Learn how much to save for your emergency fund. Emergency savings are designed to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies. You can use emergency savings to pay unexpected bills, small or large, that are not included in your monthly spending and expenses.
What is an emergency fund? An emergency fund is a cash reserve designed to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies. Examples of common emergency situations include home repairs, car repairs, medical bills, and income loss. You can use emergency savings to pay unexpected bills, small or large, that are not included in your monthly spending and expenses. It is important to understand why you need it.
The first thing you should do with your savings is set up an emergency savings fund. In case you lose your job, try to save six months of your income to ensure you have enough money to pay for essential expenses. Even if you have only three months of income to save, it’s a good start. Twelve months of savings is even better if you can do it. If you don’t find yourself in a dire situation, having an emergency fund can be a great way to help cover unexpected expenses.
Companies are always looking for ways to reduce costs which can lead to furloughs or layoffs. In the worst case scenario, it’s essential to have a cushion to supplement or replace your income. It is important to remember that emergency funds must be readily available. So consider a bank savings account for your emergency funds.
A simple strategy to build wealth, by understanding earning, spending, saving, and investing money. A basic techniques for beginners. Spend less, avoid debt, and achieve your financial goals.
Learn about earning, spending, saving, and investing money. Learn how they are related and how you can build wealth.
Earning
Do you have an allowance? Have you done chores and got paid? Do you have a job? If you have, then you have earned money. Earnings refer to the money you earn from a job. People earn money by having some sort of job. You can work providing a good or service.
Spending
Spending is the act of giving money to purchase goods or services. Everybody has to decide what they’ll do with the money that they earn. They will spend it on the things they need or want. You can’t have everything you want, so you have to make important decisions about the things you spend your money on.
Saving
Instead of spending, will you save it? It’s the process of putting aside money for future uses, and not spending it immediately. You can save money to achieve short-term goals, such as saving to buy new clothes, or a gift, or long-term goals such as buying a car, or house. Also, saving money can help you cover unexpected expenses such as medical expenses, or pay for repairs for your car.
Investing
Investing is something you can do with the money you save. Its related to saving, but with investing you take bigger risks with your money with the hope that they will increase in value. Investing is the process of buying assets, also called investments, with the hope that they will increase in value over time or provide income payments. It’s a way to hopefully increase the amount of money you have.
Wealth
So how is earning, spending, saving, and investing related? Its all related to wealth. Saving and investing is about building wealth. We can summarize it all as
WEALTH = what you EARN (work, investments) – what you SPEND.
If you spend more than what you earn, you are in danger of losing wealth and going into debt. If you already have debt, it will grow bigger. By spending less than what you earn, and saving your money, you will create wealth.
Understanding earning, spending, saving, and investing is the foundation of smart personal finance. Mastering these skills is key to mastering money, and achieving your financial goals.
Update on the teacher tax deduction for 2022 for 2021 tax year. A teacher’s guide to the educator expense deduction.
Overview of the Educator Expense Deduction
If you are a teacher, generally, you can claim the educator expense deduction if you have paid for classroom supplies and other materials from your own pocket during the tax year. It is an important tax break for teachers. Here is an general overview of the deduction.
Qualifying Criteria
You must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the Educator Expense Deduction: • You were a teacher, counselor, principal, or aide to students from kindergarten through 12th grades. • You worked at least 900 hours in a school that is state-certified to offer elementary or secondary education. This is applicable to all public and private schools, as well as religious schools. • You spent money on qualified educator expenses.
Qualifying Educator Expenses
Here are just a few examples of items that can be deducted for the Educator Expense Deduction • school supplies • books • Computer equipment (webcams and headsets) and software • Athletic equipment for physical education teachers • Generally, any item purchased that is suitable for the classroom and useful to students.
Only if you don’t receive reimbursement for classroom expenses, can you deduct them. You cannot deduct classroom expenses if you have received reimbursement from a school, teacher union, parent-teacher association, or another entity for the cost of materials.
COVID-19-related Expenses
The Educator Expense Deduction allows for deductions of
personal protective equipment or PPE
sanitizers
disinfectants
other supplies used for the prevention of the spread of coronavirus
Claiming Tax Deductions
Teachers may claim the Educator Expense Deduction, regardless of whether they itemize or take the standard deduction. * Teachers can deduct up to $250. * A joint return filed by two married teachers can be deducted up to $250 each, with a maximum amount of $500.
Note: In 2022, the amount will increase from $250 to $300 for single taxpayers. In 2022, qualifying teachers can claim $300 for expenses paid or incurred for books, supplies, computer equipment (including software and services) and other equipment, and supplementary materials used in the classroom.
