Business News

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the new FHA and GSE (Fannie/Freddie) loan limits for 2008, which is great news for current and potential homeowners across the nation. 

Abraham Lincoln was one of our greatest presidents and provided many insights into accomplishing things in an effective manner.  The core of his effectiveness was something that is still meaningful today.  But first lets look at something that is happening today and then we will come back to this. 

What is tax selling?  Tax selling is selling the underperforming funds, stocks or options in your portfolio at a loss to offset capital gains, or profits on the portfolio, you have made during the year. You can report capital losses on Schedule D to reduce the taxes you have to pay.  You can use $3,000 of your capital losses per year to offset any capital gains and reduce your taxable income.  Any amount in excess of that $3,000 can carry forward into subsequent years until it is used up.  But beware of the wash sale rule.

On Thursday, February 28, 2008 Shepard Insurance Agency had their grand opening with owner Scott Shepard proudly cutting their giant red ribbon. 

Under California law, all drivers must carry automobile liability insurance.  However, California law does not require drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage, which could come back and harm those drivers who decline to carry such coverage.  Why is it important to carry uninsured motorist coverage? 

Wildfires Yield Retroactive Tax Relief and Extend Resident’s Filing Deadlines
 
Residents in over seven counties throughout California, including Los Angeles County, whose properties were damaged by the 2007 October and November wildfires may be eligible for disaster tax relief, and are given an extension for the deadline to file from the Internal Revenue Service, the California Franchise Tax Board and the California State Board of Equalization.

Many successful professionals don’t have the time, information or know-how to effectively manage their finances and plan for the future.  Finding someone to help is very important, but the process can involve significant risks.  All too often, we hear stories of less-than-scrupulous individuals who end up taking advantage of clients.  To help you on your search, here are some essential guidelines for selecting a financial advisor.

The IRS is becoming more and more aggressive with tax cheats.  The agency will hunt you down, even in Liechtenstein.

It’s April and tax day nears.  It’s also time to heed some warnings: The Internal Revenue Service is searching far and high for tax cheats.  Literally far and high.  The U.S. government recently announced it was taking action against more than 100 U.S. taxpayers who used bank accounts in Liechtenstein to evade taxes here at home.
That’s right — Liechtenstein, a tiny principality in the Alps.

Too Much Text — Nothing gets a point across than a visual image to go along with your website text.  Adding a few graphics to your website to show the products or services you provide will help break up the text on the page and also make the site easier to read.  Unlike traditional print you have just seconds to capture the attention of your reader so a targeted message and great graphics will capture your audience better.

Excerpts from Jonathan Clements Wall Street Journal

When will you have enough to retire?  This is among the most basic personal financial questions.  And, yes, the returns you earn and the size of your paycheck will have some bearing on the answer.  But there are other issues that are just as critical and may be more so.  As you try to figure out how much you will need for retirement and how long it will take you to amass that money, here are five other factors to consider.

What’s the difference between just having a web site and providing a valuable online resource for your business?  You’ve heard it said that real estate is all about “Location, Location, Location.”  Well, the number one key to every successful website is “Content, Content, Content.”

When it comes to filing your tax return, you may be just one of those folks that keeps putting off getting organized to file because you are afraid it means getting out that checkbook to pay even more taxes.  And in some cases that is true, particularly if you try to file yourself without the base knowledge of the tax code changes that occur every year. 

Since opening our company this year our landlords have been absolutely thrilled and surprised to find that we can actually obtain more rent for their homes than trying to rent the home themselves.  Not only have we been able to obtain more rent, but we have also been able to obtain rent increases from current tenants. 

The Employee Training Institute at College of the Canyons is now certificated as an Official Registered Provider of Command Spanish®, Inc. language and cross-cultural training programs.  Command Spanish®, Inc. is the nation’s leading provider of occupational Spanish language and cross-cultural training and materials.

Joint and several liability is important in personal injury cases.  It applies in situations when two or more defendants can be held responsible for plaintiff’s injuries.  In such cases, each defendant is jointly [individually] responsible for all economic damages, regardless of the percentage of fault found against any particular defendant.  Here is an example:

It’s not about you — it’s about them.   Job searchers often design their resumes and other communications, such as cover letters, to tell their readers just exactly what they want.  They state objectives such as “to join a growing, thriving company” or, to “utilize my skills and abilities”. 

The economic stimulus package temporarily increases the conforming loan limits for  Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (GSE’s) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans.  The stimulus package signed into law raises the FHA and conforming loan limits to as high as $730,000 in high-cost areas.  By increasing the loan limits, borrowers will see immediate relief with new liquidity in the mortgage market and the nation will see an additional 300,000 home sales.  Research shows that an increase in the FHA limit would enable an additional 138,000 Americans to purchase homes, and 200,000 families to refinance their homes safely and affordably.

It’s time to get ready for tax returns.  Darn, the Super Bowl is over and the year is already starting along at a fast pace.