Showing posts with label military state. Show all posts
Showing posts with label military state. Show all posts

Friday, January 15, 2021

Trump left us with tax-FREE account

 

New Year is time to plan ahead

Whether you are in retirement or near retirement, if you don’t have a plan you will not be able to survive. We are all living longer and so a plan is crucial to live well. The fastest growing age group is the age 85 to 100. The common myth: “Saving is a waste of time”. I used to believe this because when you save in a bank, your $250 a month is worth only about $67,000 after 20 years. Then I learned from my boss who invested in mutual funds that he had amassed $250,000. Every year you delay starting to invest costs you $thousands over time. Sure, you might be able work past your assumed “retirement” age. But what if you can’t? Will you live well or just survive? A low-cost stock index fund has grown at 11% over time so your money doubles every 8-10 years. You must leave it alone to compound. This Miracle of Compounding is the secret Warren Buffett cites: “My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest.” And now you can use an IRS-approved trust that makes all your earnings FREE of income tax for the rest of your life. We must plan ahead. Social Security will cut benefits by 2034 and income taxes will have to pay for the deficit of $40,000 each. Taxes don’t go down for us. The two things that will determine whether you have enough later on are taxes and living expenses. Let time work the miracle.

Let's start today. https://www.amazon.com/Your-Plan-Live-Age-100/dp/1548180793

 

Rebuilding our lost savings

More than half of us are dipping into our savings, with 60% using our IRA and 401k accounts to get us through the difficulties we are facing from the coronavirus pandemic. How can we rebuild our savings? Thousands of books are sold with the ‘secrets’ to investing. Each day a new TV guru provides a list of stocks that will ‘make you rich’. When you research the VALUE of these ‘secrets’ for you, you find a mountain has been built from a grain of truth for that time/place. Yes, if you had purchased Apple, Amazon or Tesla at their beginning, you would be rich. But few actually put their hard-earned savings into those companies early on. Instead of taking advice from the current gurus who get paid well to entertain with ‘success’ stories, let’s listen to the unbiased wisdom of multi-billionaire Warren Buffett. His advice is simple: buy and keep buying a low-cost stock index fund like Vanguard’s 500 fund. This was the fund he used to beat 5 hedge funds picked by a Wall Street guru. From 2008 to 2017, the index earned 8.5% vs 4% per year. A $100,000 investment at the beginning of 2008 would have more than doubled to about $225,586 by 2017.

Invest wisely: https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Investment-Secret-Steeple/dp/1484189809

 

Trump left us with tax-FREE account

A positive for Trump’s legacy is an IRS account that allows us to grow investments and spend compounded earnings without income taxes. You may not have started your life with a $100-200 million boost from your father like Trump, but you can create your own tax-FREE stream of income like his. Clearly the Trump tax plan helps businesses and the wealthy. There is no reason why you cannot benefit from the tax code too. It eliminates taxes when taken out for your needs and can pass to your heirs totally tax FREE. No matter what your income, this helps you avoid future taxes to pay off the national debt. You can build a $1/2 million fund by investing $250 a month over time. You can use the tax laws for your benefit like the people in the top 1% income bracket do!

Set up your Tax Shelter in 1 hour: https://www.amazon.com/Trump-Tax-Shelter-Avoid-taxes/dp/1985448300

 

Have tax forms; will file for FREE

W-2, unemployment, SS benefits, IRAs, pensions, RMD, brokerage, etc. If you have all your forms, file for FREE online. Usually filing your state return costs as little as $15 unless you buy the Pro helpline. Avoid $300-400 paid preparer fees—new IRS forms mean higher fees. Unemployment insurance is TAXABLE on the Federal income tax return; not on some state returns. Some states do not tax your SS and pension benefits. Retirees did not have to take their RMDs in 2020 so taxes may be less: it was a good time to convert IRA to Roth IRA for tax-FREE future. Unless you were self-employed, you can’t deduct home office expenses of working from home. Some states continue the health insurance mandate and penalty unless you have an exemption. Since the IRA contribution deduction has no age limit now, you may reduce your income/taxes by making a contribution of up to $7,000. The standard deduction went up to $12,400 single; $24,800 joint. Jan 15 last day to make 2020 estimated payments. You have to report your April/May and December/January stimulus payments even though they are not taxable. Some of us receive a bank credit; some a debit card; some a check. Even if you don’t have to file, you should file so scammers can’t use your SS number to mess up your IRS file. Tested E file software ratings.

