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	<title>Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row &#187; financial planning</title>
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	<description>Articles about retirement savings &#38; income, investing, and income tax</description>
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		<title>Pre-Death Planning: Roth Conversion</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4592/pre-death-planning-roth-conversion/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=pre-death-planning-roth-conversion</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4592/pre-death-planning-roth-conversion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:50:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jblankenship</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[conversions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[estate tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[qrp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[qualified retirement plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roth conversion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roth IRA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[roth ira conversion]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Financial planning often requires us to face our own certain demise &#8211; something that we often don’t want to do, but still a certainty that we all must face. Among the things that we want to do when planning for the inevitable would be to make certain that our surviving loved ones [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4592/pre-death-planning-roth-conversion/">Pre-Death Planning: Roth Conversion</a><br/><br/>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<table style="margin: 2px; display: block; float: left;" width="322" border="0" cellspacing="0" align="left">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eilaine_Roth.jpg"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/300px-Eilaine_Roth.jpg" alt="Eilaine Roth" width="300" height="413" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eilaine_Roth.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Financial planning often requires us to face our own certain demise &#8211; something that we often don’t want to do, but still a certainty that we all must face.</p>
<p>Among the things that we want to do when planning for the inevitable would be to make certain that our surviving loved ones have access to adequate monetary resources to support themselves, in the most cost-effective manner.  Another thing that we hope to accomplish is to make the transition as easy as possible for our loved ones.  One way to do this is to convert a good portion of your IRA or other tax-deferred funds to a Roth IRA account.  Here’s why:</p>
<blockquote><p>By converting to a Roth account, you will make the funds in that account available to your heirs totally tax free.</p></blockquote>
<p>Granted, your estate will also be smaller by the amount of tax that you paid on the conversion.  At the same time, your heirs will also not have to go through the rather painstaking process of managing the IRD deduction, if the estate is of a size that requires estate tax to be paid.  This will simplify the overall process dramatically, and depending upon the size of your overall estate this could be a significant.</p>
<p>On the downside of this, it’s likely that if you convert your account in a single year the tax paid on the conversion would be much, much higher than if your heirs paid tax on the ordinary required distributions if the account is left as a traditional IRA.</p>
<p>However, if you converted your account over several years in smaller amounts using a strategy like <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4472/end-of-year-roth-conversion-strategy-fill-up-the-bracket/">filling up the brackets</a>, the overall tax cost of the conversion will be less, maybe even less than the cost that your heirs would experience otherwise.</p>
<p>You can always use <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/3632/the-roth-recharacterization/">recharacterization strategies</a> to make sure that the whole process is as tax-efficient as possible. And in today’s tax climate (and market volatility) there are literally very few reasons not to go ahead with a Roth conversion strategy.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float: right; border-style: none;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=a4877f5b-683b-45d4-9f13-e8c52fe2c72e" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4592/pre-death-planning-roth-conversion/">Pre-Death Planning: Roth Conversion</a><br/><br/>
</p>
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		<title>Book Review: Financial Fitness Forever</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4485/book-review-financial-fitness-forever/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=book-review-financial-fitness-forever</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4485/book-review-financial-fitness-forever/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:51:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jblankenship</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://financialducksinarow.com/?p=4485</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have to tell you something about how I treat books: I have a great deal of respect for books.  I have so much respect for books that you will rarely find a book in my possession that has writing in it (other than an author’s signature) or page corners turned down.  I like my [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4485/book-review-financial-fitness-forever/">Book Review: Financial Fitness Forever</a><br/><br/>
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<td valign="top"><a href="http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=007178698"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/clip_image001.jpg" alt="" width="144" height="214" /></a></td>
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<p>I have to tell you something about how I treat books: I have a great deal of respect for books.  I have so much respect for books that you will rarely find a book in my possession that has writing in it (other than an author’s signature) or page corners turned down.  I like my books to be pristine, so it’s against my own personal rules of conduct to do things like that to a book.</p>
<p>Occasionally though, I run across a book so important and useful that I am compelled to break these rules, in spite of myself.  This particular book is just such a book.  What I found so useful about this book is not the subject matter or the topic, as there are many, many books on the topic of how to be financially secure throughout your life, with most being far less impactful than this book.</p>
<p>I found that author Paul Merriman has such unique ways to explain the topic, I was immediately compelled to turn down page corners so that I can go back and reference them later. Mr. Merriman has captured some very useful explanatory methods that literally anyone can gain benefit from reading, and I expect I’ll come back to this book again and again.</p>
