Friday, March 20, 2015

Is your tax bill fair?

Is your tax bill fair?
We must pay taxes on ALL income but corporations don’t have to. Our taxes pay for Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, Citi to hide income overseas. “Corporations are people, my friend” except when it comes to taxes. They are people for influencing voting and buying US Congress people. Total corporate income stashed overseas to avoid taxes = $1.1 Trillion. The taxes could pay for 10 departments and programs we must pay for. 

GOP to repeal estate tax—a $21 Billion gift to rich—by cutting food stamps. Only GOP’s top donors pay this tax since exemption from tax is $10.86 million per married couple. We collect $21.5 billion a year from the estate tax. Poor will make up the $21 B. Is the tax system fair—
we pay 32% tax and rich pay 15% or less. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu5B-2LoC4s




How many mutual fund managers beat the market index in the last 6 years?
NOT ONE! All that money we gave to brokers/advisors has been wasted. In fact very few have actually beaten the market in any year. Based on the findings of a particular study, no mutual fund manager has. You could have 17.69% per year.

Is a “separate account designed just for you” right for you?
Marketing securities is hard—you must cut through the clutter of messages trying to push our buttons of emotion. This one is called the “vanity” button. Sure, some guy will design a portfolio just for you but you are no different than everyone else. Everyone wants the “largest nest egg with little or no risk.” As Warren Buffett says, Rule 1: Don’t lose money, Rule 2: Dido. Buffett’s formula for becoming wealthy is simple: Buy a low-cost market index fund and do nothing else. When you pay more … you lose.

Just published!
The Warren Buffett Millionaire: “We make more money when snoring.”
Mr Buffett's strategy of patience has proven to be the most successful. He earns 19.7% a year compounded over time. He does NOT trade or speculate. He holds companies for a long time. The average investor earned just 3.69% while the stock market earned 11.11% over the last 30 years. Dalbar. Most investors jump from one “popular” security to another just in time for them to go down. So they earn just 3.69%; paying more .... for less. Buffett has been patient for over 60 years: his $6,000 from paper routes has grown to $72 billions. You and I can become wealthy by following Buffett's advice. We don't need to trade or time our buys and sells. All we have to do is be patient. All we have to do is “snore”: do NOTHING. http://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffett-Millionaire-money-snoring/dp/1508887381


Tax preparer scams
Scam return preparers have told taxpayers to make the payment directly to them, even though they have health care plans. Preparers are targeting taxpayers with limited English proficiency. These preparers are asking for direct payment to them, but their reasons vary. Check the directory of tax preparers. Report bad behavior to the IRS on Form 14157, Complaint: Tax Return Preparer.

If you owe IRS and can’t pay


Is a car lease right for you?
The average monthly payment for a new car rose to a record-breaking $471 during the fourth quarter of 2013, according to Experian. That’s a huge sum of money to pour down the drain every single month. $471 per month could be worth $1,000,000 in 27 years when invested in a simple stock index fund. Car values fall 40% in the first 3 years so pick up your favorite ride for HALF price in a 2012 version. EG: A4 Quatt $23,000 on Rt 1 Lawrenceville, NJ.

Are you paying too much for your 401k?
If your 401(k) plan has less than 50 participants, the fees you pay range from a low of 0.43% to 1.88%. The average is 1.44%. In terms of your final nest egg in retirement, that is $340,000 versus $500,000.


GOP crazies
Future President, NJ Gov Christie, made a quick settlement with ExxonMobil, taking $250 million instead of $9 billion. "Yes, Chris Christie, your amazing negotiating skills will get New Jersey a lot less money than almost everybody associated with this case, including Exxon, thought it would get," John Stewart said. Christie also diverted a lot of that money to balancing the state budget gap rather than paying for cleanup. Not surprisingly, Exxon made contributions to the Republican Governors Association that Christie chaired last year. Is Christie -- a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate -- in bed with Exxon? "Christie said he was a great negotiator, he didn’t say which side he was working for," Stewart said. “The reported settlement is appalling and disturbing,” Mr. McKeon said. “The Christie administration appears more interested in rewarding Exxon Mobil — for whatever reason — than protecting taxpayers and our environment.”


