Taxation of investments

It's nice to own stocks, bonds, and other investments. Nice, that is, until it's time to fill out your federal income tax return. At that point, you... Read the full article

Understanding personal tax credits

Have you ever thought that you're paying too much income tax? You may be, if you're not claiming all of the tax credits for which you are eligible... Read the full article

Tax planning for annuities

Favorable tax treatment is one of the main reasons for buying an annuity. But what exactly are the tax benefits? And are there any drawbacks? It's... Read the full article

Income tax planning and 529 plans

The income tax benefits offered by 529 plans make these plans attractive to parents (and others) interested in saving for college. Qualified... Read the full article

Tax planning tips: life insurance

Understanding the importance of life insurance is one thing. Understanding the tax rules is quite another. As insurance products have evolved and... Read the full article

Personal deduction planning

Taxes, like death, are inevitable. But why pay more than you have to? The trick to minimizing your federal income tax liability is to understand the... Read the full article

Tax planning for income

The goal of income tax planning is to minimize your federal income tax liability. You can achieve this in different ways. Typically, though, you'd... Read the full article

Education tax credits

It's tax time, and your kitchen table is littered with papers and forms. As if this isn't bad enough, you recently paid your child's college semester... Read the full article