Skip to main content

Posts

Top 5 things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022

Top 5 things to remember to speed tax return processing and avoid delays! 1. For an accurate return, collect all documents before preparing your tax return. In addition to collecting W-2s, Form 1099s and other income-related statements, it is important people have their advance Child Tax Credit and Economic Impact Payment information on hand when filing. 2. File an accurate return and use e-file and direct deposit to avoid delays. Taxpayers should electronically file and choose direct deposit. 3. Use online resources before calling the IRS. Phone demand on IRS assistance lines remains at record highs. To avoid lengthy delays, the IRS urges people to use IRS.gov to get answers to tax questions, check a refund status or pay taxes. 4. In order to validate and successfully submit an electronically filed tax return to the IRS, taxpayers need their Adjusted Gross Income, or AGI, from their most recent tax return. For those waiting on their 2020 tax return to be processed, enter $0 for l

How to Break-up without Being Messy

  We've all probably seen our share of messy break-ups online, in our friend circles or within our family. I think I have personally had a good three messy break-ups though none have been as messy as my divorce. We constantly argued. We kept taking each other's calls. We posted on social media. We talked to each other's friends/family members about the other person. We blocked and unblocked each other. There was so much drama and it lasted for a long time. I've learned from my mistakes and while I know there is no way to guarantee a smooth break-up I've compiled a list of what I think will help reduce your chances of having a messy break-up. 1.  Make sure its what you really want. 2. Think about what you're going to say. 3. Don't play the blame game! 4. Be brutally honest. 5. Understand that you cannot control the other person's reaction. 6. Do not post about it on social media. 7. Do not have conversations with your ex about what went wrong and if you c

The Truth About Divorce

  I do not regret my divorce. I believe wholeheartedly that it was necessary. However, if I could have avoided it, I would have. I think it's best for people to explore other options before getting divorced. You can try marital counseling, taking time apart, or even an open marriage. If there is no abuse in the home, divorce should be your last option. Here's why: 1. It's ugly - You may start off thinking you and your ex would never engage in crazy, toxic behavior. Then at some point you get hit by negative angry emotions from your Ex. Emotions will be high. Expect conflict. 2. It hurts - Even when it’s necessary, divorce still hurts. You're walking away from something you spent years building, and that's not easy. It hurts both spouses and it hurts the children. 3. It takes time - Divorce is usually a long process. Even when both parties agree to the divorce, and there’s nothing to fight over, it can still end up being a 1 - 2 year process. 4. Divorce doesn't e

Blurred Lines

Do you know what it's like to lay in someone's arms and feel completely empty? To have their body wrapped around yours, naked, skin touching, breathe on your neck, arms holding you so tight it feels as if they were meant to never let you go. I lose myself in the forehead kisses and the brushing of my hair behind my ears. In the soft whispers and the morning smiles. I lose myself most of the time. But sometimes, I just lay there wrapped in his naked body wondering if he holds everyone like this. Wondering why I keep coming back. Knowing, that I'll come back again.  *Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

How to have Casual Sex without Catching Feelings

It was a few years ago that I found myself in a months long, casual sex, situationship. I was still going through my divorce proceeding and while I never intended for it to be casual sex, I knew that I wasn't completely ready for a new relationship. I did not go into it knowing it would be casual sex. I thought the guy liked me and that maybe it could go somewhere. It didn't help that he waited until after we slept together for the first time to make it clear that sex was all he wanted. He was brutally honest at that point and I'm not going to lie, it hurt. I was left with nothing but a choice. It took about a month for me to make my decision.  That experience taught me a lot. One thing I learned is that casual sex isn't bad. It also doesn't have to be with different random guys. You can have one casual sex partner for a long period of time as long as you have clear rules and boundaries, and always stick to them. For me, casual sex means I'm not cuddling with yo

How to Create a Simple Budget

If you're not already budgeting, you should start now. Budgeting can be a great way to keep track of your family's expenditures and evaluate where you spend the most money.  What is a budget?  A budget is an estimate of how much money you’ll make and spend over a certain period of time, (usually a month). A budget will tell you if you can spend less money on some things and more money on other things. It will help you manage your funds to ensure there is enough money for paying bills and living expenses. It can also help you get out of debt, and create a plan for  saving.  Follow these six simple steps to create a budget:  1.  Gather three months of your pay stubs and get your average monthly earnings. 2.  Get out your bills for fixed expenses such as rent, phone bill, car payments and other loans that come monthly. 3.  Take out three months of your credit card bills. Add them up and get the average. 4. Create a list of your monthly living expenses such as groceries, clothing,

Six tips to Cope with Divorce and move forward

Life after Divorce is difficult. You vowed to be with one another for eternity and someone broke that vow. You may feel betrayed and confused. You are not alone. It is okay to hurt. It is okay to cry. But, eventually, you will have to pick yourself up. You will have to come to terms with detaching from your spouse and becoming whole within yourself. Divorce is not the end of your life but rather, it is a new beginning. This is going to take some time. It could potentially take weeks or months to move nearer to reality. Take as much time as you need. Heal at your own pace. Here are some things to consider while going through the process: Don't dwell on unanswered questions So many things may be running through your mind; Why did this happen? What did I do wrong? How did we get here? You may never get all the answers. Don't dwell on it. Move forward in comfort knowing that everything happens for a reason.  Forgive Yourself It's easy to look at divorce as failure. People

