2011

2011 Average 401K and IRA Returns And 2012 Performance Outlook

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I recently received my 2011 401(k) performance statement and was disappointed to see a -3.2% performance for the year. This is especially the case after my 2010 return of 13.5%. Because my 401k is pretty diversified, the S&P 500 is a good proxy for the level of returns I should be getting. In 2011, the [...]

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2012 Simple IRA and SEP IRA Contribution Limits – Small Business Retirement Plans

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The IRS has released 2012 contribution limits and updated eligibility rules for two of the most popular small business retirement plans : the SEP IRA and Simple IRA. SEP IRA A SEP is a popular and widely used retirement plan management approach because it provides self employed owners or small business owners with a few [...]

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2011 Expiring Tax Breaks. Which Ones Will Be Extended into 2012?

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With 2011 drawing to a close, a number of popular and widely leveraged tax breaks are set to expire. A number of these may be extended into 2012, but with Congress in seemingly continual gridlock you can never know for sure. The best thing to do is plan as if the tax breaks will expire; [...]

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Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments and Installment Due Dates – 2011 and 2012 schedules

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Estimated taxes normally have to paid if you do not withhold taxes via your employer or if the amount of income tax being withheld from your salary, pension, or other income is insufficient. Estimated taxes are generally paid by small business’, self-employed workers with variable sources of income/expenses or those that have been notified by [...]

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Obama’s 2012 Job Creation Stimulus and Tax Cuts – Can the New Economic Plan Really Boost The Economy and Lower Unemployment?

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[Update - American Jobs Act a.k.a 2012 Economic Stimulus] In what is essentially the 2012 stimulus package, President Obama has released details on the American Jobs Act which involves spending over $400 billion dollars to boost economic growth. The key provisions are: – Extension of employee payroll tax cuts into 2012, which were due to [...]

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2012 Payroll Tax Credit and Unemployment Insurance Benefits Extension

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[Updated- 2012 Payroll Tax Credit Holiday, Unemployment Benefits and Medicare Doctor Payments Extended to Dec 31st] With House Republican support Congress has passed legislation extending the federal payroll tax holiday through the end of the year without demanding spending cuts to pay for it. This was a concession aimed at averting another repeat of their [...]

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2012 Tax Brackets and Federal IRS Rates, Standard Deduction and Personal Exemptions

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2012 and 2011 tax rates stayed the same as 2010 levels thanks to an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. This has been confirmed by the IRS with the release of 2012 tax tables. There was also good news in that the 2012 standard deduction and tax brackets will increase due to higher inflation, which [...]

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The Most Overlooked Tax Deductions You Can Claim This Year

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The folks at Turbo Tax have provided a list of the most overlooked deductions that may save you a few bucks when filing your tax return this year: 1. State sales taxes This write-off makes sense primarily for those who live in states that do not impose an income tax. You must choose between deducting [...]

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American Opportunity Education Tax Credit (AOTC) Extension for 2011 and 2012 – Eligibility, Income and Phase-out Limits

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Congress extended the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), which was initially created under the Recovery Act, for an additional two years as part of President Obama’s compromise tax cut package. The AOTC allows parents and students to receive a tax credit of up to $2,500 for college expenses, based on certain income limits. The AOTC [...]

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2011 Updates – Tax Brackets and Rates, Government (GS) and Military Pay Scales, 401K and IRA Limits and Stimulus Payments

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I have made a number of updates to popular topics on this site and in case you missed them, here is a quick recap with a link to the detailed information. 2011 Tax Rates and Brackets Following Bush-era Tax Cut Extensions With approval of a two-year extension to all the Bush-era tax cuts, the 2011 [...]

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