I love the idea of a neighborhood open house event where buyers can go from one to the next and you could even have appetizers at one home, lunch at the next, dessert at the next to play it up. Staging is, of course, of paramount importance especially when you are competing for buyers with lots of other available homes in your neighborhood. Consult a professional Stager to see what you can do to get the best price and quickest sale for your property!
Sounds like the kids knew it was a big pile of socialist crap.
While censorship may not have been the correct course of action, it was carried out via a fair hearing at the school board. I'm happy the system worked at keeping the bleeding heart socialists from further infecting the school system with incredibly biased horse manure.
While censorship is bad, the video should generally discouraged because it's exceptionally poor quality material pushing a political agenda.
I got socked by the marriage penalty in 2002. We both witheld enough for a refund, got married at the end of the year, and then had $1500 due at tax time. Then the IRS threatens to penalize us if we under-withhold again. (We had both withheld at the normal rate for singles until we got married, and then switched to a higher rate when married, but it wasn't enough for the IRS.)
This convoluted system of taxing income doesn't make a lot of sense. I shouldn't need software to determine my tax liability. I favor a consumption tax.
It is hard to get rid of a marriage penalty without creating a marriage bonus for every married couple.
Making two people just file individual returns seems like an interesting and fair idea, but then you take couple A, who make 20k each, and couple B, where the wife makes 40k and the husband stays home (hehe). Couple B pays much more in taxes than couple A, yet as a unit, they have same income, so they think it isn't fair. is it? I don't know.
Our tax code is so convoluted in its attempts to be "fair"
I agree with Jen and with Maria - same-sex couples are penalized way, way more than married folks when it comes to income tax, inheritance taxes, insurance and many, many, many other financial areas. It's a huge injustice. I'd gladly take the marriage penalty if I were able to lessen the financial burden that I pay by not being allowed to be married.
Couldn't we just get rid of the INCOME tax all together and move to a consumption tax?
That way you're not penalized for being married or single, you're not penalized for working hard, but you contribute to society every time you make the decision to consume. If you're not consuming, you don't get penalized. It would also remove all the loopholes we have set up for folks and corporations.
Another penalty that has slapped us hard after getting married last year was the inability to make a traditional to Roth IRA conversion (not contribution, conversion). If your income is $100,000 single or married combined, it's not allowed. Period. No sliding scale or tax penalty here. You have to jump through hoops to "undo" the conversion. Of course, nobody told me this when I made the conversion while closing out accounts (all this over a whopping $72). Only my tax software caught this. In fact, when I called my financial institution about it, they were clueless. It's a huge hassle and the married limit is just stupid and the government knows about it. If all remains the same, this dumb tax law is supposed to change in 2010.
I think in these economic climates you have to look after your own assets. If you are worried abuot your job or even if you need to have more cash learn how to make money online or from home to either subsidise your income or as your full income. There is plenty of opportunity through affiliate programs, surveys, paid reviews. Give different things a try and start to earn money today.
Glad someone said it... i actually trolled the comments to make sure a response like this was there. I Salute you!
It is shockingly hypocritical for Oprah Winfrey to suggest "cutting back" on consumables. Its nice to preach it when you don't have to participate. Real leaders lead by example.
This video made me realize a couple of things. We always bother about stuff that in fact does not matter. But stop and watch the vid, you'll know why. :)
Absolutely true what you say about ladies in slips being attractive. My gorgeous wife, Maria, who is in her mid forties is a slip wearer! She always wears a skirt and always with a slip underneath (and quite often peeping below). Her favourite style right now is a very flared or full circle calf length black skirt with a calf length flared white half slip. I do find this combination of swirly black skirt and white slip showing very sexy, and we have often made love with her still wearing her skirt and slip! Enough of that haha, but seriously the slip is the most under appreciated but most appealing item of lingerie in a womans wardrobe. Leep wearing your lovely slips, girls!
