Taxes in The Self-Employed Man

Only Taxes: the latest headlines first, then BRO’s own Taxes stories and video. All of Self-Employed Men →

Inherited an IRA or 401(k)? Check the clock before you touch it

Most adult children who inherit a retirement account have ten years to empty it. The rules, the tax bite, and the one mistake you can't undo.

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoOct 22, 20265 min

What a small business really costs before it pays you

The filing fee isn't what sinks people. The gap between spending money and collecting it is. Here's the arithmetic for year one.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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GuideSide HustlesRay OkonkwoNov 2, 20265 min

Teach live and small before you ever record a course

Online classes can pay for a skill you already have. The numbers work best when you start with six students on a screen, not a course nobody finds.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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Retirement5 min read

Two retirees, same returns, one runs out of money first

A bad market hurts most in the first five years you're spending from your savings. Here's why the order of returns matters, and what you can do about it.

Poll

How many days a week are you actually training?

GuideMoneyRay OkonkwoOct 22, 20265 min

Your $2,400 repair quote versus a $634 car payment

The shop hands you a number and your stomach drops. Before you trade up, run the arithmetic on both cars. It's closer than the showroom wants you to think.

GuideCryptoRay OkonkwoOct 18, 20266 min

Send a small test first, then send the rest

Crypto transfers can't be undone, and the usual mistake isn't a typo. Here's the routine that keeps your coins from landing somewhere you can't reach.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20266 min

The tax deadline you didn't know you had is the expensive one

Most owners can handle the bill. It's the filing nobody told them about that costs real money. Build your calendar before the notice shows up.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideSide HustlesRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20266 min

Selling Used Youth Sports Gear to Parents Who Are Out of Time

Kids outgrow cleats in a season, and parents buy the week before practice. Here's what the gear flip really pays, and when it isn't worth your Saturday.

GuideReal EstateRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20266 min

The most expensive part of a country house is underground

A failed drainfield can cost more than a new truck. Find out what's in the ground before you sign, not after the first wet spring.

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Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideRetirementRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20266 min

Give from the account the IRS is waiting on

Writing a check from checking is the most expensive way to give. Three better routes for retirees, and one mistake that costs heirs real money.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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GuideCryptoRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20265 min

Why the futures Bitcoin ETF costs more than its fee says

Spot and futures Bitcoin ETFs look alike on a brokerage screen. Over a few years, they don't behave alike, and the gap isn't only the expense ratio.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

GuideBusinessRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20265 min

Stop doing the work when your hour is worth more than the job

Being the best hand in the shop is how you got here. It's also what caps you. Here's how to know when to step back, and what to hand off first.

GuideSide HustlesRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20265 min

What to charge a local shop to run its social media

Flat monthly fees, a fixed list of deliverables and about eight hours per client. The real numbers on a side hustle that pays only if you're organized.

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GuideRetirementRay OkonkwoOct 17, 20266 min

A dollar from your IRA and a dollar from your Roth aren't equal

Same spending, different accounts, very different tax bills. How retirement withdrawals actually get taxed, and why the bracket chart is only half the story.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.