<p>Mr. Merriman’s many years of experience in the financial industry has provided him with an amazing wealth of knowledge about what works to help you become successful as a saver and investor.  What’s unique is that he also explains what the average person faces in terms of distractions from the successful track (such as listening to your neighbors or Jim Cramer) and why those things can work against you.  This kind of explanation is rare in this industry, but it’s critical to understand these things and avoid the distractions in order to ultimately be successful.</p>
<p>In addition, Mr. Merriman takes great pains to explain the process of investment portfolio construction – a topic that many folks spend far too little time on, but a concept that can literally have millions of dollars of impact.</p>
<p>If you’ve never read such a “how to be successful as a saver and investor” sort of book and you’re looking for answers, this is your book.  If you’ve read other books in this category and haven’t found the formula that you need – you should read this book.</p>
<p>If you’re already fine with your investing strategy and are in good shape, there are still some great nuggets of information here.  For one thing, Mr. Merriman includes as an appendix 20 pages of description of the top 50 401(k) plans in the industry… including sample recommended allocations for an aggressive, moderate, and conservative allocation within each of the 50 plans.  This reference alone is worth the cost of the book.  When you add in the fact that the same types of portfolios are listed in detail for six top mutual fund families plus a portfolio of ETFs, you’ve got a great value here.</p>
<p>If you’re saving and investing and have any questions at all about portfolio construction (or anything else about how to be successful at investing in general), you owe it to yourself to read this book.  And go for it &#8211; turn down the pages, it&#8217;s really that important!</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4485/book-review-financial-fitness-forever/">Book Review: Financial Fitness Forever</a><br/><br/>
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		<title>5 Ways Baby Boomers Can Better Utilize Technology to Manage Their Finances</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4463/5-ways-baby-boomers-can-better-utilize-technology-to-manage-their-finances/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=5-ways-baby-boomers-can-better-utilize-technology-to-manage-their-finances</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4463/5-ways-baby-boomers-can-better-utilize-technology-to-manage-their-finances/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:53:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jameslander</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[baby boomers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://financialducksinarow.com/?p=4463</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia This guest post article was written by James Lander, a writer for Couponing, a site that aims to save consumers money. They provide coupons and couponing advice. The joy following the end of the Second World War led to a tremendous boom in population growth. With renewed faith in humanity, people expressed [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4463/5-ways-baby-boomers-can-better-utilize-technology-to-manage-their-finances/">5 Ways Baby Boomers Can Better Utilize Technology to Manage Their Finances</a><br/><br/>
</p>
]]></description>
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<td valign="top"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:New_Mobile_CellPhone_Infos.jpg"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/300px-New_Mobile_CellPhone_Infos1.jpg" alt="New Mobile Cell Phone Technology" width="300" height="346" /></a></td>
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<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image via Wikipedia</span></td>
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<p><em>This guest post article was written by James Lander, a writer for <a href="http://couponing.com/">Couponing</a>, a site that aims to save consumers money. They provide coupons and couponing advice.</em></p>
<p>The joy following the end of the Second World War led to a tremendous boom in population growth. With renewed faith in humanity, people expressed their love in a predictable fashion. The result of this collective sigh of relief is the over 75 million citizens now referred to as ‘baby boomers’. Perhaps being conceived in such a period of optimism had an effect on their general outlook, as this segment of our population has always believed our world was capable of great change. Positive or not, the world has certainly altered around them. Although the commonly held belief is that baby boomers are a hesitant group when it comes to technology, the amount to be gained from learning about the available resources online is inspiring many to educate themselves. Boomers stand to gain a great deal by learning about the benefits of utilizing technology in their everyday lives, especially when it comes to their finances.</p>
<p><strong>1) Make use of online banking</strong></p>
<p>As exciting as it seems to finally leave the work force, to relax and enjoy one’s ‘golden years’, it takes an immense amount of discipline to do it well. You need to be completely aware of your financial situation, with access to your accounts and banking utilities at all times. Online banking makes your account information constantly available in order to better keep track of where you are spending your money. It allows you to transfer funds, make payments and even repay loans whenever and wherever you wish. It is not easy to keep track of your finances at the best of times, but knowing where your money is is absolutely crucial when you are stretching your savings out over an indefinite amount of time.</p>
<p><strong>2) Consider an online savings account</strong></p>
<p>Want to earn higher interest on your nest egg? Want to pay lower monthly fees than traditional banking while still allowing for easy deposits or money transfers? An online savings account makes that possible. Because they are still unorthodox in that they exist independently from your regular bank, online savings accounts offer excellent deals to help you keep your all-important savings safe, secure and thriving.</p>
<p><strong>3) Seek help on the Web</strong></p>
<p>When it comes to universal woes, money difficulties are one of the most prevalent. This may explain the sheer amount of budgeting and money management programs that are available at no cost to the users. There are budgeting apps available for your mobile phone; sites that offer advice, spreadsheets and even live online help for those who are truly confused. For example, reputable sites such as <a href="http://simplee.com" target="_blank">simplee.com</a> not only track your spending on your medical bills but will link your health care plans to your bank accounts in order to make paying your medical expenses much easier. This is particularly important, as studies have shown that the majority of boomers fail to take medical costs into account when budgeting for their retirement.</p>