I'm not sure joint tax return is available in Canada, but I have always been under the impression that marriage is beneficial when it comes to tax times. The way I understand it, in Canada, tax benefits arise when the two spouses have unequal incomes. And in that case, a transfer of non-taxable benefit (through contribution to our retirement or education savings - RRSP/RESP) can take place that shifts the income from one spouse to the other that would in effect, get one down a tax bracket.
The tax differences are really interesting. I am aware of two others (sorry I'm a bit off-topic here): 1) we don't get tax rebates on interest paid for mortgages (but in the Netherlands where I'm now, they do) and 2) our estate/inheritance tax is repealed, so one's estate is only subjected to sales tax upon death.
Wow, this video is really an eye-opener. I mean, we know about all this stuff; but the way she ties it in REALLY makes you realize just how much trouble are in.
Yes, people who see no hope make short term pleasure choices instead of long-term pleasure choices. But if you think about it, it makes sense. If you thought the world was going to end tomorrow, would you put your paycheck in the bank or spend it on a nice meal with your family? The problem is, we often make bad decisions.
Example: My 401K will be gone in 25 years when I plan to retire (actually, chances are it won't) so I will take out money, pay a penalty and tax, and buy a shiny new car instead.
But it's more complicated than that. The human brain has many personalities within it--all competing for their set of desires. Did you ever have a conversation with yourself that sounded like it was two people? Night guy wants to go to bed but morning guy tells him to set up the coffee pot so coffee is brewing when he gets up. Night guy says, "What did morning guy ever do for me?" In some people, morning guy wins and the coffee is made. In others, night guy wins and the coffee pot is empty. It is usually a pattern that lasts a lifetime.
This is the best case you can make for why we need government with a certain amount of "nanny" in it...because we need the coffee and some people will never set up the pot.
I also had the same experience when I unplugged a cable box. About $15 a month saved. Get rid of premium along with that and save even more.
This article on "vampire" power is all correct, but sometimes you can achieve savings without sacrifice:
Generally, any power adapter that feels warm to the touch is wasting energy. That's where the heat comes from, and if you are in a warm climate, you waste even more on air conditioning to get rid of this heat. I crawled under a desk last year, and it felt like an oven, so I replaced the network equipment with more efficient stuff and now it's nice and cool.
Energystar.gov has lists of compliant stuff that you can check before you buy. Not just for big things like refrigerators and TV's, but also little stuff like air cleaners, battery chargers, cell-phone adapters, etc... I always check there before I buy. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.
For computer people, there is a relatively new certification for power supply efficency you can check out at 80plus.org. Regular power supplies are generally most efficient at a single power draw, and even then they don't get higher than about 65-70% efficiency. Newer 'switching' power supplies are more efficient, and the 80plus certification means the power supply gets at least 80% efficiency at low, medium, and high power draws.
Lastly, the California Energy Commission has stricter energy efficiency requirements than anyone else. Their site is very good for researching products: http://www.energy.ca.gov/
With changes like these, as well as other lifestyle changes, my electricity bill dropped from about $128 a year ago to $66 this month.
Seems very interesting. I will check the video and the site The Story of Stuff as soon as I'll have a little bit of time (20 minutes for the video) because it really captured my interest.
What about the "penalty" that same-sex couples are subject to because they are *not* able to file jointly and are ineligible for many, many financial incentives because they are unable to get married?
This is a good article, but I think that this is also an issue that should be addressed. Frankly, I'm surprised that it wasn't mentioned at all.
Marc, it is actually not nailed down in stone that the new tax bracket would start at $250,000. From what I heard it's just possible that the top two brackets are reverted back to the 2000 levels, and that would begin at $208k for married couples in 2009, and perhaps a little higher in 2010. Also, this article is not about how much more the couple would pay under Obama, it is about how much more they would pay once they get married. It is quite severe even at the current levels for higher income couples. In my calculations I did use the graduated scale, not a straight percentage.
