Computers and the Internet have become mainstays in virtually every area of 21^st-century American life. There are tremendous benefits and conveniences to this, of course, but there are also some downsides — such as the increased risk of identity theft that arises as we share more of our personal information online.

In fact, identity theft has been called "the crime of the 21^st century," consistently ranking at the top of the Federal Trade Commission's list of complaints every year. While there are many ways for identity thieves to strike offline, the Internet has made it that much easier for them to steal sensitive personal information from unsuspecting and careless individuals online.

A New Kind of Identity Theft

With tax-filing season now upon us, there's another kind of identity theft you should be watching out for: tax identity theft. In this...

Your home isn't just your castle; it is also a source of tax deductions. Yet, every year, Americans let these potential tax deductions pass by, not realizing how to take advantage of them. Complicating matters, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 has made major changes to the tax breaks that every homeowner should know.

IRS Publication 530, titled "Tax Information for Homeowners", can fill you in on the deductions that are available to you for the 2018 tax year. Several of the most important tax benefits are listed below.

• Mortgage Interest – This should be the largest home-related tax deduction that is available to you. If you bought your home before December 15, 2017, you can deduct interest payments on either primary or secondary homes, up to the limit of $1 million in collective mortgage debt if married and filing jointly, or...

By Andrea Woroch

There's nothing more rewarding than starting your own business. Opening the front door of a shop for the first time, launching a new product or watching your problem-solving solution take flight can be life altering. However, regardless of your business idea or efficiency of execution, there's one certainty – it won't be easy.

A handful of serial entrepreneurs have enough funding and financial security where they don't need supplemental income during the building stages. They're the lucky ones. For everyone else, the long hours of payless labor mean you're either burning through your life savings or doing everything you can to keep the lights on – and the dream alive.

Of course, traditional jobs and part-time work are options. However, rigid schedules often mean entrepreneurial projects come second, slowing an already arduous proc...

One of the most controversial provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was the limit it placed on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. The TCJA capped the deduction on combined payments for state and local property, sales, and income taxes at $10,000 beginning in the 2018 tax year.

According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the SALT deduction cost the government $100.9 billion in potential 2017 tax revenue. SALT deduction costs are estimated to drop to $36.6 billion in 2018. It's a large part of the tax revenue increase that paid for the corresponding tax cuts.

Many taxpayers won't be affected by the SALT changes. However, people in states with high taxes and high property values can easily reach $10,000 from either property taxes or state taxes alone.

How do you know if you'll be affected? Check Schedule A on last year's tax return. If you entered more than $10,000 on line 5d and your tax status hasn't significantly changed, you'll prob...

The Shutdown's Housing Market Woes

It's a great time to buy a home, and you're ready. You've saved up a suitable down payment, found a home, and settled on a lender. As an added bonus, interest rates are at their lowest point in the last nine months – despite the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes.

There's only one problem. The government shutdown has created obstacles to your mortgage – maybe in ways you hadn't considered.

Loan Roadblocks

The shutdown effect is obvious if you're a government worker suddenly trying to buy a home with IOU's – but, otherwise, why would your mortgage application be affected? It may depend on the type of loan you're seeking.

USDA loans, popular in rural areas, are backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With the USDA shut down (at least as of this writing), no new applications are being accepted and scheduled loan closings have been put on hold. Homebuyers caught in the middle are be...