Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Is Incorporation Right for Your Business?

Is Incorporation Right for Your Business?

by Frances Rahaim, Ph.D.aka "The Money Doctor"

Another tax season has passed, and for many business owners who have recently sent in their federal and/or state tax payments, it can be an occasion for small celebration. A toast perhaps? Your business has survived another year’s tax burden.
For large and medium-sized companies, tax time may come and go as a matter of course. Their accounting departments have been projecting and building in their tax payments all along during the year, and when it’s time to pay tax, they remit a check as part of doing business.
But for the thousands of sole proprietors running small businesses on their own, tax time can mean a sizable dent in their profit margin. Depending on the year’s revenues and the business’s financial structure, that April 15 deadline each year could represent writing checks to the government for four or five figures. 
I don’t know any business owners who consider that an enjoyable task.
But now that tax time is freshly behind us, it might be time to consider strategies for next year’s tax bill. 
One way to potentially save thousands of dollars every year in taxes is to incorporate your business—specifically, to become an S-Corp (S referring to Subchapter S of Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code).
Many sole proprietors and small business owners have an unclear understanding or the wrong impression of incorporation. Incorporating a business is prohibitively expensive, some assume, or incorporation only applies to larger businesses with lots of employees, not my sole proprietorship. It makes tax filing too complicated, or it’s too difficult to incorporate.
None of those assumptions is necessarily true. Incorporation is available to small business owners and sole proprietors, and may make sense at tax time, and for several additional reasons.
I want to make clear that I am not an accountant, and I am not an attorney. But I am a business owner, and I have incorporated virtually all my businesses. I don’t necessarily recommend incorporation for all businesses, but it may be something for sole proprietors to consider.
For one thing, by incorporating your business, you may save money on the Self-Employment Tax, a payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare. When you incorporate, your personhood is removed from the business, so a portion of Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes is no longer required.
The tax savings alone might be worth it to incorporate your business, but there are other tax advantages as well. As a corporation, you can determine when you receive income, so that you can position your income to be received at a time when you’ll pay less in tax. As a corporation you can potentially defer tax payments until a later time, which might turn into lower tax bills. Your incorporated business may qualify for a small business tax deduction.
Also, importantly, being incorporated might increase your business. In addition to the added credibility that automatically comes with adding “Inc.” to your business name, some companies will only conduct business with incorporated companies, because of liability issues. Which brings up another important benefit of incorporating. Protection of assets from liability may vary depending on corporate structure, but incorporating your business can add an extra layer of protection from law suits and other financial  liabilities.
To be sure, incorporation is not the right answer for every business. There are disadvantages to incorporating, too, including less tax flexibility, some added paperwork, and some expense getting registered as a corporation. 
Ask your accountant and attorney if becoming a corporation is the right move for your company. My experience has been that the process costs about $500 in attorney and other fees, even less if you file the forms yourself.  You may wish to visit irs.gov to review the appropriate incorporation before making your decision. 

Incorporating may require some expense up front, but it could turn into savings many times over each year at tax time.  

For more information please visit http://www.PowerDownDebt.com 
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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Traveling Cheap


Charge Your Way to Big Rewards

by Frances Rahaim, Ph.D.aka "The Money Doctor"

Someday this long cold winter will end. The sun will shine through again, sparrows and thrushes will return, brooks will flow and green will return to the valleys. 
As spring dawns, thoughts, for many, will turn to vacation—where to go, what to do, how to get the most relaxation and rejuvenation bang for your buck. If you’re not planning right now for a summer vacation, it’s time to start. 
These days, with a stubbornly sluggish economy and money tight everywhere, taking a vacation requires more planning than ever. Thankfully, there are some tricks you can use to make traveling much easier on the budget—and in some cases even free.
Here’s a tip for the travel season:
Credit Card Rewards: We’ve all seen credit card enticements with “free” bonus miles, frequent flier miles or reward points that add up with each purchase. You can then redeem the points or miles for free hotel stays, meals at restaurants, magazine subscriptions, free flights and more.
Of course, credit card reward points are simply a marketing come-on—a gimmick to get customers to open an account with that lender and presumably amass a balance on which they will pay interest.
However, if used advantageously, credit card reward points can be turned into a benefit for the customer, and can turn into free flights halfway around the world, or free hotel stays on a road trip down the coast.
It’s simple to do: 

