Minggu, 30 Agustus 2009
Senin, 24 Agustus 2009
Estate Taxes - No Tax in 2010
What are the rates for federal estate taxes?
In actuality it really depends on your date of death. The federal government imposes a hefty estate tax when your property is worth more than a certain amount. In determining your gross estate, the government values all of your assets including, but not limited to bank accounts, stock, bonds, annuities, mutual funds, real estate, retirement plans, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's), and life insurance. It is important to note that property left to a spouse is exempt from the tax, as long as the spouse is a U.S. citizen. However, in many cases this merely defers the tax due until the surviving spouse's death. In addition, Massachusetts has its own estate tax which provides a much smaller $1,000,000.00 exemption. With the escalation of real estate values in the last twenty years many retirees have become vulnerable to Massachusetts estate tax and/or federal estate tax.
Year of Death Exempt Amount
2001 $675,000
2002-03 $1 million
2004-05 $1.5 million
2006-08 $2 million
2009 $3.5 million
2010 No estate tax
2011 $1 million unless Congress extends repeal
The rates are steep, starting at 37%. The maximum is 55% for property worth over $3 million. The maximum rate is scheduled to decline gradually to 45% in 2009. There will be no estate tax in 2010, if the current tax law (passed in 2001) is not amended. Unfortunately, in 2011 the exemption is scheduled to drop back to $1,000,000.00 unless congress extends the repeal.
In actuality it really depends on your date of death. The federal government imposes a hefty estate tax when your property is worth more than a certain amount. In determining your gross estate, the government values all of your assets including, but not limited to bank accounts, stock, bonds, annuities, mutual funds, real estate, retirement plans, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's), and life insurance. It is important to note that property left to a spouse is exempt from the tax, as long as the spouse is a U.S. citizen. However, in many cases this merely defers the tax due until the surviving spouse's death. In addition, Massachusetts has its own estate tax which provides a much smaller $1,000,000.00 exemption. With the escalation of real estate values in the last twenty years many retirees have become vulnerable to Massachusetts estate tax and/or federal estate tax.
Year of Death Exempt Amount
2001 $675,000
2002-03 $1 million
2004-05 $1.5 million
2006-08 $2 million
2009 $3.5 million
2010 No estate tax
2011 $1 million unless Congress extends repeal
The rates are steep, starting at 37%. The maximum is 55% for property worth over $3 million. The maximum rate is scheduled to decline gradually to 45% in 2009. There will be no estate tax in 2010, if the current tax law (passed in 2001) is not amended. Unfortunately, in 2011 the exemption is scheduled to drop back to $1,000,000.00 unless congress extends the repeal.
Selasa, 18 Agustus 2009
Take Control of Your Television With Multiroom
There are few technologies that have undergone as many important transformations as the world of television. In only a few short decades televisions have been transformed from huge appliances that doubled as furniture to sleek and shiny units that can hang on a wall like a photograph. As the TVs themselves have shrunk, the number of programming choices has grown exponentially. These days television viewers can choose from literally hundreds of channels, offering a virtually limitless selection of movies, comedies and dramas, as well as a wealth of educational and children's programming. Those early television viewers may have been limited to only a handful of programming choices, but modern TV viewers can watch what they want, when they want and however they want.
The programming available has gotten even better with the introduction of services like Multiroom by home distribution. These Multiroom services provide viewers of all ages and all interests with an easy and convenient way to control their entertainment choices. With Multiroom, viewers can choose to watch any TV channel, including satellite TV, Sky TV, BBC Freesat and more through any television in the home.
Multiroom can even be used to view CCTV home security systems, providing a convenient way for homeowners to keep tabs on their home and its security. For those times when entertainment is most important, Multiroom services can also be used to view VHS tapes, DVD discs and any other type of home entertainment system. Music lovers can also enjoy their favourite audio programs using the Multiroom system.
Setting up a Multiroom system is a great way for television viewers to take control of their entertainment choices. With the right equipment, the entire home and surrounding property can be set up for on demand viewing. By using the Multiroom system every member of the family can enjoy his or her favourite program, even if that means watching a different program on each TV in the home and on the property. The youngest members of the family can enjoy their favourite children's programming while mum and dad watch their favourite movies, the teens listen to their favourite tunes and the security guard keeps watch over the property and its occupants.
