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Wait a While, Gain a Lot

Feb 3

Posted by admin in Personal Finance

Did you ever get a catalog in the mail, leaf through it, and make a phone or on-line purchase immediately or within a few hours? Have you thought about delaying these purchase impulses a while? By doing so you may find that your financial (and mental) condition will be improved markedly over time.

Here’s all it takes: When you find something you like write the page number on the back of the catalog. When you’ve finished perusing the catalog sit it aside for several days. Then come back and review the items you’ve marked. I?d bet that you’ll find that several, if not all, of them are of less or no interest.

Here’s what happens: When you look through the catalog the first time you are comparing each item to the other items, and certain ones will stand out as being of more interest. But that’s a relative view. When you come back and look at the selected items a few days later, you’re looking at them on an absolute basis, and therefore with less emotion.

When you do this you’ll find you’ll make fewer purchases. After all, how long have you gone so far without these items? What will be the real impact of waiting a bit longer?

So you’ll keep more of your money, and it will grow through your investments rather than being frittered away on impulse buys. And you’ll find that you’ll become more self-directed ? less impacted by externally imposed images and messages. In effect you’ll be more in charge of your life!

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10 Do’s and Do Not’s for Filing and Lowering Your Taxes

Oct 31

Posted by admin in Taxes

1. Do keep good records of your expenditures.

2. Do keep your receipts, even if its in a shoe box. Its better to have the backup in case IRS ask questions.

3. If you are in business and you need to purchase equipment for your business, do so, and ask your Tax Professional to 179 the property. (The provisions of Internal Revenue Code Section 179 allow a sole proprietor, partnership or corporation to fully expense tangible property in the year it is purchased )- In 2006, a business can expense $108,000 in capital expenditures.

To qualify for the section 179 deduction, your property must meet all the following requirements.

* It must be eligible property.
* It must be acquired for business use.
* It must have been acquired by purchase.

4. Do not over estimate expenses that you don’t have receipts for.

5. Do not round you number off to $50, $100, $150 $200 – allow your numbers to be “real” $51, $108, $148, $203, etc.

6. Do attach an explanation if you have an extremely large deduction.

7. Don’t try and force the software if your e-file won’t go through – take your return to a Tax Professional. There is a reason the e-file didn’t go through.

8. Do file your taxes before April 15. Extensions give IRS more time to review your return since it is not filed during the season rush.

9. Do sign and date your return. You would be surprised at how many people forget to sign and date their return.

10. Do not take the home office expenses unless you know what you are doing, especially if you are planning on selling your home in the next 3 to 5 years.

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The IRCS1031 Tax-Free Exchange – Calculating the Basis of Replacement Property

Oct 27

Posted by admin in Taxes

Introduction
This article provides a very brief introduction to two different methods and approaches for the computation of the basis of replacement property receive in an Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 (IRC-1031) exchange. It should be noted that these methods are relatively ‘simple,’ when compared to more complex IRC-1031 exchanges. This is because some may involve more than one classification of like-kind properties (e.g., real property versus personal property). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides some broad instructions on the IRC-1031 exchange in its Publication 544 ? Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets. This publication is updated every year and is provided to the public, for free, by calling the IRS tax forms 1-800 telephone number or by downloading the publication from the Internet at www.irs.gov . IRC-1031 exchanges are reported on Form 8824, Like-Kind Exchanges.

Basic Terminology
The below Table summarizes the two different methods and approaches for the computation of the basis of replacement property. However, before illustrating the methods for the IRC-1031 exchange replacement property basis calculation, some basic terms must be defined, as follows:

Adjusted Basis Cost plus improvements less depreciation.

Relinquished That property ‘sold’ in an IRC-1031 like-kind exchange (e.g., relinquished property). Also known as “phase I property,” property “given up,” ‘sale,’ “exchange,” or “downleg.”

Replacement That property “purchased” in an IRC-1031 like-kind exchange (e.g., replacement property). Also known as ‘phase II property,’ property ‘received,’ ‘purchase,’ ‘target,’ or ‘upleg.’

Realized A classification of gain or loss that may or may not be ‘realized’ or have any tax impact. A realized gain (or loss) may or may not be recognized.