The IRS.gov Online Portal

I want encourage everyone to use this portal and keep your contact information updated.  IRS.gov Online Account It can be used for a number of the things including the following: Viewing your balance Viewing and creating payment plans Accessing tax records Managing communication preferences Viewing notices and letters For 2022, one of the most significant uses of this portal will be for individuals to securely access their child tax credit payment amounts and/or to access their economic impact payment amounts.   The IRS will mail out forms 6419 and 6475 with this information but if you do not get the form in the mail this is another way to access the information. 

Three Key Items you should know about before Filing in 2022

Three key items from the IRS that you should consider when filing your taxes in 2022.  1. Changes to the charitable contribution deduction Taxpayers who don't itemize deductions may still qualify to take a deduction for charitable contributions made in 2021 to qualifying organizations. Married taxpayers filing jointly can deduct up to $600, and all other filers can deduct up to $300.  2. Advance child tax credit payments If you received the advance child tax credit payments in 2021, you will need to compare the amount of payments you received in 2021 with the amount of the child tax credit that you can properly claim. If you received less than the amount for which you are eligible you can claim a credit for the remaining amount. If you did not get the monthly advance payments in 2021 you can get a lump-sum payment by claiming the child tax credit when filing your  return. This includes families who don't normally need to file a return. Note : In January 2022, the IRS will send

Build your Credit with Capital One

Everyone deserves a chance to build credit! Whether you’re establishing credit for the first time, or building towards the score you want you can do that with a Capital One Platinum Card. This is the exact card I got when I began working on my credit after my divorce.  See if you're pre-approved in less than 60 seconds with no impact to your credit score by using my referral link: Capital One Platinum card

Best Facial Hair Removal Method

There are many methods of facial hair removal available to the consumer. IPL facial hair removal offers long-term hair reduction but cannot target light, fine hair. Waxing facial hair removal can cause skin irritation along with ingrown hairs and is only a short term method. There are also trimming devices for facial hair removal which can cause skin irritation and require retreatment every few days. This list is not exhaustive; there are many more methods of facial hair removal; some of them quite dubious and seemingly offering the consumer miracles. Electrolysis is recommended as the best facial hair removal method as it is the only medically approved method of permanent best hair removal for unwanted facial hair, FACT. Electrolysis for permanent hair removal can only be performed by highly skilled and trained practitioners. These practitioners are encouraged to regularly review their skills and take refresher courses. They have the tactile skill on par with aesthetic surgeons. Disco

How to avoid Hair Damage in the Winter

Summer is gone- and gone are the chlorine, sun over-drying, saltwater and all the other issues that summer brings with it. At a first glance, you can breath in relief- your hair is safe now, ready to be shinny, fluid and as gorgeous as ever. But don't haste! If you thought summer to be your worst enemy, you haven't met winter yet. A moment of silence please- do you remember the frizz, the tangle, dandruff, oil excess? Yes, they can happen in the winter too- and hey, some of us know that winter can be even worse than summer. If in the summer your hair is mostly lacking it's moisture, winter brings twice as many problems- plus the fact that hairstyles have no chance in front of the cruel snow. While summer is known for causing hair damage, winter is your secret enemy. If you're looking for ways to keep you hair healthy and good-looking in the winter, then read on- we're listing the top hair problems winter is producing and listing the solutions for maintaining the per

Can You Build a Healthy Relationship Online?

Can You Build a Healthy Relationship Online? Let's Explore the Possibilities. Online dating sites have become a popular tool for finding love and companionship. But is it really as simple as it seems? With stories of scams and negative experiences, it's natural to wonder if it works at all. Let's dive in and find out. Looking Beyond the Scams Forget about the horror stories for a moment and consider online dating as a concept. It's a service that allows people to connect and develop relationships in a digital space. In an ideal world, it would be incredibly effective. However, like any business, there are scammers within the online dating community and even on the platforms themselves. So, the first step is to choose a trustworthy dating site. Opt for platforms that have reliable security measures like profile checks, anti-spam, and anti-fraud software. Embracing Online Dating in the Pandemic Era The pandemic has made our lives more challenging, forcing us to adapt to a

Top 5 ways to stay calm and reduce stress

Are you looking for more calm satisfying experience with you daily life? Do you get frustrated with yourself at the end of the day because you've gotten stressed, unfocused or agitated? Are you tired of getting over emotional and worn out? Whether you are experiencing one or all of these feelings here are my 5 best tips on reducing the unwanted feelings so that you will feel calm and satisfied with yourself each day. 1. Catch yourself when you exhibit a feeling of behavior that you don't like and change it. At first you may not notice the feeling until after you have gone through it, that's fine. Think about how you would rather have felt. Think about how you would rather have handled yourself. Decide how you want to do it next time. As you continue with this process each day you will find that you will notice more easily what you are doing throughout the day. You will begin to catch yourself earlier and earlier as you do this. Eventually, you will be seeing yourself while

