Friday, June 20, 2014

Tax evaders' loophole

Tax evaders who renounce US don’t get help
Should we defend their foreign property and CEOs if attacked? Medtronic Is Biggest Yet to Renounce U.S. Tax Citizenship. Medtronic takes a legal address in tax-friendly Ireland as part of a $42.9 billion takeover of Covidien Plc (Tyco). Although Covidien is run from MansfieldMassachusetts, it’s been incorporated in Ireland since 2009.
Minneapolis-based Medtronic joins some 44 American companies that have reincorporated abroad or struck plans to do so, including 14 in a recent wave of moves that began in 2012. Earlier this year, Pfizer Inc., the largest U.S. drugmaker, briefly proposed taking a U.K. address, a move that might have cut its tax bills by as much as $1 billion a year.
Will Ireland pay for US marines if needed at Medtronic’s non US factory?

Clintons evade taxes yet talk the opposite—wealthy hypocrisy
Bill and Hillary Clinton have long supported an estate tax to prevent the U.S. from being dominated by inherited wealth. That doesn’t mean they want to pay it. To reduce the tax pinch, the Clintons are using financial planning strategies befitting the top 1 percent of U.S. households in wealth. These moves, common among multimillionaires, will help shield some of their estate from tax at 40 percent of assets upon death.
No one seems to pay their fair share, so save tax-FREE: http://www.amazon.com/Only-little-people-pay-taxes/dp/1478222441/


Will you have enough retirement income?
Use this calculator to illustrate if you will have enough retirement income by earning 8-10% on your contributions. How many years will it take to have enough to live on?
This calculator shows you how much retirement income your accumulation will provide after years of growth. It estimates your future buying power compared to your current one. It assumes you pay no taxes each year and your fees are low. It assumes your current income will rise with 3% inflation and then converts your nest egg into income stated in today's dollars. Your 30-year nest egg should last for 30 years or more:  https://www.createspace.com/4851942

Brokers/advisors steal employees’ nest eggs
A three-month investigation found that former employees at major companies have complained that brokers lured them into rolling over their 401(k) nest eggs into unsuitable IRA investments. Some lost $ thousands while salesperson got rich and won trips. Regulators have delayed requirement that product sale must be “best” for client not salesperson. Use the Buffett strategy: http://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Vanguard-Funds-Retirement/dp/1496148592

1% grew 15% in 2013—how about you?
Individuals with investible assets of more than $1 million grew by 15% in 2013, while combined wealth grew by almost 14% to reach a record high of $56.6 trillion, according Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management. North America’s high-net-worth population expanded by 16% to 4.33 million in 2013, while Asia’s grew by 17% to reach 4.32 million. In Asia, people in the high-net-worth category saw their wealth increase by 18% to $14.2 trillion last year, while the same category in North America saw an increase in wealth of 17% to $14.9 trillion. Asia due to lead in 2014.  Make your own Tax-FREE fund: http://www.amazon.com/The-New-American-Retirement-System/dp/1461030072

Companies that evade taxes--Will you pay their share?


Supremes revoke parent legacy to heirs
On June 12, 2014, a unanimous Supreme Court ruling claimed that “inherited Individual Retirement Accounts” are not shielded from creditors in bankruptcy proceedings. The ruling comes from a Wisconsin case where a couple declared bankruptcy yet wanted to prevent creditors from going after a $300,000 IRA that was inherited from a passing parent. Previously, bankruptcy law typically protected retirement assets from the reach of creditors. Your spouse inheritance of IRA is still protected. You just can’t leave IRA to the kids for future. Right trust may work. Better to give your IRA in small amounts and let them put it in their own Tax-FREE fund: http://www.amazon.com/The-New-American-Retirement-System/dp/1461030072

Tax evaders get great deal
The IRS has rolled out important changes to its offshore account amnesty programs. More than 45,000 taxpayers have fixed their tax problems via the IRS programs, paying about $6.5 billion in taxes, interest and penalties. As FATCA and global bank transparency kick in July 1, 2014, the IRS can expect even more mea culpas. But one group unhappy with the rules so far has been expats. Americans abroad have long complained that they have foreign accounts for legitimate reasons and shouldn’t be penalized for technical reporting failures.
Pay your fair share: Zero retirement income taxes: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Retirement-Portfolio-Tax-FREE-Income/dp/1483994090


Is income inequality getting worse?
The two U.S. counties with the worst income inequality couldn't be more different. No. 1 is Manhattan. The second is a rural Native American reservation in North Dakota.
Polls show inequality to be a growing public concern. A Pew Research Center survey this year found 65 percent of all Americans believed inequality was growing, and Gallup found similar results. Partisan differences abound: 90 percent of Democrats in the Pew poll thought there was "a lot" or "some" actions government could take about inequality. Half of Republicans said there was "not much" or "nothing" government could do.
We have only one way to beat inequality according to Warren Buffett. $100 a month can become $250,000: http://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Investment-Strategy-Forget/dp/1484822900

GOP crazies
House passes tax breaks for the rich that costs over $600 Billion without including offsets so the projected deficit for 2014 -- $492 billion -- would be doubled. "It's really so interesting to see: We must have unemployment insurance extension paid for, but hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks not paid for," House dems said. The cost of making tax gifts permanent is proving to be prohibitive—almost $1 trillion over the next decade. But many of the breaks are so popular or important that lawmakers are reluctant to eliminate them.
Where is fiscal responsibility? In campaign coffers by now!