Reducing your Educator Expense Deduction
In certain situations, your Educator Expense deduction may need to be reduced. The IRS requires that you subtract the following from the deduction: • Interest on U.S. savings bond interest that you were eligible to receive tax-free as you used the money for higher education expenses. • Distributions from 529 Plans that you did not have to declare as taxable income. • Withdraw tax-free from Coverdell education savings account • reimbursements you receive for expenses that aren’t reported to you in box 1 of your Form W-2
Keep Track of your Expenses
Keep good records of all classroom expenses to claim your tax-deductible expenses as an educator. • Keep your receipts separate from your other receipts. • Record all eligible purchases in an appointment planner or book.
This has been a general overview of the deduction. Be sure to consult your own tax advisor regarding your own situation.
Here is the page in the 1040 instructions.
Adjustments to Income Line 11 Educator Expenses
This material has been prepared for educational and general informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for tax or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding your own situation.
Do you play Wordle, the viral online word game? Here is a fun class or lesson starter for the TikTok or YouTube generation of students on the topics of money and saving. Discuss with your students the importance of saving money and the problem of having too much debt, especially credit card debt.
Wordle is a web-based puzzle where players must guess a valid five letter word in six attempts or less. The tiles’ colors will change after each guess to indicate how close you were to the word. Everybody is given the same word every day, but after 24 hours the word changes. Millennials are the ones who are most interested in the game.
The game was created in collaboration with Josh Wardle (Wordle refers to his last name). Wardle, a Brooklyn-based software engineer, created the guessing game. It’s just a fun game.
Where can you play Wordle?
The web-based game Wordle can be played on a desktop browser or mobile device at www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/. The website is simple and does not require complicated sign-ups. Simply go to the website and start playing.
Wordle might seem to be the most popular mobile game at the moment, but it still has some way to go before it can compete with other games, like Candy Crush and Words with Friends. Wordle is still popular and people are talking about it.
Stock market explained. Learn and understand the basics of Wall Street and the stock market for beginners.
What is the Stock Market?
The Stock market refers to a group of exchanges that allow stocks and other securities to be bought and sold. The stock market and Wall Street are two terms used in the United States to refer to all aspects of securities trading including stock exchanges that list shares of public companies, or stocks, and other markets that trade securities.
People often refer to the performance of the stock market by referring to the thousands upon thousands of publicly traded companies that are listed on multiple stock exchanges. The stock market, more broadly speaking, can be understood to include a wide range of securities, including bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and other securities.
One way to look at the stock market is as a network of stock exchanges, that allow investors and traders to buy and sell shares of publicly traded companies. Stock markets are public markets that allow for the issuing, buying and selling of stocks.
Through an initial public offering (IPO), private companies can list shares of their stock to an exchange. These shares are purchased by investors, which allows the company raise capital from the public and allow it to expand its business. The company becomes a public company once it is listed on a stock market. Investors can now buy or sell shares of the company on an exchange that tracks its stock price.
A functioning stock market is essential for economic development because it allows companies to access capital quickly from the public. The stock market has two important functions . First, it allows companies to raise capital, or money, from the public. Second, it gives investors the chance to invest and to own a portion of companies profits.
Although both the stock market and stock exchange are interchangeably used, a stock exchange is a actually component of a larger stock market. When one trades on the stock market, they are buying or selling shares on any of the stock exchanges that make up the overall stock market. The New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, and the Nasdaq are the two most important U.S. stock exchanges. The stock market in the United States is made up of these top exchanges and several others.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is an American stock market located in New York City’s Financial District. It is the largest stock exchange worldwide according to the market capitalization of its listed businesses. There are billions of trades occurring every day. NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations), an electronic marketplace based out of the United States, focuses on high-tech listings. It ranks second in terms of market capitalization, shares traded, after the New York Stock Exchange.
Stock market investors can purchase ownership stakes from companies to raise capital. These equity stakes are called shares of stock. Companies can list shares to be sold on the stock exchanges that make the stock market. This allows them to access the capital they need to expand and operate their businesses without taking on debt. Companies are required to provide information to shareholders and allow them to have a say in the management of their business.
Exchanging money for stock on the stock exchange is a great way to benefit investors. Investors may reap the potential rewards as stock shares may become more valuable, which leads to capital gains. As their profits increase, companies also pay dividends to shareholders.
Stock markets are important because they help companies raise capital to finance operations through the sale of shares of stock. Individual investors also benefit from it creating and maintaining wealth.
