Organizing Your Paperwork for Tax Season If you haven’t done it, now’s the time. How prepared are you to prepare your 1040? The earlier you compile and organize the relevant paperwork, the easier things may be for you (or the tax preparer working for you) this winter. Here are some tips to help you get ready: As a first step, look at your 2012 return. Unless your job, living situation or financial situation has changed notably since you last filed [...]
The Fed Finally Tapers The FOMC authorizes a minor reduction in bond buying starting in 2014. December 18 turned out to be T-Day: the day on which the Federal Reserve finally tapered QE3. In making the move, the Fed acknowledged an improving economy; Wall Street quickly and enthusiastically applauded its decision. The Fed will reduce its monthly asset purchases by $10 billion. QE3 will continue, but the central bank will buy only $75 billion of bonds per month starting [...]
Why 2014 May Be a Very Good Year More improvement may be in store for the economy & the stock market. Will the economy & the bull market make further strides next year? On both Wall Street and Main Street, 2013 has turned out better than many analysts expected. Will the recovery gain additional momentum in 2014, and will stocks climb even higher? Optimism is widespread. Do you remember how gloomy things got at the end of 2012? Fears about [...]
A Market to Be Thankful For Could 2013 end up being the best year for stocks since 1995? In financial terms, 2013 has been a very nice year – a year in which the economy, the housing and business sectors and the stock market have all improved. Looking back over the year to date, it is particularly amazing to see how stocks have soared in the face of many challenges – some of which proved tougher than others. Wall Street [...]
Social Security in 2014 Next years small COLA isnt the only adjustment related to the program. Here are six things you need to know about Social Security for 2014. For claritys sake, here is a rundown of what is changing next year, and what isnt. Social Security recipients are getting a raise but not much of one. Next year, the average monthly Social Security payment will increase by $19 due to a 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment, one of the smallest [...]