Tax Break: The TurboTax Blog » joshritchie

The Rise of Tiny Jobs

joshritchie — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:52:32 +0000

In today’s networked world, the Web is changing the meaning of work for many individuals. Rather than working one full-time job, people are increasingly earning their incomes from many small jobs for different clients spread across the globe. In addition to diversifying financial risk, tiny jobs enable workers to monetize skills that might not have generated income in the past.

We examine the rise of the tiny job economy below.

Digital Work Erases Barriers
In an age where an increasing percentage of work is done virtually, it is no longer necessary (or in some cases, even desirable) for someone to be in your office while performing tasks for you. A Yahoo Finance article offers an instructive example:

“Fernando Navales threw himself into the work, taking between 30 and 40 ‘gigs’ per day (often photographing restaurants for Microsoft’s (MSFT) Bing search engine). Over the past year, he has completed about 750 gigs—and this new kind of employment has changed his perceptions of the working world.”

It’s a great deal for companies, too. After all, why hire a full-time employee (or tie up an existing employee’s time) with tiny jobs that can easily and capably be done by a consumer? Websites like Gigwalk offer a system for companies to hire “tasksumers,” as they are now called, to perform miniscule tasks for modest pay.

What Kinds of Jobs?
Naturally, the types of jobs assigned through these networks tend to be quick, “one-off” tasks. Yahoo lists the following examples, which are typical of the tiny jobs being posted for completion:

$35 to test customer service experience at a well-known store
$4 to photograph restaurant menus
$29 to stand in line at a restaurant and deliver food to a nearby office

No one expects to get rich from a single job, but taking on many jobs can cumulatively result in a substantial part-time or even full-time income. Tiny jobs aren’t limited to manual labor, either. Some companies, like CloudFactory, harness the same concept for data entry or technical tasks. Some websites even segment their remote workers by skill level and track record, allowing companies to have their choice of the highest-quality talent for the short-term tasks they need done.

Resume-Building For the 21st Century?
One of the less-discussed benefits of tiny jobs is the potential career boost it can provide. The most common complaint among people who lack work experience is that no one wants to hire them. But with tiny jobs, someone with a meager resume can build work experience one task at a time and weave those tasks into a narrative that makes them appealing to a traditional hiring manager.

Naturally, a resume full of menial tasks isn’t going to turn many heads, but career-minded workers can accept tiny jobs more strategically. For instance, someone who spends six months doing data analysis for various companies can piece together a resume that captures these experiences and use that to pursue a long-term role.

Conceivably, someone with a stellar track record in excelling at doing tiny jobs could even get hired full-time by one of the companies that he or she worked for. After all, most firms would rather hire someone they already have established a good working relationship with than roll the dice on new and unproven talent from outside the organization.

Which Savings Method is Right for You?

joshritchie — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:56:55 +0000

Savings is one of the most basic concepts in personal finance…or so we think. While the rewards of saving money are obvious, actually following through often proves to be a challenge. Even when people understand its importance, savings is made difficult by the fact that everyone’s situation is different. What works for one person might be totally unmanageable for you.

Below, we explore several different approaches to savings (and the pros and cons of each) to help you pick the right one.

Sporadic Savings

Sporadic savings is the default approach of most individuals. In lieu of any specific plan or system, they simply put various amounts of money away at random times when it’s convenient. There are any number of reasons why this is not the ideal approach. Over the long term, it is sabotaged by human nature, our reluctance to delay gratification, and the overall lack of consistency inherent in the approach.

That said, there are some people who would be well-served by sporadic savings. For those with irregular or unpredictable income (say, freelancers) putting money away randomly is infinitely better than not saving at all. Likewise, individuals living paycheck-to-paycheck on extremely tight budgets should certainly save when they can if the only other option is not saving. That said, sporadic savings should be seen as a temporary “stopgap” solution, used only to tide you over until you have steadier income.