GOP leader Cotton is an overnight STAR!
Sen. Tom Cotton wrote the controversial letter to Iranian leaders regarding ongoing nuclear negotiations. Like Trump, he has made a name by calling out the President of the United States. A book is due. The Arkansas Statehouse introduced a bill that would let him run for the White House and Senate re-election at the same time! The letter signers probably broke the law--Logan Act of 1799 (fines and prison)—but the Supremes are GOP and will excuse them. Americans are signing petition to indict: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/file-charges-against-47-us-senators-violation-logan-act-attempting-undermine-nuclear-agreement/NKQnpJS9

GOP leader Giuliani tells President he needs to “educate” blacks on crime
"It is the obligation of the President to explain ... that our police are the best in the world," Giuliani said, adding, "It all starts at the top. It's the tone that's set by the President." Rudi, please read the DOJ report —Your “best” police were ticketing ONLY blacks. The chief resigned

Future President Bush to Clinton: I deleted emails on my server too! HA HA
Jeb Bush has rebuked Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email account as secretary of state, holding up his own conduct as an example of transparency in government. But it took Mr. Bush seven years after leaving office to comply fully with a Florida statute requiring him to turn over his emails. Bush edited and deleted his too. He used his own server jeb@jeb.org, too. C’Mon Man

Future President Rand Paul warns Jews and Blacks about US civil rights
Jews, Blacks Should Worry About Indefinite Detention—US could send minority groups to Guantánamo Bay detention camp without trial, Sen. Paul says. Is he making promise to the right?

GOP wants to gut food stamps and Medicaid for poor
“We have seen the overall unemployment rate fall, yet the number of long-term unemployed remains high.” Senate Republicans agree with this assessment, and hope to embed an overhaul of the vital nutrition program in the upcoming budget document. Translation: GOP will let states make the cuts after funding is slashed. Privatize Medicare and end ObamaCare. Increase tax breaks and defense industry for rich to “invest” overseas.

TX GOP wants women to prove gender to use bathroom
Law allows women to receive $2,000 if they find person in the "wrong" restroom.

DEM crazies
Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation to strengthen Social Security. “The most effective way to strengthen Social Security for the future is to eliminate the cap on the payroll tax on all income above $250,000 so millionaires and billionaires pay the same share as everyone else.” So the wealthy have not been paying for Social Security for the last 70 years? What the ….  Congress cannot even fund Homeland, Coast Guard, Airports, and Secret Service. C’Mon Bernie.
DEMs don’t have a chance to ask wealthy to pay fair share now!

DEMs crazies
ObamaCare works despite negatives. Of those who purchased a plan through Healthcare.gov, 7.7 million, or 87%, qualified for an average tax credit of $263 per month. With that financial assistance, more than half (55%) paid $100 or less per month for health insurance. Insurers made providing reasonably priced plans possible, Kevin Counihan said. “We’ve made great progress making these plans more affordable,” he said. 90,000 Sears employees are finding it easier to shop for health care, are savvier about their coverage choices and finally understand the meaning of value since the 129-year-old retailer switched to a private health insurance exchange. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is the latest big-name company to move its active employee base to a private exchange, joining other brand-name companies such as Time, Sears, Darden and Walgreens.


Did you pay a ACA health penalty on your taxes?
Avoid penalty by enrolling at HealthCare.gov. The Special Enrollment Period begins today, March 15 and ends on April 30. During this time, you'll have the opportunity to enroll in health coverage for 2015 if you owe the fee. https://www.healthcare.gov/screener/.

Is “impact investing” right for you?
Since 2007, wealthy people have tried to organize their assets to cause positive society change. Impact investors expect organic food producers and renewable energy generators to do good as well as make financial returns. These investors expect public benefit and financial performance to be aligned. Socially responsible mutual funds are available too. Many not for profits and pension funds adopt this goal too. As long as the investment fees do not overwhelm the returns, you can accomplish both goals together. Compare Vanguard’s Top Ten to TIAA-CREF Social Choice Equity, which charges a mere 0.41% and beat the S&P by an average of 0.3 percentage point a year over the past five years and Domini Social Equity which costs 1.2%.

