How to Deal With Your Boyfriend’s $50,000 Debt (@kerenzulli @MONEY)

Things can get tricky when you love your partner, but are threatened by their current financial situation. Luckily, Kerri Anne Renzulli at Money Magazine has some advice:

Full article at Money Magazine

"While nearly a third of boomers said having more than $50,000 in student debt was a relationship deal breaker, only a fourth of millennials felt the same....Gen Y may be failing to truly take into account what carrying debt into a union can do to future aspirations like owning a home or raising children."

To have us call you about finance, estate planning or tax issues, fill out the form at http://www.lgbt.tax/Start

5 tips to help anyone combine money with their spouse (@geoffw @businessinsider)

If you and your spouse (or spouse-to-be) are planning on merging your two financial lives into one, take some advice from Geoff Williams:

Full article at Business Insider

"It may not be romantic, but talking about cold-hard cash will strengthen your marriage — or expose some flaws in your relationship pretty quickly."

To have us call you about finance, estate planning or tax issues, fill out the form at http://www.lgbt.tax/Start

Fate of Domestic Partner Benefits in Question After Marriage Ruling (@tarasbernard @Your_Money @nytimes)

The ruling by the Supreme Court last week has been cause for joy and celebration for many, but for some couples who have been domestic partners for years, and who do not want to get married, it has given them cause for concern as well:

Full article at The New York Times

"Though it is unclear what most employers will decide, some companies are likely to deliver what feels like an ultimatum, at least to some: Marry within a certain time frame, or lose your partner’s health care coverage. Some large employers — including Verizon, Delta Air Lines, IBM and Corning — already have."

If you filed taxes in CA, NV, OR or Washington states and are (or were after 2010) Registered Domestic Partners, try our calculator to see if you may be eligible for an IRS refund http://www.lgbt.tax/Calculator

15 Financial Must Dos for Anyone Having a Baby (@NerdWallet @MONEY)

If your family is soon to grow in size, check out some great financial advice from NerdWallet on how to stay ahead of the game -- at least financially speaking.

Full article at MONEY Magazine

"Some parenting preparations are best learned on the fly — how to effortlessly and painlessly change the messiest diapers, for instance. But the list of things to do before baby arrives and within his or her first several weeks is lengthy, so tackling certain tasks now is a smart idea."

To have us call you about finance, estate planning or tax issues, fill out the form at http://www.lgbt.tax/Start

The Same-­Sex Marriage Decision: What’s at Stake for Couples (@tarasbernard @nytimes)

Tara Siegel Bernard at The New York Times explains what's at stake financially for same-sex couples as we await the decision from the Supreme Court:

Full article at The New York Times

"The highest court’s landmark decision in 2013, United States v. Windsor,
already established that married same­-sex couples were entitled to federal
benefits. But two major federal agencies, Social Security and Veterans Affairs,
must still look to the states to determine marital status, so couples living in
nonrecognition states are generally cut off from receiving those benefits.
Same­-sex couples are not entitled to many state­-conferred benefits either."



If you filed taxes in CA, NV, OR or Washington states and are (or were after 2010) Registered Domestic Partners, try our calculator to see if you may be eligible for an IRS refund http://www.lgbt.tax/Calculator

Buy or Lease? Your Decision Is a Few Simple Questions Away (@DougOlenick @MainStr)

If you're in the market for a new car this summer, and are trying to decide between buying or leasing, ask yourself these questions in Doug Olenick's article:

Full article at Main St.

"James Bell, head of consumer affairs at General Motors, says it boils down to what the prospective driver requires of a vehicle. 
"Leasing vs. buying ultimately comes down to to the expected usage by the driver as well as their personal tastes and habits. Love that new car smell? Lease. The kind of person that enjoys maintaining a car for many miles? Buy," Bell says."

To learn more about us, go to our website http://www.lgbt.tax/about

House Value Jumping? Save Your Home Improvement Receipts (@ronlieber @Your_Money @nytimes)

Over the past twenty years, homeowners in cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, and Boston have seen the value of their homes increase dramatically. So, if it ever comes time to sell the property, the gains on the sale can often be quite large, and exceed the tax-free limits.
But there are ways to offset these gains, mainly through things such as proof of the cost of home improvements, which can mean tens, and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional tax-free gains.

Full article at The New York Times

"If you've owned nearly any home here in Santa Barbara long enough, you could have a taxable gain on your home."

To have us call you about finance, estate planning or tax issues, fill out the form at http://www.lgbt.tax/Start

IRS Agrees to Give Identity-Theft Victims Copies of Fake Returns (@GeigerWire @mkmcollins @business)

If an identity thief filed a federal tax return in your name, you can now request a copy of the fake return, and see exactly what they did:

Full article at Bloomberg Business

"The IRS announced the change in a letter to Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, who had called for increased transparency for victims of identity theft.
“We have decided to change our policy regarding disclosure of fraudulent identity-theft returns to victims whose name and SSN the fraudulent return was filed under,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen wrote in a May 28 letter to Ayotte. He said the agency is putting together the new procedure now. The IRS confirmed the letter and declined to comment further."

