By Gail Cunningham It’s always good to have options. It’s even better to choose the right option, particularly when it involves paying your federal income tax obligation. With April 15th fast approaching, many are discovering that they have a tax liability they are not prepared to pay. Consumers who find themselves in this predicament do [...]

 By Mark Foster It’s tax time once again. Last year’s average tax refund was around $3,000. Many people quickly spend their refund on various things so it is wise to have a plan for prioritizing where your money will go. You might want to focus on knocking down some debt and building up your savings. [...]

By Jason Alderman We’ve all suffered buyer’s remorse – say you buy something you really can’t afford or the item’s sudden drop in value make it seem, in retrospect, a poor investment. That’s what has happened to some people who’ve taken advantage of IRS rules that allow them to convert a regular IRA or 401(k) [...]

By Jason Alderman Reaching your 70th birthday is a momentous cause for celebration. But thanks to a quirk in our tax code, a potentially more important milestone arrives six months later. That’s because IRS rules say that, with a few exceptions, you must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from any IRAs, 401(k) plans and [...]

By Jason Alderman Each year, roughly one-third of American households itemize deductions on their federal income taxes. If you’re among that group, there are several important actions you need to take by year’s end in order to take full advantage of available deductions. For example, by December 31, 2011, you must pay for any uninsured [...]

By Jason Alderman Senior Director, Global Financial Education, Visa, Inc. If you haven’t already jumped on the home energy-efficiency bandwagon, the good news is that several federal energy tax credits originally slated to end in 2010 were extended through December 31, 2011; but the not-so-good news is that these credits are worth significantly less and [...]