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Tax forms. Yay. But not getting the proper forms before you file will get you a note from the IRS …

Mid-April is often a stressful time in our household. It's when my mother-in-law's birthday is.

(Just kidding. My mother-in-law and I get along great.)

It's stressful because that's when taxes are due! I have gotten a whole lot better recently about getting them done on time, without taking advantage of the extension process. And, to be fair, I'm thankful that I pay taxes because that means I have income. I expect a refund but, then again, it's only part of what I paid in!

Preparing for the CPA exam, and taking it, isn't cheap. CPAExamGuy.com helps future CPAs navigate their training …

A common way that people invest in themselves is to go to college, and later get specific training that is likely to advance their career.

In the field of accounting, becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a valuable, portable accreditation. It's the designation given by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; it sets apart those who have passed an exam and have met work experience requirements.

CPA exams aren't cheap. Better study!

The 14-hour exam comes in four parts. The parts run almost $200. Each! In addition, there are other application fees, and possibly travel fees because the tests are administered by computer.

Since the exams cost well over $1,000 — plus lots of time — it's wise to prepare thoroughly for them.

Have a savings account?  Check.  How easy is it to pilfer from it?  Uuuuhhhhh ….

A friend shared a goal of his for this year:  Pay off all non-mortgage debt.

As good as I felt getting rid of the loan on our van — though our credit union wasn’t nearly as excited as we were! — getting rid of all credit card debt must feel at least twenty-seven times better.  Maybe even twenty-eight!

Savings account:  The deeper, the better

My friend is a big Dave Ramsey fan and gives his highly practical programs (particularly Financial Peace University) a large part of the credit for how far they’ve come.

We were chatting about banks and he talked about one that had his deep savings.

“‘Deep savings’ — what’s that?!” I asked.

Business is cyclical. Here are the best things to buy in January …

There are good deals to be found year round for just about anything.  However, it’s the nature of business that a lot of deals happen at the same time during the year.
Best things to buy in January
Here are things that you can find good deals on in January:

• Fitness equipment and memberships. Some times of year are fertile for change, and perhaps the quintessential change for this time of year is to try to get into better shape. Gyms know this, and will be looking to make concessions to get people into memberships while they’re still excited. Same thing with stores that sell exercise and fitness equipment.
• Winter clothes. Now that the cold weather has begun and the holidays have passed, retailers have inventory to move before the weather gets warmer again.