    1. 1. Find the credit card offers that reward the most bonus points for opening an account, and reward the most points with each purchase. Check online at creditcards.com or other sites for a list of offers, each detailing its reward points program.
    1. 2. Start charging.
    1. 3. Here’s the most important part: Every time you build up a balance, you must pay it off in full every month before the due date. By doing so, you will avoid any interest charges, and those points, and the rewards that come with them, will truly be free.

You can keep track of your credit card purchases by taking a blank checkbook register and using it only for purchases on that rewards credit card. Every time you use your rewards credit card write down the expense in that register, so that you have mentally noted it and can check it any time.
Also important: be sure not to alter your living habits just for the purpose of earning more credit card points. It’s a recipe for debt trouble. Rather, continue living as you always have, except charge regular expenses on that rewards credit card—groceries, gas, heating oil, car repairs, clothing, dining out. You’ll be surprised how quickly it adds up.  
I’ve used this method before, and twice flew to Hawaii, even providing flights for others, all using free credit card reward points, and charging as many purchases as I can on the card—and always paying off the balance before the due date so that I didn’t pay any interest. (One tip: if you plan to fly internationally, check first to make sure your reward points can be redeemed on international flights; some cannot).

Bon voyage!
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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Money Doctor Episode 14 Tim Donohue

Money Doctor 32 Jay Fidanza and Jack Baker

Home Equity Pitfalls

Home Equity Pitfalls

by Frances Rahaim, Ph.D.aka "The Money Doctor"

Think you’ve found the answer to your credit card debt problem in the equity of your home? Before you take out a home equity loan (HEL) or line of credit (HELOC) and roll your credit card debt into it, there are a few things you may not have considered, but which should not be underestimated.
I, too, once believed the propaganda encouraging the use of your home’s equity to restructure your credit card debt.
“Save thousands of dollars in interest. Pay lower monthly payments, deductible interest.” 
Sounds great, right? Here’s a list of the things I think most people miss when considering this tactic:
1.   The credit cards are paid off (restructured) with a HEL, but nothing substantial has been done to arrest the actual problem. This is a case of treating the symptom rather than the cause. Folks absolutely believe they will just “not charge anything on credit cards anymore.” It’s likely that if habits don’t really change, and income doesn’t actually increase, this will be just a temporary solution.
2.   Many people plan at the time of taking out the loan that they will continue to make the same monthly payment they used to make to credit cards to the home equity loan. The reality is that very few people continue to do that consistently, month after month for years, despite best intentions. Most often, borrowers settle into a lower payment and breathe a sigh of relief – for a while. The fact is that the credit card payments were causing discomfort, which is what inspired the idea of transferring the debt to begin with, and any future increase in expenses causes a decrease in that loan payment — and the cycle continues.
3.   That brings me to my next point, which is that a staggering number of people who have taken this route end up back in credit card debt on top of the second mortgage they’ve taken to pay the first batch of debt. Now, with little to no equity left in the home, if finances get tight, there may be nowhere to turn.
4.   To make matters even worse, my biggest objection is that they’ve now put their home at risk for debt that was previously unsecured. In other words, if they fell into financial trouble while the debt was owed to credit cards, (unsecured), the lenders are in an weaker position, meaning that no collateral secures the loan, so their only recourse is to file suit for judgment. They know that a bankruptcy could wipe out credit card debt, but once they’ve used their home to pay credit cards off, they have now turned that same debt into secured debt. Home equity loans and lines of credit are mortgages and would not likely be dischargeable in a bankruptcy. Now, if they cannot meet their monthly obligations, they risk foreclosure. Unless you have a reliable crystal ball, that may be a big risk to take in return for some interest saved.
In my opinion, home equity loans and lines of credit should be used for debt related for the home. Need a roof, kitchen or septic system? A HEL or HELOC may be the answer. But for credit card debt there are many other options. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but perhaps this list will help you have an open discussion with your banker if you are considering applying for a second mortgage or line of credit.