Recognized A classification of gain or loss that always, by definition, has a tax impact. A recognized gain (or loss) must, first, have been realized.

Capital Gain Sales price less adjusted basis, when sold at a profit. The amount to which capital gains taxes and tax rates are applied. For the 2004 and 2005 tax years, long-term capital gains are taxed at 5% (for taxpayers in 5% or 10% ordinary income tax rates or brackets), 15% (for taxpayers in 25%, 28%, 33% or 35% ordinary income rates or brackets), and 25% (for taxpayers subject to IRC-1250 recapture rules).

Capital Loss Sales price less adjusted basis, when sold at a loss.

Ordinary Income Those types, categories or classifications of income (e.g., dividends, interest and salary) to which ordinary income tax rates are applied. Ordinary income tax rates or brackets are higher than those applied to long-term capital gains to provide taxpayers with an economic incentive to invest, rather than speculate, long-term.

Tax-Deferred Tax ‘savings’ are always the result of tax-planning strategies designed to achieve tax-deferral or tax-deferred treatment. This is the objective of the IRC-1031 like-kind exchange. The tax is not eliminated, but is merely deferred or pushed into the future.

Deferred Gain A gain that is realized, but not recognized. This is the objective and/or motivation for the IRC-1031 exchange.

Read the rest of this entry »

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What It means To Be Truly Wealthy

Oct 23

Posted by admin in Wealth Building

Most of the wealthiest people in the world don’t look that way at first glance. You’d never look at them twice in an elevator or on the street, in fact. That’s because the truly wealthy don’t flash their money by driving high-profile cars or wearing designer clothes. The surprising fact about genuinely wealthy people is that, unlike middle-class folks who try to look richer than they are, the really rich aren’t big spenders.

According to the book “The Millionaire Mind” by Thomas J. Stanley, millionaires are far less profligate with their money than most people think. For starters, they live below their means and have very little debt most of them pay off their credit cards every month, and over a third of them have no mortgages on their homes. They put a large amount of income into savings and investments ” 20 percent, on average ” and they think about value when they shop, driving older cars and wearing off-the-rack clothes.

Millionaires are also self-made. Most didn’t inherit their money  they earned it themselves through their work as executives or business owners. And most of them are well educated, as 90 percent are college graduates with over half of them holding advanced degrees. They weren’t the valedictorians, however. Most were B students, coming out of college with an appreciation for hard work and discipline. Over half of them attend church at least once a month, with over a third of millionaires considering themselves very religious.

So what does this mean to you? It means that the rich aren’t as different from the rest of us as we imagined. Very few of the inherited their money ? that means that it’s possible for you to become a millionaire yourself, if you find the right combination of opportunity, attitude and commitment. When asked by Stanley what the ingredients of success were, luck wasn’t a factor. Their answer: integrity, discipline, social skills, a supportive spouse, and hard work.

The biggest difference between the wealthy and everyone else is that they’re investors rather than consumers. They’re frugal with their spending, keeping a close watch on how much they spend on disposable items that offer no return on their investment like food, clothes, cars and household items. Instead, they try to make their money work for them by buying real estate, investing in stocks and mutual funds, and buying insurance with a guaranteed return.

To put it another way, wealthy people look at their money differently. They use it in ways that it will grow, ensuring that they continue to have lots of money in the future. If you’re like most people, you look at money as something to spend ? you get paid, then you pay your bills and, if there’s anything left over, you buy something with it. If you’re feeling unhappy or stressed, you buy a DVD or go to a nice restaurant. When you have a sudden emergency, like car repairs or a broken water heater, you pay for it with a credit card because you don’t have the money. Your habits are the habits of poor people, not of rich people, and it affects your bank balance.

So start thinking and acting like a wealthy person. Make a budget and stick to it. Shop for bargains. Avoid credit cards, and pay down the debt you already have. Start putting money into savings, even if it’s just a small amount each month. With the right outlook, you’ll find that your own personal wealth will start to grow.

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Why Is The Macedonian Stock Exchange Unsuccessful?