E file avoids covid at your preparers’ office: https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

 

Will your family be able to live if you are a virus victim?

Many parents are concerned about the survival of their families if the Covid spread continues in ’21. If 4,000 continue to die every day, this becomes a real threat. Half those who spread the virus have no symptoms so exposure is almost inevitable. We still don’t know which folks will suffer severely and which will have flue-like symptoms. Since many of us don’t wear masks or take precautions, we must assume we are at risk in any crowd. During this pandemic, many of us are seeking life insurance coverage. Life insurance is very easy to buy but higher levels of coverage—coverage for your family to live through this crisis—requires a blood test. This is how some of us find medical problems we didn’t know existed. The industry is offering ‘no test’ coverage for lower amounts. For those in good health, a $500,000 coverage lasting 10 years can cost as little as $20 a month. Premiums rise with age and health concerns. You may have lost your term coverage when your employment ended.

Check now while you can. https://www.amazon.com/Life-Insurance-Need-Save-right/dp/1480002178

 

 

 

 

**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************

 

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—We rejected an "American fascist" 

 

 

President of the United States tried to overthrow our government

 

 

House impeaches Trump 2nd time: "incitement of insurrection"

 

FBI: 36 most wanted Jan 6 terrorists

 

Self-coup like Napoleon’s 1851

 

 

Our ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’? 

 

 

 

How Govt wastes our money:

Biden reverses Trump stockpiling vaccines to help more of us avoid 4000 daily deaths

Millions of $600 credits sent to wrong banks: Turbo? Others? Must wait longer!

GOP tax cuts for rich: our debt has increased almost 40% in the past four years. We will pay it.

Hospitals dump vaccines since health workers don’t want it: seniors turned away

Even a gorilla troop caught it: strain very contagious: Covid deaths 400,000 4,000/day

 

Curative COVID-19 PCR tests not consistently accurate

Our govt wasted $10,000 each of our money on stupids: soda bottles called ‘test tubes’

Supremes start reversing women’s choice: Roe v Wade decision targeted by Trumpers

 

1 million new unemployment claims filed Jan week: need massive infrastructure effort

 

SCAMS/SPINS:

Terrorists plan more attacks: Jan 20 is next target in this holy ‘war’ against US.

Terrorists don’t understand employer/customer backlash after Trump’s insurrection

Terrorists recruit via Facebook: neo-Nazi politics within the global network.

Terrorists had inside Capitol help plan overthrow: 3 GOP conspired with leader Ali

 

Terrorists claim antifa (antifascists) stormed Capitol: ‘blame other side for own bad acts’

Terrorists moving communication to Telegraph: follow which Capitol attacked next

Terrorists wear Guard/police gear to breach Inauguration? Trump still ‘Commander’ 

Terrorists even had plans of the tunnels/entry points for “war” on Capitol: FBI ignored

 

Commander in Chief impeached again: GOP breaking up: Mitch lost: follow the money

Chiefs remind military: “insurrection on Capitol was an anti-democratic, criminal act”

Sedition task force has found many suspects in coup: planned ‘war’ motivated them

 

House security: “wasn’t comfortable with the ‘optics’” of alerting Guard: Trumpists? 

GOP calls to Trumpists for help end coup rebuffed by Jared, Ivanka: watch TV 6 hours

FBI VA warned of ‘war’ at Capitol: Officials deny; others claim intelligence failure

Senate takes another vacation to avoid Trump trial: Mitch fears Trumpists revenge

 

Rick Snyder fmr gov MI caught neglect poisoning Flint water; 12 die: $1,000 fine no jail

Michael Stepanek, caught running over protesters for “attitude adjustment” no jail no fine

Oportun Financial caught loan overcharging gregious debt collection practices 

Scammers use SS logo, titles, badge numbers to ask info for probe: check with SS first

 

Scam Chase users: “We detected some unusual activities on your account and as a security measure we have locked it.”

Thomas Robbins Daniel Merriman caught selling unregistered securities in strategy con

Justin Robert King CA caught offering interest in his bogus firm; $4 million fraud

 

Multivitamin little effect on health: 'benefits' might just all be a trick of the mind: potion

Drugmakers raise prices on 500 drugs: Humira up 7.4%, Revlimid up 4.5% Opdivo up 1.5%, Eliquis 6%. CEO raises!