I think it would be safe to assume that if the tax hike is only going into effect for people making over $250,000 that the tax bracket would begin at... $250,000?
Even if we did go on the bizarre assumption that the bracket started at $208,850, the increase in the tax that they paid would not be $4915.50. 260,000 - 208,850 = 51150. 3% of 51150 is 1534.50. The 36% rate applies only to money made in that tax bracket- income falling under that threshold is taxed at a different rate. In reality, since only the income over 250,000 would be taxed at the higher rate, the difference would be an increase of $300.
The original story is misleading in that it also does not account for the graduated tax system. Please, please correct this. If we do not account for the graduated tax scale, someone making $208850 would currently net $139930.17 after paying $68920.83 at 33%, while someone making $208849 would net $150,371.28 after paying $58477.72 at the 28% tax rate. This is simply not the case.
The marriage "penalty" does exist in a slight manner, in that two people can have a PORTION of the their income taxed at a higher rate than if they filed separately since the married brackets are not just the single brackets doubled. But it is not nearly as severe as you make it out to be in the article. And your insistence on persisting with a flawed original assumption does no one any favors, and just undermines the entire argument.
One of the cheapest ways to save money on books is to borrow them from the library. My school allows you to check out a book for the entire semester. Also, even though some class textbooks may be on reserve... you really just need a few hours with them. Better than dishing out 100 bucks.
With regards to price comparison sites, I found GPABook to be quite useful. Bigwords has more features, but GPABook has course reviews integrated with comparison tool.
But as always, you can always ask around. A lot of people have taken the class before, but still have the book lying around. Maybe you can get their old exams too =)
I love the idea of a neighborhood open house event where buyers can go from one to the next and you could even have appetizers at one home, lunch at the next, dessert at the next to play it up. Staging is, of course, of paramount importance especially when you are competing for buyers with lots of other available homes in your neighborhood. Consult a professional Stager to see what you can do to get the best price and quickest sale for your property!
Sounds like the kids knew it was a big pile of socialist crap.
While censorship may not have been the correct course of action, it was carried out via a fair hearing at the school board. I'm happy the system worked at keeping the bleeding heart socialists from further infecting the school system with incredibly biased horse manure.
While censorship is bad, the video should generally discouraged because it's exceptionally poor quality material pushing a political agenda.
I got socked by the marriage penalty in 2002. We both witheld enough for a refund, got married at the end of the year, and then had $1500 due at tax time. Then the IRS threatens to penalize us if we under-withhold again. (We had both withheld at the normal rate for singles until we got married, and then switched to a higher rate when married, but it wasn't enough for the IRS.)
This convoluted system of taxing income doesn't make a lot of sense. I shouldn't need software to determine my tax liability. I favor a consumption tax.
your GLUTTONY
I recently read this: http://www.misformoney.net/2009/03/marriage-penalty-myth.html
It is hard to get rid of a marriage penalty without creating a marriage bonus for every married couple.
Making two people just file individual returns seems like an interesting and fair idea, but then you take couple A, who make 20k each, and couple B, where the wife makes 40k and the husband stays home (hehe). Couple B pays much more in taxes than couple A, yet as a unit, they have same income, so they think it isn't fair. is it? I don't know.
Our tax code is so convoluted in its attempts to be "fair"
How much apple sauce do you sub for the oil?
Great little film. Recently shown in our community in a classroom, it caused all sorts of controversy and was ultimately censored.
Info here, including one high school student's perspective.
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/censorship_in_missoulas_schools_and...
I agree with Jen and with Maria - same-sex couples are penalized way, way more than married folks when it comes to income tax, inheritance taxes, insurance and many, many, many other financial areas. It's a huge injustice. I'd gladly take the marriage penalty if I were able to lessen the financial burden that I pay by not being allowed to be married.
Couldn't we just get rid of the INCOME tax all together and move to a consumption tax?
