Maeve Orenboz
How we check our facts →Articles by Maeve Orenboz
Payroll Records for a Small Business: A Practical Checklist
Which payroll records a small employer has to keep, for how long, and a per-period checklist that keeps the file audit-ready.
Salaried Employee Pay Stub: What Should You Check?
What to review on a salaried pay stub — pay schedule, benefit elections and tax lines — and which changes are normal between periods.
Hourly Pay Stub Checklist: Verify Hours, Rate, and Overtime
A short check for hourly workers: hours against your own record, the rate, overtime at the right rate, and what to do when one is off.
Health Insurance on a Pay Stub: Find Your Actual Premium
How to find your own share of the health premium on a pay stub, and how to tell it apart from what your employer contributes.
W-2 vs. Final Pay Stub: Why the Totals May Differ
Why your W-2 rarely matches your last pay stub, which boxes to compare against which totals, and when the gap is a real error.
Weekly, Biweekly, Semimonthly, or Monthly Payroll?
Weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly — how many checks each schedule produces and how to build a bill calendar that survives it.
Pay Period vs. Pay Date: Why the Dates Do Not Match
The pay period is when you worked; the pay date is when you were paid. Confusing the two is the most common reason a stub looks wrong.
Using Pay Stubs as Proof of Income: A Privacy Checklist
What a landlord or lender actually wants, how many pay stubs to send, and what to redact before handing over your payroll records.
Paycheck Deductions Explained: Taxes, Benefits, and More
Which lines on your pay stub reduce take-home pay, which are only informational, and how to tell an error from a normal change.
How Should Overtime Appear on a Pay Stub?
How overtime should appear on a pay stub, why the regular rate includes more than your base wage, and the mistake that costs two weeks.
W-2 Boxes 1, 3, and 5: Why Are the Wage Amounts Different?
Why Boxes 1, 3 and 5 on a W-2 show three different wage figures, what causes the gaps, and how to check them against your pay stubs.
Pre-Tax vs. After-Tax Deductions on a Pay Stub
How pre-tax and after-tax deductions change taxable wages, which benefits fall where, and why the order affects what you keep.