Caddy that flies and drives itself: Keep your eyes on the ‘road’

 

Savior sent by god to save ‘Christian’ America for ‘true’ believers: miracle for 2nd term?

 

BEWARE: Work from home scams: fees, shop, data entry, pyramid sales, stuff, net sales

 

Appliances with problems: Viking, FisherPaykel, Amana: Better: Whirlpool, KitchenAid

Big problem cars: Volvo (China), Jaguar, Land Rover (India), Chrysler (Italy)

Cable costs went up: are the services/shows worth it?

Sales tax scam: Resale certificate helps wealthy avoid sales tax: seller helps avoid taxes

 

Poor Mel T: “gossip, false and misleading statement on me”? Sounds like Don texting

Widow of GW bridge jumper can sue since locked access can be climbed over by jumper

Detroit to sue Trumpers who tried to overturn MI election: cost to defend election result

Trump refuses to pay Giuliani for failed election challenges: will face suits need him later

 

Graco car seats, Speed Stick, Keebler, cashier seats, terrorists’ jobs, opioid suit,

Save on car insurance: virus means less miles; less premium. Shop pay by mile

 

 

IRS: Easy Steps to Protect Your Computer and Phone and Avoid Phishing Emails.

IRS: Free special ID protection PIN goes on your return so scammers can’t take refund

IRS: Previous tax returns available online: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

 

Is it a scam?  Check AARP scamline 877.908.3360.

 

Check IRS: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-part-1-taxpayers-should-be-on-the-lookout-for-these-scams

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/dirty-dozen-part-2-thieves-work-all-year-to-scam-taxpayers

Check Social Security: https://blog.ssa.gov/

Safeguard data: ConsumerReports help: https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/

 

Jobs

Places with wider mix of people in science, technology, engineering math jobs than most.

Prepare for jobs that will be in future not in past: more remote; more digital; more tech

Priests needed but still only man’s club: Pope allows women role in Mass already have!

Paycheck Protection Program PPP small biz loans: SBA will forgive loans if all employee retention criteria met

 

Who owns your account now?

 2020 was shorter than previous years - Earth is spinning quicker than it has in decades

Mortgage shopping: check on what your creditors are saying/selling about you.

Forbearance and refinance: help mortgage relief mortgage assistance CARES Act

 

Miracles:

Thakur told Trebek he learned English watching "Jeopardy! as a child in India. Thanks Alex!

Global warming: Spain covered in snow?  Weather patterns are changing. Heat in 2020.

Retailers: keep those items you do not want: too expensive to return them

Veterans make statement countering those in the coup: march to clean up their mess

 

One Good man holds back terrorists trying to take over our government: GOP enablers

 

Lying over: right-leaning talk-radio hosts told to cut election fraud rhetoric by owners

Bill Belichick coach Patriots declines Presidential Medal of Freedom offer from Trump

Climate change taking its toll on insects and sharks as precursor to human tolerance

 

 

We can apply for Medicare online: https://blog.ssa.gov/apply-for-medicare-online

We can apply for Social Security online: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/

We can apply for health care online: https://www.healthcare.gov/

 

 

 

IAN

41 Watchung Plaza, B242

Montclair, NJ   07042

973.746.2014

www.InsuranceAdvisorsNetwork.com

Alerts available at http://dankeppel.blogspot.com/

 

Friday, June 12, 2020

Should you sign a vendor liability waiver?


Should you sign a vendor liability waiver?
Yes, as your favorite entertainment venue, a retail marketplace, restaurants and gyms open up for business, you will likely be asked to share the risk. Most businesses are asking their lawyer to draw up waivers. By signing a waiver, you are agreeing to the fact that the company wants you to assume their risk of operating. You might want to know if they have taken all precautions to keep you safe. Have they sprayed? Is staff tested on a regular basis? Are customers required to keep their distance? Do they limit the number of customers at a time? Do they require customer masks? If they don’t know or the terms of the waiver are vague, don’t sign. If they just put a sign on the door that you “enter at your own risk,” wait for another month or two, as these scientists point out.
Avoid the risk: Better safe than sorry.