To have us call you about finance, estate planning or tax issues, fill out the form at http://www.lgbt.tax/Start

How To Manage High Medical Bills (@nytimes @Your_Money)

While health insurance can save people from paying some outrageous medical bills, sometimes those savings aren't enough to make the care affordable. But what can you do about it? Ann Carrns at The New York Times has some suggestions:

Full article at The New York Times

"A Commonwealth Fund study released this week found that nearly a
quarter of working­-age Americans who had health insurance in 2014 were
“under-insured.” The report cited rising deductibles — the amount you must
pay for care before insurance coverage begins — as a growing factor."

To learn more about us, go to our website http://www.lgbt.tax/about

Love and Money: What to Do When Financial Opposites Attract (@dankadlec @kerenzulli @MONEY)

It's often said that opposites attract, but when couples are on the opposite ends of the financial spectrum in terms of saving versus spending, some serious relationship-threatening complications can start to pop up. If this sounds familiar to you, Dan Kadlec and Kerri Anne Renzulli at Money Magazine have some advice:

Full article at Money Magazine

"In a poll last year, MONEY found that 70% of couples argue about money, putting it ahead of conflicts over chores, sex, or snoring. What’s more, money fights are the only common spats correlated to divorce: Couples who fight about money weekly are 52% more likely to divorce than those who argue about money monthly, according to a study by Jeffrey Dew, associate professor at Utah State University."

If you filed taxes in CA, NV, OR or Washington states and are (or were after 2010) Registered Domestic Partners, try our calculator to see if you may be eligible for an IRS refund http://www.lgbt.tax/Calculator

Love and Money: Why Couples Need to Get Financially Naked (@dankadlec @kerenzulli @MONEY)

People often talk about the importance of open and honest communication between couples, but this advice is often ignored when it comes to the subject of money. Dan Kadlec and Kerri Anne Renzulli at Money Magazine explain why financial communication is necessary and beneficial to a happy relationship, and they give some advice on how to best approach the subject with your partner.

Full article at Money Magazine

"A few years back, an American Express poll found that 91% of people avoid money talks with their partners; another from last year revealed that only 52% have financial conversations at least weekly. Worse, one in three adults in relationships say they lie to their partner about money, the National Endowment for Financial Education found."

If you filed taxes in CA, NV, OR or Washington states and are (or were after 2010) Registered Domestic Partners, try our calculator to see if you may be eligible for an IRS refund http://www.lgbt.tax/Calculator

What Kids With Summer Jobs Need to Know About Taxes (@Kiplinger)

As summer approaches, many teens are getting ready to join the workforce -- for a few months, at least. But what effect does this have on them, as well as their parents, in regards to taxation? Personal finance columnist Kimberly Lankford explains:

Full article at Kiplinger

"Generally, anyone with earned income of less than $6,300 in 2015 does not need to file a tax
 return. If he will earn less than that, your son could check the box on Form W-4 that allows him to claim he is exempt from withholding. Note, however, that a child who is claimed as a dependent by someone else cannot claim an exemption from withholding if he has more than $350 of unearned income (from interest and dividends, for example) and his total income is more than $1,050."

To have us call you about finance, estate planning or tax issues, fill out the form at http://www.lgbt.tax/Start

How to lend money to a relative without getting whacked by the IRS (@MarketWatch)

If a family member is strapped for cash, and you're planing on helping by loaning them some money, make sure you do it properly:

Full article at Market Watch

"If you make a loan to a family member and charge zero interest, you may face unfavorable and complicated tax rules, as I’ll explain later. But you can avoid all the tax complications if you instead charge an interest rate that at least equals the IRS-approved applicable federal rate (AFR). Because AFRs are almost unbelievably low right now, you can be nice to yourself by charging the AFR while still being plenty nice to the borrowing family member as well."

For examples of how others were helped by LGBT.tax check out http://www.lgbt.tax/case

When It Makes Sense to Skip Filing a Car Insurance Claim (@EllenYChang @MainStr)

Just because you have insurance doesn't mean you should use it. Ellen Chang explains when and why it may not be worth it to file a claim, and provides a calculating tool to help you decide. 

Full article at Main St.

“Many consumers underestimate the consequences of making claims because they can affect your rate for years,” said Laura Adams, a senior analyst at insuranceQuotes.com. “If you get a premium hike for making a small claim that could hurt your finances over the long run.”

To have us call you about finance, estate planning or tax issues, fill out the form at http://www.lgbt.tax/Start