Is a pension advance program right for you?
Pension advances are when companies offer you money now in exchange for pension payments you receive later. Some companies also require you to buy expensive life insurance. Many people are looking for a pension loan in order to repair damaged credit and pay off existing debts. Loans don’t improve credit scores. NY Gov Cuomo accused some companies of "preying" on retirees and veterans by advancing sums that may actually be disguised, high-cost loans. Some states have outlawed programs to public-sector employees citing costs. Options counselor: http://www.pensionrights.org/find-help

Is a hedge fund right for you?
Just say NO. Everest Capital, a hedge fund firm that counted George Soros and Nelson Peltz as early backers, is closing six of its seven remaining hedge funds. Many Hedge funds have lost money. Investments in plain stock market index fund doubled since 2006. See proof: http://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Without-Wall-Street-Commissions/dp/1442168137


SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments? That is 27 cents of each dollar in taxes—the largest part of our money—and we aren’t even at war. We could pay off our debts and fix our schools, roads and bridges!
We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.
Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year. We have wasted $398.6 billion so far on the F-35 program—they can’t fly safely.
We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.
Japan, Germany and S. Korea can pay for their own defenses.
The War on Terror requires SEALS’ attacks on top terrorists at their homes. Iraq proved converting a nation to Western-style republic doesn’t work. Our trained troops ran away.

SS says they destroyed tape of 2 drunk agents hitting WH
Congress watched two inconclusive surveillance videos of two possibly drunk Secret Service agents crashing into a White House barricade earlier this month, but Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy said there's no other footage because it's their policy to destroy the tapes after 72 hours. "That doesn't make any sense to us," Congress said. Tape costs pennies a day.

New place to complain about financials.

CA to run out of water in 1 year—cost doubles
Why don’t they stop watering their lawns? Farmers get $700 per acrefoot selling water to rich Southerners INSTEAD of growing food for us.

Who owns your account now?
Everest Capital, a hedge fund firm that counted George Soros and Nelson Peltz as early backers, is closing six of its seven remaining hedge funds. Hedge funds have lost money.

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
Montclair, NJ 07042
973.746.2014
Alerts 

Friday, March 13, 2015

Does the IRS owe you money?

Does the IRS owe you money?
The IRS has $1 billion in unclaimed refunds for the 2011 tax year that will soon become the property of the U.S. government if taxpayers don't come forward to claim them. Roughly 1 million households that didn't file a 2011 tax return are owed that money. You can check your refund from this year at https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp. To check if IRS owes from previous years, find copy of your IRS (return) transcript: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript. If you did not file to get your federal tax withholding back, file with an IRS-approved preparer: http://www.freetaxusa.com/file_2011_income_tax_return.jsp
If you owe money and don’t file: What happens when you don’t file


Are you going to jail for perjury on your tax return?
Perjury mistake on signed return? 5 years jail time for you; for banks, a tax-deduction!
The U.S. Trustee struck a $50 million deal over charges JPMorganChase ‘robo-signed’ mortgage documents to numerous bankruptcy courts. The bank must pay more than 25,000 homeowners in the remedial deal. As a result, there appears to be no restriction on the bank’s ability to write off the entire amount on its taxes. The robo-signing in question involved bank employees who affixed electronic signatures–under penalties of perjury–without reviewing the accuracy of the notices.
“corporations are people my friend” except when they do bad things. Then they use the Nuremberg Defense and have us pay part of their fine.

Combatants pay no tax
IRS excludes military pay from gross federal income tax for the period members are deployed in a combat zone. Members can contribute tax-free combat pay to either a Roth IRA or a thrift savings plan. Roth IRA gains are forever Tax-FREE. Military personnel do not have to include nontaxable pay to earn EITC—a refundable credit—so this entitles them to a larger credit. Exclude any gain on sale of home no matter length of residence. Other benefits in detail: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Military

TurboTax gives buyers a pain in the turbo
TurboTax Deluxe, the top selling desktop tax preparation software program, gives a surprise. Turbo has stripped the program of key functionality to easily report income from investments, self-employment, and rents. You must “upgrade” to more expensive versions. Turbo has halted state filings due to security problems also. Less well-known products may be a better value. Try IRS-approved programs:  http://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp?ck. I have used FreeTaxUSA for 4 years: http://www.freetaxusa.com/freefile/supported_forms.jsp


Warren Buffett’s latest investment ($72 B) advice for us
Active trading, attempts to “time” market movements, inadequate diversification, the payment of high and unnecessary fees to managers and advisors, and the use of borrowed money can destroy the decent returns that a lifelong owner of equities would otherwise enjoy. Indeed, borrowed money has no place in the investor’s tool kit: Anything can happen anytime in markets. And no advisor, economist or TV commentator — and definitely not Charlie nor I — can tell you when chaos will occur. Market forecasters will fill your ear but will never fill your wallet.”

