our latest updates, check us out on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!

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What’s Different In 2021 About Saving For Retirement

2020 was a challenging year for everyone, but the retirement changes that occurred because of coronavirus legislation did offer some advantages to retirees and retirement savers.

The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) was a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package that sent stimulus checks to many Americans and boosted unemployment benefits. Here’s a summary of the CARES Act “silver lining” for retirees:

Required Minimum Distributions (RMD)

The CARES Act gave retirees a pass on the required minimum distribution, which would normally require them to withdraw money from an IRA and pay income tax on it. The free pass ended in 2020 however, and retirees will have to resume taking their RMDs in 2021.

Retirement Plan Withdraws

Another positive outcome of the CARES Act is it allowed up to $100,000 of retirement account withdrawals with no penalty as long as the person was younger than 59½. It also gave permission to spread out the tax on any retirement plan withdrawals over three years, and replace the money if they wanted to as long as the withdrawal was related to COVID. The early withdrawal penalty is reinstated for 2021, and any income on withdrawals will have to be counted as income unless the person qualifies for the COVID-Related Tax Relief Act (COVIDTRA) of 2020.

Retirement Loan Plans

In 2020, savers could borrow up to $100,000 from their 401(k) accounts without making payments on those loans for 12 months. In 2019 they could only borrow $50,000. This change could continue into 2021 if the retirees qualify for the COVIDTRA.

IRA Limits for Deductible Contributions

There is no change in the amount you can contribute to an IRA in 2021, but the income limits on contributing to a Roth IRA or deducting a traditional IRA are slightly higher.

Social Security COLA

The Social Security Administration instituted a 1.3 percent cost of living adjustment (COLS) for most beneficiaries that took effect January 2021. There is a $20 average monthly increase in Social Security retirement payment this year to $1,543. For a worker at full retirement age, the maximum monthly Social Security benefit is now $3,148, up $137 from 2020. Full retirement age for those people born in 1955 is 66 years and 2 months. That number rises gradually to 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later.

Do you have questions about saving for retirement during a pandemic and beyond? Or are you unsure about how or if last year’s changes in legislation affect your personal retirement plans? You can trust experienced accounting professionals like Donohoo Accounting Services to answer your questions. We’ve been assisting individuals and businesses with their tax preparation and retirement planning for more than two decades, and we would be happy to help you, too. If you are interested in learning more or scheduling a retirement savings consultation, please call 513-528-3982. For more tips and our latest updates, check us out on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!

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