If you are looking for a reliable, no-nonsense CPA in the Portage Park/Irving Park area, John…read moreGriffin is the person to see. Navigating small business taxes in Chicago can be a headache, but John makes the entire process feel manageable and transparent. The Experience John is incredibly professional but also very personable. Unlike some of the larger, impersonal firms, he actually takes the time to listen to your specific financial situation. He's been in the neighborhood for a long time and clearly knows the ins and outs of both Illinois and federal tax laws. Why I Recommend Him: Responsiveness: He is great about returning calls and emails, even during the peak of tax season. You never feel like just another file on a desk. Accuracy & Insight: He doesn't just "plug in numbers." He looks for proactive ways to help you save on taxes and plan for the next year. Fair Pricing: His fees are very reasonable for the level of expertise and personal attention you receive. Pro Tip His office is conveniently located on Irving Park Road. There is usually street parking available right out front, but if you're coming during a busy weekday, give yourself a few extra minutes to find a spot.

John's the best, I've been using his tax services for years, always efficient, professional and…read moreanswers all questions in a timely matter. Highly recommend!

John sims and black onxy lending fraudulently stole 10k from me and after calling him on it he said…read morethat he would return it but low and behold nothing. They have not returned calls or emails and now the authorities are involved for fraud. I would have given zero stars if I could. They do not have any investors for your project and only pretend to in order to scam you out of your money. JOHN SIMS AND BLACK ONXY LENDING IS A FRAUD...DO NOT DO BUSINESS!!!

Black Onyx, specifically Diane Cole, Michelle Wax, and John Sims are frauds. They took my check,…read morebut the very next day I had secured funding elsewhere and informed Black Onyx I would not require their services. I had not filled out any of their "due diligence" paperwork yet so they had not done anything on my behalf. They promised to return my money by Oct. 12, two months after sending the check. It is now January and I still have not received anything. They are all crooks.

I paid a visit here on a friend's recommendation. This not-for-profit offers free advice,…read moreresources, referrals and business plan assistance for any Chicago resident seeking start or a business or to improve an existing one. There is assistance in securing financing, business plan writing and financial projections. They can also point you in the right direction in networking with other entrepreneurs, and finding helpful free classes provided by the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs. The director, Mr. Reid Mackin is accessible, helpful and knowledgeable. Spend an hour here and you will walk away with some valuable information and input. The biggest challenge is finding them. Their Armitage Ave address is not readily visible and the place is a little hidden away in an industrial area and within a building labeled "Petra." Looks like the a spot where Kojak might end a car chase and corner the bad guys. (Hope that doesn't happen while you're there.) But, seriously, if you are toying with the idea of starting your own business, check it out. No fees. Great advice. Nice.

In business, scolding is not an insult, but a way of getting things done in an accurate and…read moreprofessional way. Maggie with The Federal Savings Bank has and continues to send me UNSOLICITED emails advertising or promoting a commercial product or service in violation of Federal and state laws. See attached screenshot. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 protects recipients who have the right to say they don't want unsolicited emails. The FTC applies CAN-SPAM to emails with commercial content. Emails with advertising or that promote a business services or product are "commercial content," so the CAN-SPAM Act applies. It covers all messages of a commercial nature. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defines it as "any electronic mail message the primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service." First Federal Savings Bank employee Maggie has NO way to unsubscribe in her spam emails in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act, see attached screenshot of email she sent me. The unsubscribe process is required to be a single step. You can't require the contact to login to anything to unsubscribe, or require answers to any questions before unsubscribing. When a recipient does opt-out, the business has 10 working days to remove them from its list. Failure to do so means the business is non-compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act. There are significant penalties for failing to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act. Each separate email in violation of the law is subject to penalties of up to $46,517, and more than one person may be held responsible for violations. You can file a complaint with the FTC by going to FTCComplaintAssistant.gov, and complain to the Attorney General's office in your state. I will NEVER do business with anyone at this bete noire business since they aren't professional enough to follow law, what else are they being unprofessional about? I scold this business, and I say to this business: Learn to calculate the impact every step you make, every word you say and every action you take. My experience with this business brought to mind: Handle every situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it (here with a review) and walk away. I've seen and continue to see many Yelp reviews remain where people criticize a business because they saw that business' vehicle being driven rude or reckless or stupid or dangerous, etc., or the driver acting that way.

Loansharks posing as bankers. This place is a nightmare. They have no business doing home loans…read more We made our payments on time and we were still hounded and then threatened with baloon payments by the team. When we asked for help to get out of contruction loan they had no suggestions other than call us asking what we were going to do. We finally had an actual bank get us a mortgage. Run, run, run away from this bank!!

This bank has really improved over the past five years. The employees, especially the tellers here…read morehave gotten much nicer. I really like going into the branch. The one drawback about First Security Bank was that they were really not up to all of the electronic stuff like the bigger banks. But that has changed. Their biggest pluses, they have a lot of drive thru lanes and a drive thru ATM. They do NOT charge ATM fees no matter whose machine you use. So that means you only pay the fee that is charged at the machine, there is no additional foreign ATM fee on your statement from First Security. Second, they are part of the Star SF ATM network which means you can use any 7-11 ATM completely free as well any other bank that is on the Star SF network. You can also make deposits at other banks' ATM's. I have used PNC Bank to deposit to FSTSB. But the biggest bonus is that they released a new version of online banking and a new app. You are now able to make remote deposits of checks using your cell phone. And, they also have the capability of ACH transfers so you can send money to another person simply by using their routing number and account number. Not even Chase, TCF or 5/3 have that. Let's face it, not everyone has Zelle or Venmo. The only two things I wish they had was telephone banking where you can call in for your balance to an automated system or the old Christmas Club Passbook accounts. They still have Christmas Club but it's a statement account. You no longer get the really nice Christmas Passbook where they print it for your in the book and you can see each deposits. Maybe they should have a special Christmas Savings Register where they can give it to you for you to write it in. Still a good bank though.

No online banking. No way to check balance unless you physically go to the atm... The hours during…read morethe week suck, I'm sorry, but people work past 4:30 pm. Maybe take a note out of the bigger banks and stay open till at least 6pm or 7pm. Maybe you should also update your systems to accept deposits outside of operating hours and to be readily available. It's 2016, get with the times.