Tax refund to savings or investments?
54.9% of millennials expecting a tax refund this year plan to deposit the refunds into their savings accounts, according to the National Retail Federation. The average refund is over $3,000. If you buy a stock market fund with $3,000 every year, compounding can make you a millionaire. Patience and time is all it takes.
Don’t give up anything except old-age poverty. 

GOP best crazies of last 200 years
Half the Senators give aid and comfort to the country we are negotiating nuclear war with. Iran says the move showed "disintegration" in U.S. Our Constitution is clear—II, --the President “shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.” In a democracy, if you don’t like the law, change it, don’t destroy the structure. When Reagan sold arms to Iran to get money for Contras, did Dems torpedo agreement on arms?
Can GOP change Constitution? Are they just anarchists?  

GOP crazies
Here is how the future GOP president will solve problems: Tricks, payoffs, lies, legal double talk, obfuscation, and all the other things politicians do. Lower tax for the rich and sock it to the middle: Ranking No 1 worst property tax states, New Jersey, with average-priced home tax bill of $16,000, defaulted on liabilities, low job growth, likes the perks.

Wisconsin becomes the 25th right-to-work state following the GOP plan.
Gov Walker promised improved job rate and dismissed lower-wages criticism. The GOP experiment in KS has not gone well. Gov Brownback’s cuts to a number of state taxes in 2012 failed to boost the economy like he had hoped, triggering a backlash when the huge budget shortfall that resulted forced major decreases in government services. His state’s credit rating was lowered, and Brownback nearly lost his job in the November elections.

GOP counting on voter suppression in 2016—soon only white landowners?
More states are following the GOP success in PA in 2012. GOP chair Gleason says he cut Obama’s vote by 5% there. States may be returning to the time of white landowner only laws using clever techniques of exclusion like requiring a US passport or paid property tax bill. The Supremes have gutted the voting rights provisions and there may be more. Meanwhile not one states attorney has found a voter fraud pattern in their state—31 in 1 billion ballots nationwide!

Just say NO when your broker/advisor says RE-BALANCE
New research from Duke’s Harvey says sell/buy every quarter may hurt your long-term prospects for retirement. In an up market, you are selling soaring stocks; “all of a sudden your portfolio has done worse than if you had just let it run.” Re-balancing kills compounding. John Bogle, Vanguard, does not: “I see no circumstance under which rebalancing through an adviser charging 1% could possibly add value.”

SAFEST used cars under $9K
CR says older is better—problems have been solved:
Chevrolet Malibu (2009-2012, 4-cyl.): Starting at $8,125
Ford Fusion (2010-2012, 4-cyl. and hybrid): Starting at $8,325
Hyundai Sonata (2006-2014, 4-cyl., non-turbo): Starting at $5,450
Kia Soul (2010-2011): Starting at $8,925
Toyota RAV4 (2004-2012, 4-cyl.): Starting at $5,590
I bought a ’05 Sonata for $4,955 with 105K in 2011; still works well at 125K miles.

Obama to help students pay debt
Student loans cost over 6% per year while banks pay 0% rate. Obama will change procedures for paying income-adjusted installments easier. 7 million borrowers are currently in default for loans totaling $98.1 billion. Money is easier to get than a job.

Are you losing your health benefits?
Rising costs and risk of liability have prompted many of employers to “adjust” their offerings to retirees and employees. The number of employers offering retiree medical benefits have “definitely dwindled from where it was 20 years ago,” says Cara Jareb, Towers Watson. Now, more employers, like Hilton, are moving to private exchanges to save. Eventually, the US will adopt the least costly system—single payer.