<p><strong>4) Look to the experts</strong></p>
<p>In the same way that <a href="http://simplee.com" target="_blank">simplee.com</a> acts as a personal valet of sorts for your medical expenses, countless blogs and websites exist to help you learn from others experiences how to best prepare for your golden years. These sites cover important topics ranging from the stock exchange to everyday frugality. Written by both experts and everyday folk in the retirement trenches, they can offer you a massive amount of helpful information in order to make retirement more ‘livable’.</p>
<p><strong>5) Make your own calculations</strong></p>
<p>If you simply don’t trust the advice of others or are the type of person that needs to ‘do’ in order to learn, there is an excessive amount of calculators and financial tools available online as well. These programs can help you calculate how much you will need for your mortgage repayment, retirement savings and even your net worth at the click of a button. There should be no mystery when it comes to where your money is going and having the resources to make the calculations yourself is a great deal of comfort to many retirees.</p>
<p>It is an unflattering but widely held belief that many ‘boomers’ are somewhat inept when it comes to current technology. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Recently, Microsoft gathered focus groups to learn how boomers make use of technology. They were shocked to see that over 16 million people over the age of 60 have made mobile phones, computers and the Internet a large part of their lives. Don’t stop at texting and Facebook updates! Utilizing the tools available online to help manage your finances is not only a wise decision, it’s one that will help you to keep up your ‘boomer rep’ as a supporter of positive improvements in all areas of life.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=fbf5c016-e3c2-4106-83e9-fcd01062d935" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4463/5-ways-baby-boomers-can-better-utilize-technology-to-manage-their-finances/">5 Ways Baby Boomers Can Better Utilize Technology to Manage Their Finances</a><br/><br/>
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		<title>Why You Need to Register Your Business</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4367/why-you-need-to-register-your-business-2/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=why-you-need-to-register-your-business-2</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4367/why-you-need-to-register-your-business-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:07:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kelly Austin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia While many people have a dream of starting a business, some make the mistake of simply moving forward without understanding everything that business ownership entails. Ignoring important rules and regulations at the outset can prove costly further down the line, which is why certain aspects cannot be avoided – including registering the [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4367/why-you-need-to-register-your-business-2/">Why You Need to Register Your Business</a><br/><br/>
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<td valign="top"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005_Penny_Obv_Unc_D.png"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/300px-2005_Penny_Obv_Unc_D.png" alt="Lincoln on U.S. one cent" width="300" height="307" /></a></td>
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<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005_Penny_Obv_Unc_D.png">Wikipedia</a></span></td>
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</table>
<p>While many people have a dream of starting a business, some make the mistake of simply moving forward without understanding everything that business ownership entails. Ignoring important rules and regulations at the outset can prove costly further down the line, which is why certain aspects cannot be avoided – including registering the business.</p>
<h3>Structure</h3>
<p>When registering a business, the first issue under consideration is how the business is going to be set up. There are different business structures to choose from, including corporations, limited liability companies, and even partnerships. Each of these different legal structures has different requirements. Failure to comply with the requirements at the outset can mean legal and financial problems in the future.</p>
<h3>Naming</h3>
<p>When naming a business, remember that the default name of a business (when dealing with legal issues) is simply the name of the person or entity that possesses the business. For example, if John Anderson starts a business, on legal documents the name of the business will be listed as “John Anderson.” However, if he starts a business and names it “Anderson Electronics,” he will file an “assumed name” registration form. This form will be filed with local government, state government, and with various financial institutions.</p>
<h3>Taxation</h3>
<p>Of course, no one gets away with starting a business without letting the Tax Man know about it. If the business in question has employees (including listing the owner as an employee), the business must be registered with the Federal tax system so that it receives an Employer Identification Number. But, registering at the federal level is only the first step. Businesses must register at the state level, too, since the state likes to make sure it collects revenue from state and local businesses.</p>
<h3>Licensing</h3>
<p>Another important reason to make sure that businesses are registered comes in the form of licenses and permits. For many businesses, there are various licensing requirements and permits that must be used. Without registering a business, those permits will not be given – and that means the business will be operating outside the law. Naturally, this can lead to serious consequences, which is why it is vital to ensure that the business owner receives all proper permits and licenses.</p>
<p>These are the basic registration requirements for a business, and there are usually more needed, depending upon the type of business in question. While these registrations might seem overly complicated and some might even doubt their usefulness, making sure that all proper registration is in place allows a business owner to conduct business efficiently, legally, and with a minimum of registration-related problems in the future.</p>
<p><em>This post was contributed by Kelly Austin from <a href="http://www.highersalary.com/">Higher Salary</a>. Visit her site for information on the average <a href="http://www.highersalary.com/hospitality/travel-agent/">travel agent salary</a> and guides to other popular careers.</em></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float: right; border-style: none;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=372c2a8e-b3a0-4e52-bc4b-c9790749814e" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4367/why-you-need-to-register-your-business-2/">Why You Need to Register Your Business</a><br/><br/>
