Andy | Saving to Invest

Buying Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) Ahead of Real Inflation Fears

With higher inflation looming on the horizon thanks to the extraordinary increase in the money supply from all the government spending on stimulus and bailouts, many investors are rushing into purchasing "inflation protection" via Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS). How TIPS Work These securities are essentially government-issued bonds whose principal grows with…

2020 Job, Home and Stimulus Tax Breaks and Traps in Difficult Financial Times

Despite a strengthening economy many low- and middle-income families are struggling to make ends meet and the last thing these families want to think about is taxes. However, it is precisely at the this time, with all the government stimulus payments on offer covering unemployment to housing that people need…

Federal Income Tax Bracket Tables and Standard Deduction Changes

See this article for the latest IRS tax brackets. Federal Income Tax Rate and Brackets and various tax benefits will remain unchanged or change only slightly over 2009 levels as shown in the table below. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), used by…

Successfully Buying my Home – A Real Life Journey

Like me, a good friend of mine recently bought a house after a long and arduous search. In talking with him I thought his journey to buying a house would provide some timely advice for those in the market to buy a house (hurry before the new home buyer credit…

Updates & Taxes on the Economic Stimulus Credits and Payments

See the latest 2020 economic stimulus measures to tackle the economic fallout from the Coronavirus outbreak. [Updated Jan 2011] : No New Taxes with Tax Extensions Approved. President Obama has now signed into law a bill that covers a temporary extension of all the bush-era tax cuts. The new bill also contains…

5 Blue-Chip Stocks Warren Buffett Would Buy – GE, MSFT, GS, CAT and Disney

Could the economy and stock market be recovering faster than we expect? In terms of the Economy, Fed chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the worst U.S. recession since the 1930s has technically ended and cited various signs of a recovery. Even President Obama has said that the embattled US economy…

Rising Gold Prices – Fundamentals, Speculation or a Dollar-Inverse Play Driving Gold Futures

Gold futures surged to $1,013 an ounce last week, the highest closing price on record and the first above $1,000 since February. The advance resulted in another weekly gain with gold prices having climbed for four straight weeks. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), a huge ETF that holds more gold than…

Getting Help with Home Foreclosures as Filings Continue to Rise

Foreclosure filings in the U.S. exceeded 300,000 for the sixth straight month as job losses that boosted the unemployment rate to a 26-year high left many homeowners unable to keep up with their mortgage payments. A total of 358,471 properties, or one in 357 households, received a default or auction…

Claiming The $15,000 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

Biden $15,000 Home Buyer Credit? President Biden’s housing agenda includes a proposal for a $15,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. This is similar to the home credit provided over 10 years ago under President Obama (details below). The difference is that this credit is to help American's deal with home affordability vs the original…

Getting Your Free IRS Tax Transcript for Income Verification, Return and Refund Processing Status via Your IRS Account

When closing on my home last year I had to request a copy of my tax return. I had thought that this would be a hassle given that the requesting parties wanted an official transcript (not a H&R Block or Turbo tax copy). However it was actually a very simple…

Do I have to Pay Taxes and How Nearly 50% of American Households Pay No Federal Taxes

To answer the first part of the question. The answer is yes you have to pay taxes. In fact despite all the conspiracy theories and constant political threats to shut down the IRS because, taxes are the law of the land. It is known as the Internal Revenue Tax Code, which…

Shrinking FDIC Fund Signals More Economic Pain Ahead

Some worrying commentary from FDIC chairman Sheila Bair indicating that the economy and housing market are still a long way from recovered and that the potential run up in financial shares of late could just as easily reverse course in the later half of this year. The remarks were prompted…

Moving Words on Living Life in a Presidential Eulogy

It's not often that you read an article and feel moved by the words. But this is what happened when I read President Obama's eulogy for Senator Edward M. Kennedy. The words conveyed the strong bond that President Obama had with this accomplished Senator, but I thought a couple of…

10 Healthy and Simple Meals You Can Make for Under $10

Coming up with a meal idea is always tough! Trying to come up with something that is healthy, delicious, and actually inexpensive may seem nearly impossible. Here we look at some cheap, healthy, and delicious meal ideas. 1. Pasta Primavera: What a great way to get in your veggies! The…