rbuckner's Articles http://www.a1articles.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Want to Add Some Glitter to Your Portfolio? Headlines about the price of gold hitting record highs have been everywhere. As of May 14, 2010, the price had climbed to $1249.40per ounce. That's more than $375 per ounce higher than its previous Jan. 21, 1980, peak of $870. Uncertainty in the global fi... http://www.a1articles.com/want-to-add-some-glitter-to-your-portfolio-1558412.html 20th May 2010 Prioritize Retirement Savings Sure, you want to experience a financially comfortable retirement, and you know you've got to save to reach your goals. But that's not enough. You need to prioritize your "to do" list when it comes to stashing your cash in order to amass as much as poss... http://www.a1articles.com/prioritize-retirement-savings-1511480.html 22nd April 2010 How to Profit from Your Hobby Advice for artisans, photographers, woodworkers, and more. Do you ever dream that your hobby could also be your job? Some hobbies can be turned into moneymaking enterprises - or at least generate enough revenue to fund the activities themselves. Helpf... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-profit-from-your-hobby-1497949.html 13th April 2010 How Dollar-Cost Averaging Can Smooth Your Returns The market volatility of the past two years has left a lot of investors badly shaken. Even though stocks have rebounded significantly from the lows they hit in early March 2009, just about everybody lost a lot of money over the past two years, and there's... http://www.a1articles.com/how-dollarcost-averaging-can-smooth-your-returns-1479994.html 30th March 2010 5 Smart Uses for Your Tax Refund In a year when raises and bonuses at work are rare, getting a tax refund may be your one big chance to put extra money toward improving your financial situation. Here are five smart ways to use your refund: Pay off high-interest credit-card debt.... http://www.a1articles.com/5-smart-uses-for-your-tax-refund-1445372.html 12th March 2010 Dealing With Kiddie Tax Rules Older Youths Hit One step: Keep child's investment income less than $1,900 this year. The kiddie tax was created in 1986 to keep parents from sheltering income by putting accounts in the names of their lower-taxed kids. In its original form, a porti... http://www.a1articles.com/dealing-with-kiddie-tax-rules-1435027.html 08th March 2010 Paring The Tax On Your SSA Benefits Defensive Steps Help The IRS' bite from your monthly check enlarges as your income grows Rules regarding the taxation of Social Security benefits are complicated. But good planning can pare some retirees' payments to Uncle Sam. To start, calculat... http://www.a1articles.com/paring-the-tax-on-your-ssa-benefits-1432836.html 05th March 2010 Medicaid Help For Nursing Home Bills Standards are tougher, but you can still guide elderly loved ones to aid As your parents or other elderly loved ones age, they'll likely lose some physical and mental capabilities. They may need custodial care, full time. Most seniors prefer to rece... http://www.a1articles.com/medicaid-help-for-nursing-home-bills-1427291.html 03rd March 2010 Creating Income From Charitable Gifts Do Well Doing Good Many charities will give you annuity payments if you make a donation Your rewards from charitable giving need not be limited to a good feeling and a tax deduction. You can get cash back, too. Many charities offer charitable ... http://www.a1articles.com/creating-income-from-charitable-gifts-1426287.html 03rd March 2010 Inherit An IRA, Write-Off The Tax Bill Break Often Ignored You can get deduction if your wealty aunt's estate already paid the IRS Inheriting a traditional IRA can be a case of good news, bad news. On the positve side, you gain assets. The negative? Withdrawals willl be taxable. It do... http://www.a1articles.com/inherit-an-ira-writeoff-the-tax-bill-1424907.html 02nd March 2010 Depreciation Can Pay Off For Landlord Nursing Your ProfitA tactic that can help convert your cash flow into nontaxed incomeOwning rental property may force you to spend more time than you'd like on toilets, trash, and troublesome tenants. Fortunately, the Internal Revenue Code may make the pr... http://www.a1articles.com/depreciation-can-pay-off-for-landlord-1424892.html 02nd March 2010 New Rule Boosts Nondeductible IRAs Aids Affluent Workers Income cap on eligibility for Roth IRA transfer lifted for 2010 With April 15 fast