Scheduled Savings

The polar opposite of sporadic savings is scheduled savings. As the name implies, this refers to any savings system that is automated, such that a fixed amount of money is being saved each month or pay period. This approach is vastly superior because it removes guesswork and volition from the process. Essentially, savings comes to mirror an assembly line that functions like clockwork to gradually build your wealth.

Scheduled savings is ideal for anyone whose income is both steady and sizeable. If you have excess cash left over after paying your routine bills (and other obligations like retirement, investments, etc.) then you are a prime candidate to set up an automated savings transfer at your bank and let it work for you.

Purpose-Driven Savings

Purpose-driven savings is a hybrid approach. Its defining feature is not the regularity or the amount of savings—depending on the person, these could vary. Rather, purpose-driven savings is about why you save. Very simply, not everyone is motivated by the abstract goal of “savings.” To them, the typical reasons for saving (security, stability, etc.) are just obstacles to buying what they want right now. Instead, these people are much more likely to put money away for specific and compelling reasons: a down payment on their dream home, or their college tuition, for instance.

With purpose-driven savings, your goal is so powerful and appealing that simply thinking about it is enough to make you sacrifice for it. This overcomes the lack of intrinsic motivation to just “save” for its own sake.

The Envelope System

Another solid option for those who find themselves lacking in natural motivation to save is the envelope system. This approach works because of its simplicity. Each month, you decide how much you are willing to spend in each area of your life: bills, entertainment, food, etc.

After doing so, you put those amounts in envelopes that belong to each category. Once you spend each envelope’s contents, you are prohibited from spending anything more in that category until you get paid again and replenish it.

The envelope system is best suited to those who are not naturally “wired” to handle their money. Instead of forcing themselves to mentally juggle their money and responsibilities, the envelopes spell out their spending decisions for them, allowing you to buy whatever you want in each category as long as you only spend the allotted amount.

All Grown Up: The Cost of Raising a Child [Infographic]

joshritchie — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:30:32 +0000

Parents who are lucky enough to bring a new bundle of joy into the world can expect to spend between $200,000 and $500,000 before their child even makes it to college. Whew! Don’t forget to take advantage of tax breaks for your children when you file your taxes. Our infographic breaks down the different expenses involved with raising a child and looks at the total costs from birth to age 17.

Infographic by Column Five Media

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Does March Madness Boost Employee Morale and Productivity [Infographic]?

joshritchie — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:20:39 +0000

March marks the countdown to the tax deadline and the long-awaited March Madness office pools. While employers complain that they lose money during the NCAA tournament, employees score on their office pool winnings. Our March Madness infographic looks at how March Madness activities really impact employee productivity and morale and reminds you of the tax implications of your winnings.

Did you participate in a March Madness pool in 2012? Don’t forget to claim your winnings and to deduct your losses.

Infographic by Column Five Media

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Nicotine Nation: Which States Import the Most Cigarettes Illegally [Infographic]

joshritchie — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:04:59 +0000

With the variation in state cigarette taxes across the United States, incentives to smuggle cigarettes into high tax states is on the rise. Our infographic looks at the variations of state cigarette taxes and the top illegal importing states.

Infographic by Column Five Media

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How the American Taxpayer Relief Act May Help Your Tax Rate [Interactive]

joshritchie — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:10:18 +0000

The dust has settled and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law on January 2, 2013 helping Americans save more of their hard-earned money through the extension of the lower tax rates for people making less than $400,000 per year filing single and $450,000 for those filing jointly. Our interactive looks at how the new tax law may save you money on your 2013 paychecks.

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Interactive by ColumnFive Media

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Pennies Saved: Pay Off Bills by Filing Taxes Yourself [INFOGRAPHIC]

joshritchie — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:02:32 +0000

While monthly expenses may not seem like much in terms of pennies, they can really add up at the end of the month. On average, you save $100 or more over the leading tax store by choosing TurboTax and filing taxes yourself. See how $100 in tax filing savings and using tax software could help your monthly bottom line.

