Daisy's Notes

Renters insurance

2006-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Just noticed that purchasing renters insurance is a good idea for person who rents, whether from a house owner, a property manager, or a university (as a student living in a dorm). The good reasons to buy renters insurance are:1. It can be obtained at little or no extra cost -- If you get your renters insurance from your auto insurer, you may get a multipolicy discount, which may cover most of

What to Do with Your 401K When You Change Jobs

2006-03-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

Changing jobs? What should you do with your 401k? There are 4 options.1. Leave your 401k aloneIf your vested 401k funds total $5,000 or more, your employer is legally required to allow you to leave your funds in the company plan if you choose to do so. This may be a good option for you if you're happy with the performance of your employer's plan. However, many 401k plan administrators charge

Annual Free Credit Report

2006-03-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

You are entitled by law to request a free credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. A credit report provides you with all of the information in your credit file maintained by a consumer reporting company that could be provided by the consumer reporting company in a consumer report about you to a third

Open a New Bank of America Checking Account and Get $75

2006-02-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Open a new Bank of America checking account and get $75. You can get the needed coupon by going to USPS and picking up a change of address packet.Offer expires on 6/15/06.Here is the link to a printable PDF coupon and you can get detailed info from it.http://www.ibankdesign.com/images/bofa_75.pdf

50 Free Prints from Winkflash.com

2006-02-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

Use coupon Code: AB784EW5 and get 50 free 4X6 photo prints from winkflash.com.Details of this coupon:1. Coupon valid for up to 50 Free 4x6 Prints.2. Flat-rate shipping charge of 99¢ will be charged.3. Coupon is good on your first order only.4. One per household.5. Valid on orders placed and shipped within the USA only.

Life Insurance

2006-02-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

The main types of life insurance on the market today fall into two categories: term and permanent.The basic difference between term and whole life insurance is this: a term policy is life coverage only. On the death of the insured it pays the face amount of the policy to the named beneficiary. Whole life insurance, on the other hand, combines a term policy with an investment component. The

Free 8" Portable DVD Player for a New Ameritrade Account with $15,000 or more

2006-02-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

Ameritrade has a new offer.If you open a new Individual (non-IRA) or Joint account with $15,000 or more, you may receive a free Audiovox portable DVD player. The DVD player will come with built-in speakers, a carrying case and a rechargeable battery with car adapter.This offer ends March 31, 2006. It is not valid for IRAs, internal transfers, current Ameritrade clients, or with other offers.

EmigrantDirect Introduce its new 1.25% Cash Back Credit Card

2006-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

EmigrantDirect has started its new 1.25% cash back credit card and posted detailed info on its website. But it doesn't meet people's expectation. Because you have to maintain an Average Daily Balance of $10k to get the 1.25% cash back reward.Card Summary:(1) 1.25% cash back on all net retail purchases if you maintain an average balance of at least $10k in your EmigrantDirect American Dream

ING Direct Winter Save Promotion: 4.75% APY

2006-01-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

The ING DIRECT Winter Save Up Sale earns you 4.75% APY on new deposits to your Orange Savings Account.Here's How It Works:1. Deposits eligible for the Winter Save Up Sale ---- Only New Funds are eligible for the 4.75% APY. New Funds must:(1) Be from an external source(2) Be deposited into an Orange Savings Account(3) Be deposited any time between January 19, 2006 to April 15, 2006 – the Sale

Hire your kids, cut your taxes

2006-01-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

You can hire your kid to work for you and cut your income tax. Your kid will have to pay taxes on the money you pay them only to the extent it exceeds the standard deduction (currently $5,000). But even if they have to pay taxes, they'll pay at a much lower rate than you will.Here's how the three-step hiring process works:1. Hire your children to work for your unincorporated business. If they are

Moving Expenses Tax Deduction

2006-01-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

If you moved to start a new job, or to seek work in a new city, you may be able to deduct the cost of your moving expenses from your income.Qualifying expenses include costs for packing and shipping your household goods and personal property, storage of your goods for up to 30 days, and costs for travel and lodging. Meals are not deductible as a moving expense.You do not need to itemize your

110 Free Photo Prints from Shutterfly.com

2006-01-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

Shutterfly.com has an awesome deal going on at the moment. You get five 8X10, five 5X7, and a hundred 4X6 prints free! All you pay is shipping. This offer is available for current customers as well.Here are the promotion codes:Code: FL50-PRTS = Free Products (4x6 Print) - 50 avail expires: Jan 31, 2006Code: 30UP-ROMI = Free Products (4x6 Print) - 30 avail expires: Jan 15, 2006Code: SW03-PRTS =

Hybrid Car Tax Credit / Deduction

2005-12-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

In 2004 or 2005, hybrid car buyers can claim a $2,000 one-time deduction on your 2004 or 2005 tax returns.From 2006 on, a revised federal tax incentive program for hybrid cars takes into effect. The new incentives—full-dollar tax credits—are more valuable than the current tax deductions, which are a reduction of taxable income. It uses a formula to calculate the tax credit, which considers both

New 2005 Car Donation Tax Laws

2005-12-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

If you are planning to donate a car or boat to charity before the end of this year, you'll still qualify for a tax-deductible contribution if you itemize your deduction -- but the deduction may be a lot smaller than in the past.Beginning Jan. 1, 2005, when a taxpayer donates a vehicle for which the claimed value is $500 or more, the precise deduction he can claim will depend on how the charity

My New Year Budget

2005-12-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

ITEMIncomeExpectsalary (less tax) for the yearExpectinterest from banks etcDividendsfrom companiesOtherincomeEXPECTEDNET INCOME FOR YEAR EXPENSESHouseExpensesRentof houseTV- DishElectricityGasTelephoneDSLCellPhoneOtherhouse paymentsPersonalExpensesGroceriesClothingand shoesPreschoolexpensesMedicalexpensesRestaurantEntertainment(Movie, rental, parks, toys, ect.)