Sep 6

Posted by admin in Finance, Investing, Stocks Mutual Funds

The Macedonian Stock Exchange (MSE) is not operating successfully. True, some of the parameters which we use to measure the success of a stock exchange have lately improved in the MSE. For instance, the monthly money volume has increased together with the number of transactions. But this is a far cry from success.

Who is to blame? Is the current management of the MSE incompetent?

I do not think so. Actually, I think the MSE has an excellent management team, doing their best to incorporate new trading techniques and to list new firms. The problems lie elsewhere.

A stock exchange is a very important financial market. It is a highly efficient and visible instrument of financing. In the West, it is used to finance most of the needs of corporations, way above financing available from banks. Individuals and firms save some of their income and invest it. The stock exchange is meeting grounds for savers wishing to invest their savings – and firms looking for investments.

Another function of stock exchanges is to assist governments in financing their internal borrowing requirements. Governments sell obligations (called bonds) to investors through the stock exchanges in their countries. A stock exchange is, therefore, an indispensable tool for re-financing national debt.

But a few conditions must prevail before a stock exchange functions properly.

The most important condition is the existence of a healthy, growing economy in the stock exchange\’s country. Investors flock to robust economies and shy away from sickly ones.

On the face of it, the Macedonian economy belongs to the latter category. High unemployment, low savings, retarded growth, a gaping trade and payments deficits. But this is an optical illusion. The economy is in much better conditions that most Macedonians would care to admit. The unemployment figures are skewed. They reflect efforts to evade paying social taxes – not real unemployment. The economy is growing, even by official estimates. The black economy is growing even faster. The deficits are covered by enormous capital infusions from donor countries. Macedonia is receiving more international credits per capita than Russia. It is always convenient to blame the worsening economic climate – but the cold, objective figures do not bear this out.

When an economy is growing – the profits of companies (including those listed in the MSE) will grow with it. This makes the shares of these companies an interesting buy.

Since no one is buying – we must look for the problem elsewhere.

A prospering stock exchange is linked to the existence of the right micro and macro economic management. Macedonia has more than its share of problems in this respect.

The process of transformation of businesses with social capital had four basic flaws:

first, it introduced no new management, ideas or capital to the beleaguered firms which were \”transformed\”. The market simply does not believe that they were transformed. The same people run the same shows under a different hat.

Second, such transformation violates the concept of Hierarchy, a chain of command.

It blurs the distinction between labour (workers) and capital (owners). What is wrong with that is that a ship must have a captain – and only one. Someone must have the authority and the responsibility. Collective management is no management at all.

Moreover, innovation change and revitalization are all prevented. What change could come from the same set of worn out managers? How can thousands of owners decide to worsen the conditions of the workforce – if owners and labourers are one and the same? So, management is polluted by irrelevant, non-economic considerations: power struggles amongst groups of workers, social considerations and political ones.

We identified one villain. The other one is high (real) interest rates. When interest rates are high, three effects prevent the resuscitation of the stock exchange:

First, firms have high financing expenses (interest payments) – which reduces their profits. Second, it is not worthwhile to borrow money and to invest in shares.

Third, it is more tempting to invest money in bank deposits, yielding high interest rates – than in shares. High interest rates are the poison of stock exchanges.

The same is true for low savings rates. If people and firms do not save – there is no capital available for investment in stocks.

This, exactly, is the current situation in Macedonia : impossibly high interest rates coupled with exceedingly low savings. There is basic mistrust between clients and their banks. They prefer other ways of keeping their money.

But all the above is far from exhausting the list of pre-conditions for the proper functioning of a stock exchange.

Investors must have timely, accurate and full information about the firms that they invest in. This will allow them to respond in real time to developments in the company and to prevent losses. This will also make it difficult to cheat them – which is were we come to the question of accounting standards. Only lately have the accounting rules in Macedonia been revised to conform to the Western systems of accounting. Even now, the similarity is very slight. Macedonian firms maintain a double accounting system. One set of books is tax-driven. It is intended to show losses or profits at the whim of the management. An elaborate scheme of hidden reserves lies at the heart of the typical financial statements of the Macedonian firm. Another set of books – if they are kept at all – reflects reality. This is an enormous barrier to foreign investment – and foreign investors are the driving force in every modern stock exchange.