The ability to seamlessly and easily watch different programming in different parts of the property makes the Multiroom system the perfect choice for not only homes but businesses as well. Business owners can enjoy the convenience of closed circuit television and security monitoring while providing their workers with access to selected television programming as well.
The Multiroom service is also a great choice for apartment buildings and other multiple unit dwellings. The system can easily provide viewers with access to all the programs they want at a highly competitive price. In addition, CCTV systems can easily be integrated into the Multiroom system, providing a convenient way for apartment building owners and real estate investors to monitor the security of their units. By using the Multiroom system by home distribution business owners, homeowners and others can enjoy security as well as superior entertainment.
The programming available has gotten even better with the introduction of services like Multiroom by home distribution. These Multiroom services provide viewers of all ages and all interests with an easy and convenient way to control their entertainment choices. With Multiroom, viewers can choose to watch any TV channel, including satellite TV, Sky TV, BBC Freesat and more through any television in the home.
Multiroom can even be used to view CCTV home security systems, providing a convenient way for homeowners to keep tabs on their home and its security. For those times when entertainment is most important, Multiroom services can also be used to view VHS tapes, DVD discs and any other type of home entertainment system. Music lovers can also enjoy their favourite audio programs using the Multiroom system.
Setting up a Multiroom system is a great way for television viewers to take control of their entertainment choices. With the right equipment, the entire home and surrounding property can be set up for on demand viewing. By using the Multiroom system every member of the family can enjoy his or her favourite program, even if that means watching a different program on each TV in the home and on the property. The youngest members of the family can enjoy their favourite children's programming while mum and dad watch their favourite movies, the teens listen to their favourite tunes and the security guard keeps watch over the property and its occupants.
The ability to seamlessly and easily watch different programming in different parts of the property makes the Multiroom system the perfect choice for not only homes but businesses as well. Business owners can enjoy the convenience of closed circuit television and security monitoring while providing their workers with access to selected television programming as well.
The Multiroom service is also a great choice for apartment buildings and other multiple unit dwellings. The system can easily provide viewers with access to all the programs they want at a highly competitive price. In addition, CCTV systems can easily be integrated into the Multiroom system, providing a convenient way for apartment building owners and real estate investors to monitor the security of their units. By using the Multiroom system by home distribution business owners, homeowners and others can enjoy security as well as superior entertainment.
Rabu, 12 Agustus 2009
IRA Investment Options
IRAs have the distinction of being good for building respectable retirement accounts but as being too highly restrictive for really building wealth. This is mostly because the plan documents covering the majority of IRAs are restrictive (more so than the federal rules dictate). The financial institutions that wrote the first plan documents wanted their clients to invest mostly in securities and other, simple investments so other types of investments were restricted.
A self-directed IRA (formed with an LLC) puts the decision making back into the hands of investors. Your LLC gives you the freedom to purchase off-shore real estate, to flip property for profit, and to take advantage of most any investment opportunity that comes your way. A self-directed IRA not only allows you to participate in real estate transactions more freely, it allows you to do so more quickly and efficiently--without a boat-load of fees.
With a self-directed IRA, LLC, your investment options are limited only by your creativity and your opportunities. Setting one up is best done by contacting an experienced provider of such services, like NAFEP, that has laid the groundwork and found custodians for such non-traditional IRAs. Trying on your own, to find a custodian for a self-directed IRA that gives you checkbook control can be very difficult.
A New Paradigm
Traditionally people have considered their IRAs to be a safeguard rather than wealth builders. With an IRA, LLC, you need not be satisfied with growth rates in the single digits. It is possible to envision extraordinary growth, tripling and quadrupling your IRA's value, within relatively short periods of time. It will not just happen, however. You will have to take charge, put in the time and effort, and do your research, but the possibilities are endless.
