Helpful Tips On How To Spend, Or Save, Your Hard-Earned Tax Return
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Hopefully you are one of the millions of Americans who will see a little extra green in your pockets from a tax refund. But what should you do with your new found cash?
Getting a tax return feels great-- and it should, it's your money, IRA consultant Jeff Levine told CBS2's Alex Denis.
"People look at it this as if Uncle Sam is just giving them a check. But, the reality is that's money you've paid throughout the year. Every time you sat in traffic on your way home from work or left your loved ones to go to your job," Levin said.
So, Levine advises you spend that hard-earned cash wisely.
"Do something valuable with it. Maybe pay down student debt, maybe help pay for your retirement. Those are all things you can do as opposed to blowing it on the latest sports car," he said.
It seems people will take that advice. A Money Pulse poll from Bankrate.com shows overall, taxpayers plan to be a bit more conservative with their refunds this year than in the past.
More than a third of the people polled want to pay down debt, another 33 percent will save or invest and about a quarter will spend their refunds on necessities, like groceries and utility bills.
Only 3 percent of taxpayers plan to splurge.
Another tax tip is to donate it to charity. Not only is it helpful, but you can generally claim the amount you give as an itemized deduction, which can lower your tax bill for 2015.