Herbs & Spices: A Treasure Trove of Health Benefits

They say, to live right, you need to eat right but do we actually know what is right? Take a look at your kitchen cabinets; I am sure half of us won’t be aware of the benefits little things placed in our grocery shelf provide. For example, do you know that the herbs and spices flavoring your dishes are a treasure trove of health benefits? Here are a few common herbs and spices that we find easily in any household but are ignorant of the health benefits they offer.  1. Cayenne -  The famous philosopher Plato once said, “Pepper is small in quantity and great in virtue”. So is cayenne. Cayenne or popularly known as Lal Mirch relieves many gastro problems. It is quite interesting to know that Cayenne soothes the sore throat and heals other cold and flu symptoms. Apart from this Cayenne regulates the metabolism of one’s body which promotes weight loss and strong immunity.  2. Oregano  - I am sure all the pizza lovers out there are very well aware of what oregano tastes like. Oregano is rich

How To Manage Your Debt

Many consumers are overwhelmed by accumulated debts. In most cases, the problem creeps up gradually, until the total debt load reaches unmanageable proportions. Sometimes even minor problems such as temporary illness can tip the balance for the heavily indebted because they have no savings on which to fall back. Here are some suggestions to help ease the debt burden. Credit Cards If you know you are tempted to overspend on credit cards, leave them at home when you go shopping. Pay with cash and you will not have the temptation to overspend. Develop a Budget To take control of your financial situation you must have a realistic assessment of how much money you earn and how much money you have left over to spend. Calculate your total income, then list your "fixed" expenses - those unescapable charges you incur every month - like mortgage payments or rent, car payments, and insurance premiums. Next, list optional expenses such as entertainment, recreation, and clothing. Writing d

Relationships after Divorce

I literally had to grieve my divorce.  The stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, letting go and acceptance. I have gone through each one of these stages. I had to remove someone from my life that had been part of it for sixteen years. I met him when I was 22 and my divorce was finalized when I was 38. The relationship had ended years before the divorce, but it took me a long time to accept it. I was gone mentally, long before I had physically picked up my things and drove off. I was hurt. I was sad. I was angry. I couldn’t understand how HE could do the things he did to me. The one person who was supposed to love me unconditionally broke me down bit-by-bit until I didn’t even understand why I was living. I didn’t understand why I was suffering. I didn’t understand why God put me in that place. I was angry with God. I felt myself breaking down and it was getting hard to pretend that everything was normal. I hated going home. I worked late and went into the office early whenever

My Personal 2020 Recap

January : I started the year off at an RMA networking event at the Pyramid Club. I could have sworn I would be doing fabulous Banker stuff all year 🤔 ....2020 had other plans. The World Health Organization announced on January 9th that a deadly coronavirus had emerged in Wuhan, China.  Then, on January 26th, Kobe Bryant, his daughter, three members of the Altobelli family, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester & the pilot all lost their lives in a ass helicopter crash. It was devastating news and the entire country mourned.  February :  For Valentine's Day I got some beautiful roses from Vaughn. I love flowers so much and red roses are my favorite!  My grandma wasn't doing well in February and we spent a lot of time at the hospital.  On Feb. 24th Harvey Weinstein was convicted rap and sexual abuse which started the #MeToo movement.  I paid little attention to this, because on Feb. 24th, my grandma passed away.  March :  I was so heart broken when my grandma passed. I know s

Christmas 2020

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your Christmas Eve was amazing.  I was so exhausted by the end of last night.  I had planned such a fun time, but two of my daughters weren't speaking when we started. Then my mom hurt one of my daughters feelings. Another one was being rude to her sister for no reason. I tried to pull it together with some board games, but one daughter was shut in her room and another left to go upstairs after Clue. I have three daughters and the third one was so hurt by her sister's rudeness she started crying. My mom was starting to feel a little down after that.  The pizza came around this time and I pulled out my phone for a game of Heads Up! My son sat this one out but I was okay with that because the had participated in everything,

Ex... (P1.3)

I knew it.  All the signs were there.  This man flipped the script so fast!  We were just in love and planning on starting our business so we could really build something.   Ex had enrolled in school and began classes.  Soon after, he started going out without me.  He was staying out really late.  At family events he sat in a corner with his face in his phone texting and smiling instead of talking with the guys.  I wasn't stupid.  I confronted him and he denied any wrong doing.  I waited up for him so many nights.  The bars closed at 2:00 am.  Sometimes he didn't make it home until 5 or 6.  He said he was at the "after hour."  I called him a liar.  I argued with him every day.  I bitched and yelled, and he wouldn't tell me the truth.  I tried talking and reasoning with him, but he wouldn't tell me the truth.  I had to find out on my own.  So I did.  After only three months of marriage Ex was cheating on me.  He was cheating on me with a girl from North P