- December 21, 2008The conventional year-end wisdom is to max out your workplace defined contribution retirement plan.The argument made by many, including me…
- December 21, 2008I love Will Smith movies, but I've been sort of ambivalent about his new flick, Seven PoundsMaybe it's the name.…
- December 20, 2008Few things are worse than being sick over the holidays. With Austin's literally hot and cold weather, a lot of…
- December 19, 2008It's good to see the New York Times finally caught up. In today's edition, the paper looks at how a…
- December 18, 2008Despite pleas from lawmakers and advocacy groups, the Treasury Department has decided against granting any relief to folks who were…
- December 18, 2008The Year-end Money Moves series is back, this time with tips on giving by by Dec. 31. Apologies for the…
- December 17, 2008The IRS does have heart! Yesterday, the agency announced that it is instituting an expedited process to help remove tax…
- December 16, 2008Although I'm nowhere near 70½ years old, the required minimum distribution issue has been on my mind of late. Maybe…
- December 15, 2008Yesterday the thermometers here in Central Texas climbed to almost 80 degrees. All around our neighborhood, grills were fired up…
- December 14, 2008Clint Eastwood is the latest recipient of generous tax breaks to make a movie. In a feature today on the…
- December 13, 2008As real estate values drop nationwide, the number of homeowners appealing their assessments has increased. The number of appeals for…
- December 12, 2008Remember in yesterday's post on year-end retirement moves, I mentioned (look for the "breaking news" icon) that Congress was looking…
- December 11, 2008Today, our Year-end Money Moves feature focuses on things you should do now to enhance your retirement earnings. This is…
- December 11, 2008Washington, D.C., is at it again. First it was the U.S. Treasury with its changes in regulations to allow banks…
- December 10, 2008Remember about a week ago when I promised you Don't Mess With Taxes' second annual Year-end Money Moves series and…
- December 9, 2008This afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that legislative body will probably act first on a $15 billion…
- December 8, 2008A letter is circulating as part of an effort to get Congress to halt and reverse the now infamous bank…
- December 7, 2008The eyes of not just Texas, but all of the United States, lately have been on domestic auto manufacturers. Will…
- December 6, 2008Calm down, livestock owners. Uncle Sam isn't looking to tax your flatulent livestock.In recent days there has been much attention…
- December 5, 2008A couple of weeks ago, Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett introduced legislation to roll back some of the tax breaks given…
- December 4, 2008The latest reality television show is the British import "Secret Millionaire." Each week, or as long as ratings allow, donors…
- December 3, 2008More than 1 million people are expected to flock to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2009, to see Barack Obama's historic…
- December 2, 2008Welcome to Don't Mess With Taxes' second annual Year-end Money Moves series. As December's days dwindle, we'll let you know…
- December 1, 2008All those shell-shocked Wall Street guys aren't the only Big Apple residents taking major hits because of the financial crisis.…
- December 1, 2008I've been getting my December bills in order and this month is full of big ones. There is, of course,…
- November 30, 2008Many folks make the most of the season of giving to direct some of their gifts to the less fortunate.…
- November 29, 2008We all know about the financial troubles facing the big three American car makers. Today we get news that many…
- November 28, 2008One of the biggest shopping days of the year is almost over and once again, I wasn't part of the…
- November 27, 2008I'm not a shopper. And I hate getting up early. So you won't find me anywhere near a mall, department…
- November 27, 2008Happy Turkey Day to All! I'm a sucker for holiday traditions. So Thanksgiving is the start of the best part…
- November 27, 2008Even in the toughest of times, some corporate ideals remain firmly entrenched. Like, for example, spending company money to put…
- November 26, 2008The federal bailout of financial institutions, or Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) as it's officially known, reminds me of refrigerator…
- November 25, 2008This week is the official start of the year-end holiday season.And that typically includes spending time looking for the perfect…
- November 24, 2008The hubby and I got back home last night from a three-day weekend trip to find our economic stimulus payment…
- November 23, 2008One of the best things about being back home in Texas is the food. And it's the myriad peppers that…
- November 22, 2008Everybody has some things they'd like to say to the IRS, but a few groups get the chance to do…
- November 21, 2008Fewer cars on the road apparently isn't necessarily a good thing. In fact, reduced driving is likely to mean our…
- November 20, 2008"As Americans attempt to perform cost-benefit analyses of their needs and behaviors, they are whittling pennies from cable bills only…
- November 20, 2008You don't run across many tax-related doppelgangers, but I definitely think this is one. IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman and actor…
- November 19, 2008The man who helped popularize the "starve the beast" philosophy toward government has decided to try to work from within,…