Information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not be interpreted as financial advice. This does not represent a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Please consult your financial advisor.
Form 1040 is the U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. It is a federal income tax form that people use to report their income to the IRS and claim tax deductions or credits. It is used to calculate their tax refund and tax bill for the year. You may file your tax return online, with tax software, or you can also download Form 1040 directly from the IRS website if you prefer to complete your return by hand.
The IRS Form 1040 is used by US taxpayers to file their annual income tax returns. Formerly called the US Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040 requires taxpayers to report their annual taxable income and deductions in order to determine if taxes are owed. If the IRS approves the return, the taxpayer will be entitled to a refund. You may want to attach schedules, which are additional forms depending on what type of income you have.
If your taxes were simple, you could file Form 1040A and Form 1040EZ in the past. These forms were eliminated starting in the 2018 tax year and replaced by a shorter form. As a result, there are now fewer boxes on Form 1040 than before, as many lines from the older form have been transferred onto additional schedules.
What is on the 1040 Tax Form?
Lets take an overview of what you will find on the 1040 form.
First, it asks you who you are. The top of Form 1040 collects basic information such as your name, address, social security number, your tax-filing status, and how many tax dependents you have.
Next, you calculate your taxable income by adding up all your income for the year. Your taxable income is the amount of income that is subject to income taxes. Form 1040 is used to report annual income tax returns. You must report income above a certain threshold.
On page two of the 1040 form, you calculate the taxes you owe, your tax liability. You can subtract any tax credits you may be eligible for and any taxes that you have already paid via withholding from your paychecks throughout the year.
Finally, you will determine your tax bill or refund. This will tell you whether you have already paid any or all of the tax bill. The Form 1040 can also help you determine whether tax credits or withholding taxes covered your tax bill. You’ll be eligible for a refund if you have overpaid during the year.
The tax season normally officially starts in February. You should file Form 1040 to the IRS no later than April 15 in a normal year. In some years, such as in 2022, the date is later due to holidays. You can normally request a six-month extension to file taxes by October 15 (or later if delayed by a holiday) if you require more time.
Money Instructor does not provide tax, financial, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, financial, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, financial, legal and accounting advisors regarding your own situation.
The 1040 form may look complex. However, don’t be overwhelmed with doing taxes and filling out the form. Here we will step through some of the more common lines for the 1040, to help give you an idea of what things you likely will need to fill out.
First, what is Form 1040?
Form 1040 is the U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. It is a federal income tax form that people use to report their income to the IRS and claim tax deductions or credits. It is used to calculate their tax refund and tax bill for the year. You may file your tax return online, with tax software, or you can also download Form 1040 directly from the IRS website if you prefer to complete your return by hand.
What is on the 1040 Tax Form?
Before we get into the details of the 1040, lets take a quick overview of what we will be looking at.
First, it asks you who you are. The top of Form 1040 collects basic information such as your name, address, social security number, your tax-filing status, and how many tax dependents you have.
Next, you calculate your taxable income by adding up all your income for the year. Your taxable income is the amount of income that is subject to income taxes.
On page two of the 1040 form, you calculate the taxes you owe, your tax liability. You can subtract any tax credits you may be eligible for and any taxes that you have already paid via withholding from your paychecks throughout the year.
Finally, you will determine your tax bill or refund. This will tell you whether you have already paid any or all of the tax bill. The Form 1040 can also help you determine whether tax credits or withholding taxes covered your tax bill. You’ll be eligible for a refund if you have overpaid during the year.
Now, lets take a look at the details of the example tax form to see how it looks. Here we will step through some of the more common filled in lines for the 1040, to help give you an idea of what things you may need to fill out. This is form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return for the year 2021.
This example form has been filled out for John. He is single, so for filing status he has checked the single box. Next, he has filled in his name, and social security number. He also filled out his address information. There is a question about virtual currency. He does not own any, so he checked the NO box. No one can claim him as a dependent, and he has no dependents, so all that information is left blank. Next, he entered his income information. John is employed, and he earned $16,150 this year. He got that information from his W2 form, which was supplied by his employer.
He also had $10 in taxable interest from his bank. His other lines were 0, so he added that here to get a total income amount. He had no adjustments, so the same amount was his adjusted gross income. Next is standard deduction or itemized deductions. He took the standard deduction. He got that amount by looking at the left side of the page and entering the amount listed for single. He gave $100 in charitable contributions, so he entered it here. Next he added lines 12a and 12b, the standard deduction and charitable contributions, to get this amount. He had no qualified business income deductions, so that was left blank, so we enter the amount again here. Next, he subtracted that amount from line 14, adjusted gross income. That gives us taxable income. Taxable income is the amount that we will now use to calculate taxes. He has $3,510 in taxable income. We will use this amount to calculate taxes using the tax table.
