Believe it Or Not
A longtime favorite line that I like to use when people ask me what the market or economy are going to do in the near future, is to say “Sorry, my crystal ball is in the shop.” Or I’ll repeat what famed baseball manager Yogi Berra once said: “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”
That doesn’t stop others from trying to be a broken clock by predicting early and often. And so we’re into that exciting time of year when all sorts of market predictions are made by people who are mostly claiming that they knew the …
Read More2018 Year-End Tax Planning Tips
Yep, it’s that time of year again. While the stock markets were busy correcting in October, making for a very volatile month, our thoughts turn to year-end tax planning.
Now is the time to take steps to cut your 2018 tax bill. Here are some relatively foolproof year-end tax planning strategies to consider, taking into account changes included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
Year-end Planning Moves for Individuals
Game the Increased Standard Deduction Allowances. The TCJA almost doubled the standard deduction amounts. For 2018, the amounts are $12,000 for singles and those who use married filing separate …
Read MoreSocial Insecurity & Medicare Insolvency?
With about 10,000 baby boomers on average retiring every day, it’s not unusual for me to talk to clients and prospects who are anxious about the future of social security and medicare. Some clients, despite evidence and advice to the contrary, have gone ahead and filed for social security benefits even if it meant they would potentially reap hundreds of thousands of dollars less over their lifetimes, because they are worried that the systems are going “bankrupt”.
Given the stories and rumors that seem to float around endlessly about the imminent demise of social security and medicare, it is understandable …
Read MoreAdding inSALT to Tax Injury
Ever since I became a tax preparer in 1980, a federal deduction for state and local income, property or sales taxes have been available to taxpayers as an itemized deduction, generally without limitation. The idea behind the deduction, at least as it relates to state income taxes, is to grant taxpayers some degree of relief from double or triple taxation of the same income.
Of course, each year, thousands of professionals use their creativity and ingenuity to try to figure out the best ways to lower your federal taxes, including optimization of your state and local tax deduction. You know …
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