Conserve Your Sanity: Hire a Tax Professional

(ARA) - What is your time worth to you? It is a good question to ask yourself when it comes to preparing tax returns. According to government statistics, the average 2003 itemized tax return with interest and dividends took 28 hours and 30 minutes to prepare. Surprised?
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(ARA) - Most people provide their cars with the right maintenance in order to make their investment last a long time. That same approach can work with planning your financial future.
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(ARA) - You?ve entrusted your spouse or partner with your life and love. But when it comes to leaning on someone for financial advice, that?s often a different story.
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(ARA) - There are a number of difficult conversations parents have with their children along the path to adulthood. One topic that parents rarely tackle is money management, but having a heart-to-heart about money and how to manage it may save your child from financial heartache down the road.
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(ARA) - Many Investors, in individual, trust and qualified accounts (IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401k, 403b, Educational Savings Accounts, etc.), would like to share in the return potential of a rising stock market without having their hard-earned dollars exposed to risk of a market downturn. There is now an innovative way that you can achieve both through a unique deposit investment -- Dow Jones Indexed Certificates of Deposit (ICDs).
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(ARA) - Worried about rising interest rates? As consumers wrestle with what the numbers mean, personal finance experts point out that rising rates may have very different effects on your day-to-day budget, depending on what your expenses are, and whether your debt is in credit cards, mortgages or other consumer loans.
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(ARA) - April 15 may seem far away, but it?s not too early to start thinking about organizing your taxes, especially if you know you?ll have to do some digging to unearth the necessary receipts and other paperwork.
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(ARA) - A move generally takes 8 to 10 weeks in all, and with so many details to keep in mind -- packing, cleaning, setting up utilities -- it can be an overwhelming experience. But thorough planning is the key to an easy move. The following week-by-week checklist, found on a new Web site from The Home Depot, www.homedepotmoving.com, will guide movers through the entire process, helping them stay organized and on schedule for a successful moving day.
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Have you noticed that the size of muffins, candy bars, and soft drinks has grown over the years? How about portions of restaurant foods like pasta dishes, steaks, and french fries? As portion sizes grow, people tend to eat more-often more than they need to stay healthy.
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Increasingly, researchers are learning that regular exercise and good nutrition are critical to sustained good health. In fact, estimates are that some 300,000 deaths each year in the U. S. likely are the results of physical inactivity and poor eating habits. These deaths range across a number of diseases, from heart disease and stroke to colon cancer and diabetes.
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Medical lasers have been used for dermatology applications such as removal of port wine stains, dark spots, tattoos, acne scars and other blemishes for over a decade. Lasers are used for a growing number of cosmetic procedures including hair removal, treatment of wrinkles, and tooth whitening. For risk information on the specific laser treatment that you are considering, ask your physician or operator for the patient labeling for the laser device.
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Radon-resistant techniques work. When installed properly and completely, these simple and inexpensive passive techniques can help to reduce radon levels.
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If you put less than 20 percent down on a home mortgage, lenders often require you to have Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). PMI protects the lender if you default on the loan. The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 - which became effective in 1999 - establishes rules for automatic termination and borrower cancellation of PMI on home mortgages. These protections apply to certain home mortgages signed on or after July 29, 1999 for the purchase, initial construction, or refinance of a single-family home. These protections do not apply to government-insured FHA or VA loans or to loans with lender-paid PMI.
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You could lose your home and your money if you borrow from unscrupulous lenders who offer you a high-cost loan based on the equity you have in your home. Certain lenders target homeowners who are elderly or who have low incomes or credit problems?and then try to take advantage of them by using deceptive practices. The Federal Trade Commission cautions all homeowners to be on the lookout for:
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Insurance plans vary. Before choosing a plan, decide what is most important to you. This checklist can help. Put a check in front of those services that are important to you. Then see how many of these services are in Policy #1, Policy #2, and Policy #3. On the checklist, write in the coinsurance or copayment rate, if there is one, and any limits on service.
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