Who Uses IRS Form 8829? Self-employed taxpayers and small business owners can use Form 8829 to claim the home office deduction if they meet two criteria: Your workspace must be the “principal place of your business,” according to the IRS. You run your operation from there, although you can leave to perform the work your business requires.Your workspace cannot be used for anything other than that—running and managing your business. The space you claim for a deduction can’t do double duty as a bedroom or a family room....

What Is Par Value? The par value of a bond is its face value. In other words, it’s the loan principal the issuer pays you at the end of the bond’s term. The interest you earn on the bond (“coupon rate”) is a percentage of par. Par value is also a pricing benchmark for shares of preferred stock. Corporations issue preferred stock with a dividend rate that, like a coupon rate, is a percentage of par value....

Alternate name: Salary transparency Companies may opt for different levels of pay transparency. Some organizations may choose to share salary ranges with new hires and current employees, while others may publish exact salary data, including bonuses and other discretionary compensation, for every worker at the company. Employers that choose to embrace pay transparency first must decide how much information they want to share with employees and candidates. Depending on their goals and legal compliance requirements, this might mean:...

During expansionary monetary policy, the Fed increases liquidity to encourage consumer spending and business lending. During contractionary monetary policy, on the other hand, the Federal Reserve decreases liquidity to cool the economy or slow lending, and prevent prices from rising too quickly. How Stabilization Policy Works Adjustments to monetary policy occur at periodic Federal Reserve Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings. The FOMC consists of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four rotating presidents of the remaining Federal Reserve regional banks....

Instead of simply deciding on an asset mix and sticking to it, you would choose an initial blend. Then, you would wait to see whether it performs as expected. If it doesn’t, you would shift the proportions of stocks, bonds, and cash to better fit your desired returns. How Does TAA Work? Using TAA, you may arrive at a prudent mix of assets suitable for your risk tolerance and objectives....

For example, if you own a truck that you use for your business, you know it will lose value the moment you drive it off the lot. It will then continue to lose value every year that you drive it. By applying tax depreciation, you can deduct a portion of the declining value of the truck from your taxes each year. This, of course, can result in considerable tax savings....

Termination for cause occurs when an employee’s actions in the workplace, interactions with their coworkers, interaction with their manager, or ways in which they treat a customer or vendor are so egregious that they require employment termination—sometimes immediately. Reasons an Employee Is Terminated for Cause When an employee’s employment is terminated for cause, the employment is terminated for a reason which is given to the employee and stated in the termination letter....

Your Available Funds Your available balance is the amount you can spend right now. You can think of it as “funds available to withdraw.” You can use the money in several ways. You can take that amount out of your account in cash, either at an ATM or with a bank teller. You can even withdraw cash at other credit unions nationwide if you use a credit union that participates in Shared Branching....

Although the CFTC is similar to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), there are significant differences between the two. If you’re interested in derivatives contracts, it’s a good idea to know something about how they are regulated, where you can go to find information about brokers, and how to file a complaint if you run into a problem. Definition and Example of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission In 1974, the federal government established the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as an independent government agency that regulates trading in options and futures....

What Is the Contribution Margin? The contribution margin is the amount of money a business has to cover its fixed costs and contribute to net profit or loss after paying variable costs. It also measures whether a product is generating enough revenue to pay for fixed costs and determines the profit it is generating. The contribution margin can be calculated in dollars, units, or as a percentage. Additionally, the contribution margin is used to determine the break-even point, which is the number of units produced or revenues generated to break even....

Acronym: NIIT Net investment income can be capital gains, interest, or dividends. It can include income produced by rental properties, capital gain distributions from mutual funds, and even royalty or annuity income and interest on loans you might have extended to others. It includes the income derived from a trade or business that is classified as passive income and income from business trading financial instruments or commodities. When a taxpayer sells pretty much any type of investment, they’ll realize either a gain or a loss—they’ll make money or they’ll lose money if they sell for less than what they have invested in the asset....

The COVID-19 outbreak created higher employment rates than the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. In fact, during the first few months of the pandemic, they were actually closer to the unemployment rates experienced during the Great Depression. The history of recessions shows that an increase in the unemployment rates has always accompanied them. Competition in particular industries or companies can also cause unemployment. Advanced technology, such as computers or automation, can cause unemployment by replacing workers who normally handle tasks with machines....

A cover letter can boost your application for a job. It can also cost you an interview if it doesn’t include the right information or if it’s sloppy or badly written. A Career Builder survey reports that typos or grammatical errors are an instant deal breaker for 77% of hiring managers. A well-written cover letter gives you the opportunity to frame your background so that employers draw the right conclusions about your qualifications as they review your resume....

In 2015, the company realized there was a need for a dedicated platform with more options for crypto traders. They launched a platform for professional or more advanced traders called the Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX). In 2018, Coinbase rebranded GDAX and updated its design. It is now called Coinbase Pro. Coinbase Pro is a platform where traders can view real-time information on a large number of Bitcoin currencies. These stats include market size, prices, and other information that investors need....

Competition is also high among job applicants, and you are probably one of several interviewees. With this in mind, you want to leave a lasting impression that increases your chances of a call back for additional interviews with others or a job offer. Job Interview Process To prepare for a job interview, it’s important to first understand the interview process. Initially, you may meet with a hiring manager or other human resources employee....

Keep reading to learn more about what to expect when your CD reaches maturity. Certificate of Deposit Overview CDs are timed deposits. When you buy a CD, you are depositing money into an institution that promises to pay an interest rate in exchange for your promise to keep the deposit with the institution for a set length of time. You get to choose the timeline for your CD when you buy it....

Technology and the Trading Revolution Beginning in the 1990s advancements in technology and price dissemination resulted in the development of market platforms that could operate without pit traders or brokers. These electronic platforms matched buying and selling in the market, eliminating the need for anyone in the middle of the transaction. Despite some objections from traditional floor brokers, electronic platforms were quick to gain acceptance as they lowered the cost of trading, increased speed when it came to execution and even increased liquidity or the ability to buy and sell at a very narrow bid/offer spread in many futures markets....

Will the U.S. stay in the top spot in the years to come? Economists are predicting changes as emerging markets like Vietnam increase their economic footprint. Keep these changes in mind to make the most of your investments. Productivity The U.S. has been experiencing a shift in productivity. Manufacturing and non-farm business sector productivity have been declining since the early 2000s. One of the key indicators used to measure productivity is Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, which has been rising in the U....

However, whether an idea is to just make a little bit on the side, or you want to start a home-based business, it’s possible you’ll need a business license. The problem with starting a business without a license is that if you get caught, there might be penalties and/or legal hassles. Because of the potential risk, it’s worth it in the beginning to find out the legal requirements for running a business in your city, county and state....

It Was Only Minor Damage! Christopher Clark has just finished a phone conversation with an insurance adjuster and he isn’t happy. Christopher owns Classic Construction, a residential construction company. A truck Classic owns was stolen from a job site last week. It was recovered by police a few days later. The truck is insured under the standard business auto policy for auto liability, comprehensive and collision. The vehicle sustained some front-end damage, which looks minor to Christopher, but the insurer has declared the truck a total loss....