Due to the confidential nature of ghostwriting, I’m unable to share direct links to published articles. However, I’ve written extensively for accounting firms and financial advisors on topics ranging from retirement planning and small business growth to tax strategy and cash flow management. My work spans several niches within the business and finance space—including healthcare, construction, veterinary, retail, and professional services—all written from a small business perspective.

Anonymized samples are below.

Tax Pitfalls of Venmo, PayPal, and CashApp: What the IRS Wants You to Know in 2025

If you use Venmo, PayPal, or CashApp to accept payments for freelance work, side gigs, or online sales, you’ll want to pay close attention to this year’s tax changes. New tax rules are making it harder to fly under the radar, even if you only earn a few thousand dollars on the side. Here’s what you need to know to stay compliant and avoid costly surprises next year.

Why the IRS Changed the Rules

In recent years, the rise of freelance and gig work and online selling has presented challenges for the IRS in tracking taxable income. To close this gap and improve transparency, the IRS lowered the reporting threshold for third-party payment platforms.

Previously, platforms like PayPal only had to issue Form 1099-K if you earned over $20,000 and had more than 200 transactions in a calendar year. Originally, the IRS planned a $600 threshold in total payments for goods or services to trigger the reporting requirement, but revisions to the new rules now include a phase-in period as follows:

·       2024: If you received $5,000 or more in business-related payments, payment platforms automatically sent a 1099-K.

·       2025: You will only need to earn $2,500 to receive a 1099-K.

·       2026: The originally planned $600 in total payments—regardless of the number of transactions— will take effect.

This change is part of a broader effort to ensure platforms and users have time to adjust, but by 2026, even small side gigs could trigger a tax form.

What Types of Payments Are Taxable?

The IRS is not interested in your birthday gifts or splitting brunch with friends. However, earned income for goods or services paid through PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp is taxable and must be reported. Examples include:

  • Freelance services or contract work

  • Tutoring

  • Online product sales

  • Crafts or handmade items

  • Side jobs like dog walking or delivery driving

Not taxable:

  • Personal gifts

  • Reimbursements (e.g., a friend paying you back for concert tickets)

  • Payments for shared expenses

To help avoid confusion, label your transactions clearly within the app whenever possible.

Who Needs to Pay Attention

This change affects more people than you might expect. If you:

  • Earn just a few thousand dollars freelancing

  • Resell items online as a hobby or side hustle

  • Pick up occasional gigs on platforms like TaskRabbit or Fiverr

…you could now receive a 1099-K and be expected to report that income.

Keep Business and Personal Transactions Separate

One of the best ways to stay organized and avoid a potential IRS headache is to use separate payment apps or accounts for personal and business use. For example, use one Venmo account for freelance payments and another for splitting rent or reimbursing friends. Mixing business and personal transactions can lead to confusion and inaccurate tax reporting.

What to Know About Form 1099-K

If you receive a 1099-K, it shows the gross amount you were paid—not your actual income after expenses. That means it doesn’t subtract your platform fees, it doesn’t account for refunds or chargebacks, and it doesn’t reflect your net profit. To report your income accurately, you must keep records of how much you actually earned, what you spent on business-related costs, and any fees charged by the platform. Use spreadsheets or accounting software to track income and expenses throughout the year, and save receipts for anything you plan to deduct.

What to Do If You Receive a 1099-K

If you get a 1099-K in January 2026, here’s what to do:

1.      Compare the reported amount to your own records. Make sure it only reflects business transactions.

2.      Report the income on your tax return. Use Schedule C if you're a sole proprietor or freelancer.

3.      Deduct legitimate expenses. These may include supplies, platform fees, mileage, or home office costs.

4.      Work with a tax professional if you’re unsure how to handle it, especially if it’s your first time dealing with this form.

The bottom line is that the IRS is cracking down on unreported income in the gig economy. If you earn money through PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp, take steps now to organize personal and busi

How Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Could Impact Social Security Taxes for Seniors

The newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) has stirred considerable interest, especially regarding Social Security, and there has been some confusion about whether the bill eliminates taxes on Social Security. While President Trump himself has said that it does, the truth is more nuanced. Rather than abolishing these taxes outright, the legislation introduces a new tax deduction that could potentially reduce or remove the federal tax burden on Social Security income. Read on for clarification.

The $6,000 Senior Tax Deduction

The $6,000 tax deduction for seniors is meant to help older Americans—especially those living on fixed or moderate incomes—pay less in federal taxes on their Social Security benefits.

If you’re 65 or older, this deduction could reduce the amount of your income the IRS taxes. It doesn’t completely remove taxes on Social Security, but it does give you a larger standard deduction, which lowers your taxable income. That means you may owe less in taxes—or nothing at all—on your benefits.

