Last month the U.S. House of Representatives passed a spending bill that could drastically cut initiatives put in place to help seniors maintain their economic independence. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has criticized the bill, which would cut 64% of funding to the Senior Community Service Employment Program. The SCSEP is the only major [...]
Archive of posts filed under the Hot Topics! category.
AUTHORIZED IRS e-file PROVIDERS
Tax professionals and companies who are accepted into the electronic filing program with the IRS are called “Authorized IRS e-file Providers”. When preparing your 2010 tax return online, you will be given a self-selected PIN number to use as an electronic signature. After signing and submitting your return, the IRS system will automatically check for [...]
60% OF AMERICANS FEAR RUNNING OUT OF MONEY OVER DEATH
Allianz Life Insurance Company released a June 2010 survey of 3,257 people to find out what scared people the most: running out of money in old age or death itself. Quite surprisingly, the results came back showing 61% of Americans between 44 and 75 fear depleting their assets over the inevitability of death. Nearly all respondents (92%) believe [...]
ESTIMATING A REAL ESTATE BOTTOM
Best predictor is “Months of Supply” of inventory Provided by Craig Curreri, Broker Associate/REALTOR, Coldwell Banker Residential There’s no way to tell exactly when the bottom of the real estate market will be in your area. I’ve been analyzing the data for years and have seen numerous ways to predict what will happen. The truth [...]
MICHAEL JACKSON ESTATE SIGNS FOR $250 MILLION WITH SONY RECORDS
The $250 million dollar advances and other payments for a March 2010 deal between the Michael Jackson Estate and Sony Records is just the icing on a cake that will delve through perpetual layers of sky-high royalty rates, licensing arrangements for films and television, and 10 recordings through 2017. The deal comes on the tails [...]
FEE HIKE PROPOSED FOR OLDER CAMPERS
It used to be that a senior discount really counted for something. Not anymore as far as the U.S. Forest Service in concerned. Starting next year, camping fees in national forests will go up for senior citizens and people with disabilities if a proposed fee increase is introduced. Seniors and people with disabilities are currently eligible for lifetime passes that qualify them for a 50% discount on camp [...]
HAITI RELIEF CONTRIBUTIONS 2009 TAX DEDUCTIBLE
President Signs Bill into Law Allowing 2010 Haitian Relief Contributions to be Deducted on 2009 Returns On January 22, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4462, a bill that allows donors to accelerate the income tax benefits of charitable contributions for the relief of victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The bill allows individuals who [...]
