Teenage Drivers: In the Case of an Accident, Will a Claim Be Covered? You love your kids unconditionally, right? Even when they become teenagers? All kidding aside, part of being a parent is figuring out a way to manage teenagers’ attitudes and keep them safe. When you mix teens and machinery, like a family car, [...]
File Your 2011 Taxes Online for Free One of the fun things I get to do is interview folks from all the major tax-software companies to learn about their products and best advise my clients. The tax-software companies produce tax programs for online use and as boxed software. Which is the best choice for you? [...]
Q: I am currently renovating a property in order to rent it. I am interested in opening a bank account to keep those funds separate. One bank has told me that I need a business license. Can you help me find information about opening a bank account? Using a business name vs. personal? Andy Heller [...]
Check the Fine Print: Situations That Could Invalidate Your Insurance Coverage Even I was frightened when I started writing this blog. Wondering, “Will that claim be covered?” is one of the worst parts of an insurance agent’s job. Sometimes the dreaded claims adjuster informs the insured (and the agent) that a claim is not covered [...]
Filing Taxes 2011: Should I Do My Own Taxes? Way back in the mists of time, I worked for a national CPA firm. They charged $250 for a simple individual tax return. Back then, that was more than my rent—today’s equivalent of over $1,250. That’s a lot of money for a simple tax return! I [...]
Spring 2011 Housing Market Prediction I’d like to start this look at real estate in 2011 by telling you that there are indeed green shoots coming up. I’d love to say that there are indications of people starting to think about buying homes and that lenders have relaxed lending standards so that more buyers can [...]
Get the Most Money for Your Insurance Claim with an Insurance Appraisal Have you heard stories of people damaging their own property or claiming jewelry has been stolen in order to file an insurance claim and get a little cash? During difficult economic times, the insurance industry sees higher claims activity. Unfortunately, fraud, such as [...]
2010 Tax Relief: A Checklist of Benefits for Your 2010 Tax Return By now, the tax-software companies have had time to update their programs to reflect the last-minute changes brought about by the 2010 Tax Relief Act. If you’ve already filed your tax return, you may have missed out on some benefits, because not everything [...]
Home-Selling Nightmare Never-Ending for Some Homeowners It’s your home-selling nightmare: Your home has been on the market for months, or even years, without so much as a nibble. Nearly every Sunday on my WSB radio show, I hear from home sellers who are stuck in this kind of never-ending home-selling nightmare. They can’t sell because [...]
Do I Need Long Term Care Insurance? Most people don’t like to spend money on insurance unless they see a real benefit. Let’s say a few of the benefits included: Receiving tax-free money when you get sick Avoiding depleting your life savings on medical expenses Claiming tax deductions on premiums paid Preserving your dignity Saving [...]
