Vincent Van Gogh is one of the best-known artists in history, but his genius came at a hefty price. He famously suffered from mental health issues, which manifested in many ways, among them his obsessive doubts over his own abilities. “I feel a failure. I feel that this is the destiny that I accept, that will never change,” he once wrote to his brother, Theo. Anyone who has laid eyes on Van Gogh’s work knows his self-doubt was misplaced, but the artist, sadly, was never able to get out of his own way. Who knows what he would have accomplished…

I recently launched a peer financial coaching center at my university, providing students with a place to receive financial coaching help. While the center primarily relies on trained peer financial coaches to assist fellow students, I occasionally step in as a financial coach. During one of my sessions, a young college student arrived with a big smile, radiating confidence and maturity. She seemed poised and self-assured, and I assumed our session would likely cover advanced financial topics, like stocks or Roth IRAs. Still, I decided to start by asking her how she was feeling. She gave me a sideways glance…

The tax landscape is becoming increasingly complex, and small business owners are discovering that traditional tax preparation services no longer meet their needs. As tax laws evolve and financial pressures mount, there is a growing demand for professionals who do more than just file returns. Attending the Tax 360 Conference offered valuable insights into this transformation. During the event, I had the opportunity to interview Mark J. Kohler, a seasoned tax professional and advocate for small business owners, along with other experts in the field. These discussions highlighted the pressing need for the tax industry to shift from compliance-focused services…

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The year 2024 has just come to a close and many people may not yet be thinking about filing their 2024 income tax return, but perhaps they should. Income tax identity theft is a huge problem that costs the government billions of dollars annually, and also can delay your legitimate tax refund by as much as 675 days. Income tax identity theft, by which identity thieves file phony income tax returns with easily created counterfeit W-2s using the Social Security number and name of their victim is still a major problem for the IRS although it is improving its enforcement…

Over 11 million Ohioans woke up this morning with greater protection for their free speech rights. On January 8, 2024, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law Senate Bill 237 of the 135th General Assembly which creates the Ohio Uniform Public Expression Protection Act (UPEPA) at § 2747.01, et seq. of the Ohio Revised Code. The Buckeye State becomes the ninth state to adopt the UPEPA as created by the Uniform Law Commission, plus Oregon which has adopted substantially similar legislation. Illustrating the bipartisan nature of the UPEPA, it was passed unanimously by both the Ohio Senate and House of…

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.Welcome to NerdWallet’s Smart Money podcast, where we answer your real-world money questions. In this episode: Learn how to balance risk and reward in your investments, rebalance your portfolio, and avoid common investing pitfalls.How can you manage risk and reward when investing? What are the best strategies for rebalancing your portfolio for 2025? Host Sean Pyles and Investing Nerd Sam Taube discuss how…

Medical Debt Soon Will Be Banned on Credit Reports Americans won’t have to worry about unpaid medical bills damaging their credit reports and scores much longer. The Biden administration is finalizing a rule Tuesday that will end the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports and ban lenders from using certain medical information in loan decisions. The rule will also remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of about 15 million people. [CNN] U.S. Consumer Borrowing Growth Slows on Drop in Revolving Credit Outstanding credit card and other revolving debt decreased $13.7 billion, the most…

One of the biggest perks of 401(k) retirement plans is the opportunity for employees to earn “free money” through employer matching contributions; however, recent research from Vanguard Group reveals that this benefit disproportionately favors high-income earners, leaving lower-paid workers at a disadvantage. The reality for millions of low-income workers is the allure of free money but the ability to capture only a fraction of it. This structural inequity points to a shortfall in the current retirement landscape and should be an impetus for companies to consider redesigning their retirement benefit plans. The Uneven Distribution Of Employer 401(k) Matching Contributions The…

A judgment creditor can obtain a charging order against debtor/member’s interest in an LLC. But what if that LLC is not formed in the state where the judgment has been entered, but in another state? Can the creditor still get a charging order against interests in out-of-state LLCs? Put another way, are only the courts of the state in which an LLC is organized empowered to enter a charging order as to those LLCs? If so, doesn’t that pretty much destroy the idea that certain out-of-state LLC statutes are better than the LLC statutes of the state in which the…