And you think you can trust them to keep their word?
Two-thirds of Americans say they would be willing to give up salary increases in exchange for guaranteed retirement income, according to a new survey by the National Institute on Retirement Security. As corporations continue to freeze or eliminate defined benefit plans, American workers may be getting increasingly concerned about their financial security in retirement and looking for guaranteed income options.

America is going back to the pre-WWII time when workers had no unions, scabs took their jobs for less wages—No pensions/health care paid by employers. Wealthy people and large combines controlled elections. There was no government regulation of pollution, food, work, bridges, etc. Citizens were at the mercy of large employers. If you disagreed and were famous, you were called before the McCarthy committee and blacklisted. If you were not famous, you were dismissed and ostracized.


SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments? That is 27 cents of each dollar in taxes—the largest part of our money—and we aren’t even at war. We could pay off our debts and fix our schools, roads and bridges!
We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.
Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year. We have wasted $398.6 billion so far on the F-35 program—they can’t fly safely.
We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.
Japan, Germany and S. Korea can pay for their own defenses.
The War on Terror requires SEALS’ attacks on top terrorists at their homes. Iraq proved converting a nation to Western-style republic doesn’t work. Our trained troops ran away.

Daylight Saving Time, who needs it?
It was Germany which, in April, 1916, first started moving clocks forward by an hour, to conserve energy during the World War I. Does it really save on electric?

Banker Antonio Weiss, got a $21 million bonus by his Wall Street bosses to go to work as a bank regulator. Obama then nominates him for a high position in the U.S. Treasury Department and he takes it.  Treasury Secretary Jack Lew left Citigroup in 2008 and made somewhere between $250,000 and $500,000 in early stock payouts. Smallberg, head of watchdog group, authored a report last year that found a number of major corporations financially reward employees who go into government regulation.

Can Americans beat the robocallers?

Who protects the President from the Secret Service?
Two senior Secret Service agents -- one of whom is a top member of President Obama's protective detail -- reportedly drove a government car into White House security barricades after drinking at a late-night party last week. They skipped out and did not report accident. 
Are they drunk because Congress may cut their salaries in the Homeland’s budget fight?

IAN
41 Watchung Plaza, B242
Montclair, NJ 07042
973.746.2014

Alerts 

Friday, March 6, 2015

Reagan raised taxes -- protect yourself from GOP

Reagan raised taxes 11 times, ran deficits to $3 Trillion and borrowed to build
Some politicians have a short memory. Reagan did these things to keep America strong by building middle-class jobs, income and respect. He created the Department of Veterans Affairs (expanded big government), he raised the gas tax and signed the largest corporate tax increase and raised taxes to pay for government-run health care!
What did the Boehner’s House do? They give members a lot of free time to get election checks from lobbyists—we pay for “no-work” jobs.


Self-employed can deduct almost everything
Consider a singer or other artist. Artists can claim that it’s crucial to network with other people in the business—producers and musicians around the country. That can mean that hotel or airfare is deductible, but not drinking in the back of the city’s priciest club. Anyway, it can be impossible to get entertainers to keep track of their expenses. “Everybody’s doing everything in cash,” a CPA said. “The record- keeping is not that great.” Stars’ income can be as fickle as their fans, they claim, so they don’t know how much to pay the IRS in advance of December 31. This can cause a penalty. You can avoid this penalty if you either owe less than $1,000 or if you paid at least 90% of the tax for the current year or 100% of the tax shown on the return for the prior year, whichever is smaller. 


Turbo Tax blames customers for lack of security
Customer password re-use was a major cause of a spike this tax season in fraudulent state tax refund requests, Intuit said. The increase in phony state refund requests prompted several state revenue departments to complain to their state attorneys general. In response, TurboTax temporarily halted all state filings while it investigated claims of a possible breach. The company resumed state filing shortly after that pause, saying it could find no evidence that customers’ TurboTax credentials had been stolen from its network. BEWARE: IRS does NOT use email or telephone. 
Use an IRS-approved efile program: http://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp?ck

Average American income by age, gender
Since Reagan his white middle-class supporters have actually lost income to the wealthy. The wealthy use compounding—their money doubles every 6 years--$10 mil becomes $20 mil in 6 years. All the productivity gains from computers since the ‘90s have gone up NOT down. Average income adjusted for inflation is flat--$30,000.  