Minggu, 09 Agustus 2009
How to Set and Achieve Your Goals in Real Estate
I want to ask you two questions. One, do you have a Will? And two, do you have written goals for the next one, three, five and ten years? If you answered yes to the first question but no to the second, you are planning more for your death than you are while you are here. Think about it. I want to challenge you to start setting some goals, but remember if a goal is not in writing, it is simply a conversation. It must be in writing and it must have a deadline. Here are a few guidelines for setting goals. Oh, by the way... you need a will also.
Goals Must be Specific
I want you to be specific and include details but start rough. When you start rough for example, you want a Mercedes. You do not have to get into the details about what color, what options, that sort of thing, just write it down. Make your list huge, what kind of home do you want, what you want for your family, college education, spend more time, travel, anything you can think of. You can come back later and prioritize them and set them up as to what you want in one month, three months, six months, twelve months, then three, five, ten, twenty, thirty year goals. The more goals you have, the happier you will be, the longer you will live, and the more prosperous you will be.
Goals Must be Believable
Remember this, your goals must be believable, by you, or you will not pay the price. They must be believable, they must be just out of your reach, but you must know you can reach them, if you really strive to do it.
Goals Must be Measurable
You cannot set a goal to be financially independent. There is no way you can measure that. You need to set a goal for the amount of income you want per month, per year, the amount of equity that you want in properties - one, three, five, ten and twenty years. It must be measurable. That way you can break it down to what I call "reduce it to the ridiculous". If you know you want to earn $100,000 a year, you know that is $8,333 per month. That's just one deal a month where I live. One of the things I have learned is, successful people set their goals quickly and they make adjustments as they go along. Just like successful people make decisions quickly, they do not vacillate in indecision or what I call sometimes; get mixed up in a funk of negativity.
Goals Must be Congruent
Your goals must also be congruent with your actions. You cannot set a goal to work harder, longer hours AND a goal to spend more time with your family. Those are not congruent. They must be congruent with your actions.
Visualize What You Want
Another good thing that will help you with your goals is to visualize what you want. If you see yourself as already having achieved the goal, you will fake out your mind and your mind sees the goal as already having been achieved. It's called "fake it till you make it". I used to do this all of the time. Just take a minute or two each day and think about life as it is with your goals already accomplished. It's really easy when you get used to it.
Work Your Goals
The next thing you want to do is work your goals, work on the priority that moves you closer to your goals every day.
Number Your Goals
Number your goals in the order of importance. Not only is the goal important but so is the reason. Sure your want a car, but why do you want the car? Sure your want more money, but why do you want money? You want to be able to spend more time with your family, you want to be able to travel, you want to buy a Hummer, and you want to have an ocean front condo or send your children to the best college. Whatever it is, the reason must be there. The reason is more important than the goal itself.
Review, Monitor and Make Adjustments
Another thing you need to do is review, monitor and make adjustments on your goals. You have to be flexible. Some things are not going to happen, you have to face that; but you need to continuously strive to get better every day. If you will work harder on yourself than you do on your job then you will always be growing. Remember that last sentence and write it down as it is worth repeating.
The Goals Must Have a Deadline
As I mentioned first, your goals must have a deadline. A goal without a deadline is just a conversation. When beginning to set your goals, I want you to set your goals in four basic areas:
Financial
You will set goals based on income, equity or net worth and cash flow. All of these are financial goals.
Fitness
This is your health. If you don't feel good, chances are that you are not working at your maximum capacity. So, I want you to set some fitness goals to stay healthy. Remember "an apple a day"? What if this is right and you are not doing it? Start small though, you don't try to tackle all of these at once; but you need to be healthy not only for you but for your family as well.
Family
Set family goals. What is an example of a family goal? Maybe you want to take four vacations a year. Maybe you want to visit a new state, three times a year or five times a year. Maybe you want to go see the Grandparents two or three times a year; but maybe not. Anyway, you get the point.