Is a Roth IRA conversion right for you?
Fidelity Investments saw a 76% increase in the number of Roth IRA conversions in the first quarter of 2020. If your income has dropped due to job changes -– pushing you into a lower income tax bracket –- then it may be a good opportunity to convert to a Roth IRA. All your future gains will not be taxed. If your business lost money, the taxable loss can be used to offset other income on a personal tax return. IRA money is taxed when you convert because you did not pay tax on the contributions. You can control how much you convert so you can control how much you are taxed. You will need to do the math on your tax and probable income this year to decide on the amount to convert. If you do not have the extra cash to pay the tax next year, then converting just makes your taxes higher. However, the great benefit of a Roth is you can better manage your RMDs (required minimum distributions starting at age 72). Income in retirement can be controlled better since you have choices between taxable and non-taxable sources.

Where can you receive 2.4% yield for retirement income?
Quality bonds and steady dividend paying stocks. Isn’t that a better alternative to historically low rates from bonds and annuities? Consider a proven balanced fund like Vanguard’s Wellesley Income Fund. As of early June, the yield on 10-year Treasuries is only 0.66%, while Bloomberg Barclays Aggregate tracking index funds are yielding just over 1%. You cannot rely on bonds alone for the foreseeable future. Who knows where your stocks will end up in 2020? A low-cost balanced fund may offer you the best of both worlds in this environment. Over time, balanced funds provide the inflation hedge you will need long term. Average annual returns of 4-6% provide growth. Remember, your spending power is reduced by inflation every year—reduced 50% over 20 years. A 1st class stamp cost 32 cents in 2000. Now it’s 55 cents. Social Security may not keep up with your purchase items’ inflation. SS benefits will be cut by 2034.

Market rebound confounds all the fortune-tellers
Very few Wall Street gurus know that the stock market would bounce back so hard that their strategies would be crushed. The S&P 500 has rallied more than 40% from its March low amid central bank stimulus and better-than-expected economic data, defying warnings about elevated valuations and a collapse in profits. The Nasdaq 100 last week climbed to an all-time high, making a full recovery from this year’s bear-market decline. Timing the market is a loser’s game. At Friday’s close of 3,193.93, the S&P 500 exceeded all but four strategists’ year-end targets, based on a survey of 18 Wall Street prognosticators last month. So which strategy works? Certainly paying for bad advice only detracts from your long-term accumulation. Actually, over time, if you pay 2% for advice and trades and annual 12b-1 fees, you are giving your vendor HALF of your possible total returns.



**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—do we really want ‘low-IQ’ Mobster?







How Govt wastes our money: Congress gives 3.7 Trillion to the wealthy! 

Hospitals with $ millions got our tax money to overpay management; still layoff staff
Jared’s $91 million mistakes: medical supplies never accounted for: donors rewarded?

SCAMS/SPINS:



Meat prices up 8%: Price-gauging protected by Trump order to stay open despite deaths.
James Nielsen CA caught 'pump-and-dump' scheme to boost profits in a biotech Arrayit
Hospitals Got Bailouts and Furloughed Thousands While Paying C.E.O.s Millions

Drug makers caught raising prices of generic drugs: hits unemployed hardest
Fruits/vegetables may be next for Trump order to work thru virus

Biden: 10 to 15 % of the people out there are just not very good people Hillary speech?
Biden had police lobbyist write his crime bill: “Never said no” to police desires.

In counties where police received military equipment, police kill more pets too
Congress gives police immunity from prosecution: GOP/Trumpers: OK continue to kill
Louisville police: Breonna Taylor incident report. It's virtually blank: killed 8 times.


Jobs
Your business may qualify for IRS tax relief through credits or deferrals.
Police and Floyd bouncer: did murderer have revenge in the killing so police stood by?

Who owns your account now?
In-ground burial spots going fast: men more likely avoid $10,000 full do: going with fire
GOP has confounded easy voting many ways: our voter account may not work Nov

Miracle:
GOP still clings to their savior who makes “a mockery of the Constitution” Going down

Scientists of contagions estimate time to return to normal: gyms are hardest



  
IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
Montclair, NJ   07042
973.746.2014
Alerts 

Friday, June 5, 2020

We pay more taxes: Congress allows wealthy to avoid paying


What are the 3 most important rules of investing?
1. Invest just 10% of your income for $1,000,000 nest egg
2. Invest automatically in a stock index fund every payday
3. Use a tax-advantaged account to avoid income taxes

