Survey: Money Stress Taking Toll on Many Americans’ Waistlines, Friendships, Sleep

According to a recent American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) survey, the majority of U.S. adults predict the same or higher financial stress over the next six months; only 28 percent foresee a reduction. Money stress is not only taking a toll on individuals’ wallets, it’s taking a toll on waistlines, friendships and sleep as well.
Learn more

Cell phone plans: Should you end your contract?

T-Mobile’s announcement in March to end cell phone contracts begs the question—should we all drop our contracts? For many of us, the answer may be yes. The average American household coughed up more than $1,500 on cell-phones and phone service in 2012, up 7 percent from the previous year, according to a survey by Consumer Reports.
Read more.

Tax Credits to Offset Healthcare Premium Costs for 2.6 Million Texans

A tax credit will be available on a sliding scale for individuals and families making less than four times the poverty level, or $46,000 for an individual and $94,200 for a family of four, according to Families USA, a national consumer health advocate.
Read more.

How did the Fiscal Cliff Deal Affect Your Taxes?

The Texas Society of CPAs offers a rundown of what you need to know about the new rules this year.
Learn more.

IRS Warns of "Dirty Dozen" Tax Scams

The Internal Revenue Service issued its annual list of top tax scams that taxpayers and practitioners should watch out for. Identity theft tax fraud and phishing schemes once again topped the list, and in the wake of Hurricanes Sandy and Isaac, disaster-related scams were a new entry on the list.
Protect your tax identity.