For couples where both spouses are 65 or older, the deduction is doubled to $12,000. This could be a big help for seniors who rely on Social Security, small pensions, or part-time work to make ends meet.

How the Deduction Could Lower Taxable Income

The IRS uses a formula called "combined income" to determine whether your Social Security is taxable. This includes your regular income, tax-free interest, and 50% of your Social Security payments. If an individual’s combined income exceeds $25,000, or $32,000 for married couples filing jointly, up to 85% of their benefits can be subject to federal income tax.

While the deduction doesn’t fully eliminate Social Security taxes, it can lower your reportable income enough to keep you under the tax threshold, helping you avoid or reduce what you owe.

Key Advantage of the $6,000 Deduction

By reducing taxable income, the new deduction could result in the following benefits:

·       Lower or potentially eliminate federal tax on Social Security income

·       Possibly increase take-home retirement income

·       Provide significant tax relief without changing benefit amounts

Tax experts suggest that middle-income seniors, especially those who are on the cusp of having their Social Security taxed, are likely to see the biggest benefit.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the $6,000 senior tax deduction, individuals must meet specific qualifications. First, you must be at least 65 years old by the close of the tax year. Additionally, eligible filers must file as single, head of household, or married filing jointly.

Another important rule is that your income must be high enough for your Social Security benefits to normally be taxed. The purpose of this deduction is to help lower or even eliminate those taxes for people in that income range.

Keep in mind, this is a federal deduction only—it does not influence how Social Security benefits are taxed at the state level. Some states continue to tax Social Security independently. However, in states like Indiana, benefits remain untaxed at the state level.

Effective Dates

The new deduction takes effect for tax year 2025 and will remain available through 2028. However, like most legislation, it could be extended or amended in the coming years.

Who Stands to Gain the Most?

Middle-income seniors are expected to benefit the most from this tax break. By lowering taxable income, the new deduction could increase the number of retirees who don’t need to pay taxes on their Social Security benefits—from about 64% to nearly 88%. However, the deduction begins to phase out for individuals earning more than $75,000, or $150,000 for couples filing jointly. It does not apply to low-income seniors who already pay no Social Security taxes, or to higher earners who exceed the income limits.

How Your Professional Services Firm Can Create a Brand Development Strategy

Professional services firms often face the challenge of distinguishing themselves in a highly competitive market. Developing a strong brand is a surefire way to stand out among the crowd. A well-crafted brand development strategy can help your firm establish a clear identity, communicate your company values to potential clients, and build trust and loyalty among existing clients. Read on to learn how to create a brand development strategy for your firm.

Research Your Target Market

Conduct a thorough analysis of your target market, including clients, competitors, and industry trends. This should inform your firm’s overall brand positioning. You should fully understand your target demographic to the point where you can anticipate their wants and needs, thereby creating purposeful messaging that will ring true. Furthermore, research will help you determine strengths and weaknesses in how your business and brand are regarded.

Develop Your Brand Positioning

Aim to develop a brand messaging platform—or market position—that clearly communicates what sets your firm apart from competition as well as key benefits to potential clients within your target audience. Why should they choose to work with you? This messaging should be consistent across all media communications, including your firm’s website, social media, email marketing, and other promotional materials.

Create a Positioning Statement

Typically three to five sentences, a positioning statement conveys the core of your brand positioning. It should be ambitious so your firm has goals to work toward, but remember that you will need to deliver on promises.

Establish a Name, Logo and Slogan

If your business is already up and running, there’s usually no need to change your firm’s name. However, if you feel you’ve outgrown your original name or you’re going through a merger, a name change might be in order. Either way, you want to develop a visual identity that aligns with your brand positioning and messaging. Along with a slogan, this can include a logo, color palette, and typography that are distinctive and memorable, and that can be easily recognized by its target audience. Keep in mind that these are symbols of your brand that serve as a way to communicate with your audience and potential clients. Therefore, they should be designed with your target market in mind.

Create a Content Marketing Strategy

Visibility and reputation drive brand strength, and effective content marketing has the potential to increase both. Aim to create quality content that reflects your brand values and goals. When done correctly, this will make your brand relevant to your target market and boost your firm to a position of authority in your niche.

Get Involved and Build Relationships

Building trust and credibility with both existing and potential clients is an important piece of brand development strategy. This can be achieved through a variety of means, including:

·       Building a robust online presence

·       Publishing thought leadership content

·       Participating in industry events and conferences

·       Effectively communicating in a timely and responsive manner

·       Providing ongoing follow-up

Implement Your Brand Development Strategy

Creating a brand development is one thing, but consistently applying it is another. Once created, a brand development strategy all too often falls off the priority list. The strategy needs to be put into play if you want to grow your brand. Not only that, but it’s an ongoing effort that requires continuous monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment. Remember to conduct regular brand audits, track brand visibility and perception, and gather feedback from clients and employees. And as the market and industry evolve, your firm’s brand should be adapted accordingly.

