Tax Guru – Ker$tetter Letter

Lottery winner, 94, loses in court – The judge has ordered this woman to stick around until she is 114 years old if she want to see all of her lottery winnings.

Social Security Fear Factor – In their true loyal left fashion, the DemonRat’s official newspaper (NY Times) twists things to claim Bush is an alarmist for pointing out how financially unstable the Social Security Ponzi Scheme is, while ignoring the true fear tactics being used by AARP and other of their Fellow Travelers who are petrified at the mere thought of allowing average people control over their own money rather than allowing the all knowing, all seeing, imperial federal government to control everything.  

Medicare dwarfs Social Security as long-term issue – Another government program constructed by the same financial geniuses who developed Social Security, and using many of the same idiotic underlying assumptions. 

Investing Resolutions

IRS’s Highlights of 2004 Tax Law Changes

Sales Tax Deduction Option – From IRS

State taxes roundup – Handy list of income and sales tax rates for each state.

Hatch sues Capital One over “No Hassle” credit card ads – A credit card company jacking up its interest rate from the promised 4.99% fixed to 27%?  Who do they think they are – the Federal government?

Tax Breaks Threatened for Historic Homes

Property Tax Hikes Part of National Trend

For some reason, my several years old Quicken Tips have been popping up on the internet search engines, prompting the following recent emails  

1:

Subject: Quicken Info Commendation

Thanks for a very informative web page re Quicken although a user for years I learned a great deal from the visit today and am in gratitude.

2: 

Subject: Your Quicken Tips Website is appreciated

Dear Mr. Kerstetter,

Being a fairly new user of Quicken Home & Bus. (converted from Money about 4 months ago) and having had the need to… well, shall we say clean it up and reorganize it… due to the launch of a second home business, I came across your website while looking for advice that would help be best utilize it for my needs.

After scouring many websites and forums and uncovering nothing but scattered bits and pieces of the sought-after info I came across your site.  Just a quick scan of it has already proved to be of immense help – allowing me to understand how to properly treat returns and rebates, and applying the Class assignment to reduce the number of categories used when differentiating between expenses for each business.

I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you very much for posting your tips, it is appreciated.

sincerely,

I sent this same reply to both writers:

I’m glad to see that you found the info I’ve posted useful.

While I have no plans to add any more info specifically on Quicken to my website, I will be adding quite a bit of tips for QuickBooks, many of which will be just as applicable to Quicken users.

Good luck.

Kerry Kerstetter

 

Q:

Subject: BeneTrends – ESOP

Hi Kerry, What are your feelings on the ESOP program which allows use of IRA funds for business start ups? I am weighing the options of using a small business loan, home equity or tapping my IRA for approx 150K…. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you

A:

I’m still as supportive of using one’s own retirement account for a new business start-up as I was when I wrote my earlier article on this eight month ago:

There must be other companies providing this service; but BeneTrends is the only one I am currently aware of.

Good luck.

Kerry Kerstetter

High taxes are driving people away from LI – Thanks to Ben Cunningham for this additional example of the steps people will take to reduce their tax burdens.