Blog

Delayed Gratification: Staying Focused to Get Ahead (Later) in San Diego
For sports fans, that was quite a run last week. The NHL crowned its champion (and the nation's capital seemed like it was one massive street party for the weekend), the rest of the NBA conceded to the Golden State Warriors, and we witnessed another Triple Crown in...
Focus Training For Folks In San Diego
Now that we're into June, it really does feel like summer is here. The air conditioning kicks in, the days are hotter ... and, if you're like me, "focus" becomes something I have to set myself towards. It doesn't just "happen" -- especially when the days are hot. It...
Instilling Financial Literacy For Kids In San Diego
Memorial Day weekend can often feel a little disjointed. There we are with our burgers, our pools, our picnics -- all while we are supposedly remembering the sacrifice of so many thousands who laid down their lives in the line of duty for this country, and for the...
How To Manage Money For San Diego Millennials
I'll tell you what... The month of May is beginning to look a lot like December. Definitely not because it's cold out there, but with so much "end of school year" stuff happening these days, from graduation parties (ranging from pre-k "graduations" all the way up...
Top Hat Tax & Financial Services’ Three Tips For Resisting Financial Process Automation
Did you see Google's demonstration of their new virtual assistant technology, Duplex, last week? If you did, like me, probably you were both amazed ... and a little bit terrified of the implications. Essentially, Google is close to figuring out how to make it so that...
A 12-Point Financial Health Check For San Diego Families And Individuals
We are now fully engaged in our tax "off season" here in San Diego. But interestingly, this is where the real difference that we can make on behalf of our tax preparation clients is actually made. We're diving into the new tax legislation, and attending classes...
Four Tips For San Diego Couples To Make Money and Marriage Work Together
It seems like crooks these days keep finding new ways to trick people here in San Diego into giving them more money. And no, I'm not talking about Congress. Last week, for those of us in the tax professional world in San Diego who are paying attention (because let's...
3+ Reasons Why San Diego Taxpayers Might Need to File an Amended Return
Well, we did it. You did it. We made it through the tax busy season. Every year, when I shut our San Diego office door on April 15th (the 17th this year -- er, the 18th, because of the IRS "issues"), I feel a huge weight lift off of my shoulders. Going home that day...
The Joys Of Providing Professional Tax Services To San Diego
Well, our primary work for this tax season in San Diego has just about wrapped up. But notice I said "primary", there ... you see, unlike some professional tax services in San Diego, we make it a point to do a bit more than simply "fill out forms" on your behalf. I'll...
Top Hat Tax & Financial Services’ Tax Extension Breakdown
It's the final full week of tax season, and our office in San Diego is hopping! But yes, I'm still taking the the time to step away for a moment and write to you, my friend. Lots of business to communicate today, with the deadline of Tuesday, April 17th, right around...
Filing Late On Taxes? You Might Actually Be Among San Diego’s Smartest
There are less than two weeks remaining before the tax deadline of April 17th. Does that startle you? If you're filing late on taxes this year, let's talk. We can easily file an extension on your behalf, and make sure that your return is handled as advantageously as...
The Behavior Profile of Our San Diego Clients with the Highest Level of Financial Security
The madness of March certainly delivered over the weekend, huh? Plenty of upsets and surprises, which always makes this time of year fun for basketball fans. Or, so I hear. After all, this tournament seems to happen yearly, and until the IRS changes the deadline for...