</p>
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		<title>Book Review &#8211; Freedom From Wealth</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4328/book-review-freedom-from-wealth/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=book-review-freedom-from-wealth</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4328/book-review-freedom-from-wealth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:49:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jblankenship</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fiduciary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://financialducksinarow.com/?p=4328</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This book is an excellent resource for folks who have been accumulating wealth over their lifetimes &#8211; wealth that is more than they need to live off of.  Granted this isn’t everyone, but it’s probably a lot more of you than you think.  You don’t need to be a Bill Gates to have these sorts [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4328/book-review-freedom-from-wealth/">Book Review &#8211; Freedom From Wealth</a><br/><br/>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<table style="margin: 2px; display: block; float: left;" width="170" border="0" cellspacing="0" align="left">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><a href="http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071777636"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/image_thumb1.png" alt="Freedom From Wealth" width="148" height="214" /></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>This book is an excellent resource for folks who have been accumulating wealth over their lifetimes &#8211; wealth that is more than they need to live off of.  Granted this isn’t everyone, but it’s probably a lot more of you than you think.  You don’t need to be a Bill Gates to have these sorts of issues in your path.</p>
<p>When you’ve worked your entire life to build up your wealth, you likely want to leave some of it to your children and grandchildren, but is it best to just hand it all over to them at your passing?  What if you also hoped to <em>make a difference in the world</em> with your money &#8211; perhaps with charitable activities, or to help your offspring to establish their own place in the world, or to leave a legacy, a way that your name can live on?</p>
<p>The first part of this book, fully half of the text, helps the reader to understand some of the issues that are necessary to address in order to be successful with such intents.  It’s important to develop strategies and employ the proper resources so that you can ensure that not only will your dreams be fulfilled, but also that your children and grandchildren will not become constrained by the wealth you’ve passed into their care.</p>
<p>That’s what the title is all about.  The authors, Charles A. Lowenhaupt and Donald B. Trone, have many, many years of experience in working with families as they transfer wealth over multiple generations, and this experience has shown that without proper planning, the wealth itself (and fulfilling the goals of the original wealth accumulator) can become a burden to the successive generations.  By putting the appropriate strategies into place, the heirs of the original wealth accumulator can carry out the intended plans and achieve their own life goals without feeling that the wealth itself is a burden.</p>
<p>The book begins with a full chapter devoted to the question “What is wealth for?”.  The answer isn’t as easy as you think.  The easier question for most folks who haven’t really thought about it much is “What is wealth NOT for?” &#8211; as in,</p>
<ul>
<li>I don’t want it used for taxes.</li>
<li>I don’t want it squandered.</li>
<li>I don’t want my spouse to take it in a divorce.</li>
<li>I don’t believe in charity, so I don’t want it to go to charity.</li>
<li>I don’t want my children to have it too young.</li>
<li>I don’t want my lawyers to use it up in fees.</li>
</ul>
<p>So &#8211; what wealth is for is something altogether more than the sum of all the things it’s not for.  Clearly, part of it is to provide sustenance to the owner of the wealth &#8211; but that may only be a small part of the overall accumulated wealth.  What <em>else</em> does the wealth holder hope to accomplish?  Do your heirs understand your hopes and dreams?  More importantly, do they agree with your hopes for your wealth?</p>
<p>The remainder of the book is a workbook of sorts that will help the reader to walk through the process of developing the strategy to achieve his or her life (and beyond life) goals.  This matter isn’t a simple undertaking; depending upon the size and complexity of the wealth portfolio, it will likely be in the best interest of the holder of wealth to hire appropriate resources (advisors and the like) the assist in the process.  This book can be a very good first step in the process.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4328/book-review-freedom-from-wealth/">Book Review &#8211; Freedom From Wealth</a><br/><br/>
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		<title>A brief overview on currency trading</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4309/a-brief-overview-on-currency-trading/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-brief-overview-on-currency-trading</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4309/a-brief-overview-on-currency-trading/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:46:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ms Smith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[investment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://financialducksinarow.com/?p=4309</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Note from Jim: The guest article below is simply an overview of the currency trading marketplace.  This sort of investing is extremely risky and should not be undertaken with funds that you are not prepared to lose completely, especially if using leverage (described below).  I don’t condone or recommend investing in this market; it is [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4309/a-brief-overview-on-currency-trading/">A brief overview on currency trading</a><br/><br/>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Note from Jim: The guest article below is simply an overview of the currency trading marketplace.  This sort of investing is extremely risky and should not be undertaken with funds that you are not prepared to lose completely, especially if using leverage (described below).  I don’t condone or recommend investing in this market; it is only presented here for edification, and the opinions presented are those of the author.  Proceed at your own risk!</em></p>
