DollarVersity : A distinctive voice standing out from the crowd

A Guide To Getting Ready For Your Tax Return

Filed under Personal Finance by Eric J. Nisall {19 comments}

Another year has come to an end and that means it will soon be time to file your taxes. It may not be the most exciting thing that the new year brings, but it is a necessary evil nonetheless. However, tax preparation does not have to be dreadful event that most people believe it to be, so long as you are properly prepared. One of the best things you can do, and this is the same thing I ask of all of my clients, is to be organized. Not only will this help you in knowing that you have everything that is going to be needed, but it will also help the person who is preparing the tax return do so in the quickest and most efficient manner. What does that do for you? Simply put, it makes the process a heck of a lot shorter from start to finish and you will get any refund much quicker (especially when combined with e-filing and direct deposit). To make things a bit easier on you, as well as your tax preparer, here are a few simple techniques from a tax pro to get yourself ready:

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Tim Thomas, What Were You Thinking?

Filed under Rants, Raves & Reviews by Eric J. Nisall {6 comments}

Sports like hockey, football, baseball, basketball, soccer (fútbol for those outside the US) and others are about team, and trying to succeed as such. It’s the perfect combination of individual talent coming together to fill specific roles which leads to success and eventually championships. Among the four major team sporting leagues, the winning of a championship is punctuated by the parade down the streets of the winning city to celebrate with the fans, followed by the traditional visit to the White House to be recognized by the sitting President himself (or herself as the case should eventually become).

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User Beware: Coupons May Cost You More Than They Save

Filed under Personal Finance by Eric J. Nisall {10 comments}

You’ve seen them. They come in a variety of forms and sizes: from the big cardboard mailers Bed Bath & Beyond sends out to the credit card like design used by Office Depot to the standard old thin-stock magazines that come in the weekend paper. I’m talking about coupons, which are seen as a way to save money on anything from grocery items to restaurant meals, office supplies, clothing and personal services. Some people have even made a side hustle of collecting and selling coupons on the web, while a few have even developed methods of using coupons to get stores to actually pay them and still others have made small fortunes teaching people how to be am “extreme coupon” clipper. You do, however, need to be careful, as sometimes coupons can cost you both time and money rather than saving you.

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Organize Your Office And Improve Business In Many Ways

Filed under Business/Entrepreneurship by Eric J. Nisall {8 comments}

DollarVersity - Being organized can not only save you time, but money as well

Not many people give being organized a second though. It simply doesn’t fit into their already hectic routines. Usually, papers are tossed anywhere, equipment placed wherever an empty space can be found, huge messes accumulating to be dealt with at a later time. The problem, however, is that when this “later time” arrives, it seems like an insurmountable task to get everything orderly. What’s worse is that bills tend to be late and invoices left unsent, clients can’t be seen due to lack of space (or sheer embarrassment). Unfortunately, such results of disorganization can adversely affect a business severely. You need to keep your office organized to give yourself the best possible chance for success.

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Are Credit Scores Still Relevant?

Filed under Personal Finance by Eric J. Nisall {22 comments}

DollarVersity - Good Credit Is Important Now More Than Ever

There is no doubt that recent history has turned many people off to debt and credit. For some that involves holding off on a property or car purchase until you have the entire amount to pay in cash and to others it could mean closing & cutting up your credit cards forever and swearing by a cash-only lifestyle. Some simply choose to drop off the grid for fear of “big brother”. Whatever the rhyme or reason, this leaves a very big question that begs answering: is good credit still important?

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Suze Orman Teaches You How NOT To Handle Criticism

Filed under Business/Entrepreneurship by Eric J. Nisall {68 comments}

In case you don’t follow business or personal finance news, financial “guru” Suze Orman recently announced the launch of her new prepaid debit card. This article has nothing to do with the card itself. If you want to know more information on it, you can head over to the DollarVersity Facebook page where I’ve been collecting the reviews from my fellow personal finance bloggers. No, instead, this is about how Ms. Orman reacted to criticism directed her way regarding this new product, and how she may have done some serious damage to her brand in doing so. If you’re not careful, you can destroy a reputation in much less time than you can build one.

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Why Do People Cry About Every Single Fee & Price Hike?

Filed under Rants, Raves & Reviews by Eric J. Nisall {25 comments}

DollarVersity-Why Do People Cry About Every Fee & Price Hike 1

Everywhere you turn you are most likely hearing and reading about people complaining about how unfair it is that they are having to pay fees for bank services, or the products they buy costing costing more, or when they’re backed up and can’t seem to go to the bathroom (well the last one hasn’t happened…yet. You can probably find something on twitter though). It seems like people have some sort of sense of entitlement these days. Like they should be able to get everything they want all while the companies providing those products and services foot the bill. I’m beginning to think that some people just like to make big deals over nothing or like the attention it brings when they get the recognition for raising the stink (and of course since most people are followers looking for a cause, they just hop on the bandwagon blindly).

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Don’t Wait For Your Tax Refund – Increase Your Take Home Pay Today

Filed under Personal Finance by Eric J. Nisall {33 comments}

Let’s face it, we can all use more in our weekly/bi-weekly/semi-monthly paychecks. Yes, it would be difficult to walk into the boss’ office today and judiciously argue your merits for a raise with the economy in the state of disarray it is (regardless of short-term optimism). There are, however, ways in which you can increase your net income today–or just as soon as your HR Department can process the changes. They are quite easy, but do require that you give up your large tax refund which may turn some people off. What’s more, is that by getting more of your income in your paychecks, you can accomplish your financial goals faster. That last line may be just the motivation some people need to adjust the way they view their big tax refund preference

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