How to Find Charities That Are Making an Impact

One frustrating thing for people eager to give wisely to charities: finding ones that truly make an impact. The big charity raters have done a great job sizing up nonprofits for overhead costs, transparency and executive pay. Impact, however, wasn’t pa… Continue reading

How to Live Sustainably in the Colder Months

Thinking about how to live sustainably, conserve energy and ultimately save a few dollars can be challenging any time of the year. But it is especially troublesome when the temperature outside drops below freezing. There are some simple ways, though, t… Continue reading

Tax-Smart Charitable Giving for #GivingTuesday

For the past several years, I’ve made an annual credit-card donation to a particular charity. This year, I waited until #GivingTuesday — that’s today, Dec. 3, when charities encourage people to donate online. I held off because I knew that on #GivingTu… Continue reading

2019 Tax Savings Strategies for Retirement

For people nearing retirement or in retirement,  every dollar counts  and planning ahead is paramount. That’s especially true for taxes. Now that 2018 tax returns are behind us, this is an opportune time to look for 2019 tax savings strategies for reti… Continue reading

Charitable Giving Took a Hit Due to Tax Reform

Charities feared that the 2017 tax law would lead to a drop in charitable giving by individuals. The chief reason: the doubling of the standard deduction (to $24,000 for married couples filing jointly) would mean it wouldn’t pay for many to itemize on … Continue reading

Giving Tuesday: Finding Charities Helping Needy, Older Americans

Since today is what’s known as #GivingTuesday — the day charities use social media urging people to make donations — you may want to get in the spirit. This year, how about making a donation to a charity that serves needy older Americans? If this idea … Continue reading