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<td valign="top"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:One_US_dollar_1917.jpg"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/300px-One_US_dollar_1917.jpg" alt="Series of 1917 $1 United States bill" width="300" height="131" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:One_US_dollar_1917.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The currency trading market is the largest financial market in the world where currencies are traded on a daily basis. Individual retail investors, corporations and financial institutions are the major participants in the currency market. The currency trading is mainly done through the brokers and the market makers. If you want to enter into this market, you are required to place trades through brokers, who will place equivalent trade on the interbank market. The most important hallmark of this market is its extreme liquidity. The investors can cash in or cash out of their investment with no time at all. This market is also characterized by high leverage ratio. If your investment amount is say $1000 and if the leverage ratio is say 100: 1, it implies that in actual practice you can trade with $100000. Whatsoever, currency trading offers you excellent income earning opportunities.</p>
<p align="justify">If you purchase some units of a currency at a certain rate and sell those units at some higher rates, then you can make some profit. The difference between the selling price and the buying price is your gain from currency trading. Value of a currency can change for a variety of reasons. The value of a currency is determined by several factors such as international inflows and outflows of business, speculation activities and political &amp; economic activities. Say, US companies are importing the products made in the Euro zone. It implies that US dollars have to be exchanged for Euros to pay for the products produced in the Euro region. When huge amount of goods are imported from Euro to the US, it increases the demand for Euros and resultantly the value of Euro increases vis-à-vis US Dollars.</p>
<p>Whatsoever, trading in currencies is very risky too. In comparison to other markets, currency market is very much volatile in nature. In order to become successful as a currency trader, you need to follow a conservative risk management strategy. There are many aspects of effective risk management strategy. The bottom line is that you should have a proper trading plan and use caution while trading in currencies.</p>
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<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4309/a-brief-overview-on-currency-trading/">A brief overview on currency trading</a><br/><br/>
</p>
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		<title>A Beneficiary Designation Dilemma</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4260/a-beneficiary-designation-dilemma/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=a-beneficiary-designation-dilemma</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4260/a-beneficiary-designation-dilemma/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:51:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jblankenship</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[estate tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IRA]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://financialducksinarow.com/?p=4260</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image by Ben Saren via Flickr Since families today are different and more complicated from the traditional situation, with ex-spouses, children from first and subsequent marriages, and children from unions where a marriage didn’t take place, designating beneficiaries for IRA accounts can be very complex. For example, it’s not out of the question for an [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4260/a-beneficiary-designation-dilemma/">A Beneficiary Designation Dilemma</a><br/><br/>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<table style="margin: 2px; display: block; float: left;" width="202" border="0" cellspacing="0" align="left">
<tbody>
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<td valign="top"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12104350@N00/4393001399"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4393001399_137037d1ee_m.jpg" alt="Qtips" width="180" height="240" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12104350@N00/4393001399">Ben Saren</a> via Flickr</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Since families today are different and more complicated from the traditional situation, with ex-spouses, children from first and subsequent marriages, and children from unions where a marriage didn’t take place, designating beneficiaries for IRA accounts can be very complex.</p>
<p>For example, it’s not out of the question for an individual to have re-married later in life and have children from an earlier marriage. In addition, the new spouse could have children from his or her previous marriage.  And then possibly children resulting from the current marriage.</p>
<p>So, this individual might wish to leave the proceeds of his IRA to his or her current spouse first and foremost at his or her passing &#8211; but then to split the remainder of the account among his or her children from the first marriage and the children from the second marriage equally. If you know anything about how IRA beneficiary designation forms work, this situation likely couldn’t be accomplished using that simple form.  You need something more…</p>
<h3>QTIP Trust</h3>
<p>The tool you’re looking for here is a QTIP trust.  No, it has nothing to do with a stick with cotton on the end of it or any bathroom product for that matter, QTIP stands for Qualified Terminal Interest Property.  This QTIP trust is a special sort of trust that allows an individual to leave the <em>income</em> from their assets to a spouse and then, at the death of the surviving spouse the remaining principle is passed on to the beneficiaries designated by the original owner of the account(s).  In this fashion the children from the previous marriage have protection of the assets that they would eventually receive.</p>
<p>If a vehicle such as a QTIP trust isn’t used, then the current spouse could take control of the account and either use up all of the assets, or change the beneficiaries to only include his or her own children, excluding the children from the former marriage.</p>
<p>QTIPs are very complicated to put into use, since there are a lot of moving parts, beneficiaries, and a considerable amount of time could elapse from the time it is put into play (the first death) and the death of the surviving spouse.  The distribution process from the IRA is also complicated, since using a trust as a beneficiary takes away the <em>designated beneficiary</em> from the process, meaning that the account would be distributed to the trust within five years, as an example.</p>
<p>It’s best to make sure you’ve got an attorney who specializes in estate planning and IRAs to help with the process. But if you have a situation like the one described (or even more complicated) the QTIP trust may be your best bet to accomplish what you’d like to do with your IRA.  Incidentally, other assets besides an IRA could be put into a QTIP trust as well, for the same purpose.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float: right; border-style: none;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=3dd0907e-7109-463c-821c-5c356d57cf96" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4260/a-beneficiary-designation-dilemma/">A Beneficiary Designation Dilemma</a><br/><br/>
