Friday, January 6, 2012

Save $3,000 every year

How can I save $3,000 a year on financials?
Dennis H., Valley Stream, NY asked this question. He hasn’t had a raise for two years and everything has gone up. He says he has cut out all his ‘wild’ spending. I told him the best places to look are his mutual funds and his insurance. I suggested he find out what he could save by increasing his deductibles and cutting extras from his policies. He said he found he saved $660 by raising his deductibles and another $60 a year on extras like towing and a death benefit in his policy. He was paying $1660 a year for a universal life policy. He decided he doesn’t need it anymore. He is divorced and his kids are grown. He transferred the cash value to bond fund for emergencies. He asked for more suggestions, so I recommended he read our Guides: http://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Guides-Discount-Financial-Services/

President says he won’t hold citizens in Guantanamo but he could if he wanted to!?!
Congress has passed the National Defense Appropriations Act, with Amendment 1031, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:SN01867:@@@D&summ2=m&
which allows for the military detention of American citizens. The amendment is so loosely worded that any American citizen could be held without due process.
We can be locked away by soldiers without trial!
"By signing this defense spending bill, President Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in U.S. law," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "In the past, Obama has lauded the importance of being on the right side of history, but today he is definitely on the wrong side."
Hard to believe that we have become what we hate. Only six Senators voted against. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-december-7-2011/arrested-development


Do you need a lobbyist?Each of our representatives in Congress has 41 lobbyists EACH, . . . officially. They are the government influencers. We may need one soon. Here is a list of the ones who register.
List of 22,000+ lobbyists and government relations professionals who directly influence government policies and legislation. http://www.lobbyists.info/ProductDetail/the-3-0-31/Lobbyist_Mailing_Lists

E-file taxes for quicker refunds
The IRS issues refunds to 98 percent of electronic filers by direct deposit within 14 days. You may use Free File software if your AGI income is under $57,000. Starts mid Jan. Due April 17 but don’t wait. http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html

File tax form just to get money back if …
Your employer withheld federal income tax from your pay, you worked but earned little and get Earned Income Credit, have child and get child tax credit, are student and get opportunity credit, adopted kid and get adoption credit and you paid for health insurance under certain conditions and get the health coverage credit. See http://www.irs.gov/ita/
for interactive bot to answer your questions without having to wait on phone. Check on your refund at https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp

BEWARE: Annuity sellers are pitching hard
Sellers know that you would like to have guaranteed growth on your money without paying taxes, guaranteed income for the rest of your life and a guaranteed death benefit.
Annuities look like they are safer than gold, real estate and the stock market. Parking money somewhere safe with better interest rates than a bank is appealing. Some sellers are linking the annuity to life insurance premiums later in life so that you can leave a tax free legacy to the kids. It also doubles their commissions.
ACTUAL situation is more complicated. First, you’re going to pay a lot for those guarantees. Costs may wipe out the advertised rates of gain. Second, you or your beneficiary will pay taxes later when the annuity is used or passed. Third, you can buy guaranteed income for life at much cheaper rates when you need it. Other alternatives offer tax-FREE death benefits to your heirs without the fees and commissions. All investments have risks so gold, real estate and stocks are taken in moderation and balance. See alternative solutions before you buy: amazon.com/Not-Buy-That-Annuity-

Breath easier
One in eight people earning at least $1 million annually was audited by the Internal Revenue Service last year, making them far likelier to be examined than those making below $200,000, according to IRS data released Thursday. Just 1 in 100 individuals earning less than $200,000 had their income tax returns examined, the IRS said.
If you are audited, don’t volunteer old tax returns or any data not specific to the audit. The IRS takes weeks to find your old return so they only have the summary figures from some lines on the 1040. Say little and ask for any additional requests in writing. Stall. IRS agents get paid on volume.

Romney tax plan gives rich extra 15% discount
On average, households making less than $20,000 would see their taxes increase by more than 60 percent, said the Tax Policy Center, a Washington research group that studied the Romney plan. Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 would get small tax cuts, averaging 2.2 percent, or about $250, the study said. People making more than $1 million would get tax cuts averaging 15 percent, or about $146,000. Romney's plan would reduce tax revenues by $180 billion in 2015, adding to the federal budget deficit, the study said. Romney's plan would cut the top corporate tax rate. Most pay $0 now—many get refund of $millions. Romney says rich would create jobs even though they haven’t with the Bush tax cuts.


SCAMS
Alternative investments are risky
Waco- based Life Partners Holdings and three of its top executives were accused Tuesday by the Securities and Exchange Commission of "systematically and materially" misleading investors about the life expectancy of people whose life insurance policies it traded.

Let me know what you think. Editor@TheInsidersGuides.com

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
Montclair, NJ 07042
347.746.2014
www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com
Alerts available at http://dankeppel.blogspot.com/

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