The trust of investors in the stock exchange is based on legislation to protect their property rights against the firm\’s management\’ against the authorities and against other investors who might wish to rig the market or manipulate the prices of stocks.

But legislation without an effective judicial and law enforcement systems is like a stock exchange without money. To enforce property rights in Macedonia takes ages and even then the outcome is not certain. Laws, regulations are in their embryonic stage and some of them seem to have had an abortion: they were hastily and unwisely copied verbatim from legal codices of other countries (Germany, Britain).

Last – but definitely not least – is the existence of a fair, transparent and non-corrupt marketplace. The stock exchange, the banks, the regulatory authorities, the police and the courts have to be above suspicion. For the market to be utterly efficient – it must be utterly free of any ulterior considerations and motives. Corruption distorts the market\’s allocative mechanisms and powers. It is easily discernible in dealings in the stock exchange for all to see. A stock exchange is, after all, the showcase of the local economy.

But there is a problem which towers above all other problems and it is almost endemic to Macedonia. It helps to explain much of the predicament of the stock exchange in Skopje. It is the fact that the market is missing its most important player: the Government.

Investors – both foreign and domestic – look for the Government to be active in the local stock exchange. Governments throughout the world use their stock exchanges to sell shares of state-owned enterprises to their populace. The stock exchange becomes a mechanism for the distribution of the national wealth – as embodied by the state owned enterprises – to all the citizens. As we said before, governments also use the stock exchange to borrow money from their citizens.

The Government of Macedonia does neither. It totally ignores the MSE. Not one company was privatized through the MSE. Not one Denar was borrowed from a Macedonian citizen through it. A government\’s activity in the stock exchange is proof that the government believes in it. Therefore, if it does not operate in the stock exchange – it proves that it does not believe in it. If the government does not believe in the stock exchange in its own country – why should the investors believe in it?

There are a few additional structural characteristics which are considered to be the hallmarks of a healthy stock exchange. But those are the by-products of all the above mentioned conditions.

A stock exchange must be liquid so that investors would be able to convert their shares into cash easily and expediently. It must include many investment options – professionally put, it must be diversified. This will allow the investors to choose from a variety of investments and also to reduce their risks by dividing their money among a few types of investments.

The management of the stock exchange can help it by introducing efficient trading techniques, computerized trading and settlement systems and so on. The faster investors meet their money when they sell their shares – the more they will be inclined to operate in the stock exchange that allows them that. The easier it is for them to liquidate their assets by meeting buyers – the more they will prefer to work in that stock exchange.

Investing in the stock exchanges in the markets of the emerging economies has been an unfortunate decision in the last three years. Stock exchanges from Russia to Hungary and from Lithuania to Poland have jeered wildly since the end of 1993.

They resembled a roller coaster in their performance, going up and down by tens of percents annually. There are exceptions to this rule. The Ljubljana Stock exchange, for instance. The trading volume there has gone up 10 times since December 1993 – and the market capitalization is up 30 times. But this is because of the performance of the general economy in Slovenia. In Croatia, the government is privatizing its holdings in state owned companies by auctioning shares to the public through the Zagreb Stock Exchange. This has helped it a lot.

Newly-established stock exchanges are highly volatile and very dangerous. Volatility goes hand in hand with risk. They are long term investments. Since 1988, they outperformed the more established stock exchanges in the world, like Wall Street.

But these stock exchanges are growing fast, they are cheap by any measure and they are the best investment that a country can make in its own future.

About The Author

Sam Vaknin is the author of \”Malignant Self Love – Narcissism Revisited\” and \”After the Rain – How the West Lost the East\”. He is a columnist in \”Central Europe Review\”, United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia.

His web site: http://samvak.tripod.com

Writen By : Sam Vaknin, Ph.D.

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Selecting The Right Payment Gateway For Your Retail Business

Jun 22

Posted by admin in Credit

For retailers who conduct their business online, it is important to have a means of safely and securely accepting internet transactions. A payment gateway is a special service that internet retailers use that can securely pass the customer’s credit card numbers and other private information to the merchant and their bank. No two gateways are the same so doing a little research is crucial in selecting the right payment gateway for your retail business.