</p>
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		<title>Managing your home loan debt and eliminating it &#8211; How can you do so?</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4188/managing-your-home-loan-debt-and-eliminating-it-how-can-you-do-so/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=managing-your-home-loan-debt-and-eliminating-it-how-can-you-do-so</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4188/managing-your-home-loan-debt-and-eliminating-it-how-can-you-do-so/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:41:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ms Smith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first time homebuyer credit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[income tax]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://financialducksinarow.com/?p=4188</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia When you take out a home loan, you have to be careful about repaying the loan as your home is pledged as collateral. If you default on the home loan payments, it is most likely that the secured loan lender will repossess your house in order to recuperate the money. It is [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4188/managing-your-home-loan-debt-and-eliminating-it-how-can-you-do-so/">Managing your home loan debt and eliminating it &#8211; How can you do so?</a><br/><br/>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<table style="margin: 2px; display: block; float: left;" width="322" border="0" cellspacing="0" align="left">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mortgage-debt.jpg"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/300px-Mortgage-debt.jpg" alt="Mortgage debt" width="300" height="113" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mortgage-debt.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>When you take out a home loan, you have to be careful about repaying the loan as your home is pledged as collateral. If you default on the home loan payments, it is most likely that the secured loan lender will repossess your house in order to recuperate the money. It is important for you to manage your home loan debt so that you don’t lose your home to a forced foreclosure. However, there are certainly some other debt obligations that you owe apart from your <a href="http://www.homeloansdebt.com/">home loans debt</a> and you need to make sure that you don’t fall back on the monthly payments of your unsecured loans when you’re repaying your home loan debt. Read on to know how you can manage your debt and repay them faster.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Follow a budget</strong>: You must follow a budget so that you can prioritize your payments according to their importance. As your secured loan has your home attached as collateral, you must make sure that you repay your secured loan first and then take into account all the unsecured debts that you owe. A frugal budget is a necessity as you have to make sure that you do not spend too much money on things that you don’t need.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Make prepayments on your home loan</strong>: You can make prepayments on your home loan if you want to stay sure about the repayment time of your loan. The mortgage lenders may allow you to pay an added payment to the already scheduled monthly mortgage payments so that you can repay the loan before time and live debt free. Just check whether or not there is any kind of prepayment penalties on the loan so that you’re not charged too much for pre-paying the loan.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Go for home loan modification</strong>: You can also go for home loan modification where you just change the terms and conditions on the home loan so that you can repay the loan in easy and affordable monthly payments. You can simply ask the lender to modify your loan by lowering the interest rates, the repayment term so that you can repay the loan with ease and without falling back on the monthly payments.</li>
</ul>
<p>Thus, if you want to eliminate your home loan debt, you must make sure that you follow the above mentioned steps and stay out of it. Manage your personal finances effectively so that you can keep secured debts at bay while making payments towards your unsecured loans.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float: right; border-style: none;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=7ad7e156-3999-4623-ac51-8c4ad2403628" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4188/managing-your-home-loan-debt-and-eliminating-it-how-can-you-do-so/">Managing your home loan debt and eliminating it &#8211; How can you do so?</a><br/><br/>
</p>
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		<title>The Benefit of a Budget</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4165/the-benefit-of-a-budget/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-benefit-of-a-budget</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4165/the-benefit-of-a-budget/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:21:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jblankenship</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flex-spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://financialducksinarow.com/?p=4165</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are two important records that you need to keep if you’re planning to be successful in managing your finances &#8211; a budget and a net worth statement.  In this post we’ll talk about how to make a budget, and the benefits of having one.  In a future post we’ll talk about net worth. Image [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4165/the-benefit-of-a-budget/">The Benefit of a Budget</a><br/><br/>
</p>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are two important records that you need to keep if you’re planning to be successful in managing your finances &#8211; a budget and a net worth statement.  In this post we’ll talk about how to make a budget, and the benefits of having one.  In a future post we’ll talk about net worth.</p>
<table style="margin: 2px; display: block; float: left;" width="202" border="0" cellspacing="0" align="left">
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<td valign="top"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/5929475379"><img style="display: block;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/5929475379_413be83a77_m.jpg" alt="Dollar" width="180" height="240" /></a></td>
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<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/5929475379">Images_of_Money</a> via Flickr</span></td>
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<p><em>(I can almost hear you groan: Great, the financial guy says I need a budget.  I can’t stand the idea of a budget!)</em></p>
