Saying, ‘I Do.’ Unites Your Finances

Saying ‘I Do’ also unites your finances (via NJ.com)

If marriage is in your future, you’re probably inundated with thoughts about how you’re going to pay for that big party. But the more important money issue is what’s going to happen with your finances after the big day. “When you marry someone…

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How My Husband and I Raise Money-Smart Kids

How My Husband and I Raise Money-Smart Kids (via www.mybanktracker.com)

This article was written by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The Money Coach My husband, Earl, and I have a true partnership in every since of the word. Not only do we work together day-to-day in business – as co-owners of our financial education company,…

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Can Being a Female Breadwinner Lead to Divorce?

Can Being a Female Breadwinner Lead to Divorce? (via www.mybanktracker.com)

According to the most recent data compiled by the Labor of Bureau Statistics, full-time women workers earned a median weekly wage of $691, which is 81 percent less than the average man. Despite the fact that women typically earn less than males, 24…

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Do You Have What it Takes To Become a Financial Literacy Award Winner? Here Are The 2014 Education In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards Winners

The Institute for Financial Literacy® 2014 Excellence In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Awards winners are honored for their distinguished accomplishments in developing, implementing and promoting successful financial literacy education worldwide.

The EIFLE Awards were established in 2007 and have since become one of the most prestigious and sought after awards in the industry. Each year, the Institute for Financial Literacy presents EIFLE Awards to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional innovation, dedication and commitment to the field of financial literacy education.

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The work of these authors, educators, organizations and researchers inspires others to strive toward excellence as well, increasing the availability and effectiveness of financial literacy education in communities across the country.

I had the pleasure attending the Annual Conference on Financial Education. I met and interviewed some of the award winning individuals (see below) and I will make the interviews available in future blog posts and podcasts of The Potential Millionaire / Potencial Millonario – www.potentialmillionaire.net. In my conversations with the award winners it was made very clear that helping the underprivileged was a staple of their commitment to producing, teaching, and funding financial literacy programs. I learned that it was the core of their individual beliefs and corporate visions.  On behalf of The Potential Millionaire, I congratulate and commend all of the EIFLE winners.

The Institute for Financial Literacy website can be reached at www.Financiallit.org for detailed information on the EIFLE awards. If you know any of the award winners or just wan to say congrats,  please  leave a comment below. 

EIFLE logoHere are the 2014 EIFLE award winners:

For Profit Organization of the Year:

ING Bank Turkey

Organization of the Year, Corporate Leadership:

Discover

 Instructional Game of the Year:Tabletop

MoneyWorks

Goodwill Industries of West Michigan, Inc.

Nonprofit Organization of the Year:

Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada)

 Education Program of the Year:Children, General

Hartford Stage Financial Literacy Program

Hartford Stage

Education Program of the Year:

Children, Financial Responsibility & Decision Making

TrueWealth-KIDS

TrueWealth Ventures, Inc.

 Education Program of the Year:Children, Income & Careers

CU 4 Reality™ Financial Education Program

America’s Credit Union Museum

Education Program of the Year:

Children, Saving & Investing

Delaware BANK AT SCHOOL

Delaware Financial Literacy Institute

 Education Program of the Year:Adult, General

Adelante con tu future, Educacion Financiera

BBVA Bancomer

Education Program of the Year:

Children, Planning & Money Management

Youth Financial Camp

A+ Federal Credit Union

 Book of the Year:Adult, General

Pocket Change: Using the Science of Personal Change to Improve Financial Habits

by Heidi T. Beckman, PH.D.

Book of the Year:

Children, General

The Money Tree

by LaDonna Smith

Legacy:

Hon. John C. Nifo II

Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE)

Book of the Year:

Adult, Money Management

The $1,000 Challenge: How One Family Slashed Its Budget Without Moving Under a Bridge or Living on Government Cheese

by Brian O’Connor

Educator(s) of the Year:

William Daniel

William R. Boone High School

Educator(s) of the Year:

Ingrid Adade

Leominster Credit Union

IRS Simplifies Home Office Deduction

Change Should Cut Paperwork for Small Businesses.

Source: http://on.wsj.com/1f29FQp

By: TOM HERMAN
There’s good news for some taxpayers who qualify for a home-office deduction: This year’s federal income-tax forms include an optional—and simpler—new method to claim it.In the past, you had to fill out a lengthy form and master complex instructions that discouraged some people even from trying.

Under the optional new method, you can claim “$5 per square foot of space that meets the definition of a qualified home office up to a maximum of 300 square feet,” says Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst at CCH, a Wolters Kluwer WTKWY -0.63% unit that sells tax and other business information and software.

Thus, the maximum amount that can be deducted using this method is $1,500. CCH offers this example: Suppose your home office measures 18 feet by 15 feet, for a total of 270 square feet. Multiply that by $5. Your total home-office deduction would be $1,350.100_4240

This new option “saves time compared with the other home-office tax deduction calculation of figuring related expenses and how they may apply over the course of the year to a home office,” CCH says.

The simplified deduction “would replace items that you had to allocate between personal use and business use, such as utilities and property insurance,” Mr. Luscombe says, “but it would not replace deductions totally related to the business, such as supplies.”

You can also continue to take allowable home-related itemized deductions—such as mortgage interest or real-estate taxes—on Schedule A, the Internal Revenue Service says. The change, a rare move toward simplification by the IRS, could help many people who work at home.

An estimated 3.3 million filers claimed deductions for business use of a home for the 2011 tax year, according to an IRS spokesman.

But the new method isn’t a smart idea for everyone. Taxpayers “might be better off using the old-fashioned way” if their home-office deductions exceed the $1,500 limit, Mr. Luscombe says.

This new option does not change the eligibility criteria for taking the deduction.

As a general rule, you must use the home office exclusively and regularly for work. For qualifications and other fine print, see IRS Publication 587.

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Top 10 Solar Areas in the US

Top 10 Solar Areas in the US (via Planetsave)

You might expect the no.1 solar area in America to be a city like San Franciso or maybe San Diego. According to One Block Off the Grid, it isn’t one of the largest metro areas though, it’s Fresno, CA with a strong lead at 182 watts per capita, or…

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The Passive House Revolution

“Passive House Revolution” Shows The Rise Of Extremely Efficient Houses (via Clean Technica)

Originally published on Ecopreneurist. Imagine a building that uses 80 to 90% less energy for heating and cooling, simply because of its design features, and along with offering considerable cost savings, can greatly reduce the carbon dioxide emissions…

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