Is portfolio rebalancing right for you?
Almost every broker/advisor tells you to sell when your stocks are soaring and buy when they are not in order to maintain your 60/40 or 80/20 asset allocation. However, Campbell Harvey, Duke, found in his research that “investors need to understand that rote rebalancing is an active investment decision that increases risk.” In an up market, you are selling soaring stocks, “all of a sudden your portfolio has done worse than if you had just let it run.”


Caring for a parent can be costly—deduct costs from taxes
Tax deductions are available for family members who provide care for an aging parent.  As a caregiver, you may be eligible for tax breaks for taking care of an elderly person, if you and the elderly member meet certain requirements.
To make it easier to figure out which tax breaks are available Tom Breedlove, Household Tax Expert, offered tips for family members providing elder care: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2015/02/19/tax-breaks-available-for-adults-caring-for-parents/

If you are 5 years from retirement, consider your options for steady income:
There is no settled answer on how to be sure you will have enough in retirement. Each person will have needs at different times during the period of no work. A little planning can ease the anxiety and help beef up your financials for that day when you can’t or don’t work for money. Only you know the right answer to yourself: http://www.amazon.com/Will-You-Have-Enough-retirement/dp/1477594086

Warren Buffett’s advice for the future
“The unconventional, but inescapable, conclusion to be drawn from the past fifty years is that it has been far safer to invest in a diversified collection of American businesses than to invest in securities – Treasuries, for example – whose values have been tied to American currency. … it is almost certain to be repeated during the next century.” “Investors – large and small – should read Jack Bogle’s The Little Book of Common Sense Investing.”
Buffett’s retirement income portfolio has just 2 Vanguard funds: http://www.amazon.com/Warren-Buffetts-Vanguard-Funds-Retirement/dp/1496148592

Vanguard funds at top of top 401k fund choices
31 Vanguard funds are the overwhelming choice for low-cost high-earning nest-egg builders. Saving for retirement could not be easier than the Target-date funds which controls the stock/bond mix throughout your whole working life. One fund investing with automatic contributions from your paycheck. Nothing easier and you don’t have to pay commission. Vanguard is user-owned—no expensive CEOs and management airplanes. Warren Buffett recommends this strategy:



Banks are gambling with our money again
Our banking system has increased the use of interest rate gambling to $223 trillion. When rates change, will banks lose capital again? Credit Unions may be safer. Large credit unions do not require special memberships but offer great rates (2.27% 5yrCD). The CEO does not take all the profits so you earn more. Most have the same FDIC backing and may not have trouble in another Wall Street near-collapse—no derivatives. Find one near you: http://www.culookup.com/

Banks act immorally!
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen lashed out at the culture in the nation's biggest banks on Tuesday saying "there may be pervasive shortcomings in the values of large financial firms that might undermine their safety and soundness." In a speech in New York City, Yellen, who as head of the Federal Reserve is the nation's leading bank supervisor, said that the Fed expects banks to follow the law and act ethically. "Too often in recent years, bankers at large institutions have not done so, sometimes brazenly," she said.


Premiums double for long-term care insurance
“I was mad as hell,” says Arthur Mueller, an 83-year-old former real estate executive who lives in Dallas. Over the past 15 years, his annual Genworth premium has roughly doubled to $6,879. There’s no quick or easy fix for Genworth after disclosing an accounting weakness this week.

GOP crazies
SHELLHAMMER: “But maybe he's [Santa] only a little crazy like painters or composers or some of those men in Washington.”   Macy’s adman, Miracle on 34th Street

House ruled by Teas as anti-government. Aren’t they anarchists? Anarchism holds the government to be undesirable, unnecessary, or harmful.

Trump is running again
“Well, it’s not fun. I’m not doing this for enjoyment. I’m doing this because the country is in serious trouble.” [And my show’s ratings are down.]
With Giuliani or Cruz as VP, they can’t lose.
Wasn’t Trump born in Queens land, AU? Cruz was born in Canada and Giuliani in Italy.

Giuliani and Palin revere Russian Stalinist Putin but now quiet after Putin kills his critic Nemtsov. Nemtsov had proof of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Oops.