Photographic by Column 5

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The Fiscal Cliff and Your Tax Rate [Interactive]

joshritchie — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:06:34 +0000

The dust has settled and the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law helping millions of Americans save more of their hard-earned money. Our interactive looks at the extended lower tax rates voted into law for individuals making less than $400,000 and married couples earning less than $450,000 helping them continue to save money on their paychecks in 2013.

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What is a Dependent? [Motion Graphic]

joshritchie — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 22:31:15 +0000

“What or Who is my Dependent?”, continues to be one of the most asked questions every tax season and with dependents helping you qualify for tax breaks we see why you’re asking. You may be wondering, “can I claim my mother, brother, girlfriend, or cat?” Here is our motion graphic to help you.

Still have questions? TurboTax walks you through the appropriate questions to help you get the dependent tax deductions you are eligible for.

365 Days of Savings: 10 ways to lower your cost of living [INFOGRAPHIC]

joshritchie — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:15:44 +0000

Americans may be looking for ways to save during tax time, but there are some good practices to cut down the cost of living all year round. With the average American family’s budget being a little over $49,000 a year, the cost of living can really add up. Here are 10 easy ways to save on everyday expenses that might help your bottom line.

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Super Bowl: The Game’s Effect on the Host City’s Economy [Infographic]

joshritchie — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 10:32:16 +0000

The Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers will battle it out during Super Bowl XLVII on February 3rd in the host city New Orleans. With the Super Bowl coming back to New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina, the week is expected to be filled with celebration and excitement. Every year Super Bowl, the biggest and most watched event in American Sports, creates an economic windfall for the host city and this year is expected to be no different. In celebration of Super Bowl XLVII, we take a look at the game’s effect on the city’s economy last year and the expectations this year.

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New Year’s Financial Resolutions at an All Time High[Infographic]

joshritchie — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:43:34 +0000

The New Year’s eve ball dropped and the last drop of champagne was sipped as everyone rang in the New Year. Now it’s time to do what everyone does best this time of the year (besides get ready to file taxes). Reflect on the past year and make New Year’s resolutions that you can hopefully keep. Every year people claim New Year’s resolutions, whether they’re related to fitness or financial fitness, but how many people actually keep those resolutions and what are the top New Year’s resolutions? Surprisingly, there has been a shift in the top resolutions. Our infographic shows 2013′s top New Year’s resolutions, the challenges of keeping them, and tips used to keep them.

What’s your New Year’s resolution? Do you always make them? Can you keep them?

Infographic by Column Five Media

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A Visual Guide to Taxing Bonuses [Infographic]

joshritchie — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:32:57 +0000

With end of year tax planning on everyone’s agenda, those that are lucky enough to get a bonus this year are wondering, “How bonuses are taxed?”. Since this a common question we are seeing at this time, we thought it would be helpful to show how bonuses are taxed in an infographic.

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Four Decades of Tax Policy and 10 Presidents Fighting for Approval [Interactive]

joshritchie — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 17:05:04 +0000

With some tax laws on the table, the Fiscal Cliff and tax law changes are the topic of conversation. For decades presidential tax policies and tax laws have varied depending on which president was in office. Check out our interactive that looks at tax policies, approval ratings, and the economy during the presidencies of everyone from John F. Kennedy to President Obama.

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10 Years of U.S. Toy Sales and Kids Most Wanted Items [Interactive]

joshritchie — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 03:17:30 +0000

While many industries have been impacted by the economy, toys remain a major part of spending this Christmas and it’s not only Santa checking his list. Kids all over the U.S. have made their list of most wanted toys for Christmas. Surprisingly some of the toys topping the lists this Christmas have gone retro like the Furby, Barbie, and Legos. Check out the last 10 years of toy sales and kids most wanted items in our interactive.

