
With spring right around the corner, we’re fantasizing about colorful shoes, bare legs and trying out the season’s hottest jewelry trends. We’re sharing our favorite looks, from mixed material necklaces to throwback chokers and quirky studs. Scroll on for the outfit-completer you’ve been waiting for.
1. Plated Choker ($44): Edgy, yet delicate, this piece pairs perfectly with a high-neckline tank or dress. Finish the look with some slide-on sandals and a colorful wrap, and you’ll be ready for date night.
2. Jeweled Ear Cuff ($94): Add an ear cuff to your spring jewelry lineup to incorporate a little extra sparkle and stay on trend.
3. Cool Girl Pearls ($16) Fancy meets modern in this double ring design. Stack it with other gold rings for a simple, yet stylish look.
4. Colorful Studs ($20): These tiny studs add a little shine and variety of color to any ensemble.
5. Modern Tassel ($18): This bracelet looks vintage, but has a modern twist. Pair it with your fave chambray.
6. Body Jewelry ($28): Body jewelry is back, and even more awesome. Spruce up a solid dress or jumpsuit with this funky piece of jewelry.
7. Wooden Bangles ($30): Channel your inner ’70s child while adding a pop of color with these bright bangles. Wear one or stack ’em up.
8. Zodiac-Inspired Earrings ($32): View the stars as you wear these drop earrings for a night out on the town. Pair with a sleek pony and red lipstick for an ultra-chic look.
9. Crystal Pendant ($128): Aquamarine has calming energies, sharpens intellect and also looks great with a white v-neck and boyfriend jeans. Layer a few together or make a splash with just one.
10. Not-So-Basic Hoops ($50): Wear these classic staples with any outfit this spring, from blue jeans to a LBD.
11. Beaded Bracelet ($36): Add some spring color to your wardrobe with this beaded bracelet. It’ll look great stacked, but also shines alone. Pair it with a bright maxi and wedges.
12. Cutout Ring ($45): Pop some cuteness on your hand with this silver babe ring.
13. Graphic Timepiece ($39): This watch will keep you on time and looking profesh. We call that a win.
14. Iridescent Earrings ($3): These have an artsy feel and show some color, plus they’re perfect to pair with any spring ensemble.
15. Chic Collar Necklace ($160): Add flair to any top with this lovely brass piece.
16. Squirrel Studs ($4): If you’re looking for quirky, but not sparkly, show your animal-loving side by sporting these studs.
17. Minimalist Cuff ($60): We’re loving how effortless, yet chic these look. They’re an easy trend to add this spring to three-quarter-length tops and airy kimonos.
18. Ear Jackets ($28): Will the sun to come out with these glittering sun ray earrings. They’ll add a burst of sparkle to any spring dress.
19. Stone Pendant ($148): Drape this necklace over a tunic for an instantly cool outfit you can throw on before meeting your BFF for a lazy Sunday brunch.
20. Earthy Drop Earrings ($45): You’ll want to wear these with everything. They’re simple and dainty, yet feature a bright color palette.
21. Splash of Color ($148): This statement necklace basically says, “Go big or go home.” If you’ve been dying for spring to show up already, greet the season in style with this bold and sparkly statement necklace in the season’s best hues.
22. Kalix Cuff ($80): Add to a casual look for instant coolness, whether you’re heading to the office or date-night drinks. Amp the awesomeness up with a few stacking rings on your fingers.
23. Midi rings ($16): If you can’t bring yourself to choose just one accessory, layer them all on with mixed metal stacking rings.
24. Mixed materials necklace ($50): The ’70s are back, which means fringe is officially in. This fringe-filled necklace would look great layered under a denim jacket or paired with a tee and bell bottoms.
What jewelry trends are you excited to try? Let us know in the comments below!
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures