What’s New With the Kiddie Tax?

The kiddie tax — around since 1986 — came about as an effort to close a tax loophole for the wealthy. The idea was that taxing children’s passive income at the same rate as their parents would eliminate a sneaky reallocation of money just to avoid taxes. Since...

What Is an HECM Reverse Mortgage?

Not all reverse mortgages are the same. The home equity conversion mortgage, insured by the federal government, is available only through a Federal Housing Authority-approved lender. For homeowners 62 years of age or older with significant equity in a home, an HECM...

How to Decode Box 1 of Form W-2

Box 1 of Form W-2 shows the employee’s total compensation that is subject to taxation for the year. Per an article published by Forbes, “This tends to be the number most taxpayers care about the most.” Consequently, there’s no room for error....