Is it smart for GOP to get foreign leader to try to influence our foreign policy as Boehner just did? Did DEMs have Ho Chi Minh Vietnam’s leader speak to Congress while Nixon was negotiating in Paris in 1973?


DEM crazies
Bernie Sanders says with 99 percent of new income going to the top 1 percent, he has laid out plans to reduce income inequality in America. He told The Wall Street Journal he’s fighting for a fair tax system that asks the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share. He would raise the minimum wage and end wage discrimination against women. To create millions of good-paying jobs, he proposed a $1 trillion investment in rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. We spend $700 billion to fight the world each year.
C’ mon Bernie! Congress will not even fund our homeland security let alone borrow at current low interest to rebuild America and create construction/manufacturing jobs like we did after WWII. It is not possible now even though Reagan raised taxes to rebuild US.

ObamaCare tax statement wrong but Obama doesn’t care
If you filed your tax return with the ACA form you received and a new corrected one shows you owe more payback for your insurance advance, skip it. If the IRS owes you more, you can file an amended return. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040x.pdf

Tax code needs to be efficient, fair and simple—Ron Reagan
Can Congress, paid for by lobbyists, actually live by Reagan’s rules? “During his effort, Reagan emphasized three principles for tax reform:  efficiency, fairness and simplicity.”  Sen Hatch (R-UT) said, “I’ve made no secret that I believe these same principles – along with a handful of others – should guide our current reform efforts.” Last week his Finance Committee had a hearing on efficiency and growth. And Hatch said a hearing on simplicity will be coming in the future. 
If everyone including businesses with income over $100,000 paid 15%, the US could pay down debt and have enough to rebuild American schools, roads, bridges, etc, etc. We have one form and no exceptions no matter where you call headquarters.


If Costco can afford to pay $20/hour, why not Walmart, Kohl, Target, etc?
Management and CEO pay may influence worker pay but ideology seems to be the main reason. All these firms could pay a living wage but they don’t want to. They all say that “Our employees are our most valuable asset,” yet they don’t act it. A report from As You Sow analyzing the pay packages of 100 corporate CEOs found that compensation has grown nearly 1000 percent over the past four decades and that there is no correlation between CEO pay and corporate performance.
If the minimum wage had kept up with productivity and the income gains of the top 1% since 1968, it would be $18 - $31. Our economy depends on worker spending.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Working-Millionaire-Self-insure-Self-fund/dp/1460945484

Sandy victims still waiting for coverage they paid for
A growing number of New York and New Jersey homeowners have accused insurers of rejecting or underpaying flood-insurance claims based on falsified engineering reports. Insurers were caught doing the same thing to Katrina victims. Amica Mutual ranked highest in overall satisfaction for a fourth consecutive year, in J.D. Power's “2015 Property Claims Satisfaction Study.”


First picture of light as wave AND particle taken
For the first time, Einstein’s theory of light is overturned by proof of quantum theory—light is both wave and particle—at the same time. Einstein thought light was a particle –photon—and ACTED as a wave. It is both.



SCAMS           Why are we still paying $700 Billion a year for WWII deployments? That is 27 cents of each dollar in taxes—the largest part of our money—and we aren’t even at war. We could pay off our debts and fix our schools, roads and bridges!
We are paying for 164,253 of our active-duty armed personnel to be in 150 countries around the world. We have about 50,000 in Japan and 50,000 in Germany.
Are we preparing for WWII again? There are 1,208,083[1] armed personnel in the United States. Our taxes pay for about HALF of the WORLD’s military expenditures every year. We have wasted $398.6 billion so far on the F-35 program—they can’t fly safely.
We just can’t afford to pay for everyone else’s defenses anymore.
Japan, Germany and S. Korea can pay for their own defenses.
The War on Terror requires SEALS’ attacks on top terrorists at their homes. Iraq proved converting a nation to Western-style republic doesn’t work. Our trained troops ran away.

SEC warns of scam
All “prime bank” investment programs are fraudulent.  Promoters of prime bank programs often claim that investors’ funds will be used to buy and trade supposed prime bank instruments, and that investors will receive guaranteed, high investment returns with little or no risk. http://investor.gov/news-alerts/investor-alerts/investor-alert-prime-bank-investments-are-scams#.VNtxFzZOlD8



IAN
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