After Ascension's Cyberattack: How Healthcare Practices Can Improve Cybersecurity 

The cyberattack on Ascension has highlighted the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures in the healthcare industry. This severe disruption, which led to widespread system outages across multiple states, underscores the vulnerabilities within our healthcare systems. To safeguard against such incidents, healthcare practices must adopt comprehensive cybersecurity strategies. Read on as we explore preventative measures and actionable steps for practices to enhance cybersecurity.

Routine Security Audits and Assessments

Healthcare practices must implement routine security audits and assessments to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities within healthcare systems. Conducting these audits helps ensure that security policies and protocols are up-to-date and effective against the latest cyber threats. It’s best to hire third-party cybersecurity experts to perform these audits. They’ll offer specialized knowledge and an unbiased perspective.

Cybersecurity Training for Employees

Human error remains one of the most significant cybersecurity risks, so educating employees is a necessary method of defense. Training should cover the basics of identifying phishing attempts, safe browsing habits, the importance of strong passwords, and protocols for handling sensitive information.

Comprehensive Incident Response Plans

An incident response plan is important for minimizing the impact of a cyberattack. The plan should outline the steps to be taken in the event of a breach, including roles and responsibilities, communication strategies, and recovery procedures. An effective response can contain the breach, prevent data loss, and restore normal operations more quickly.

Backup and Recovery Systems

Investing in reliable backup and recovery systems is essential to sustain operations in the event of a cyberattack. Practices should also test their recovery systems periodically to ensure data can be restored quickly and accurately. With strong backup protocols in place, healthcare organizations can minimize downtime and data loss.

Cybersecurity Improvements

It’s never too late to invest in cybersecurity improvements. Below are some recommendations for healthcare practices:

·       Ensure all software and systems are updated with the latest security patches.

·       Implement advanced firewall and antivirus solutions to defend against immediate threats.

·       Restrict access to sensitive data to only those employees who require it based on roles and responsibilities.

·       Shift to a zero-trust policy where verification is required from anyone attempting to access resources within the network.

·       Establish a routine review process for cybersecurity policies and update them as needed to address evolving threats.

·       Consider implementing AI-driven security systems that can detect and respond to threats in real-time.

The cyberattack on Ascension serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities within the healthcare industry as well as the importance of taking proactive measures to safeguard against threats. By prioritizing regular security audits, comprehensive employee training, incident response plans, and strong backup systems, healthcare practices can stay ahead of future attacks.

Understanding the Impact of Maxed-Out Credit Cards on Your Credit Score and How to Take Control

When you’ve reached the limit on your credit card, you’ve maxed it out. This can have significant long-term consequences on your credit score and overall financial well-being. In this article, we discuss how maxed-out credit cards affect your overall credit health as well as provide insights into what you can do to remedy the situation.

The Impact on Your Credit Score

Your credit score reflects your creditworthiness and financial health. There are several factors that contribute to your credit score, but credit utilization – the ratio of your credit card balances to your credit limits – is one of the most influential. It is a key indicator of how responsibly you manage your credit.

Maxing out a credit card can lead to a high credit utilization ratio, which can have a damaging effect on your credit score. When your credit card balance exceeds 30% of your limit, it signals to creditors that you may be overextending yourself financially and may have difficulty repaying your debt. This can damage your credit score, making it more challenging to qualify for favorable interest rates on loans or secure new lines of credit. And the larger your balance, the worse the impact on your score.

Negative Effects on Your Credit Report

When you max out a credit card, not only does it affect your credit score, but it also affects your credit report. Your credit report is a detailed record of your credit history. It includes information about your credit cards, balances, payment history, and more. Maxed-out credit cards can trigger several negative effects:

·       Late Payments: A late payment can stay on your credit report for up to seven years, damaging your payment history and reducing your credit score.

·       High Balances: Credit reporting agencies scrutinize your credit card balances. When you carry a high balance relative to your credit limit, it indicates possible financial strain and can lower your credit score. It could also lead to an increase in the annual percentage rate (APR).

·       Potential for Collection: If your credit card debt goes unpaid for an extended period of time, your debt might get sent to collections. This is a serious negative mark that can stay on your credit report for seven years, significantly undermining your creditworthiness.