We pay more taxes: Congress allows wealthy to avoid paying
Congress cuts funds. The IRS is letting hundreds of thousands of high-income individuals duck their tax obligations, according to a government watchdog report. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that 879,415 high-income individuals who didn’t file returns cumulatively failed to pay $45.7 billion in taxes from 2014 to 2016 and that the agency hasn’t tried to collect from many of those taxpayers. The IRS didn’t put 326,579 of the cases into its enforcement system, and it closed 42,601 of the cases without ever working on them. “In addition, the remaining 510,235 high-income nonfilers, totaling estimated tax due of $24.9 billion, are sitting in one of the collection function’s inventory streams and will likely not be pursued as resources decline,” said the report, released Monday. Among those who haven’t paid their taxes are approximately 1,891 individuals who owe the IRS more than $1 million, according to the report. Trump is proud he does not pay his fair share. The number of people who have been failing to file tax returns -- a crime that could come with steep penalties or as many as five years in prison -- has been increasing in recent years. The average U.S. household is paying an annual surtax of more than $3,000 to subsidize taxpayers who aren’t paying all they owe.

We subsidize drug development; drug firm owners take the profits
We paid $ millions to develop remdesivir, but Gilead Sciences owners get all the profits. This has been the pattern for 100 years. Drug companies claim high prices are for development of new cures but we pay for the science behind new drugs. Drug companies control the manufacture, marketing and distribution and so can charge whatever they like. We have no say even though we paid $ millions for the startup. Drug prices are pushed up even if they are not new—just the marketing and packaging. Drug firms manipulate patents so that low-cost generics are kept out of our hands.

If you stayed in the market
Many long-term investors did NOT sell in the downdraft in March. Their portfolio is now at the level it was in January 30. What will happen next? No one knows despite all the high-priced fortune-tellers on radio and TV. As we have seen, if you had timed the market and missed 30 or 40 best days, you would have lost money. Over time, including recessions over the last 30 years, your stock investments have averaged 11% in a low-cost account. Timing the market—selling and buying—in any form: rebalance, single stocks to ‘sector rotation’ usually fails over time. Sure, some crystal balls do shine a light for a short time but you can’t be sure the next time. Ponzi schemes can look very impressive and confound all the critics, but not forever. Bernie Madoff’s $65 billion scam lasted longer than most because many so-called professionals went all in on the con. They were getting rich too. Remember Bogle’s favorite line: Stay the course.


**********ACCOUNTABILITY**************

Like 1776, this period is a test of democracy—do we really want ‘low-IQ’ Mobster?

Ordering the military against civilian protesters: King George

The Mob: Cotton calls for “an overwhelming show of force”


Mobster: I will use "most ominous weapons" if protesters breach WH



Mobster: I decide which facts are real: Twitter: NO you don’t


Mobster: I decide who gets virus drug remdesivir first and who doesn’t



How Govt wastes our money: Congress gives 3.7 Trillion to the wealthy! 
EPA: water pollution allowed by biz: states have less control
Trump built The Wall around his bunker to keep Americans OUT: $ ½ million waste.

SCAMS/SPINS:

Trump ends police reform program: “we need to dominate the battlespace.” 
GOP second thoughts on their Leader: https://twitter.com/RVAT2020

With Eighteen conduct complaints filed against him, MN murderer allowed to kill!
White nationalist group posing as antifa called for violence on Twitter: chaos

Trump steals image of astronaut and her son: sends wrong message & it’s illegal


BoA Merrill caught overcharged us for mutual fund transactions: repay $ 2.7 millions
Fake health app, masks, sanitizer: Everest Microbial Defense, Ebay masks, Vivoo app
Approved Cash Advance, Main Street Personal Finance caught holding overpayments
Price-fixing by chicken producers: What about toilet paper, towels, disinfectants, masks?


Jobs
Small biz loans aren’t working: too short-term and lack of re-opening crowd demand.
House is out of session this week: more vacation time! Senators out of their minds?
Protesters told to ‘get a job’ by armed militia along route: intimidation speaks  

Who owns your account now?
Which debts does your executor have to pay? Surprisingly few must be paid by heirs.

Best bank mortgage deal? Reduce rate or costs; long or short term; best of 3 estimates

Miracle:
Newer drugs control cancers: lung, prostate, colon: can we afford them w/o insurance?

Christian nationalism: “It’s about identity, enforcing hierarchy, and order.” Not religion at all
Racist Rep King still got 36% of the vote!: Can IA still be 1/3 racist GOP?

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
Montclair, NJ   07042
973.746.2014
Alerts