Welcome! I'm a content writer with CPA experience. I write about income taxes, accounting, small business, insurance, credit, saving for college, student loans, and personal finance.
Best Renters Insurance in Dallas (2025)
Living in Dallas, Texas, has plenty of perks: a healthy job market, no state income tax, and abundant outdoor recreation and entertainment opportunities. If you’re renting a home or apartment in the city, you’ll also need to protect yourself from risks you can’t control.
Dallas renters insurance coverage is a safety net, covering damaged or stolen personal belongings and providing liability protection if accidents happen. While not required by Texas law, some landlords in Dallas include a ren...
Guide to Commercial Car Insurance in Ohio (2025)
In Ohio, using your car for business purposes, including deliveries, client visits, and transporting equipment, means taking on risks that your personal auto insurance won’t cover. Without the right protection, a single accident could put your company at risk. A commercial car insurance policy helps cover these gaps and protect your vehicles, drivers, and finances.
Here’s what you should know about how commercial car insurance works in Ohio, what the state requires, and how to choose the righ...
401(K) Loan for Your Down Payment: What You Should Know
Buying a home often requires pulling together a large down payment. And few people have that much money sitting around in a savings account. One option for accessing the cash you need is borrowing from your 401(k).
While it might be possible to use a 401(k) loan to help cover a down payment, it’s not a decision to take lightly. Your retirement account should fund your future, and dipping into it early can have consequences that affect your financial security both now and later.
Before you mov...
What Is Unsecured Debt? Definition and Examples
Unsecured debt is money you borrow without pledging an asset (like a house or car) as collateral. As a result, unsecured debt often comes with higher interest rates.
Examples of unsecured debt include credit cards, personal loans and student loans.
It’s crucial to manage debt responsibly, as missed payments can hurt your credit and lead to collections or even legal action.
If your debt feels overwhelming, you have options, including debt consolidation, credit counseling and bankruptcy. The ri...
How to Get Business Insurance: A Step-by-Step Guide
Business insurance protects your company when the unexpected happens, whether a lawsuit, an accident, or property damage.[1] Think of it as a safety net that lets you focus on running and growing your business without worrying about “what-ifs.”
Business owners face risks that could put their hard work and financial stability at stake. Whether you’re a solo freelancer or leading a large team, the right business insurance coverage helps protect your bottom line.
Step-by-step guide to buying bus...
Hazard Insurance: What It Is, How It Works, and How It Differs From Home Insurance
Hazard insurance is the part of your homeowners insurance policy that protects your home against perils such as fire, storms, or vandalism. If you have a mortgage, your lender likely requires hazard insurance to protect their investment.[1]
Whether you’re a first-time buyer or reviewing your current coverage, this guide will help you understand what hazard insurance covers and doesn’t, how much it typically costs, and how to buy it.
Key Takeaways
Hazard insurance either lists the specific ris...
Earthquake Insurance in California: What You Need to Know in 2025
If an earthquake damages your home or belongings, your home insurance won’t cover it. Earthquake insurance helps pay to repair or rebuild your home after an earthquake.[1]
California is one of the most earthquake-prone states in the United States.[2] That means the state has unique needs (and rules) when it comes to home insurance. By law, home insurance companies must offer earthquake insurance, but you’re not required to buy it. Still, with the state’s high risk of major earthquakes, buying...
Do You Need an Appraisal to Refinance?
You’ll typically need a home appraisal to refinance your mortgage, both to confirm your home’s value and to set your new loan amount. If your refinance appraisal comes back lower than expected, though, you may not be able to refinance unless you use a streamline refinance program that doesn’t require an appraisal.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting your home appraised for a refinance loan.
Many refinance loans require a home appraisal to verify market value, although some govern...
Small Business Tax Rates: What to Know
Small business taxes can be complicated, as there isn’t a single tax form or even a single tax rate that applies to all businesses. How you file your taxes and the small business tax rates you’ll pay on profits will depend on your business entity structure.
Businesses organized as corporations pay the corporate federal tax rate, which is 21%.
Other business structures, including sole proprietorships, partnerships and S corporations, are considered pass-through entities, and their owners pay t...
Best Companies to Bundle Home and Auto Insurance (2025)
Bundling your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company can save you up to 25% on your policy, depending on the insurer. Not only does bundling save you money, but it also makes managing your insurance policies easier, as you have only one insurance company to deal with. Your insurer will also often combine your monthly premiums into one payment.
Bundling discounts, also known as multi-policy discounts, aren’t all created equally. Some insurers stand out above others in how much...
Does Owing the IRS Affect Your Credit Score?
Owing money to the IRS is stressful enough without worrying it might tank your credit score. After all, unpaid debts typically show up on your credit report and drag down your score. But tax debt doesn’t necessarily follow the same rules.
Understanding how the IRS handles unpaid taxes and when tax debt might affect your credit helps you make repayment decisions and avoid bigger problems down the road.
The IRS doesn’t report tax debt to credit bureaus, so paying your taxes on time doesn’t dire...
QCD: How a Qualified Charitable Distribution From Your IRA Works
Written by Janet Berry-Johnson | Edited by Anna-Louise Jackson | Updated on 08/04/2025
If you’re looking for a smarter way to give to charity and cut your tax bill, a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) may work for you. A QCD lets you transfer money directly from your individual retirement account (IRA) to a qualifying charity. But you must be age 70 1/2 or older and have an eligible IRA.
QCDs can also count toward satisfying annual required minimum distributions (RMDs) without increasin...
How Length of Credit History Affects Your Credit Score
Think your ancient store card from college doesn’t impact your credit score? Think again.
When it comes to your credit score, age is more than just a number. The longer the length of your credit history is, the better it is for your score — assuming you’ve handled your accounts responsibly. Lenders want to see a track record, not a highlight reel.
In this guide, we’ll break down how length of credit history impacts your credit score and what you can do to strengthen it over time.
What is your...
5 Best Home and Auto Insurance Bundles in Texas (2025)
Bundling home and auto insurance can simplify your coverage, lower your premiums, and make managing your policies easier. In Texas, many insurance companies offer discounts for bundling, but rates and service vary.
This guide compares five top bundling options to help you compare companies and choose the best fit for your needs.
Quick Facts
Bundling can save Texas drivers up to 25% on combined home and car insurance.
Some insurance companies offer additional discounts for low-mileage driving ...
Lexus IS 350 F Sport Car Insurance Quotes (2025)
The Lexus IS 350 F Sport is a sportier version of Lexus’ base IS sedan.[1] It’s a popular luxury sedan known for its sleek design and strong performance. On average, insuring a Lexus IS 350 F Sport costs about $122 per month for liability coverage and $229 for full-coverage insurance, according to Insurify data.
The Lexus IS 350 F Sport tends to cost slightly more, on average, to insure than similar vehicles in its class, like the BMW 3 Series or the Audi A4, according to Insurify data.
Here’...