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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Do you have a son or daughter leaving home for college this fall? Along with the requisite cell phone, CD/DVD player and wardrobe, are they prepared for the money needs they will now be challenged with? Do they have the financial tools in their backpacks as they head off to one of more than 4,100 colleges and universities in the United States? Here are some important facts to consider when assisting your student in making good financial decisions as they head off to college:
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(ARA) - Making an offer on the home you and your spouse have dreamed about should be exciting but, in reality, it can be one of the most stressful decisions for a couple. Discussions about household finances and preparation for major purchases can be particularly stressful. To minimize stress, couples should take a comprehensive look at their finances and how their credit histories and scores impact purchasing power.
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(ARA) - Thought about your retirement lately? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey conducted by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans of 1,000 American adults, nearly two out of three (62 percent) non-retired adults have never estimated how much money they would need for their retirement years. “Financial ignorance never serves people well,” says Todd Gillingham, a partner with Thrivent Financial, a Fortune 500 financial services organization. “Estimating how much you need to accumulate for your retirement years is a critical first step in achieving a comfortable future.”
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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. Experts generally agree with a simple suggestion: understand how interest rate changes affect the expenses you pay each month, and take actions to make sure your money is working for you in the best way possible. Besides consulting with your investment professional, sit down with a trusted financial advisor who can provide information and options that can help you leverage shifts in interest rates.
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(ARA) -- Most of the time there’s no harm in procrastination. It’s no big deal if you put off household chores or leave that project at work until the last minute. But procrastination of the financial kind could either make you or break you, depending on how you handle it. Yet, because financial planning decisions aren’t much fun to think about, they are readily postponed, according to Suzanne Olson, author of “I Hate Financial Planning: A Guide for People Who Love Money but Hate Planning.” “It’s easy to ignore everything from paying bills on time to making savings a priority, but the longer you put it off, the further behind you get,” she says.
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When it comes to the money you've worked so hard for, it is important that you find a professional that can help you manage it. What is your plan? Is it realistic? Has it been implemented yet? If so, are you monitoring it closely?
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