<p>It doesn’t have to be like that. It’s easy to imagine that a budget would be a constraint, but this is really just a fear of the unknown.  A budget is really just a spending plan, with priorities applied.</p>
<h3>How to make a budget</h3>
<p>Making a budget is much more simple than you think.  Track your spending over the past several months (if you can gather the records) and do the same for every expense you pay out from this point on.  Organize these expenditures into categories (you make them up &#8211; have fun with it if you like) and begin to think about how your categories relate to your life, and your values.  For example, you likely have a category for auto expenses, another for home or household expenses, maybe one for groceries, and another for restaurants.  You may also have categories for entertainment, gifts, and clothing.</p>
<p>Certain expenses are fixed &#8211; such as your mortgage, cable TV, and auto insurance.  But other expenses can vary quite a bit, such as dining out, entertaining, and clothing.  And if you think about it, some of the fixed expenses might be more variable than you think &#8211; or at least they could be reduced.</p>
<p>What’s important about a budget is that you are now thinking about your expenditures as you make them.  As you track your spending, you’re going to notice that there are some categories that you spend a lot of your income on, while other categories may not have any expenditures in some months.</p>
<p>What you’re doing is prioritizing &#8211; even if you haven’t made a conscious effort to do so.  Those things that you spend a lot of money on are the things that are (presently) getting more of your attention, time, and money, while other areas are being short-changed.  Until you create a spending plan to track your expenses, you probably don’t realize what those priorities really are.  Now that you have your spending plan, you can understand the priorities &#8211; and you probably will make some changes.</p>
<p>For example, if it turns out that you’re spending exactly every penny that you earn or more (thus no savings), you may decide that savings for a rainy day is important to you (remember, no judgments here, we’re just reviewing the plan).  If that’s the case, then you need to figure out what categories of your spending plan are less important to you than saving for a rainy day.  Maybe it’s clothes.  Or your auto expenses.  Or gifts.  Whatever that category or categories may be, you are in control and can make wise decisions about what gets priority and what doesn’t, for your life.</p>
<p>Start with your “fixed” expenses &#8211; mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, utilities, etc..  Are these really fixed?  Is it possible to impact the cost of your homeowner’s insurance &#8211; maybe by choosing a higher deductible (for example)?  How about refinancing your mortgage to a lower rate?  Just be careful that you don’t draw out equity when you do this, or stretch out the payments beyond what’s reasonable &#8211; but this could free up some money each month.  Maybe you’ve been paying on your mortgage for several years now and have built up equity to a point where you don’t have to pay PMI any more if you refinanced.  What about your utilities?  Couldn’t you reduce the cost by bumping the thermostat up (or down) a degree or two?</p>
<p>There are a myriad ways to reduce or eliminate these “fixed” expenses &#8211; as well as to impact your more variable expenses.  Cut back on dining out.  There’s no shame in brown-bagging your lunch &#8211; if dining out isn’t a high priority for you.  The same goes for grocery costs (clip coupons), clothing (most folks have more clothes than they ever wear anyhow), automobile expenses (take the bus, or work out a telecommuting arrangement at your job), and so on.</p>
<p>The point is that unless you track your spending, you can only have a vague idea of what your spending priorities really are.  By tracking your spending, now you are fully conscious of where you are putting your money &#8211; and you can decide what categories get more of your hard earned dollars.</p>
<h3>The Benefit</h3>
<p>As mentioned above, as you begin tracking your expenses you are now in a position to understand and control your spending.  Where before you thought that all these expenses were necessary, now you’re thinking of where your priorities lie.  If you place a value on a particular category, let’s say it’s charitable giving, and that priority is higher than your priority for cable television for example, now you are in a position to consider how to reduce the one expense in order to put more toward the other.  Having <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/3175/organization-efficiency-discipline/" target="_blank">organized</a> your information you can plan out how your budget dollars will be spent.</p>
<p>The bottom line is this &#8211; if you’re going along merrily without any sort of plan, two things are going to eventually happen:</p>
<ol>
<li>You’ll never achieve the balance of priorities that you hope to achieve in your life; and</li>
<li>At some point, when your income is reduced either by a change in job situation or at retirement, you’re going to have to work out a budget because the expenses without a plan are greater than your income.</li>
</ol>
<p>Most everyone comes to this point in their life at some time &#8211; and those who have spent a bit of time working on understanding their outlays in advance are in a much better position to make changes and adjust to a reduced income when it occurs.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float: right; border-style: none;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=5ab0bd69-a0ad-4342-a776-e790410edf57" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4165/the-benefit-of-a-budget/">The Benefit of a Budget</a><br/><br/>
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		<title>Make a Long-Term Plan and Stick to It.</title>
		<link>http://financialducksinarow.com/4021/make-a-long-term-plan-and-stick-to-it/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=make-a-long-term-plan-and-stick-to-it</link>
		<comments>http://financialducksinarow.com/4021/make-a-long-term-plan-and-stick-to-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:25:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jblankenship</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[fee-only]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fiduciary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[financial planning]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Image by SMN via Flickr In his Preface to the Fourth Edition of Benjamin Graham’s legendary book The Intelligent Investor, Warren Buffett wrote the following: To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information.  What’s needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the [...]<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4021/make-a-long-term-plan-and-stick-to-it/">Make a Long-Term Plan and Stick to It.</a><br/><br/>
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]]></description>
