For the last six months, the stock market seemed to advance without any interruptions and shrugged off any negative news. That is until this week. Unrest in the Middle East, protestors here at home and senators fleeing their states, higher oil, gasoline and food prices, along with a decline in housing prices, seem to be the headlines of the day.
Ironically, the headlines and TV anchors have done a 180. Up until this week, the sky was the limit and the U.S. economy was making nice strides and markets around the world were advancing as well. Now, the mood is decidedly negative and apocalyptic. Read more
Now that the snow is thawing, the sun shining and the birds chirping; we all know that it’s time for our favorite season. No, not spring, but tax season. All of us at IIA realize that it may be more joyous for some than others, but that’s why we’re here to help. If you have any questions about your investments and how they may impact your taxes or if you would like us to discuss your investments with your tax professional, we would be more than happy to be of assistance. Additionally, if you need help finding a qualified tax professional, we’d be happy to refer you.
Last week I spent several days at the TD Ameritrade National conference for financial advisors. All types of industry experts were on hand and CNBC televised from the conference. That being said, it was like drinking from a fire hose. Tons of great and applicable information, and I will be sharing some of the most pertinent with you in future commentaries. That being said, I am going to take a break from the commentary this week and try and get some flowers ordered before it’s too late! Read more
As citizens, business owners, and parents, we all have certain responsibilities placed upon us and certain requirements we must abide by. We must pay our income taxes on a timely basis; we must have the necessary business licenses, and we must care for the needs of our children. If we ignore or neglect any of these responsibilities, then we face possible fines, and other penalties from various government organizations (i.e., the IRS, city hall or Social and Rehabilitation Services).
Unfortunately, this is not a two-way street as it relates to the government and what is required of it. The following are just a few examples:
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported the following: “at the request of The Wall Street Journal, DPC DATA Inc., a specialist in municipal disclosure, did an extensive analysis of disclosure and found the problem growing since a 2008 study. Of 17,000 bond issues it studied, more than 56% filed no financial statements in any given year between 2005 and 2009. Read more
