Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Money

What is the New Child Tax Credit?

Did you receive a letter this week from the IRS? The letter indicated that your family may be eligible for the new and improved Child Tax Credit. In March, President Biden signed the “American Rescue Plan” (ARP) into law. This bill included a change to the Child Tax Credit, which has been around since the […]

WRITTEN BY: Lauren Jones, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Human Sciences and Emily Marrison, OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Coshocton County

REVIEWED BY: Roseanne Scammahorn, PhD, OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Darke County

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • https://pixabay.com/photos/clock-money-growth-grow-time-2696234/

SOURCES:

  • Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021. (2021, May 28). Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved June 8, 2021, from https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021
  • Hooper, S.E. (2020). Start an emergency fund before disaster strikes. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/how-prepare/start-emergency-fund-disaster-strikes
  • Marrison, E.G. (2020, March 23). When your financial world is turned upside down. Ohio State University Extension Live Healthy Live Well Blog. https://livehealthyosu.com/2020/03/23/when-your-financial-world-is-turned-upside-down/

REFERENCES:

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau https://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Getting the right auto loan for you

Whether this is your first vehicle purchase or your 10th, when shopping for an auto loan there are some basics you need to know. Know your budget. Plan for what you can afford, not only in terms of the potential loan payment, but also insurance, vehicle registration, and maintenance. Knowing what you can afford before […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County, Scammahorn.5@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Courtney Woelfl, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Cuyahoga County woelfl.1@osu.edu

SOURCES:

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2016). What is the difference between dealer-arranged and bank financing? https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-the-difference-between-dealer-arranged-and-bank-financing-en-759/
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (2016). How do I compare auto loan offers? What should I look at besides the monthly payment? https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-compare-auto-loan-offers-what-should-i-look-at-besides-the-monthly-payment-en-753/
  • Federal Trade Commission. (2012). Co-signing a Loan. https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0215-co-signing-loan

Understanding Your Financial Aid Offer

When paying for college, make sure you understand your financial aid offer.  This letter spells out the details of your financial aid package and what you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket. First, how do you get a financial aid offer letter? To get a financial award letter from your selected college(s), you must first […]

WRITTEN BY: Dr. Roseanne Scammahorn, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Darke County, Scammahorn.5@osu.edu

REVIEWED BY: Melissa J. Rupp, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fulton County, rupp.26@osu.edu

REFERENCES:

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, (2021). Your financial path to graduation. https://www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/your-financial-path-to-graduation/?houx=826&fdx=340&clhx=87&trnx=324&hltx=121&entx=94&retx=22&taxx=-6&othx=385
  • Federal Student Aid. (2021). Apply for Financial Aid. https://finaid.org/fafsa/awardletters/
  • Federal Student Aid. (2021). You are America’s Smartest Investment. https://studentaid.gov/
  • Finaid (2021). Award Letters. https://finaid.org/fafsa/awardletters/

2021 Tax Season Update

2021 Tax Season Update Tax Season is here. The Federal Government began accepting tax forms on February 12, 2021, for the 2020 tax year. Each tax year can look a little different based on what has happened in your life, and 2020 may have had some changes for you. You could get assistance filing for […]

What’s all the talk about deferred payroll taxes?

Not everyone would say this, but I love teaching high school students about money. The OSU Extension program “Real Money. Real World.” is a sneak peek at managing money as an adult. It is eye-opening for these students to see how quickly our expenses add up each month. Another impressionable day is dissecting paycheck withholdings. […]

WRITTEN BY: Emily Marrison, OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Coshocton County

REVIEWED BY: Patrice Powers-Barker, OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator, Lucas County and Barry Ward, OSU Income Tax Schools Director and Production Business Management Leader for OSU Extension

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Pixabay.com

SOURCES:

  • Braun, B., Little, L., Russell, M. Helping You Make a “Good Guess” for Out-of-Pocket Health Costs. Fact Sheet – 1020, April 2015. University of Maryland Extension and University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. https://www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/canr/pdfs/extension/nutrition-wellness/smart-choice/7-Helping-you-make-a-good-guess-for-out-of-pocket-expenses.pdf
  • Live Smart Ohio. Occasional Expenses – How do you manage? April 15, 2015. https://livesmartohio.osu.edu/money/stehulak-1osu-edu/occasional-expenses-how-do-you-manage/
  • The White House. Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster. August 8, 2020. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/memorandum-deferring-payroll-tax-obligations-light-ongoing-covid-19-disaster/
  • U.S. Department of the Treasury. Treasury and IRS Issue Guidance Deferring Certain Payroll Tax Obligations. August 28, 2020. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1110
  • Ziv, S. These 70 Employers Opted Out Of Trump’s Payroll Tax Deferral, Did Yours? Forbes. September 9, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaharziv/2020/09/09/employer-opt-out-trump-payroll-tax-deferral-opt-out-notice-2020-65-start/#7357580366f4

REFERENCES:

  • Occasional Expenses Worksheet from "Manage Your Money" Bulletin 972-1 https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/manage-your-money-pdf/

Good-bye Clutter!

Research has shown that there is a downside to living and working with too much clutter. It can cause emotional stress, conflict between household members, and distraction. Clutter can waste time and money. It can affect indoor air quality and increase accidental falls and trip hazards! On a positive note, there is also research that […]

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