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5 Tax Troubles That Only Affect Retirees 03/02/2017 07:00pm • At tax time, everyone is concerned with maximizing deductions and avoiding audits. But not everyone needs to worry about Social Security penalties or retirement fund minimum distributions. If you are retired, make sure you don't let these five tax troubles trip you up. 1. Paying more taxes than n A Charitable Way to Cut Your Estate Tax Obligation While You're Still Alive 03/02/2017 07:00pm • Most of us will never have to worry about estate tax. But if you expect to die with more than $5.49 million in assets, your family could pay out as much as 40 percent of the value of any assets over that amount in federal taxes. To cut the tax bite, many wealthy people have a strategy of sharing the 4 Tax Considerations for CD Investors 03/02/2017 07:00pm • Unless you hold a CD in a retirement account such as an IRA, the interest you earn from CDs will be considered taxable income by the IRS. This is true for both CDs from banks and from credit unions. At credit unions, the interest from accounts including CDs is often called dividends, but it's treat Defeating Retirement Planning Challenges When You're Self-Employed 03/02/2017 07:00pm • An estimated 15 million people, or roughly 10 percent of the U.S. workforce, were self-employed in 2015. According to a TD Ameritrade survey, 55 percent of them are falling behind when it comes to saving for retirement. Without an employer-sponsored plan to fall back on, self-employed people must be Why Working at a Small Business May Mean No Retirement Plan 03/02/2017 07:00pm • Now that traditional pensions have all but disappeared from the private sector, workers often have to rely on employer-sponsored 401(k) plans to save for retirement. However, those at small businesses may not even have that option. While 74 percent of those employed at businesses with 500 or more wo When Should You Take Social Security? 03/02/2017 07:00pm • After years of paying into Social Security, those nearing retirement have some choices to make about when they should begin withdrawing their benefits. To receive full benefits, those born from 1943 to 1954 can take retirement at age is 66. The full-benefit retirement age rises to 67 for those born Tips for Filing Taxes for the First Time 03/02/2017 07:00pm • If you're intimidated about filing your taxes with the Internal Revenue Service for the first time, here's the good news: It's only going to get worse from here. What you're doing now is nothing compared to filing when your life is far more financially complicated, and you have a house, a spouse, ki As Va. governor's race picks up, where the Democrats stand 03/02/2017 06:44pm • WASHINGTON — As the race for governor of Virginia picks up, the two Democratic candidates are debating who is more progressive in addition to specific issues that could shape the June primary and November general election. “If you talk to Virginians around the commonwealth, I think most peopl 3 Ways to Maximize Your Tax Refund 03/01/2017 07:00pm • Expecting a tax refund? Join the club. In 2016's filing season, the average tax refund was close to $2,800 and about 75 percent of Americans received one, according to TurboTax. That's a significant windfall, and it's easy to look at that money as something to spend frivolously. While a little splu Pay Your Investing Dues When You're Young 03/01/2017 07:00pm • Investing may seem like a fairly simple undertaking -- buy low and sell high. Unfortunately, the reality of investing often proves a bit more difficult than it seems from an outside perspective. New investors typically take one of two approaches to the stock market. Either they intend to buy and ho Janet Yellen and the Fed Are in the Spotlight as Stocks Soar 03/01/2017 07:00pm • The Dow Jones industrial average and the Nasdaq are up more than 13 percent since Election Day, with the Dow boasting 12 record closing highs in a row. With talk of tax cuts, GDP in the 3 percent range going forward, huge infrastructure projects and looser regulations, it's a party on Wall Street. What to Do After You Receive Your W-2 Tax Form 03/01/2017 07:00pm • By now, millions of workers should have received their W-2 tax form from their employer. The official deadline for employers to distribute the all-important tax document was Jan. 31. W-2 forms are used by employers to report their employees' annual wages and any federal, state and local taxes withh Feds: Criminal officers stole from the innocent in Baltimore 03/01/2017 06:45pm • BALTIMORE (AP) — Seven Baltimore officers were so unfazed by U.S. Justice Department scrutiny of abusive policing that they kept falsely detaining people, stealing their money and property and faking reports to cover it up, according to a damning federal indictment released Wednesday. Federal p Presidential Trump says 'join forces' for new greatness 02/28/2017 11:42pm • WASHINGTON (AP) — Heralding a "new chapter of American greatness," President Donald Trump issued a broad call for overhauling the nation's health care system and significantly boosting military spending Tuesday night, swapping his trademark pugnaciousness and personal insults for a more restrained 6 Tips for Choosing a Real Estate Agent 02/28/2017 07:00pm • Selling a home has become easier over the years with online services to help the seller set a price and advertise, but most homeowners still hire a real estate agent. While many agents have deep experience and know their markets intimately, newcomers abound -- people looking to cash in when the mark