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<td valign="top"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53776349@N00/28761153"><img style="display: block; border: medium none;" src="http://financialducksinarow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/28761153_e779da820a_m.jpg" alt="stick stick stick stick stick stick stick" width="240" height="181" /></a></td>
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<td style="text-align: center;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 0.76em;">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53776349@N00/28761153">SMN</a> via Flickr</span></td>
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<p>In his Preface to the Fourth Edition of Benjamin Graham’s legendary book <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligent_Investor" target="_blank">The Intelligent Investor</a>, Warren Buffett wrote the following:</p>
<blockquote><p>To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information.  What’s needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework.  This book precisely and clearly prescribes the proper framework.  You must supply the emotional discipline.</p></blockquote>
<p>I’ve seen the same sentiment boiled down and paraphrased a bit, also attributed to Mr. Buffett (although I couldn’t find the original source) as:</p>
<blockquote><p>It only takes two things to make money – having a plan and sticking to it – and of those two, it’s the sticking to it that most investors struggle with.</p></blockquote>
<p>Either way, the point is relatively clear &#8211; investing successfully, per se, is not rocket science, there are many sources you can use to develop your plan; or rather, your “intellectual framework for making decisions”.  The difficult part is keeping your emotions in check when your investments have gone to extremes, high or low, so that you can stick to your plan.  The whole reason for developing a plan in the first place is to help you to navigate the tough times.</p>
<p>The same goes for your overall financial goal plans &#8211; such as retirement plans or college savings.  Developing a plan is not exactly simplicity &#8211; there are many issues to be dealt with to ensure that the plan itself is sound, including investment allocation, tax concerns, coordinating various sources (Social Security, taxable accounts, IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions, etc.), timing of contributions and withdrawals, and so on.  These things are quantifiable, although the weaving together of these issues can be very complex.</p>
<p>The place where most financial and investing plans go awry is when difficulties arise, and you begin to question the plan.  It’s understood, in part because you can often find yourself facing these difficulties in a vacuum, without any idea whether what you’re experiencing is common for all folks in your position or if you’re doing better, or if you’re doing worse.  You may have no idea if the plan you’ve developed is appropriate for weathering the current storm, or if the reason you’re experiencing poor results is due to some problem in the plan itself.</p>
<p>This is where a good financial advisor can be worth her or his weight in gold.  If the advisor you’ve chosen is properly qualified, he or she can draw upon voluminous knowledge and experience to help you understand what the plan needs to include to weather the storms.  The second part, and according to Buffett the most important part, is staying with the plan even when things aren’t rosy all around.  A good financial advisor, one who will operate as a fiduciary, undertakes the duty to maintain calm and to ensure that emotions are not driving the decisions.</p>
<p><em>Note: Not all financial professionals undertake this responsibility in their work with clients.  Ask the questions, and if the financial pro you’re talking to won’t explicitly accept the responsibility to help you stay on track when things get rough, you need to look elsewhere for a new advisor.  Try </em><a href="http://www.napfa.org/"><em>www.NAPFA.org</em></a><em> for starters.</em></p>
<p>Most often this “sticking-to-it” part becomes the most difficult when there is great volatility on the downside in the markets.  You don’t have to go very far back in time to recall some of those dark days… we saw such a dramatic downturn in the markets between Summer 2008 and Spring 2009.  Those were scary times, to say the least.  I remember sending out messages to my clients every few weeks during those days, repeating the mantra to stay with the plan, don’t panic. Maintaining perspective and remembering that the plan is for long term is the key &#8211; I can remember conversations where we discussed the concept that we’ve invested with the aim of using the money many years from now, and since what’s happening today is the short term, we need to maintain our positions.</p>
<p>That leads us to my final point on this quote: One thing that the rephrased quote above leaves out (versus the original) that I think is just as critical is where Mr. Buffett specifically refers to investing “successfully over a lifetime”.  Mr. Buffett has many times stated</p>
<blockquote><p>I never attempt to make money on the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years.</p></blockquote>
<p>… meaning of course, that moving in and out of the market based upon “timing”, gut feelings, or crystal ball predictions, is not the way to be successful.  Having long-term plans with solid investments, not the “get rich quick” type of investment, is the way to success.</p>
<p>So &#8211; here’s another rephrasing with my adjustment:  Have a well-thought-out long-term plan to help you make decisions for your future (investing or otherwise), and stick to it. And hire a financial advisor to help you with both, because you’ll need the guidance, knowledge, and discipline to help you through tough times.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="float: right; border-style: none;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_c.png?x-id=a49a0bec-6001-46ee-b88f-b8c4c0d6ba95" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-843" title="Social Security Owner's Manual" src="http://www.socialsecurityownersmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SSOM-cover.jpg" alt="Social Security Owner's Manual" width="97" height="150" /><strong>You can pick up my book, A Social Security Owner's Manual, at Amazon in either the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-Retirement/dp/1466291613/" >print version</a> or the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Social-Security-Owners-Manual-ebook/dp/B0064VVO36/">Kindle version</a> by clicking the links.</strong><br/>
Post from: <a href="http://financialducksinarow.com">Getting Your Financial Ducks In A Row</a>
<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (or in any attachment) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed in this communication (or in any attachment).</span></p><br/><br/><a href="http://financialducksinarow.com/4021/make-a-long-term-plan-and-stick-to-it/">Make a Long-Term Plan and Stick to It.</a><br/><br/>
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