http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/ en-us Copyright 2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:11:41 -0500 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:14:25 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=1.53 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but the Christmas season is in full force as evidenced by the commercials, ads and catalogs I’ve seen in the past two weeks. Retailers are hoping that consumers will not scrimp on holiday giving, as... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/ready_or_not_it.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/ready_or_not_it.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:11:41 -0500 Last week, Congress made some significant changes to the first-time homebuyers tax credit. The changes will benefit many homebuyers but Congress did tighten up a few of the existing rules. Here are the key changes: * Extended through April 30,... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/details_of_the.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/details_of_the.html Taxes Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0500 The cost of many prescription and over the counter drugs, specifically generics, has declined in recent years. I give full credit to Wal-Mart for this wonderful price reduction. When they introduced prescription drugs for $4 / month, everyone thought they... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/cutting_your_pr.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/cutting_your_pr.html Saving Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:49:01 -0500 It has been particularly unnerving for parents to watch their children's college savings accounts lose money during the current recession. Parents usually don't have as much time or ability to make up for these losses as they might their own... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/college_529_pla.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/college_529_pla.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:03:19 -0500 Open enrollment for those covered by a Medicare health plan and prescription drug plan begins on Nov 15 and ends on Dec. 31. This is Medicare’s annual enrollment period that allows you to make changes to an existing plan that... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/medicares_open.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/medicares_open.html Insurance Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:30:00 -0500 I have an income property our daughter rents from us. I wanted to sell it to her last year but was told that she was excluded from the tax credit because she is immediate family. Is this still the case... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/selling_our_hom.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/selling_our_hom.html Taxes Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:27:19 -0500 Lately, all the new car related news has centered on the "Cash for Clunkers" program. That incentive has now ended but it can still be a good time to buy a new car. The reason is that the deduction for... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/tax_advantages.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/tax_advantages.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:22:52 -0500 “I’m concerned about identity theft. Should I issue a credit freeze or a fraud alert to protect myself?” A fraud alert is a message attached to your credit report, asking potential lenders to verify your identification before they issue a... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/credit_freeze_v.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/credit_freeze_v.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:09:16 -0500 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) are a great way to reduce your taxes but you can lose money if you don’t spend it before the end of the year. FSAs allow you to set aside money on a pre-tax basis for... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/make_sure_you_u.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/make_sure_you_u.html Saving Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0500 With 2009 coming to a close, I am now meeting with clients, looking at their projected financial results for the year and considering some ideas to minimize their taxes. All businesses should do some tax planning right now and consider... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/nine_tax_planni.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/nine_tax_planni.html Taxes Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:37:59 -0500 If you are the parent of a child in high school, be sure to check out the Massachusetts Education Financing Authority (MEFA) website. This site tells you all you need to know about saving for college, applying for financial aid... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/have_a_child_he_1.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/have_a_child_he_1.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:49:17 -0500 If you plan on buying mutual funds before the end of the year you may want to wait until January and avoid some taxable distributions. When you buy a mutual fund any interest, dividends and capital gains earned by the... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/yearend_mutual.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/yearend_mutual.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:41:03 -0500 Congress is currently working on legislation to extent the first-time homebuyer tax credit. In order to be eligible for the current credit, prospective buyers need to purchase and close on a home by Nov. 30. Under the proposed bill, the... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/firsttime_homeb_4.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/11/firsttime_homeb_4.html Taxes Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:30:00 -0500 I am often asked by my clients where they can learn more about finances and investing. It’s a shame that basic financial planning is not taught in our school system from an early age. Without knowledge about how to make... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/10/financial_educa.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/10/financial_educa.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:29 -0500 Are funds in my 401(k) plan protected from creditors if I file personal bankruptcy? Under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (a.k.a. the Bankruptcy Reform Act) tax-exempt retirement plan accounts (including qualified plans, traditional IRAs, Roth... http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/10/creditor_protec.html http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/managingyourmoney/archives/2009/10/creditor_protec.html Debt Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:40:00 -0500