Articles & Videos
Annuities in Qualified Retirement Plans
Annuities in Qualified Retirement Plans By Russell Hill Using annuities in qualified retirement plans. Qualified annuities reduce your current taxable salary in addition to accumulating tax deferred earnings, when you contribute money to an annuities program through an employer (as one of the investment options in a salary reduction retirement plan). Those who work for…
Alan Olsen Performing In World Renown Oakland Temple Pageant
Alan Olsen Performing In World Renown Oakland Temple Pageant Managing Partner Alan Olsen portraying John Taylor Fremont, CA – July 13th, 2006 – Alan L. Olsen CPA, MBA (tax) and Managing Partner of Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co. will be kicking up his heels as he dances and sings in the world renown extravaganza –…
Five Uses For Survivorship Life Insurance
Five Uses For Survivorship Life Insurance By Robert D. Cavanaugh, CLU Survivorship life insurance is a life insurance policy that insures two people and pays at the second death. Also referred to as second-to-die life insurance, common abbreviations are SWL for survivor whole life and SUL for survivor universal life. Advantages Since the insurance company…
The Basics of Asset Allocation
The Basics of Asset Allocation The Two Biggest Investment Mistakes: 1. Failure to diversify. Don’t bet everything on one stock. Don’t put all your money into either stocks or bonds. 2. Failure to cope with inflation risk. Today you need over $2 to buy what $1 bought in 1980, over $4 to buy what $1 bought in…
Stock Basis Reporting on Form 1099-B in 2011
Stock Basis Reporting on Form 1099-B in 2011 By Ron Cohen, CPA, MST Partner Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP See the new Form 1099-B for 2011 that requires “cost basis” information. Form 1099-B 2011 In the past, the client’s sometimes don’t know or can’t find their cost basis in stocks they have sold. Major…
Bond Risks and How Bond Funds Deal With Them
Bond Risks and How Bond Funds Deal With Them A bond is a promise. In return for the money lent to a corporate or governmental borrower, the borrower pledges to make periodic payments of interest at a fixed rate and to repay the original loan after a set period of time. Both the date at…
Meeting the Challenge of College Costs
Meeting the Challenge of College Costs Your child has entered high school and is just four years away from college. It’s time to get serious about figuring out how much it’s going to cost. Based on recent data from the College Board, if he or she goes to a private four-year university, the cost for…
What’s the Real Motivation Behind Keurig Moving Coffee Business From U.S.?
What’s the Real Motivation Behind Keurig Moving Coffee Business From U.S.? By Alan Olsen Just about any large American company that does business outside of the U.S. finds ways to save money on its tax bill. That is due, in large part, to the fact that the U.S. corporate tax rate is a whopping 35…
Cyclical Stocks: Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs
Cyclical Stocks: Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs A company can provide outstanding goods or stellar services. It can be well run by a board of directors and officers who choose the best and the brightest of employees, who, in turn, manage day-to-day business operations with skill and finesse. Seems as if purchasing shares of…
Gulf Oil Spill: Questions and Answers
Gulf Oil Spill: Questions and Answers Source: IRS.gov Posted: 7/2/2010 Q1. Is a taxpayer required to include in gross income payments the taxpayer receives for lost business income, lost wages or lost profits? A1. Yes. The law requires that a taxpayer include in gross income payments the taxpayer receives for lost business income, lost wages…
Free Money For College Students
Free Money For College Students College. Tuition, books, housing, computer, food, etc… Sound familiar? These items are just a few of the many frequent expenses encountered in a student’s college career. The government made education credits to try and offset these expenses by giving tax benefits to them. From a tax standpoint, Education credits have…
When Good Fortune Comes Your Way
When Good Fortune Comes Your Way Whether expected or not, an inheritance, divorce settlement, severance package or pension payout, proceeds from the sale of a business, life insurance, legal judgments, or even lottery winnings—all can put in your hands the equivalent of several years of earnings. Now you’re at a crossroads—suddenly called upon to switch…
Rising prices make inflation-protected securities more attractive
Rising prices make inflation-protected securities more attractive High oil and gasoline prices combined with trouble in the Middle East, saber-rattling by North Korea, and a slowing housing market have many investors worried anew about inflation. Inflation is an ugly creature; when it spins out of control, it can quickly erase gains built up over years…
India Gets Help From the IRS to Track Down So-Called “Black Money”
India Gets Help From the IRS to Track Down So-Called “Black Money” We’re all aware of the U.S. government’s efforts to bring home tax dollars from those who either hold or earn money in foreign countries. Whether a company or an individual taxpayer is open about their money or purposely trying to hide it, the…
Strategic Asset Management With a Revocable Living Trust
Strategic Asset Management With a Revocable Living Trust Developing a sound investment management strategy is more than allocating assets and diversifying among the various asset classes. It is also about attaining your financial goals in life. The long-term security of your family is likely to be a key goal. To reach it, you want to…
A Safer Way to Invest in Stocks
A Safer Way to Invest in Stocks Investing in stocks can be really risky—particularly when somebody invests a lot of money at once and expects quick results. But it’s also true that investing in stocks can be surprisingly safe for certain investors. The men and women who are putting regular amounts into stock funds through…
IRS Makes It Difficult to Use “Separate Share” Trusts
IRS Makes It Difficult to Use “Separate Share” Trusts By Mary Kay Foss California CPA, August 2003 The IRS has issued a series of private letter rulings (LTRs 200317041, 200317043, 200317044) this year that make it difficult to use “separate share” trusts. A separate share trust is a trust named as an IRA beneficiary that…
Deductions Available to Collectors at Charity Auctions
Deductions Available to Collectors at Charity Auctions Posted: 7/25/11 Collectors who want to make donations may consider donating artwork and collectibles to charity auctions. If this is something you are thinking about and would like to take full tax benefits, the following tips may help. Making Donations to Charitable Organization Auctions: 1. Make sure you…
Make Money Consistently Through Through a Small Investment
Make Money Consistently Through Through a Small Investment People often think that in order to become an investor you need a lot of capital to make it worth your while and believe me, nothing can be farther from the truth. Certainly, if you are planning to make a living exclusively out of your investment, you…
Investing with Style
Investing with Style How do you define your approach to investing? There may be many answers to that question. One answer goes to the style of investing that you choose: value or growth. Are you looking for value? The goal of a value investor is to seek out “bargains,” finding those companies whose stock may…