The tax table can be found in the 1040 instructions document, by looking up his taxable income amount. Here is the page in the tax table we need to look at. You need to find the line that corresponds with your taxable income. He made $3510 which is at least $3,500 but less than $3,550. Since he is single, the amount he should use therefore is $353.
This now brings us to page two of the 1040 form. On line 16 we enter this amount from the tax table. This is his tax. Other lines don’t apply to him, so he re-entered the amount here. And again here. Now, this is his total tax. Now we need to look at how much he already paid in taxes. Taxes are normally deducted from your paycheck. He got the information for how much he paid on his W2 form and entered it here. His other lines did not apply, so were zero, and the same amount is entered again. So his total payments are entered. Since he already paid more in taxes than his tax amount, he is going to get a refund. Here we subtract the amount paid from the amount owed, and this gives us the amount overpaid. He wants to receive this amount in full, so he entered the same amount here.
Once he makes sure all the information is correct, he will sign the return and fill out the other information. When he is ready, he is going to mail the return to the address listed in the 1040 instruction document, before the due date. To help reduce the chance for errors and delays, it is suggested that you instead submit your form electronically and use direct deposit. This was just an example to help you better understand the 1040 form. Your tax situation is likely different, so be sure to take a look at the 1040 instructions and consult with a tax professional if you need help.
For more help with taxes we suggest TurboTax. (This is an affiliate link and we may receive compensation if you use this service, at no additional cost to you. We appreciate your support, as it helps us create more content for you.)
Money Instructor does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding your own situation.
Are you ready for taxes in 2022? When is the last day to file taxes? Its time to mark your calendars for the federal tax filing deadline.
According to the IRS, for most taxpayers, Monday, April 18th 2022 is the deadline for filing 2021 tax returns. It is normally April 15th, but due to the Emancipation Day holiday observed in the District of Columbia, it’s later this year. For those who reside in Maine or Massachusetts, due to the Patriots Day holiday, they have until April 19, 2022 to file their returns.
If you request an extension, you have until Monday October 17th 2022 to file.
Planning for the nation’s filing season is a huge undertaking and IRS teams have been working to prepare. The pandemic continues, creating challenges. However, they remind taxpayers that there are important steps they could take to ensure that their refund and tax returns don’t get delayed.
According to IRS officials, to avoid delays and snags, it’s important that the numbers on the return are correct and filled out completely.
Also, filing electronically with direct deposit is the best way to avoid delays.
Needs and wants, what is the difference? Understanding the difference, between needs and wants, is crucial to good financial decision making.
What is a Need?
A need is a requirement, or essential item that is considered to be necessary for living. Examples include shelter, food and water, and clothing. These are essential for a person’s health and safety. If needs are not met in a timely manner, they can lead to illness and inability to function properly. Needs are essential for survival.
While the three most basic needs are food, shelter, and clothing, in modern society, education and healthcare have also become important. All these things are essential for everyone.
What is a Want?
Something you desire, but don’t need is a want. It typically improves your quality of life. You can think of a vacation, jewelry, entertainment, and maybe that new designer handbag. A person’s wants are anything you would like to have, now or later. Individual wants can vary and may change from time to time. Our desires can be infinite, and unfortunately there are only limited means, so we need to find alternatives.
How do you Understand the Difference between Needs and Wants?
Certain needs are easy to identify. These are essential elements that you must have to survive. You might then say that everything else is a want, and not a need. But it is not that simple. For example, some people view owning a car as a necessity. Others consider it a luxury, since they could walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation. It really depends upon you own particular situation.
Other purchases can technically be classified as a need, even though if they really are more of a want. For example, what about clothes and shoes? You can spend a lot on expensive new name brand sneakers or save money and get the generic ones? Shoes are a need, but how about the name brand ones? It all comes down to your perspective and how you manage your money.
Although most people would not consider it a need, is it a need or a want to own that designer handbag? What if you need a handbag for your daily use? Should a regular handbag be considered a need and an expensive designer one considered a want?
How do you Decide your Needs and Wants?
To help, write down everything on paper and figure out how to split your income or prioritize your expenses. What you need to do is list your needs and wants, and set a priority for each item. This will allow you to clearly see where your expenses are, and will help you to categorize your priorities. First, list your needs in one column, and your wants in the other. Then, put the highest priority items at the top, and the low priority items at the bottom, separately, for both needs and wants. That will help you make your budgeting decisions.