Ways to Address Maxed-Out Credit Cards

If you have maxed-out credit cards, there are steps you can take to mitigate negative impacts and improve your financial health:

·       Consolidate or Transfer Balances: Consider consolidating your credit card debt into a personal loan with a lower interest rate. This would pool your debt into one monthly payment. Alternatively, you could transfer your balances to a card with a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers, allowing you to pay off the debt without accruing additional interest. Most balance transfer credit cards offer around 12-21 months at 0% APR.

·       Commit to the Debt Avalanche Method: This debt repayment strategy focuses on paying off high-interest debt first. With this approach, you prioritize the debt with the highest interest rate, making minimum payments on all other debts. Once the highest-interest debt is fully paid off, you move to the next highest interest rate debt. This method tackles the costliest debts first and minimizes the overall interest you’ll pay over time.

·       Commit to the Debt Snowball Method: This debt repayment strategy focuses on paying off the smallest debts first, regardless of interest rates. You make minimum payments on all debts except the smallest one, which you aggressively target as much as possible. Once that debt is paid off, you gain a sense of accomplishment and momentum, and then you move on to the next smallest debt. This method focuses on psychological wins and helps build confidence with each debt paid.

·       Build a Strong Payment History: Being consistent with on-time payments on all your debts develops a positive behavior with debt repayment, and that consistency will eventually improve your credit score.

 

Surprising 401(k) Features That Can Boost Your Retirement Savings

A 401(k) is often thought of as a set-it-and-forget-it kind of account—set a contribution amount, bank on a company match, and let the market do its thing. But if you haven’t checked in on your plan lately, you might be missing out on some significant new features.

Thanks in part to the SECURE Act 2.0, a handful of updates are giving retirement savers more flexibility, more control, and more ways to grow their money. Whether you’re just starting out or racing toward retirement, here are some under-the-radar 401(k) features worth knowing about.

Super Catch-Up Contributions

Starting this year, if you’re between the ages of 60 and 63, you can contribute an extra $11,250 to your 401(k) beyond the standard catch-up amount ($7,500 for workers over 50). This is due to a provision in the SECURE Act 2.0, and it gives late-career workers a valuable second wind to boost their savings.

Easier Access to Hardship Withdrawals

Hardship withdrawals have always been part of the 401(k) landscape, but the SECURE Act 2.0 made the process simpler. The updated rules remove some of the documentation hurdles, and many plans now allow participants to self-certify the hardship, thereby bypassing the need for an employer to sign off on the paperwork. While no one wants to dip into their retirement funds early, if life throws you a curveball with a hefty price tag, you’ll have an easier time taking a penalty-free withdrawal.

Access to Financial Advisors

Not every 401(k) offers the same cookie-cutter investment options anymore. Some plans now include a self-directed brokerage account (SDBA), which opens the door to a broader range of investment options that you can manage on your own or with the assistance of a personal financial adviser.

For seasoned investors (or those who simply want more choice and guidance), this is a major step forward. You don’t have to go it alone, and you’re not limited to just a handful of mutual funds. However, be aware that a financial advisor’s guidance will come with a fee.

Automatic Enrollment for New Hires

One issue the SECURE Act 2.0 aims to address is boosting employees’ retirement savings. Starting this year, new 401(k) plans are required to enroll eligible employees automatically. That means if you’re starting a new job with a qualifying employer, you’ll likely be opted into the plan by default. Automatic enrollment typically begins at 3% of your salary and increases by 1% each year, up to a maximum of 10%. It will be up to the employee to opt out if they wish to do so.

This move could make a big difference for younger workers who might otherwise delay saving. Even a modest contribution early on can grow significantly over time, thanks to the power of compound interest.

Smarter Digital Tools

Gone are the days of randomly selecting investment funds. Most 401(k) providers now offer access to online dashboards and planning tools. Although the specific digital tools may vary across providers, they can help you calculate how much to save, project your retirement income, and compare investment choices. These tools are typically free, and they’ve quietly become one of the most useful (yet overlooked) features of a modern retirement plan. Much like a GPS, these digital tools can’t drive the car for you, but they’ll guide you on the most efficient route.

Annuities

In an effort to give savers a way to turn part of their retirement savings into guaranteed lifetime income, the SECURE Act includes a provision that allows 401(k) plans to offer annuities as investment options. Despite the potential benefits, annuities are still relatively uncommon in 401(k) plans. However, interest is on the rise, so watch for them to become a more common part of 401(k) retirement planning.

Take Action

401(k) plans have evolved from an add-on feature of retirement to flexible tools that can adapt to your changing financial goals. If it’s been a while since you reviewed your plan, take a few minutes to log in and see what’s available. That small step could end up making a big difference in your retirement.