What could play out in the near future? Will 2013 be as severe as some economists think? The fiscal cliff is getting closer and closer. How will Congress respond? In the worst-case scenario, Congress argues and deadlocks. Tax hikes and roughly $109 billion in federal spending cuts...
You may want to exploit these strategic opportunities. Will the Bush-era tax cuts expire next year? We may not have an answer to that question for several months. After the November elections, you could see them extended once again. Nothing is certain: with the daunting financing...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” - Soren Kierkegaard WEEKLY TIP If you’re shopping for a homeowner policy, feel free to ask for a discount. If you can demonstrate that you are taking steps to reduce risk, you may be...
WEEKLY QUOTE“Once you really commence to see things, then you really commence to feel things.” - Edward Steichen WEEKLY TIP Most people save too little for retirement. Consider bumping your retirement plan contribution up to 10%-15% of your pay if you can. WEEKLY RIDDLE A common English word refers to...
A noted economist disputes that generalization. True or false? You may have heard this claim before (or something like it): “Many Americans are being forced to retire later because their savings and investments took a hit in the Great Recession.” Recently a big-name economist disputed that belief....
What do you do when an account owner passes away? If your loved ones have invested, saved or insured themselves to any degree, you may be named as a beneficiary to one or more of their accounts, policies or assets in the event of their deaths....
Benefits increase for 2012. Ideas for reform are numerous. Social Security gets its first COLA since 2009. As moderate inflation has made a comeback, the federal government has decided to boost Social Security benefits by 3.6% for 2012. This means an average increase of $39 per...
The 2011 changes will be followed by more in 2012 and 2013. Have you bought any stocks this year? Before you sell any of them, remember that the IRS implemented new tax basis reporting rules for equities on January 1, 2011. Under the new rules, you...
A way to give without a great deal of bureaucracy. So, you’d like to make some major charitable contributions, but you don’t want to create a family foundation - with its paperwork and management commitment and the possibility of squabbles. Is there an alternative? Yes, there is....
WEEKLY QUOTE“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” – Charles Spurgeon WEEKLY TIP Dropping a landline and just using your cell phone might save you as much as $300 annually. Using a broadband phone system might give you even greater savings. WEEKLY RIDDLE Alexandra’s...