“If I have to use the word ‘funnel’ one more time today, I might die. #buzzwords” — @abhinemani

Posted on Twitter by Sacramento’s Chief Innovation Officer, Abhi Nemani, on Aug. 22, this was the tweet heard ‘round the Comstock’s office. It kicked off a lengthy debate among our staff about what “funnel” actually meant.

It’s not yet tax season, I know, I know. But as a self-employed freelancer, solopreneur or consultant, and doer of all things for your business, it’s quite imperative that you prioritize estimated quarterly taxes — the next deadline is just around the corner. And actually, there are penalties if you ignore these taxes. So listen up, freelance friends!

It’s that time of year again: the start of a new school year. As millions of students head back to school, their parents head to local stores and to their computers or phones to purchase for all the necessary supplies.

Bill Murray (not that one) was at the top of his game, so to speak, until an epic fall from grace. In December 2009, the 54-year-old tax accountant was charged with defrauding more than 50 clients of his Sacramento firm, Murray & Young Accountancy, out of more than $13.3 million. He subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 19.5 years in federal prison. The saga played out like a reality TV crime drama, from beginning to end.

You’ll make a handful of major decisions in life. One of those is selecting the professional who will manage your savings and handle your investments. This choice will impact everything in your life, including sending your child to college, buying a house and living comfortably in retirement. Here are seven criteria for vetting a financial or investment professional:

For many parents, putting a kid in daycare costs more than the rent. And the price continues to climb.

Entrepreneurs tend to be forward-looking: They aim to develop cutting-edge technologies and drive industry-changing innovation with an eye toward shaping the future. Having a long-term outlook should be applauded — and that view should extend to personal finance topics, as well.

Current system ill-serves the millions of people who earn income from on-demand platforms by exposing them to possible audit and penalties for misreporting their income.

We’ll be hearing a whole lot of buzz about wage parity this year — in part because groundbreaking research conducted by New York University, University of Pennsylvania and the University of Haifa in Israel identifies flat-out gender bias as the elephant in the room affecting wage parity. This new study, titled “Occupational Feminization and Pay,” is the single most comprehensive study on wage parity in the U.S. to date.

Everyone knows the basic rule for building good credit: Pay your bills on time, for a long time. What many people don’t realize is how important it is to use far, far less than the total amount of credit available on your cards.