Faith
You need to set some spiritual goals, some faith goals. I am not going to get into a lot of detail about that but that will help you along your way. Remember, if you slip in one area of your goals, you are probably slipping in some other areas. Another thing I want you to think about is the people you associate with. Take a minute and think about this. If you think about your ten closes friends annual salary and divide it by ten, then that is pretty close to what you make. I'm not telling you to get rid of your friends, all I'm saying is whom you associate with, is who you are like, so please keep that in mind. Don't get rid of your friends, just get some more that are where YOU want to be financially. Most of the people I hang out with now, we all make over $500,000.00 a year. That just blows me away. I never imagined I could make that kind of money…. Well I guess I could, as we are talking about goal setting and visualization aren't we? Thanks and I look forward to working with you.
Goals Must be Specific
I want you to be specific and include details but start rough. When you start rough for example, you want a Mercedes. You do not have to get into the details about what color, what options, that sort of thing, just write it down. Make your list huge, what kind of home do you want, what you want for your family, college education, spend more time, travel, anything you can think of. You can come back later and prioritize them and set them up as to what you want in one month, three months, six months, twelve months, then three, five, ten, twenty, thirty year goals. The more goals you have, the happier you will be, the longer you will live, and the more prosperous you will be.
Goals Must be Believable
Remember this, your goals must be believable, by you, or you will not pay the price. They must be believable, they must be just out of your reach, but you must know you can reach them, if you really strive to do it.
Goals Must be Measurable
You cannot set a goal to be financially independent. There is no way you can measure that. You need to set a goal for the amount of income you want per month, per year, the amount of equity that you want in properties - one, three, five, ten and twenty years. It must be measurable. That way you can break it down to what I call "reduce it to the ridiculous". If you know you want to earn $100,000 a year, you know that is $8,333 per month. That's just one deal a month where I live. One of the things I have learned is, successful people set their goals quickly and they make adjustments as they go along. Just like successful people make decisions quickly, they do not vacillate in indecision or what I call sometimes; get mixed up in a funk of negativity.
Goals Must be Congruent
Your goals must also be congruent with your actions. You cannot set a goal to work harder, longer hours AND a goal to spend more time with your family. Those are not congruent. They must be congruent with your actions.
Visualize What You Want
Another good thing that will help you with your goals is to visualize what you want. If you see yourself as already having achieved the goal, you will fake out your mind and your mind sees the goal as already having been achieved. It's called "fake it till you make it". I used to do this all of the time. Just take a minute or two each day and think about life as it is with your goals already accomplished. It's really easy when you get used to it.
Work Your Goals
The next thing you want to do is work your goals, work on the priority that moves you closer to your goals every day.
Number Your Goals
Number your goals in the order of importance. Not only is the goal important but so is the reason. Sure your want a car, but why do you want the car? Sure your want more money, but why do you want money? You want to be able to spend more time with your family, you want to be able to travel, you want to buy a Hummer, and you want to have an ocean front condo or send your children to the best college. Whatever it is, the reason must be there. The reason is more important than the goal itself.
Review, Monitor and Make Adjustments
Another thing you need to do is review, monitor and make adjustments on your goals. You have to be flexible. Some things are not going to happen, you have to face that; but you need to continuously strive to get better every day. If you will work harder on yourself than you do on your job then you will always be growing. Remember that last sentence and write it down as it is worth repeating.
The Goals Must Have a Deadline
As I mentioned first, your goals must have a deadline. A goal without a deadline is just a conversation. When beginning to set your goals, I want you to set your goals in four basic areas:
Financial
You will set goals based on income, equity or net worth and cash flow. All of these are financial goals.
Fitness
This is your health. If you don't feel good, chances are that you are not working at your maximum capacity. So, I want you to set some fitness goals to stay healthy. Remember "an apple a day"? What if this is right and you are not doing it? Start small though, you don't try to tackle all of these at once; but you need to be healthy not only for you but for your family as well.
Family
Set family goals. What is an example of a family goal? Maybe you want to take four vacations a year. Maybe you want to visit a new state, three times a year or five times a year. Maybe you want to go see the Grandparents two or three times a year; but maybe not. Anyway, you get the point.
