Archives for July 2009

Tax Cuts and the Rich

A common misconception is that tax cuts are for the rich. This is nothing more than political “get-me-re-elected” talk. It is obvious that the rich make up such a small portion of the tax paying population, the politicians view this as a small group of voters. There are more poor, middle class, and upper middle class voters than there are rich voters. So don’t be surprised when a politician favors the area where there are more voters. The tactic is as old as dirt. Divide and conquer, blame someone else for your problems, so you will vote for them. These are not poor or middle class people running for office. Remember, these people will spend millions to get elected to a position that pays a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year. Makes sense, right?

Tax Planning: Misguided Wisdom

Don’t Limit 401K Deductions to the Amount Matched…I found the following sage advice in a local newspaper: Even though the company matches only part of the 401k contribution, it is to your benefit to put the most away in your 401k plan as you can, since 401k plans are an excellent way to save for retirement. The author of the article went on to profess that often many investors contribute only up to the company match within their 401k plan, and do not take advantage of their 401k plan if the company does not match, and he states that this is a mistake. He finalizes this train of thought by stating that with a 401k plan, an investor receives a double tax benefit.