If you signed a contract before May 1 to buy a home, but have been unable to close the deal, you still have time to apply for the homebuyer tax credit. The deadline for finalizing the paperwork on your new home has been extended through September 30, 2010. Here’s what you need to know:
(more…)

If wedding bells are in your future, your tax situation will be changing also. For starters, your tax filing status will change. You will have the choice of filing a (more…)

The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009 (CARD), designed to protect consumers from unfair credit practices, generally took effect on February 22, 2010. Here is a summary of several key provisions.
(more…)

There are significant changes in the tax rules this year, with the promise of much more to come.

The following are some of the 2010 changes that could affect you.
(more…)

Employees often have too much of their employer’s company stock in their 401(k) or other retirement plan. Employees feel they know their company best, overlooking the risks of having too much of an investment in any one company, including their own. (more…)

The new Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 contains several key provisions affecting individuals and business owners. Here’s a brief summary.
(more…)

Time is running out on moves you can make to reduce your 2009 tax bill. Some actions to consider right now:

(more…)

As the end of 2009 approaches, a significant opportunity awaits many individuals.  Beginning in 2010, taxpayers will be able to convert their traditional IRA (and funds that have been rolled over from a qualified plan) to a Roth IRA, regardless of their income level or filing status. What’s more, the tax on the taxable income generated from a 2010 conversion may be deferred until (more…)

Credit card fraud has been around since the advent of credit cards, but the thieves have advanced with technology. At first, crooks used low-tech maneuvers like robbery, dumpster diving, or mailbox crashing to steal cards, statements, and merchant receipts. Although still popular, these methods are being eclipsed by (more…)

If you run a business, you probably make many different kinds of purchasing decisions. You might buy some items infrequently and only one at a time (for example, computers). At the other extreme,
there are probably (more…)