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Social Security Reset May Go Away
(General/Articles)
Sometimes things are just too good to be true. We have been talking with our retired clients recently about paying back Social Security benefits – interest and penalty free - that they may have started ...
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There Ain't No Cure, But Is There An Upside To The Summertime Blues?
(General/Articles)
... of the price spectrum. Sales of distressed properties, foreclosures and short sales, as a percentage of overall closed sales, are 20% fewer than at this time last year. For homebuyers and “buy and hold” ...
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A Tax To Prepare For
(General/Articles)
... time income – you might want to accelerate income into 2012 (this could include capital gains as well) or even lump income into certain years beyond that. As with all planning ideas, I would like to ...
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What is Your Long-Term Care Plan?
(General/Articles)
... a health care directive, and a real game plan for which family members are responsible for helping in times of need. For instance, some families may have a child who is a nurse, so make sure the ...
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Increase Your Social Security Income
(General/Articles)
... In the end, I believe it will be well worth your time. ...
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Dog Bites
(General/Articles)
For all of us who own or owned a dog, the following quote from Roger Caras rings true: "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." That sentiment is why dog ownership is at an all-time ...
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Estate Tax Trouble in 2010
(General/Articles)
... decedent’s adjusted cost basis. Compounding the harm of losing the traditional step-up is the retention of the step-down in cost basis rule for property that has lost value at the time of the decedent’s ...
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Health Care Reform Provisions Affecting Older Adults
(General/Articles)
... that and has left many Americans asking “How will this affect me”? One area that we have been asked about many times is how this new reform will impact the care and benefits for our seniors. Below is ...
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Good Financial Plans Need Slush Funds
(General/Articles)
... means that you do not worry about spending this money, in good times or bad. This fund should take the pressure off when you weigh the effects of going on a dream trip to Italy against monthly living ...
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Retirement Is About Living Longer
(General/Articles)
... you knew you had to run for a long time, would you run as fast as you can without knowing where the finish line was? Or would you pace yourself and enjoy the road you are on, the blue sky, and those cheering ...
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Take Control of College Costs
(General/Articles)
There was a time when numbers like $140,000 or even $60,000 were used by young adults in reference to purchasing their first home. Today this type of investment will barely even cover the cost of a four ...
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Medicare - Here's the 411
(General/Articles)
... an employer or employee(s) if it pertains, and lastly, contact a certified insurance broker. Rebecca Deelstra is a Senior Consultant at Northern Capital Life & Health, spending most of her time helping ...
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Identity Theft 101
(General/Articles)
... card companies and banks as long as you did not contribute to the loss. But that does not reimburse you for your time, legal fees or other expenditures (mailing, notary public, out of pocket costs). ...
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Will You Still Get Goose Bumps When CDs Are Gone?
(General/Articles)
... sacrifice sound quality for convenience, but are we cheating ourselves out of an exhilarating experience without realizing what we are giving up? Do you remember the goose bumps the first time you heard ...
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Employee Satisfaction - Your Cornerstone of Productivity
(General/Articles)
The Conference Board published a research article this past January detailing the dissatisfaction of American workers. This news, covered by major outlets like Time Magazine and MPR 's "Today's Question ...
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What's Ahead?...Spring and Echo Boomers
(General/Articles)
... entirely attributable to the first iteration of the federal government's $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, which expired on November 30th. The current inventory of homes is down 28% from mid ...
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Estate Planning Mistakes
(General/Articles)
I was at a charity event this past weekend and a friend was bidding on the silent auction item of time with an estate planning attorney. They said it was finally time to talk about taking care of their ...
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Is Buy-and-Hold Dead in 2010?
(General/Articles)
... market and we saw that in late 2008 and early 2009. But that six-month time frame does not mean that buy-and-hold is dead. In the January/February 2010 issue of Journal of Indexes, John Bogle (founder ...
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Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
(General/Articles)
... and returning the assets to their original Traditional IRA status. Heads I win, tails you lose; good game, right? Then let's play the game not once, but four times. Converting Traditional IRA assets ...
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When Spending is Really Saving
(General/Articles)
... part makes sense, but the spending is counter-intuitive. Many times you will hear of businesses spending money in order to save money. For example, with this article you will be viewing our new web ...