That way you're not penalized for being married or single, you're not penalized for working hard, but you contribute to society every time you make the decision to consume. If you're not consuming, you don't get penalized. It would also remove all the loopholes we have set up for folks and corporations.
I think this video is aimed at children. It's so simplified and the tone of the presenter so patronizing it's difficult to watch.
Nevermind the socialist agenda.
Another penalty that has slapped us hard after getting married last year was the inability to make a traditional to Roth IRA conversion (not contribution, conversion). If your income is $100,000 single or married combined, it's not allowed. Period. No sliding scale or tax penalty here. You have to jump through hoops to "undo" the conversion. Of course, nobody told me this when I made the conversion while closing out accounts (all this over a whopping $72). Only my tax software caught this. In fact, when I called my financial institution about it, they were clueless. It's a huge hassle and the married limit is just stupid and the government knows about it. If all remains the same, this dumb tax law is supposed to change in 2010.
I think in these economic climates you have to look after your own assets. If you are worried abuot your job or even if you need to have more cash learn how to make money online or from home to either subsidise your income or as your full income. There is plenty of opportunity through affiliate programs, surveys, paid reviews. Give different things a try and start to earn money today.
Glad someone said it... i actually trolled the comments to make sure a response like this was there. I Salute you!
It is shockingly hypocritical for Oprah Winfrey to suggest "cutting back" on consumables. Its nice to preach it when you don't have to participate. Real leaders lead by example.
This video made me realize a couple of things. We always bother about stuff that in fact does not matter. But stop and watch the vid, you'll know why. :)
Absolutely true what you say about ladies in slips being attractive. My gorgeous wife, Maria, who is in her mid forties is a slip wearer! She always wears a skirt and always with a slip underneath (and quite often peeping below). Her favourite style right now is a very flared or full circle calf length black skirt with a calf length flared white half slip. I do find this combination of swirly black skirt and white slip showing very sexy, and we have often made love with her still wearing her skirt and slip! Enough of that haha, but seriously the slip is the most under appreciated but most appealing item of lingerie in a womans wardrobe. Leep wearing your lovely slips, girls!
I'm not sure joint tax return is available in Canada, but I have always been under the impression that marriage is beneficial when it comes to tax times. The way I understand it, in Canada, tax benefits arise when the two spouses have unequal incomes. And in that case, a transfer of non-taxable benefit (through contribution to our retirement or education savings - RRSP/RESP) can take place that shifts the income from one spouse to the other that would in effect, get one down a tax bracket.
The tax differences are really interesting. I am aware of two others (sorry I'm a bit off-topic here): 1) we don't get tax rebates on interest paid for mortgages (but in the Netherlands where I'm now, they do) and 2) our estate/inheritance tax is repealed, so one's estate is only subjected to sales tax upon death.
Wow, this video is really an eye-opener. I mean, we know about all this stuff; but the way she ties it in REALLY makes you realize just how much trouble are in.
Very good Flash movie. What I thought was even better, though, was the Zeitgeist Addendum. Scarier, perhaps?
Yes, people who see no hope make short term pleasure choices instead of long-term pleasure choices. But if you think about it, it makes sense. If you thought the world was going to end tomorrow, would you put your paycheck in the bank or spend it on a nice meal with your family? The problem is, we often make bad decisions.
Example: My 401K will be gone in 25 years when I plan to retire (actually, chances are it won't) so I will take out money, pay a penalty and tax, and buy a shiny new car instead.
But it's more complicated than that. The human brain has many personalities within it--all competing for their set of desires. Did you ever have a conversation with yourself that sounded like it was two people? Night guy wants to go to bed but morning guy tells him to set up the coffee pot so coffee is brewing when he gets up. Night guy says, "What did morning guy ever do for me?" In some people, morning guy wins and the coffee is made. In others, night guy wins and the coffee pot is empty. It is usually a pattern that lasts a lifetime.