You’ll soon realize that you can fulfill more of your wishes over time if you are able to distinguish between, and prioritize your needs and wants. It really is a balance. Once you have clarity about your needs and wants, you can plan your budget to help you make spending decisions, to realize your financial goals. Financial decisions will be influenced by what someone defines as a need or want. For example, a person who considers a new designer handbag a necessity will spend more than someone who uses a more basic one.
Needs and wants can be distinguished according to their importance. The above discussion on economics revealed that wants and needs are distinct forces that require actions to satisfy them. The distinction is made between what is needed and what is desirable. Take a look at your own needs and wants so you can help realize your own personal financial goals.
Owning stocks allows you to be an investor in a public company. Stocks are simply a share of the company’s ownership.
It doesn’t matter if you call it stocks, shares, or equity, it all refers to the same thing. A stock is a claim on the earnings and assets of a company. You are one among many owners, also known as shareholders. This gives you a claim, though usually very small, to all the company’s assets. As an owner, you are entitled to a share of the earnings and any voting rights that come with the stock. Your ownership stake in the company grows, as you acquire more stock.
To raise funds, companies sell shares in their businesses. Stock shares are a way for companies to raise capital to finance their operations. The money is then used for different purposes. A corporation, needs money to pay expenses, like expanding into new markets, launching new products, paying off debt, and hiring new people. To raise capital, they issue stock shares.
Stocks are primarily bought and sold on stock exchanges. The initial public offering, or IPO, is the first time that a company issues stock to the public. Stockholders have the right to resell their shares at the stock exchange, where prices are determined by supply and demand.
Stock units are known as shares. For example, if a company has 10,000 shares and you purchase 100, you will own 1% of the company’s shares, and claim on the company’s earnings and assets.
Stock certificates are the representation of a stock. This piece of paper is proof that you own the stock. Nowadays, you rarely see physical certificates of shares as brokers store documents electronically. This is also called holding shares in street name. This allows shares to be traded more easily.
How do stocks work?
You can get certain benefits when you purchase shares of stock in a company, depending on which type of shares you have.
Capital Appreciation. The first benefit is the potential for capital appreciation. Capital appreciation means an increase in the value of your stock. If the stock price rises, your shares will increase in value. Shareholders can make a profit by selling their shares at a higher price than they were bought. However, if the stock price falls, your shares will fall in value. If a company fails to perform well and shares drop in value, it is possible to lose some, or all, of your investment.
Dividends. Another benefit is dividends. You could be eligible to receive a portion of the company’s profit with dividends. These are regular payouts of a percentage of profits to shareholders. Dividends may not be paid by all companies, such as young, expanding companies. Instead, they reinvest all their profits in the hope of growing further and generating greater profits.
Voting Rights. Next is voting rights. At the annual shareholder meetings, you may be eligible to vote. Stocks give you an ownership stake in a company but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the right to participate in its day-to-day operations. You can vote once per share to elect the directors at the annual meetings.
While management is expected to increase the value for the shareholders, If that doesn’t happen, shareholders have the option to vote to remove the management. Also, you can sell your stock if you are not satisfied with the company’s management or performance and find a new place to invest your money.
Limited Liability. Stocks also have limited liability. This means that you, the stock owner, are not personally responsible if the company fails to pay its debts. Stock ownership means that you cannot lose more than the amount of your investment, regardless of what happens. You can’t lose your personal assets even if a company in which you are a shareholder goes bankrupt.
Why do people purchase stocks?
Stocks offer the possibility to grow your money but remember there are also significant risks.
Investors use them to help grow their savings and for planning for long-term financial goals such as retirement and education. Your savings balance will increase as stock prices rise or as you gain from dividends. Though, stock prices can also fall, sometimes losing all their value or becoming worthless.
Many use stocks as a way to help diversify their investment portfolio. To help reduce risk, investors buy stocks from companies large and small across a variety of industries and geographies. Diversifying your stock portfolio can allow you to benefit from growth in certain sectors and offset losses in others. Also, many investors don’t buy individual stocks, but instead invest in funds that do the individual stock investing for them such as mutual funds or ETFs, or use a financial advisor to help them.
Stocks, are an important part of many peoples long-term investment strategy. You can become comfortable enough to start investing money in the future by taking a little time to understand stocks basics, and learn more about investing.
Information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not be interpreted as financial advice. This does not represent a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Please consult your financial advisor.