Is the “new” uncapped index annuity right for you?
Uncapped indexes, as the name suggests, don't use index caps to limit returns. But that doesn't mean that clients are now able to grab equity-like returns from this fixed income product. Rather, carriers use another lever to limit the returns in the form of a spread.
So insurers have changed the name to trick us into buying equity-indexed annuities but we know they are not going to lose money. “With uncapped strategies, if the market is up by 30%, by the time you work through the formula and subtract the spread, the client will get about 8% or 9%,” he said. Clients need to understand that “uncapped” doesn't mean that they'll get equity-like returns, but rather they may beat the capped strategy by 1% to 1.5%, as one analyst confessed. Best annuity: http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Annuity-Strategy-Income/dp/1497532019/

ObamaCare to double insureds in 2015
The number of Americans who buy ObamaCare health insurance in the next Open Enrollment period will far surpass the eight million who enrolled in plans earlier this year, according to an analysis by HealthCare.com. "We expect between 12-16 million people will purchase plans during the next Open Enrollment period which starts on November 15, 2014 and ends on February 15, 2015," said Jeff Smedsrud, CEO of HealthCare.com. "This surge in activity will demand that both private companies and federal and state marketplaces become more efficient in serving new buyers of ObamaCare." Smedsrud notes, however, that some of those who previously enrolled have already discontinued their plans, a typical occurrence in the individual health market.
"About 20% of individuals do not pay their initial premium and historically between 3-4 percent of those with plans drop coverage each month as they migrate to new jobs, have a change in their income or family status, or determine they no longer need it, etc. Despite reforms to the individual market, this normal churn is continuing," Smedsrud said.

Look for higher premiums for your CUV?
“Compact CUVs had the highest number of thefts by class, but the high dollar value premium SUV class was the most unrecovered,” NICB said. With 15,785, CUVs had more thefts than SUVs, with 5,926. CUV thefts rose 31 percent from the prior report, while SUV thefts decreased by 25 percent, NICB said. Compact CUVs were the most popular with thieves with 6,981 being reported stolen. Out of the SUV classes, Large SUVs had the most thefts with 2,902, NICB said. The top five sport utility vehicles and crossover utility vehicles reported stolen between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2013 are the Ford Escape, Ford Edge, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Kia Sorento.

Merrill gauged seniors and got caught … this time
Bank of America Merrill Lynch slapped with an $8 million fine and ordered to pay $89 million in restitution for failing to waive mutual fund sales charges for certain charities and retirement accounts. Most of the mutual funds waive certain fees for eligible retirement plans and charities. But the firm failed to make sure its advisers were properly applying those waivers to as many as 28,800 accounts.
Don’t leave it to regulators to stop broker theft: http://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Without-Wall-Street-Commissions/dp/1442168137

6 popular cars to avoid when you shop--Surprises
ConsumerReports.org
They drove real models they purchased so you get the real skinny on benefits. The alternatives are also mentioned. You will not expect some of the reviews based on reliability, handling, ride, etc.  

Coastal homes’ premiums rise to luxury level
Property insurance policies are costlier in coastal counties because hurricanes create higher losses, insurance companies and state regulators maintain, but a grassroots homeowners' group in Alabama says the actual cost is greatly exaggerated. Insist on all your discounts: http://www.amazon.com/Homeowners-Insurance-Beware-Coverage-Policy/dp/1480100870

50 new changes in the way we do things—SURPRISE!

SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments?
We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.
Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year.
We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.

Are pension ‘loans’ right for you?
AARP reports on retirees signing over their pension payments for years in return for a ‘lump sum advance.’ Some pay $100,000 over time for $40,000 today. That is over 100% interest. This is a desperate act. So called ‘settlement’ firms target vets and other public service workers with solid DB pensions. Some transactions are illegal and some may void Medicaid benefits. Banks turn people down so the scam predators come out. Some states are trying to help. Banks get free money from taxpayers but don’t make loans to needy.
Pennsylvania has Low Marks for Serving Older, Disabled Residents
AARP Pennsylvania today warned that a new study ranking Pennsylvania 42nd nationally in meeting the long-term care needs of older residents calls for across the board improvements, with particular emphasis on enhancing caregiving affordability and access. The ranking comes from a new comprehensive state-by-state Scorecard from AARP with support of the nation's leading organizations behind quality long-term care, The Commonwealth Fund andSCAN Foundation.
Raising Expectations 2014: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers – an update of the inaugural 2011 Scorecard – ranks each state overall and within 26 performance indicators along five key dimensions: affordability and access; choice of setting and provider; quality of life and quality of care; support for family caregivers; and, effective transitions.  New indicators this year include length of stay in nursing homes and use of anti-psychotic drugs by nursing homes, raising serious concerns about the quality of institutional care.

Recall your Caddy too
GM put bad switch in other models not just the cheap ones. Saving $.90 will cost them $700 million. Suit seeks $10 billion from GM because diminished value of all GMs. Would you buy a used GM now? What else are they hiding?

Bad advisors
Dee Allen Randall was charged with 22 counts of second-degree felony securities fraud Randall allegedly engaged in investment fraud using several financial organizations which at the time he owned or managed, including the Horizon Financial & Insurance Group, Horizon Auto Funding, Horizon Financial Center and Horizon Mortgage & Investment, among others. Randall told them their investment was backed by real estate or car titles. For some investors, Randall stated or led them to believe that they would be placed on the car titles or deed of trust."

Texas ranks among most dangerous states in America—bring your guns!
Texas is among the most dangerous states in America, falling in the bottom five on the 2014 list of Safest States To Live In. For the personal finance website, the term "safety" does not refer exclusively to protection from violence and crime; it encompasses various categories, including workplace and traffic safety, natural disasters, home and community stability, and financial security. To determine its rankings, Wallet Hub looked at 26 key metrics for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 


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