Does your “heartbleed” for Google & Yahoo?
The newest computer bug that could enable hackers to obtain your password, credit card data, and other encrypted data is known as the Heartbleed SSL exploit. Among those affected are Google, Google Plus, Yahoo, and a host of other major players in the web services market. You can read about what it is at this…
Read MoreWhat Congress doesn’t know . . .
. . . and can’t seem to figure out!
Read MoreCould America learn from this country’s workers?
French citizens speak out about the economic reforms that they see hurting their nation. The young, the productive, and the entrepreneurial types seem to be deserting France in large numbers and relocating to more free-market based countries. We wonder if America (as it begins to pass similar reforms) will learn from the testimony of those…
Read MoreGoing for the max! Qualified plan limits for 2014
When a financial move helps you, it’s best to go for the max. Here are the new limits for your 401(k), IRA, Roth-IRA, and several other types of tax-qualified plans for this year. Need some help in deciding on the type of plan? Remember that we’re just a click away when you need help. [popup…
Read MoreWhen it’s OK to be average
Here are the average deductions, by level of income, based on the latest available IRS stats. The following are preliminary figures released by the IRS (their reports lag behind the current tax year because of the time needed to compile figures). These are averages only. [Editor’s note: Remember that there is no “average” amount that…
Read MoreWhat’s my tax rate? Here’s why that can be a hard question.
Clients are sometimes surprised that we need to call them back with an answer to the above question. The chart below explains why this can require some analysis to answer. On this client’s 2013 return, he has encountered no less than six rate structures. Since you can’t effectively plan without knowing your real marginal rate,…
Read MoreCan you deduct the cost of a Skybox used for business entertainment?
The answer is yes – for the most part. Here’s a letter we wrote to a client explaning how this works. Dear [name redacted] You’ve asked us to review the tax limitations on deducting the expenses of renting a skybox or other private luxury box at a sporting event. Skybox rentals are subject to…
Read MoreAreas for Tax Planning in 2014 & 2015
A visual summary of Tax Planning areas for 2014
Read MoreUsing cloud software to organize your life and business
New Year’s Resolutions: Stay Organized in 2014 (by Jay Garner of the Smith Conley team) As we all get ready to set our New Year’s resolutions, we should all take a moment to look back over the current year and try to identify the single biggest time waster that prevented you and/or your business…
Read MoreDIY tools and why you may not want to use them.
If you’re the DIY (do it yourself) type, here are the tools.
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