personal finance

3 year end tax tips spurred by tax reform

While most of us are busy with holiday parties, we don't want to be bogged down by more things to add to our to-do list. But today the GOP takes its next step in its rush to pass sweeping tax reform to give ‘great Christmas gifts' to the middle class (The bad news for us in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT), many of us are facing a potential tax increase thanks to the $10k cap on real estate or state and local tax deduction). It is therefore important for taxpayers, both personal and business, to be aware of the potential effect on their finances. Here are 3 actionable tips to take before year end to put you in a better position for the coming tax code changes.

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EVERYONE should take action because of Equifax data breach

I apologize for using the all caps EVERYONE but it is imperative for every American to take steps to protect their identities because of the Equifax data breach. It was by far the worst data breach in history because social security numbers, birthdays and addresses were exposed. This makes it essential for you to be on the offensive in protecting yourself immediately. You may have visited the Equifax website to see if you were exposed but don't trust the results because the site is virtually useless and Equifax should be ashamed of it (and the breach of course). ZDNet first reported that the checker was giving random responses! I tested it myself three times with the surname “test” and the social security numbers 123456, 234567 and 345678. Two times it said my data may have been exposed and lucky for test 234567, their data wasn't exposed?!?! Because of this, you have to just assume that your data was exposed and take action ASAP. You are better off spending 10-15 minutes of your time locking down your credit reports rather than spending many hours and huge headaches if your identity is stolen.

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IM 006: An Entrepreneur’s Journey From Journalist to The Money Coach | Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

Award winning Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox took the entrepreneurial leap to becoming The Money Coach®, a “financial educator.” She is her own boss and has built a hugely successful personal brand. Listen to BONUS episode: IM 006b: [BONUS EPISODE] How to Protect Yourself After the Massive Equifax Hack | Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

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Tony Robbins: 7 questions to make sure your financial adviser is on your side

I recently watched the Netflix documentary “Tony Robbins: I Am Not your Guru” and it is an inspiring film that makes you want to change your life for the better. If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it. While Robbins is known for his life coaching, he found that the American public needed to become better educated about their investments and especially their relationship to financial advisers. This year he released his latest book, “Unshakable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook” based on interviews with some of the titans in finance like Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates and Vanguard legend Jack Bogle.

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