This is just a quick note to wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year. We’ve had a low-key and relaxing week, and plan on continuing that through the weekend. Next week, we’ll have to get back to reality. But until then, we’ll just be hanging out and having fun.
What about you?
Do you have any [...]

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Doing anything fast usually has limited and temporary success.
Think about it… Lose 10 pounds in a week! Get out of credit card debt in 90 Days! Turn your investments into millions in a year!
All of these promises are pie in the sky. They might get results for some people, but it’s usually the people who [...]

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This is just a quick note to let you know that you can download a free electronic copy (direct link to pdf) of Jim Otar’s book “Unveiling the Retirement Myth.” This book sells for $49.99 on Amazon, and is currently rated 5 stars by the six individuals who have reviewed it.
The general topic is how [...]

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Do you want to maximize the value of your income tax deductions? If so, then you might want to consider “bunching” them into years when they’ll have the greatest impact. Depending on your circumstances, there may be years in which you find yourself in a higher income tax bracket, or when you fall just short [...]

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A couple of years ago, I published a list of “Dividend Aristocrats” – S&P 500 constituents that have increased their dividend payouts for at least 25 consecutive years. This list is actually updated every year, though I neglected to publish the 2010 update.
For 2011, there are three new companies (MKC, HRL, and ECL), as well [...]

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After I wrote about doing a year end financial review, a reader shared a problem that they were having:
Briefly, here’s the situation. I “inherited” a vehicle from my ex-wife through divorce. She declared bankruptcy and, rather than have the vehicle included in that (it had my name on the lien as well as hers), I [...]

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As a followup to my recent post about year-end tax moves, I decided over the weekend that we should start being more tax smart about our charitable contributions. As such, I’ve been exploring the possibility of donating mutual fund shares into a donor-advised fund.
Using a donor-advised fund
For those that aren’t familiar with the concept, a [...]

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This is just a quick note to wish you a Merry Christmas. If you’re not celebrating Christmas, then have a great weekend. Either way, be sure to read my list of ten year-end tax moves. You have a week left, so think things over this weekend and then kick it into gear on Monday. [...]

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With the end of 2010 just around the corner, I wanted to take a few minutes to point out some tax-related issues that you should consider tackling before the end of the year. While you might want to think about money during the holidays, you can save a nice chunk of change by making a [...]

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If you are considering starting your own business, now is a great time to do so. If you want to become a millionaire, owning your business is probably the best way to get there.
While it’s true that the economy is growing very slowly and people are slow to spend money, now is the time to [...]

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