“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.” -Charles Dudley Warner There was a recent “Freakonomics” podcast about the folly of prediction. Fascinating stuff — and (predictably) one of the most valuable conclusions? The experts are usually wrong. When you study how experts make opinions and, more importantly, the characteristics of those who make GOOD predictions, … Read More
“A Tax Hike For You?” Northridge Accountant Advises
"Fresh activity is the only means of overcoming adversity." – Goethe Monday morning, we all woke up to a new deficit-reduction plan from the White House: raise taxes. (Story here: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-deficit-20110918,0,2819262.story ) I’m not here to beat anyone’s political head on the wall, so I’ll restrict my comments to a few key points — for YOU: 1) It’s not a … Read More
Refunds & UN-Automating Your Life
Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds. – Orison Swett Marden Last week, I posted my Note about automating your investment savings. After posting it, I did some more thinking about the whole notion of automating our lives, and … Read More
Kindergartners With A Credit Card?
"Good, better, best. Never rest until good be better and better best." – Mother Goose Google tells me that Mother Goose didn’t *actually* exist — but she sure was smart, eh? We’re heading into spring … and just a couple weeks remain here in "tax season" (what we tax professionals call it). I do hope that, by now, you’ve taken … Read More
Posting This Again
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” – Lucille Ball Well, last week I departed from my normal area of expertise, and wrote a real-world guide on preparing your family and home for a true disaster. Got lots of feedback — thank you! But, I thought I should re-enter the fray of my … Read More
The Japan Disaster And You
He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all. – Miguel De Cervantes It’s deja vu all over again, with another massive earthquake coming during tax time this year. Last year, it was Haiti … this year, of course, it’s Japan. The fallout (if you’ll forgive that term, … Read More
Are You Working Without A Net?
"Then give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you." – Madeline Bridges Before I get to what I wrote this week, I wanted you to know that there are a few important "announcements", following my Note, which affect your tax situation for 2010 (i.e. the taxes we’re helping you prepare NOW), or … Read More
A Friendly Tip (Not About Taxes)
“It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked.” – Kahlil Gibran Last Monday, there was a certain holiday to attend to, and it’s pretty easy to let things sort of slide on by after that point. But here’s my advice for you: Don’t stop there. Yes, yes — the old canard: EVERY day is … Read More
Play a bigger game
“So many fail because they don’t get started — they don’t go. They don’t overcome inertia. They don’t begin.” – W. Clement Stone If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother… And I hope you did what you could to make her feel special this weekend. Or, if she’s no longer with us–that the other mothers in your life felt … Read More
Now what?
“It’s income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta.” – Dave Barry Every year, around this time, I find myself blogging about “procrastination” and its dangers, as well as observations from tax season thus far. But this year is different. I’m writing … Read More