This is the best case you can make for why we need government with a certain amount of "nanny" in it...because we need the coffee and some people will never set up the pot.
I also had the same experience when I unplugged a cable box. About $15 a month saved. Get rid of premium along with that and save even more.
This article on "vampire" power is all correct, but sometimes you can achieve savings without sacrifice:
Generally, any power adapter that feels warm to the touch is wasting energy. That's where the heat comes from, and if you are in a warm climate, you waste even more on air conditioning to get rid of this heat. I crawled under a desk last year, and it felt like an oven, so I replaced the network equipment with more efficient stuff and now it's nice and cool.
Energystar.gov has lists of compliant stuff that you can check before you buy. Not just for big things like refrigerators and TV's, but also little stuff like air cleaners, battery chargers, cell-phone adapters, etc... I always check there before I buy.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.
For computer people, there is a relatively new certification for power supply efficency you can check out at 80plus.org. Regular power supplies are generally most efficient at a single power draw, and even then they don't get higher than about 65-70% efficiency. Newer 'switching' power supplies are more efficient, and the 80plus certification means the power supply gets at least 80% efficiency at low, medium, and high power draws.
Lastly, the California Energy Commission has stricter energy efficiency requirements than anyone else. Their site is very good for researching products:
http://www.energy.ca.gov/
With changes like these, as well as other lifestyle changes, my electricity bill dropped from about $128 a year ago to $66 this month.
Seems very interesting. I will check the video and the site The Story of Stuff as soon as I'll have a little bit of time (20 minutes for the video) because it really captured my interest.
What about the "penalty" that same-sex couples are subject to because they are *not* able to file jointly and are ineligible for many, many financial incentives because they are unable to get married?
This is a good article, but I think that this is also an issue that should be addressed. Frankly, I'm surprised that it wasn't mentioned at all.
Marc, it is actually not nailed down in stone that the new tax bracket would start at $250,000. From what I heard it's just possible that the top two brackets are reverted back to the 2000 levels, and that would begin at $208k for married couples in 2009, and perhaps a little higher in 2010. Also, this article is not about how much more the couple would pay under Obama, it is about how much more they would pay once they get married. It is quite severe even at the current levels for higher income couples. In my calculations I did use the graduated scale, not a straight percentage.
I think it would be safe to assume that if the tax hike is only going into effect for people making over $250,000 that the tax bracket would begin at... $250,000?
Even if we did go on the bizarre assumption that the bracket started at $208,850, the increase in the tax that they paid would not be $4915.50. 260,000 - 208,850 = 51150. 3% of 51150 is 1534.50. The 36% rate applies only to money made in that tax bracket- income falling under that threshold is taxed at a different rate. In reality, since only the income over 250,000 would be taxed at the higher rate, the difference would be an increase of $300.
The original story is misleading in that it also does not account for the graduated tax system. Please, please correct this. If we do not account for the graduated tax scale, someone making $208850 would currently net $139930.17 after paying $68920.83 at 33%, while someone making $208849 would net $150,371.28 after paying $58477.72 at the 28% tax rate. This is simply not the case.
The marriage "penalty" does exist in a slight manner, in that two people can have a PORTION of the their income taxed at a higher rate than if they filed separately since the married brackets are not just the single brackets doubled. But it is not nearly as severe as you make it out to be in the article. And your insistence on persisting with a flawed original assumption does no one any favors, and just undermines the entire argument.
One of the cheapest ways to save money on books is to borrow them from the library. My school allows you to check out a book for the entire semester. Also, even though some class textbooks may be on reserve... you really just need a few hours with them. Better than dishing out 100 bucks.
With regards to price comparison sites, I found GPABook to be quite useful. Bigwords has more features, but GPABook has course reviews integrated with comparison tool.
But as always, you can always ask around. A lot of people have taken the class before, but still have the book lying around. Maybe you can get their old exams too =)