It is very important that online retailers choose a gateway that will fit their every need. Determinants like whether you intend to take foreign currency, fees, long term costs, safety, and shopping cart integration should all be thought of. Make a choice based on your business’s strong points and long term financial goals in your mind.

If you intend on selling your products overseas you will require a gateway provider to help with dealing with foreign monies. The process can be a difficult and slow one, a gateway that can help walk you through this process would be beneficial. Research payment gateways with small conversion fees. While companies that accept many different types of money are more costly, they are well worth the price when you consider the cost of your customers’ ease.

A payment gateway with low long term costs would be an excellent start for younger online retailers. Without charging any set up or monthly fees, these providers offer businesses less expensive gateways. Instead a simple small percent of sales is charged along with a fixed transaction fee. Although cheaper, payments and services are considerably slower with these payment gateways.

Quite overwhelming for smaller businesses are the excessive fees, from the payment gateways as well as ones from the retailer’s bank. When paired with some banks a few gateways offer a slightly smaller monthly and set up fee. Before deciding on a provider make sure you know how much your retail business can afford to spend.

Gateway providers need to safely transmit sensitive data over the internet. Due to this they are sometimes popular marks for hackers. It is very important to take your businesses’ customer security a priority. Get a payment gateway with a serious distinction and with an reputation for accountability so even if something horrible occurs, the payment can be refunded quickly.

A retail website’s shopping cart service is the backbone of its income. They are popular in that they allow for 24/7 secure transactions and confidentially reduce customer concerns. Do your research and be aware that not all companies mesh with all shopping cart services. Make sure to choose a gateway that integrates with this feature well.

Finally, it’s very crucial to be aware of your business’s needs and options before selecting the right payment gateway for your retail business. If your factors are with the price, assimilation, or safety, plan and be aware of your goals for the business. List the pros and negatives of every gateway provider and make good decision.

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How To Choose The Right Bank

Apr 16

Posted by admin in Personal Finance

Financial institutions are located all around the world. If you are looking to open a bank account, whether that bank account is a checking account or a savings account, you have a number of banking options. In fact, you have so many options that choosing the right bank may seem like an overwhelming process. To make that process easier, you will need to know what to look for in a bank.

Location is the key to many. If you are interested in having easy access to a bank, you may want to consider doing business with a local bank or a national bank that has a local office in your area. These banks are ideal for those with checking accounts or debit cards. You may find that using an ATM machine, other than the one provided at your bank, results in extra fees. This is one of the many reasons why banking with a local institution is popular, because you will have easy access to your money.

When finding the perfect bank for you to do business with, it is also important to determine what you want and need from a bank. Whether you are interested in opening a savings account or a checking account, it is important to examine the fees that each bank will charge. If you are interested in opening a savings account for someone under the age of eighteen, you may find that you are able to receive a free account. Adults, on the other hand, are often required to pay a monthly fee or maintain a certain balance in their account.

If you are interested in opening a checking account, there are also a number of fees that you should be on the lookout for. It is possible to obtain a free checking account, but many of these accounts come with specific requirements. You are likely to come across a number of financial institutions that require you to have a set amount of money in your account at all times. It is also possible to find banks that grant you free checking as long as you have your paychecks directly deposited into your account.

There are a large number of banks that will allow you to carry a debit card. These debit cards can often be linked directly to a savings account or a checking account. It is important to determine if you will be charged for obtaining a debit card. Many banks charge an upfront fee, typically less than five dollars, for requesting a debit card. A number of banks also change monthly fees for using a debit card. The same can be said for checks. In addition to paying for new checks, there are many financial institutions that charge their clients a set amount of money each time they want to write a check.

It is important to keep all of the above mentioned points in mind when searching for a bank. In addition to determining the cost of banking with a specific institution, you are also encouraged to examine the level of service that you will receive. You will want to do business with a bank that has a friendly and knowledgeable staff. By visiting the bank or calling to speak with an employee, you can easily determine the level of service that you should expect to receive.

Choosing a bank is not a decision that should be made on a whim. A bank is supposed to save you money, but without the proper amount of research it is possible to end up with one that costs you money.

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