Pillar Financial Group - Spokane

A tax refund can feel like free money—but what’s the smartest way to use it? Balancing fun with financial responsibility is key, whether that means building savings, paying off debt, or investing for the future. See how to make the most of your windfall: https://bit.ly/3D0Fls9

5 Best Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund Experts recommend leveraging that extra money to bulk up your emergency savings or pay down your debt.

Choosing when to claim Social Security can make or break your retirement. By claiming at age 62, people leave 30% of their benefits on the table, while waiting until 70 boosts benefits by 24%! See why waiting could add up to serious retirement gains: https://nyti.ms/48LfTSR

Opinion | Why Do So Many Americans Pass Up Bigger Social Security Checks? (Gift Article) It shouldn’t be so easy to leave benefits on the table.

Stocks rallied in May, with the S&P 500 hitting a new record high. Commonwealth director, fixed income, Sam Millette weighs in about why this positive momentum might continue and what risks to watch for in the months ahead. Don’t miss Sam’s insights: https://bit.ly/45f5ZY5

Looking Back at the Markets in May and Ahead to June 2024 What are the current market expectations for June? Sam Millette, director of fixed income, takes a look ahead in his latest update.

Even if you feel you’ve done a thorough job of managing your finances, there are common mistakes or blind spots you could be missing. Here are 5 money matters to double check: https://bit.ly/3UnyJde

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Have you ever wondered why the IRS doesn’t prefill your tax return since they already know how much money you owe? The answer is complicated. Find out some of the reasons: https://bit.ly/3w8i9Ey

IRS has our tax data, so why can’t it prefill returns? The answer is a bit complicated.

Setting goals for the new year is the easy part; sticking with them and ultimately achieving them is a bit harder. Check out this acronym to develop a SMART strategy for reaching your goals: https://bit.ly/48xO13e

To stay on track with New Year's resolutions, try this smart goal strategy As we dive into another new year of resolutions, managing time is the key to success. And learning to organize our time around our goals may mean saying 'no' to activities that don't align.

It seems scammers are getting even more creative and sneaky to try to steal your personal information and money. One scam to watch for is a QR code scam in which fraudsters cover up codes on parking meters with fake ones. Learn how to protect yourself: https://bit.ly/3NnVBp2

Scammers hiding harmful links in QR codes: FTC warning You may want to think twice before scanning a “QR” codes, the Federal Trade Commission is warning.

Are you getting ready to wrap up your retirement savings for 2023? Check out the deadlines you need to know in order to avoid tax penalties and maximize the value of your savings: https://bit.ly/45CohAU

Year-End Retirement Planning Deadlines for 2023 Try these year-end strategies to qualify for retirement savings tax breaks.

Beware of suspicious emails and texts this summer—and don’t click links in messages that seem questionable. Find out what has inspired the latest surge of scams, and how to detect a fraudulent communication: https://bit.ly/3KaDd1x

Taxpayers see wave of summer email, text scams; IRS urges extra caution with flood of schemes involving Economic Impact Payments, Employee Retention Credits, tax refunds | Internal Revenue Service IR-2023-131, July 21, 2023 — The Internal Revenue Service warned taxpayers today to be on the lookout for a summer surge of tax scams as identity thieves continue pounding out a barrage of email and text messages promising tax refunds or offers to help ‘fix’ tax problems.