Your Financial Planner-May 2023
Your Financial Checklist
Spring Cleaning for your Financial Records
With tax season behind you, take time to sift through your records. It’s wise to hold on to copies of your tax returns for three years. Typically, the IRS has three years from the date you file your tax return to start an audit, so you should keep supporting documents that long. (If you’re self-employed, keep them six years—that’s how long the IRS has to audit you if you under report your income by 25% or more.) Such documents may include Form W-2s reporting income from an employer; Form 1099s reporting income, interest, dividends and capital gains; Form 1098s reporting mortgage interest; year-end investment statements; receipts for charitable contributions; and records of contributions to a tax-deductible IRA.
Keep pay stubs until you match them with your W-2s, and keep monthly brokerage statements until you check them against year-end statements and 1099s. You can usually trash receipts for purchases, ATM withdrawals and bank deposits after you match them with your monthly credit card and bank statements. Run documents you’re discarding through a shredder.
Check tax withholding. If you got a big refund or owed a hefty bill after filing your tax return for 2022, adjusting how much tax your employer withholds from your paycheck should put you on a more even keel for 2023. Use the IRS's Tax Withholding Estimator to find the right amount of withholding for you, then submit an updated Form W-4 to your employer.
If you have any questions, please contact your advisor: https://www.intelligentim.com/contact
Mother's Day is May 14th.
Mother’s Day is observed in America every year on the second Sunday of May.
"Mom's are like buttons, they hold it all together."
-Unknown
"Sooner or later, we all quote our mothers."
-Bern Williams
"Show me a messy house and I'll show you a really fun Mom."
-Ellen Brenneman
National Salsa Month
National Salsa Month in May is a vibrant way to add flavor and color to any recipe.
Salsa means sauce in Spanish. While we may be most familiar with tomato, pepper and onion salsas, any fresh fruit or vegetable can be made into salsa.
Ingredients for Peach Salsa
1 lb. tomatoes, diced
1 bell pepper (4 oz), seeded and finely diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/2 lbs. peaches, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste
1. Chop tomatoes and transfer them to a large bowl
2. Finely chop seeded bell pepper and jalapeños. Finely chop onion and transfer all your veggies to the bowl.
3. Dice the peaches. No need to peel them. You won’t notice the peels and the color is prettier with the peel on. Transfer peaches to your bowl.
4. Add 1/2 bunch Chopped cilantro, 2 Tbsp lime juice, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired. Fold everything together until well mixed and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips or serve with fish or pork.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is observed in America on the last Monday of May, and it is a day to commemorate and remember the men and women who lost their lives while in service for the US military. It is a federal holiday, and as such, businesses and schools are closed, and most people have the day off work.
Originally named Decoration Day, it was officially made into a federal holiday in 1971. Traditionally, people will visit cemeteries and memorials for American soldiers, and there are several parades around the country. It also unofficially marks the beginning of the summer season.
During Memorial Day, all American flags must be flown at half staff until noon, after which they should be raised until sunset.
People commemorate this day by visiting cemeteries and memorials and laying wreaths and American flags on the graves of soldiers. Most also wear a Red Poppy, which gained meaning as a symbol of remembrance by the World War I poem “In Flanders Fields”. As this day usually announces the arrival of Summer, people also take the long weekend to travel, throw parties and enjoy barbecues with friends and family.