Top Ten Features of a Successful Budget

2005-12-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

1. Categories that fit your personal situation and your spending habits. 2. Accurate income projections. 3. Enough categories to give you a meaningful picture of where your money goes and where you might be able to cut costs. 4. Inclusion of expenses that don't occur on a monthly basis, such as car registration, insurance, etc. 5. Regular review of categories and expenses, and see if you can trim

Child Tax Credit

2005-12-23T08:45:00.000-08:00

In 2005, with the Child Tax Credit, you may be able to reduce the federal income tax you owe by up to $1,000 for each qualifying child. Because Congress passed a law in September 2004 to keep the credit at $1,000 until 2010.According to IRS, a qualifying child is a child who:1. Is your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of

Municipal Bond Fund

2005-12-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

Municipal bond fund, also called muni fund, is a mutual fund that invests in municipal bonds. These bonds are issued by a state, city, or local government to raise capital for its day-to-day activities and for specific projects that it might be undertaking (usually pertaining to development of local infrastructure such as roads, sewerage, hospitals etc). Unlike income from bonds issued by

Tax Software Comparison

2005-12-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

BrandVersionPriceFederal / StateTaxExtra FeatureWebDownloadCDTaxActStandardFreeFree$5.95Federal tax Deluxe$7.95$12.95$18.90Federal taxes Ultimate$15.95$19.95$25.90Federal & State TurboTaxEssentials$9.95Federal tax Free to try. Pay when you done.Basic$19.95Federal tax Premier$39.95Federal tax TaxCutStandard$9.99Federal tax Deluxe$29.99Federal & StateFree Microsoft

Brokered CD

2005-12-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

Brokered CDs are CDs issued by banks that are made available to the customers of a broker/dealer. The CDs are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The deposits are obligations of the issuing bank, not the broker/dealer. Brokered CDs generally have all the features of CDs available directly from banks, and are eligible for the same FDIC insurance. Usually, FDIC Insurance covers

How to Deduct IRA Losses?

2005-12-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

In limited and unusual circumstances, losses from an IRA can be treated as a deductible loss.1. You must withdraw the entire balance from all your IRAs of the same type;2. And the total distribution is less than after tax basis.How to decide the after tax basis of your IRA?(1) Traditional IRAThere is only one way to get basis in your traditional IRA account: making nondeductible

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mutual Funds

2005-12-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

Mutual funds can offer the advantages of diversification and professional management. But, as with other investment choices, investing in mutual funds involves risk. And fees and taxes will diminish a fund's returns.Advantages: · Professional Management — Professional money managers research, select, and monitor the performance of the securities the fund purchases.· Diversification — Spreading

Traditional IRA vs. Roth IRA

2005-12-16T13:51:00.000-08:00

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are a great way to save for the future because of the tax advantages they provide. The tax advantages you gain will depend on your annual income, whether you are covered by your company's retirement plan, and whether you contribute to a Traditional IRA or a Roth IRA.What’s the difference between a Traditional IRA and a Roth IRA? Roth IRATraditional

HSBC Online Saving Account: 4.25% APY

2005-12-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

HSBC Online Saving Account just increased its rate to 4.25% APY.No minimums. No monthly fees.Using the following link to open a new account and get $25 bonus.www.hsbcdirect.com/startpromo code: start

I-Bond or CD?

2005-12-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Where to put your extra money, I-Bond or CD? Here are some comparisons between I-Bond and CD. RateI-Bond: A fixed rate combined with an inflation rate, which changes twice a year. Current rate for I-Bond through April 2006 is 6.73%.CD: Fixed rate. The highest rate for a 5-year CD as of 12/15/05 is 5.5%.Early Withdraw PenaltyI-Bond: Can be cashed after 1 year. Before 5 years, forfeit 3 most

Online Saving / Money Market Rate

2005-12-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Some FDIC insured good online saving accounts info (as of 12/14/05):Presidential Premier Saving (www.presidential.com)Current APY: 4.12% up to $35k, Balances in excess of $35k earn 2.82%Minimum Balance Requirement: $5kEmigrant Direct American Dream saving (www.emigrantdirect.com)Current APY: 4.0%Minimum Balance Requirement: NoCapital one High Yield Saving (www.capitalone.com)Current APY: 4.0%

Estimated Taxes

2005-12-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

FederalThe federal income tax system is a "pay as you go" system. In general you're required to pay tax over the course of the year rather than waiting until April 15.The rule is you have to pay estimated tax if your withholding doesn't cover 90% of your tax liability. But there are exceptions:1. No estimates are required if the amount due after subtracting withholding and credits will be less

Some End of Year Tax Tips

2005-12-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

A few moves now may save you big on April 15. Here are some tips.1. Contribute the Maximum to Retirement Accounts – This can reduce your Adjusted Goss Income (AGI).401(k) -- $14,000 for 2005 and $15,000 for 2006.IRA -- You have until April 15, 2006 to make IRA contributions for 2005.If you did not participate in a company-sponsored retirement plan or if your income falls below $50,000 in 2005 for