Faith
You need to set some spiritual goals, some faith goals. I am not going to get into a lot of detail about that but that will help you along your way. Remember, if you slip in one area of your goals, you are probably slipping in some other areas. Another thing I want you to think about is the people you associate with. Take a minute and think about this. If you think about your ten closes friends annual salary and divide it by ten, then that is pretty close to what you make. I'm not telling you to get rid of your friends, all I'm saying is whom you associate with, is who you are like, so please keep that in mind. Don't get rid of your friends, just get some more that are where YOU want to be financially. Most of the people I hang out with now, we all make over $500,000.00 a year. That just blows me away. I never imagined I could make that kind of money…. Well I guess I could, as we are talking about goal setting and visualization aren't we? Thanks and I look forward to working with you.
Kamis, 06 Agustus 2009
Senin, 03 Agustus 2009
Phoenix Internet Marketing, SEO and Search Engine Optimization Is Growing
With tough times in the economy, many Phoenix Arizona businesses are searching for talented Phoenix SEO and Phoenix Internet Marketing companies to help with their website traffic and search engine optimization needs. Many companies are starting to realize that one of the most cost effective internet marketing methods is online marketing.
When you compare the costs to TV Ads, Radio Ads, Magazine marketing and Billboard's, internet marketing services start to have a major intrinsic value. You must focus hard one what marketing methods will help your company long term.
The tough economy has hurt most businesses in the pocket book. This has caused many businesses to seek out a last ditch effort to obtain more business. Grabbing more website traffic that produces extremely targeted referrals is definitely a recommended process.
I personally worked in the real estate industry as an escrow agent at Fidelity National Title and then decided that I wanted to find a way to help myself and others in this hurting economy. That is why I re-focused my efforts to providing quality internet marketing and search engine optimization services.
The reason that grabbing more website traffic can be so beneficial is simple. You can obtain top rankings under terms that your customers will specifically find you under. If you are an Arizona electrician, it would be great to obtain top rankings under terms like Arizona Electrician or Phoenix Electrician. This would provide amazing leads for people trying to find your business.
You may ask why Phoenix Arizona companies can benefit so much from this type of marketing. It's simple, a short term investment over a few month period can yield long term results and business. No advertising method except for branding your company canbring such an amazing result. That is why it is so valuable to use this marketing approach.
I have seen many companies that previously only relied on retail business to a storefront, and at a later point changed their entire business focus to online business and referrals. The internet is in its infancy, and if you can become a major player now - you will stand the test of time.
I would recommend that before you hire a Phoenix Marketing or Phoenix SEO company that you properly screen them to ensure that you are hiring a talented provider. You should find a company that has a great portfolio of clients and also a company that has excellent customer service. An internet marketing firm will not be able to guarantee any type of results, however they will be able to provide proof of a successful history.
When you compare the costs to TV Ads, Radio Ads, Magazine marketing and Billboard's, internet marketing services start to have a major intrinsic value. You must focus hard one what marketing methods will help your company long term.
The tough economy has hurt most businesses in the pocket book. This has caused many businesses to seek out a last ditch effort to obtain more business. Grabbing more website traffic that produces extremely targeted referrals is definitely a recommended process.
I personally worked in the real estate industry as an escrow agent at Fidelity National Title and then decided that I wanted to find a way to help myself and others in this hurting economy. That is why I re-focused my efforts to providing quality internet marketing and search engine optimization services.
The reason that grabbing more website traffic can be so beneficial is simple. You can obtain top rankings under terms that your customers will specifically find you under. If you are an Arizona electrician, it would be great to obtain top rankings under terms like Arizona Electrician or Phoenix Electrician. This would provide amazing leads for people trying to find your business.
You may ask why Phoenix Arizona companies can benefit so much from this type of marketing. It's simple, a short term investment over a few month period can yield long term results and business. No advertising method except for branding your company canbring such an amazing result. That is why it is so valuable to use this marketing approach.
I have seen many companies that previously only relied on retail business to a storefront, and at a later point changed their entire business focus to online business and referrals. The internet is in its infancy, and if you can become a major player now - you will stand the test of time.
I would recommend that before you hire a Phoenix Marketing or Phoenix SEO company that you properly screen them to ensure that you are hiring a talented provider. You should find a company that has a great portfolio of clients and also a company that has excellent customer service. An internet marketing firm will not be able to guarantee any type of results, however they will be able to provide proof of a successful history.
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