Starting October 1, 2011, large home mortgages on expensive houses are harder to get – because the U.S. government is trying to gradually play less of a role in the mortgage market. Currently, government-related entities such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee or purchase the majority of home mortgages in the U.S. Lenders are much more willing to provide mortgages if they know the loan can be backed by these entities. However, the U.S. doesn’t
February 15 – Deadline for providing 2011 Forms 1099-B and 1099-S to recipients. February 28 – Payers must file 2011 information returns (such as 1099s) with the IRS. (Electronic filers have until April 2 to file.) February 29 – Employers must send 2011 W-2 copies to the Social Security Administration. (Electronic filers have until April 2 to file.) March 1 – Farmers and fishermen who did not make 2011 estimated tax payments must file 2011 tax
The only way to achieve financial security is to monitor your tax and financial affairs throughout the year. And what better way to kick off the new year than to tidy up your financial and tax house. Here are some tips to get you started. Take control of your credit cards. Over-reliance on credit cards hurts you in several ways. With interest rates typically in double digits, it’s the most expensive way to borrow money. Think
Each year the IRS adjusts certain tax numbers for inflation and tax law changes. Here are some of the adjusted numbers you’ll need for your 2012 tax planning. Standard mileage rate for business driving remains at 55.5¢ a mile. Rate for medical and moving mileage decreases to 23¢ a mile. Rate for charitable driving remains at 14¢ a mile. Section 179 maximum first-year expensing deduction decreases to $139,000, with a phase-out threshold of $560,000. Transportation fringe
Many movies and television shows include a scene where a family gathers around a big table after a relative has died to listen to the reading of the will. While this makes for great drama, things don’t usually happen this way in the real world. In fact, there is no requirement that a will be read out loud to anyone. So what does happen with the will? Once the will is located, it should be given
Many people use the terms “Alzheimer’s disease” and “dementia” interchangeably, but the two have different meanings, and it can be very important to know the difference. Dementia is a general term for memory loss that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. The signs of dementia may include forgetfulness; difficulty making plans, thinking ahead, or using language; and a change in character traits, among other symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease is a partially hereditary disease that causes
Nearly 10 million adults age 50 and over are now caring for an aging parent, according to a new study published by MetLife. There has been a dramatic rise in the number of men and women providing parental care over the past decade and a half, the study notes. In 1994, only 9 percent of women and 3 percent of men in that age group were providing care to parents. By 2008, the percentage of female
IRAs are popular investment vehicles for retirement. But if you don’t need all the assets in your IRA to support yourself after you retire, they can also be an excellent tool for estate planning. Handled properly, an IRA can provide tax-sheltered growth for your heirs for many years to come. But you need to be careful, because it can be easy to make costly mistakes. An IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is a personal savings plan
Florida has a new law on powers of attorney. The law is important for anyone who recently moved to Florida, as well as anyone who lives elsewhere but owns a vacation home there or regularly spends time in the state. Florida will no longer accept powers of attorney unless they are signed by two witnesses and notarized. Also, powers must take effect immediately, rather than only if the person becomes incapacitated. Power of attorney documents that
People are sometimes concerned that after they die, a beneficiary (or more likely a non-beneficiary) will go to court to contest their will. Typically, a disgruntled would-be heir might claim that the person who made the will wasn’t mentally competent, or was under undue influence from some other person. These types of will contests can be very expensive, and they can cause a lot of emotional hardship within a family. Recently, a handful of states have
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