For questions or comments, please email info@powerdowndebt.com

For more information about managing Home Equity Loans, Lines of Credit, Mortgages and other debt, visit http://www.PowerDownDebt.com 

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Sunday, January 5, 2014

Money Doctor Episode 23 - Alina's Restaurant



Yummm!
...
Is there any other way to say it? Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. aka The Money Doctor interviews Chef Martin Amaya and Maritza Amaya, owners of the family run Alina’s Ristorante (named for their 9 year old daughter) in Hadley, MA, formerly in South Deerfield, MA.

This adorable couple work side by side for 80-100 hours weekly without regret, on this labor of love. Coming from San Salvador at age 17, with a broken arm, and no prospects or promise of work, Martin took a job as a dishwasher in what was then known as Carmelina’s Restaurant. Along the way, he met Maritza, fell in love with her, and the art of fine cuisine, and today they have purchased the restaurant he started at 18 years ago.

This charming, generous couple are quick to give thanks and credit to those around them, and their caring, kindness, and love of life is evident in every bite of northern Italian cuisine, and the surroundings it is served in. Don’t miss this rare opportunity learn the behind the scenes story straight from Martin and Maritza.



The Money Doctor show is filmed at GCTV - Channel 15, http://www.gctv.org/producers/money-doctor, and airs on a variety of public television and radio stations including WMCB Radio 107.9 FM http://www.wmcb.net/

Also, listen to "The Money Doctor"
Mondays on WHAI 98.3FM http://www.whai.com/
Wednesdays on Bear Country 95.3FM http://www.bear953.com/
Fridays on WHMP http://www.whmp.com/

Visit The Money Doctor's site http://www.PowerDownDebt.com

Money Doctor Episode 24 Magic Wings on Location



Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory

The Money Doctor and crew tour Magic Wings in South Deerfield, MA. Meet entrepreneur George Miller, Sr., and some of the Magic Wings crew. See Giant Leaf Tailed Geckos, adorable Button Quail, 4000 ethereal butterflies from across the world, rare plant species and more! An inexpensive day at Magic Wings can be a great day trip for children and adults alike. Now you can get a sneak preview from the comfort of your living room. Warning: This show has some surprises sure to make you laugh out loud. We hope you have as much fun watching it as we had filming it.


Saturday, January 4, 2014

Adam Harrington Money Doctor Episode 25


NBA Player and JEHH Memorial Foundation - Adam Harrington



Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. (aka The Money Doctor) interviews Bernardston resident Adam Harrington, retired NBA player and executive director of the JEHH Memorial foundation. The pro ball player, inspired by tragedy - the death of his sister Jill, draws on his experience in the NBA to help him manage a worldwide philanthropic venture www.chaseyourdreamsnow.org which funds dream projects for individuals and groups. Adam also 'pays it forward' by coaching kids from all walks of like in his Aspire Basketball camp www.aspirehoops.com. This interview is emotional, honest and surprising. One not to miss.

The Money Doctor show is filmed at GCTV - Channel 15, http://www.gctv.org/producers/money-doctor, and airs on a variety of public television and radio stations including WMCB Radio 107.9 FM http://www.wmcb.net/

Also, listen to "The Money Doctor"
Mondays on WHAI 98.3FM http://www.whai.com/
Wednesdays on Bear Country 95.3FM http://www.bear953.com/
Fridays on WHMP http://www.whmp.com/

Visit The Money Doctor's site http://www.PowerDownDebt.com

Mayor Bill Martin - Money Doctor Episode 26


Greenfield Massachusetts' Mayor William (Bill) Martin

The Money Doctor and Mayor Bill Martin speak openly about his passion for solving veteran issues, his proposal to save Greenfield more than half a million dollars yearly and more. Tune in to meet the man behind the office. You may be surprised to learn some things that even long time followers didn't know.