end of year

The Not Quite Goldilocks Economy

by
The Not Quite Goldilocks Economy 1

Everybody loves the idea of the Goldilocks Economy. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just right. The Fed is leaving interest rates unchanged, and telegraphing that is currently isn’t planning on making any changes next year either. Stock market pundits have given up on calling the impeding doom of a stock market crash (at least for this month). Job reports show job growth, but not too fast of job growth. And while wage are growing, they are doing so slowly. Not Goldilocks However, you won’t see a lot of articles on a Goldilocks Economy happening. While things are definitely not too hot and not too cold, there is a connotation with Goldilocks that things are inherently good. This economy seems more like the negative version of a Goldilocks situation. As in things aren’t too bad, as opposed to things are too good. In a way, this is better for investors and the economy in general. Too much optimism can turn a mild-mannered, almost Goldilocks economy into a runaway bubble and no one wants that. The next year will be very interesting. Once the holidays are past and the country stops paying attention to impeachment in Washington, the reality of just …

Read More

Should I Convert My IRA to a Roth IRA In 2010?

by

As the end of the 2010 tax year comes to a close, an interesting question is coming up more often. Should I convert my IRA to a Roth in 2010? There is a special 2010 tax trick that allows you to convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA and spread the taxes from the IRA conversion out over the next two tax years. That little tax secret expires at the end of 2010, which means that unless you convert your IRA to a Roth before year-end, you can’t lower your taxes with that tax loophole. Roth IRA conversions are open to everyone regardless of income from now on. However, there are still Roth IRA income limits for contributions. Is It A Good Idea To Convert IRAs in 2010? Normally, making a big tax move like a Roth conversion late in the year is not a good tax strategy for most people because it doesn’t give you any time to compensate for it. For example, if you were to convert an IRA to a Roth IRA in 2011, you will owe income taxes on the amount of money converted, minus any non-deductible IRA contributions you made to the traditional IRA …

Read More

End Of Year Tax Tips – Save Money On Taxes By Donating Clothing and More

by

As the end of the year races toward us, the opportunities to find and take advantage of tax deductions and loopholes to save money on income taxes are growing scarce. Fortunately, there are still plenty of tax saving strategies that you can implement even with just a few weeks to go until the end of the tax year. One of the most effective ways for typical households to lower their tax bill is by donating items to charities. Unlike cash donations, donating used goods to charity is a free way to reduce the income taxes you pay. A quick trip to the basement or storage closet could turn up several trash bags worth of used clothing that no longer fits your children, or you. Other items like shirts, pants, suits, jackets, shoes and more may just be out of style, or no longer fit your current dressing manner. For example, workers who used to have to wear a suit and tie to the office may now work in a business casual environment. Unless you live on the East Coast, suit and tie occasions don’t come up all that often. Hold onto one dark suite for funerals and formal weddings, and …

Read More