approaching, the last day for contributing, you may want to review some key aspects of these retirement vehicles. An extension for filing you... http://www.a1articles.com/new-rule-boosts-nondeductible-iras-1423028.html 01st March 2010 Cutting Tax On Sale Of Company Stock Retirement Plan Tactic Seperate employer stock from other assets before a rollover into an IRA If you leave your job, rolling your company retirement fund into an IRA ofen makes sense. You can keep tax deferral on the earnings and take control of fu... http://www.a1articles.com/cutting-tax-on-sale-of-company-stock-1421360.html 01st March 2010 Look For Best Parking Places For Cash Rates And Terms Vary Ask if your brokerage has something better; compare rates online Cash is where you stash your dough right before putting it to work in stocks or mutual funds. That's during a growing market. Cash can also be a parking space. ... http://www.a1articles.com/look-for-best-parking-places-for-cash-1418478.html 26th February 2010 Paving Your Way Toward Retirement Several Strategic Steps Tasks include test runs, deciding where to live, arranging healt care Goal No. 1 in retirement planning: Build your nest egg. But there's more to preparing for a rewarding retirement than saving money. Before you turn off... http://www.a1articles.com/paving-your-way-toward-retirement-1411509.html 23rd February 2010 Make Charitable Bequests From An IRA Use Different Accounts Legacy from your IRA may stretch out benefits to heirs in the long run. Making charitable gifts with appreciated securites is generous. It also offers you tax benefits. As long as you have held the securities more than one yea... http://www.a1articles.com/make-charitable-bequests-from-an-ira-1405150.html 18th February 2010 Put A Power Of Attorney In Your Estate Covering Your Bases A "durable" document can protect your assets if you lose competence Your estate plan probably includes a will and life insurance. You may even have health care directives. But you might not have a power of attorney. Such a docume... http://www.a1articles.com/put-a-power-of-attorney-in-your-estate-1401180.html 17th February 2010 Avoid IRA Early Withdrawal Penalties Early Retirement Steps You can take out money fee-free in some circumstances. Early retirement is a prime goal for many people. If you get your gold watch while in your 40s or 50s, you might have to tap your IRA for living expenses. But there is a 1... http://www.a1articles.com/avoid-ira-early-withdrawal-penalties-1399735.html 16th February 2010 Naming Backup Beneficiaries For Your IRA Choosing alternate heirs for your IRA can maximize loved one's tax benefits. Some people build more than enough assets. Even in retirement, they don't need to tap their IRA for living expenses. Such people can hold off taking money from tradtional IRAs... http://www.a1articles.com/naming-backup-beneficiaries-for-your-ira-1398298.html 16th February 2010 Last Minute Tax Tactics For Investors Loss carry forwards can offset '09 gains, reduce your capital gains bill. As we near April 15, your attention may be focusing more and more on your 2009 tax return. A few items rate a check and double-check from investors. Carryforwards. Each year, ... http://www.a1articles.com/last-minute-tax-tactics-for-investors-1396921.html 15th February 2010 Sizing Up Your Retirement Nest Egg Your targeted income determines how large your portfolio must be. Most workers look forward to the day when they can turn off the alarm clock for good. How soon you will be able to retire will depend on how fast you build your nest egg. A detailed anal... http://www.a1articles.com/sizing-up-your-retirement-nest-egg-1395203.html 12th February 2010 It's Not Too Late! Build A Solid Nest Egg While retirement confidence is at an all-time low, savings remain modest and most workers underestimate their retirement needs. Only eighteen percent of American workers have retirement savings of more than $100,000, and fifty-three percent of workers re... http://www.a1articles.com/its-not-too-late-build-a-solid-nest-egg-1392195.html 11th February 2010 Will and Trust Revisions Wills and Trusts are essential parts of planning for the future. But creating a Will is generally not a one-time proposition. Life changes will trigger the updating of even a valid Will or Trust - which I will refer to as the "Plan". Under what circumstan... http://www.a1articles.com/will-and-trust-revisions-1379410.html 05th February 2010