Skimm'd with coffee and this refresher on how to do our taxes

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APRIL 03, 2018

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Learn the Basics on Taxes Here

Skimm'd with coffee and this refresher on how to do our taxes


  QUOTE OF THE DAY  

"Deeply moved" – Kim Jong Un, feeling emotional after watching a performance by a South Korean K-pop group.

THINGS CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS

Teachers

The Story

Yesterday, thousands of teachers across Kentucky and Oklahoma turned out to protest for better compensation and education funding, forcing schools to close across the two states.

theSkimm

These massive protests come after West Virginia teachers successfully protested for higher pay earlier this year. Arizona might be next.


Investors

The Story

The stock market had a rough case of the Mondays. There was President Trump's days-long tweetstorm about Amazon, which added to investor fears that tech co's are headed for more gov regulation. Meanwhile, China's newly announced tariffs on some US goods didn't help things.

theSkimm

The stock market has been on the rise lately. But concerns about rising interest rates, a potential trade war, and growing distrust in tech suggests there might be more turbulence to come. Making it an interesting time for Spotify to make its IPO debut today.


DOJ

The Story

Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants immigration judges – who decide whether or not to deport people – to be evaluated on how quickly they process cases.

theSkimm

The DOJ says it's time to clear through a backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases. Critics say it rushes deportation decisions into what could be a matter of minutes.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

What to say when you finish putting together an Ikea dresser…

Cue "One Shining Moment." Last night, No 1 Villanova crushed No 3 Michigan to become the March Madness champs. It caps off a preeetty wonky tournament overall. This is 'Nova's second title in three years. Most of the headlines you'll see are about Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 31 points and was named Most Outstanding Player.


What people are talking about…

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Yesterday, she died in Johannesburg, South Africa at age 81 after being sick for a long time. She was the second wife of South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela. While Mandela was in prison for almost three decades, she was the face of the country's anti-apartheid movement, earning the nickname "Mother of the Nation." During that time, she was arrested and spent more than a year in solitary confinement. She was also once convicted of ordering the kidnapping of four boys – one of whom ended up dead. She and Mandela separated soon after his release from prison, and divorced a few years later. She stayed in the political world, becoming a member of parliament and once serving as deputy minister of arts, culture, science and technology.


What to say when you hear your co-worker fighting with their SO…

Grindr's getting heat, too. The gay dating app has reportedly been sharing its users' HIV statuses with two outside companies. As well as...the last date users got tested, their GPS data, phone ID, and email. The data was shared with Apptimize and Localytics, which help optimize apps. First, Grindr said this was just to make the app better to use, and that it's taking good care of all your private info. Now, Grindr is saying 'we'll make some changes.' Meanwhile, a recent lawsuit claims CVS exposed the HIV status of thousands of Ohio customers. Last year, the company mailed letters to customers that participated in the state's drug assistance program. Problem: it apparently put the customers' HIV status right above their name and mailing address...where family members, roommates, and strangers could potentially see it.


What to say when you hear Anna Wintour might be leaving Vogue...

Nothing is safe anymore, not even Jenna Dewan and Channing Tatum.


What to say when you remember the Tide Pod challenge…

Somehow it gets worse. Meet condom snorting.

SKIMM MONEY

You've asked us to Skimm the things closer to your lives...like your personal finances. So this week is about getting you ready for Tax Day. No more putting it off. And no more calling your family for help. You got this.


Yesterday, we covered the dates you need to know. Today, we're getting into the terms you'll see on the docs


Deductions: Think of them like tax discounts. There are two types the gov offers – standard or itemized. But you can only choose one. Time to do the math and pick the one that saves you more cash money...


Standard: If you choose this one, you get a flat-rate discount based mainly on your relationship status, like being single (the mini discount) or married (heyyy $$$).


Itemized: This is where you try to pick up all the deductions you can. Hold on to receipts for things like giving to charity, large medical expenses, unreimbursed work expenses, or having to pay mortgage or real estate taxes on your home. If your itemized deductions come out to more than the standard deduction, you could end up saving a lot of dolla bills.


- Don't worry, there are more terms here. Isn't saving money fun?


- Speaking of money...Chrissy Metz from "This Is Us" is dishing out the tips to make your cash flow groooooow. Watch here.

SKIMM LIFE

For when the zeroes on your student loans aren't going away…

I demand a re-do. Refinancing your loans might be the best way to start saying 'bye' to them for good. Credible does the shopping for you. It offers you personalized options to get on the right track, helping reduce the cost of those loans. Oh and it's completely free to use. Here's how to get it done.*

*PS This is an affiliate partner, which means if you sign up theSkimm may get something in return. Thanks.

SKIMM BIRTHDAYS

* indicates Skimm'bassador. Treat yo'self.

Hunter Grosvenor VT, Kirsten Desjardins MA, *Tali Ness-Cohn IL, *Tai Williams MA, *Victoria LaRosa NY, *Claire Erickson MN, *Etienne Valeyre FR, *Melanie Beil MI, *Sam Koch IN, *Ashley Fry CA, *Reve Tithof Steere IL, *Soojee Chung, *Joanna Pisanski CA, *Krystal Clark VA, *Rachel Johnson TN, *Sean McGoey VA, *Megan Mulrain NC, *Callie Kidwell KY, *Madison Perry TX, *Abigail Michel LA, *Shelby Terry NC, *Lindsay Bullis CA, *Summer Melson TX, Lynette Iverson CA, Karen Gobetz PA, Whitney Williams CT, Preethy Early CAN, Eugene Hangley FL, Joanna Schneider WI, Chris DeMoss Goodman CO, Molly Ramsey FL, Sarah Moon CA, Tiffany Gerard NY, Stefanie Scheer Young NY, Stephan Brezinsky NY, Muriel Ortiz TX, Merry Banks CA, Rachel Becton NC, Andrea Wheaton CAN, Leslie Lopez TX, Angela Bower GA, Emily Silman NC, Pam Bremmer FL, Aya Issa NY, Rachel Good CA, Alison Krawczyk NY, Isabelle Hastings NY, Lexi Medberry IA, Kris Callender PA, Catherine Delsandro Walsh VA, Alaina Samra NJ, Brian Brister NY, Claire Thone MN, Katherine Reckman CO, Erica Jackey NY, Danielle Scalise DC, Nichole Santoro IL, Natalie Waltz CA, Casey OConnor MA, Benjamin Kramer-Roach, Laura Hernandez TX, Peter Singer TX, Arleen Robinson KC MO, Abby Dillinger-Lee WA, Ann Wendroff CA, Nancy Vance AZ, Kellyn Battrell WA, Julia Wedgle MA