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Battle of the Budgets: Holiday Spending Habits of Men vs. Women [Infographic]

joshritchie — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:00:00 +0000

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales hitting all time records this holiday season, holiday spending is in full swing among both men and women. Interestingly enough, both sexes plan to create a holiday budget, however the gifts they plan to spend money on and their shopping strategies differ. Check out our infographic which shows the holiday spending habits of men versus women.

Infographic by Column Five Media

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Black Friday Camp Out Essentials [Photographic]

joshritchie — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:10:09 +0000

Black Friday typically begins the holiday shopping season and with increased interest in holiday shopping and retailers starting Black Friday sales even earlier on Thanksgiving Day, shoppers are planning to camp out to score on the best deals. But what camping essentials do you diehard shoppers need? Our photographic shows you the camping essentials you’ll need to brave the cold and the crowds.

Photographic by Column Five Media

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Seeking Ways to Save: The Ups and Downs of Holiday Spending [Infographic]

joshritchie — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:22:18 +0000

Now that the presidential election is over and Black Friday is coming soon, people plan to hit the stores(or the internet in many cases) to do some holiday shopping. Although 63% of consumers plan to spend more or the same this holiday season, many of them are changing their spending habits to save money. Before you get in a spending frenzy, take a look at our infographic to see how Americans spent in the past and plan to save this holiday season.

Do you have any tips for saving this holiday season? We’d love to hear yours.

Embed the above image on your site using the code below:<a href="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Holiday-Spending-and-Saving-infographic.png">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Holiday-Spending-and-Saving-infographic.png"> src="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Holiday-Spending-and-Saving-infographic.png&quot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Holiday-Spending-and-Saving-infographic.png&quot</a>; alt="holiday-spending" title="holiday-spending" width="580" height="1980" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8428" /></a> Free Tax Filing, Efile Taxes, Income Tax Returns - <a href="<a href="http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt</a>;

The Legal State of Marijuana [Interactive]

joshritchie — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 11:04:23 +0000

Marijuana still remains illegal under U.S. law unless we’re talking about legalization of medical dispensaries at the state level, however on November 6 the states of Washington, Colorado, and Oregon will take legalization for non-medicinal purposes to vote. The state initiatives would allow adults over 21 to buy taxed, inspected marijuana at state-licensed shops. With elections just days away, there has been much debate over how much state tax revenue these initiatives will generate. Check out our interactive that visualizes 17 of the already legal medical marijuana states.

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width=”580″
height=”580″>Please install the latest version of adobe flash

Embed the above image on your site using the code below:<a href="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Marijuana-Interactive.swf">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Marijuana-Interactive.swf"> src="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Marijuana-Interactive.swf&quot" rel="nofollow">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/Marijuana-Interactive.swf&quot</a>; alt="Legal-state-of-marijuana" title="Legal-state-of-marijuana" width="580" height="580" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8428" /></a> Free Tax Filing, Efile Taxes, Income Tax Returns - <a href="<a href="http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt</a>;

Dogs vs. Cats: Which One Cost You More? [Photo Infographic]

joshritchie — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:27:25 +0000

The average cost of dog and cat care can reach at least $100 thousand dollars over their lifetime, so next time you wonder “How much is that doggie or kitty in the window?”, consider all the costs. We thought it would be eye-opening to visualize the estimated minimum costs of dogs vs. cats.

How much do you spend? Do you have any pet care savings tips?

Infographic by Column Five Media

Embed the above image on your site using the code below:<a href="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/cost-of-dogs-vs-cats-infographic.png/">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/cost-of-dogs-vs-cats-infographic.png/"> src="<a href="http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/cost-of-dogs-vs-cats-infographic.png/&quot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://images.blog.turbotax.intuit.com/swf/cost-of-dogs-vs-cats-infographic.png/&quot</a>; alt="cost-of-dogs-vs-cats-infographic" title="cost-of-dogs-vs-cats-infographic" width="580" height="1889" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8428" /></a> Free Tax Filing, Efile Taxes, Income Tax Returns - <a href="<a href="http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.turbotax.com">TurboTax.com</a&gt</a>;