The Truth About Personal Finance (Collection)

The Truth About Personal Finance (Collection)

by Steve Weisman, Kay S. Bell
Released August 2010
Publisher(s): Pearson
ISBN: 9780132582339

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Book description

150+ ways to build your retirement savings accounts, avoid financial scams, and minimize your taxes!

Three full books of proven solutions for building wealth and safeguarding your retirement! Use IRAs and 401(k)s to save more and pay lower taxes…maximize all your legal tax deductions and credits…avoid costly retirement investing pitfalls…protect yourself against phishing, pharming, slamming, and other scams…and much more!

From world-renowned leaders and experts, including Steve Weisman and S. Kay Bell.

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Contents
  3. The Truth About Protecting Your IRAs and 401(k)s
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents
    4. Introduction
    5. Truth 1. IRA
    6. Truth 2. Let’s get it started (IRA style)
    7. Truth 3. 59 1/2 and 70 1/2
    8. Truth 4. Earned income
    9. Truth 5. IRA deductions
    10. Truth 6. Distributions from IRAs
    11. Truth 7. Minimum required distributions
    12. Truth 8. Withdrawal pains
    13. Truth 9. Spousal IRA
    14. Truth 10. Trusts as IRA beneficiaries
    15. Truth 11. Beneficiary designations
    16. Truth 12. Customizing beneficiary designation forms
    17. Truth 13. Self-directed IRAs
    18. Truth 14. Stretch IRA
    19. Truth 15. Disclaimers
    20. Truth 16. Inheriting an IRA
    21. Truth 17. Maximizing IRA benefits for a surviving spouse
    22. Truth 18. Roth IRA for children
    23. Truth 19. IRA conversions
    24. Truth 20. SIMPLE IRA
    25. Truth 21. SEP IRA
    26. Truth 22. IRA effects on taxation of Social Security benefits
    27. Truth 23. Excess contributions to a Roth IRA
    28. Truth 24. 401(k)
    29. Truth 25. 401(k) fees
    30. Truth 26. IRA and 401(k) investments 101
    31. Truth 27. What to do if you don’t like your 401(k) choices
    32. Truth 28. Vesting rules for 401(k)s
    33. Truth 29. Borrowing from your 401(k)
    34. Truth 30. Company stock in 401(k)s
    35. Truth 31. IRAs, 401(k)s, and creditors
    36. Truth 32. Automatic 401(k) enrollment
    37. Truth 33. Roth 401(k)s
    38. Truth 34. Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), or Roth 401(k)
    39. Truth 35. 401(k) choices when you leave your job
    40. Truth 36. 401(k) transfers
    41. Truth 37. Individual 401(k)
    42. Truth 38. SIMPLE 401(k)
    43. Truth 39. Increasing tax brackets
    44. Truth 40. Suing plan administrators
    45. Truth 41. Retirement savings contribution credit
    46. Truth 42. Divorce and your IRA or 401(k)
    47. Truth 43. Health savings accounts
    48. Truth 44. Unmarried and same sex couples
    49. Truth 45. Steve’s rules, part 1
    50. Truth 46. Steve’s rules, part 2
    51. Truth 47. Definitions
    52. Truth 48. IRS Publication 590: Worksheets and Tables
    53. About the Author
    54. Acknowledgments
  4. The Truth About Avoiding Scams
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents
    4. Introduction
    5. Part I: The Truth About Identity Theft
      1. Truth 1. Identity theft-your money or your life
      2. Truth 2. Go phish
      3. Truth 3. Vishing down on the pharm
      4. Truth 4. Do Not Call Registry, Patriot Act scams
      5. Truth 5. Protect yourself from identity theft
    6. Part II: The Truth About Computer Scams
      1. Truth 6. Trojan horse
      2. Truth 7. PayPal, eBay
      3. Truth 8. Second chances-eBay
      4. Truth 9. Free adult entertainment
      5. Truth 10. Two more for the road
    7. Part III: The Truth About Classic Scams
      1. Truth 11. Ponzi scheme
      2. Truth 12. Chain letters
      3. Truth 13. A couple of the basics
      4. Truth 14. Nigerian scam
      5. Truth 15. Who knew? A flurry of old champs
      6. Truth 16. More reasons to be wary
      7. Truth 17. And you thought you'd heard it all
      8. Truth 18. Money lost, borrowed, or gambled
      9. Truth 19. Lottery and contest scams
    8. Part IV: The Truth About Getting Personal
      1. Truth 20. Exercise scams
      2. Truth 21. Weight loss scams
      3. Truth 22. The CIA medical scam
      4. Truth 23. Education scams
      5. Truth 24. Romance scams
      6. Truth 25. Rental car insurance
      7. Truth 26. Personal information privacy
    9. Part V: The Truth About Telephone Scams
      1. Truth 27. Cramming
      2. Truth 28. 900 numbers
      3. Truth 29. Phony caller ID
      4. Truth 30. Area code 809
    10. Part VI: The Truth About Tax Scams
      1. Truth 31. Fear and loathing of the IRS
      2. Truth 32. More tax scams
      3. Truth 33. It just doesn't stop
    11. Part VII: The Truth About Government Assistance
      1. Truth 34. Social Security
      2. Truth 35. Medicare
      3. Truth 36. Veteran scams
    12. Part VIII: The Truth About Credit Card Scams
      1. Truth 37. Credit cards
      2. Truth 38. More credit card offers
      3. Truth 39. Skimmers and ATM scams
      4. Truth 40. Free credit report
      5. Truth 41. Credit repair services
      6. Truth 42. Credit counseling agencies
      7. Truth 43. Credit card rate reduction scam
      8. Truth 44. Advance fee credit cards
      9. Truth 45. Radio frequency cards
    13. Part IX: The Truth About Employment Scams
      1. Truth 46. Work-at-home schemes
      2. Truth 47. Easy money
      3. Truth 48. More wrong turns
      4. Truth 49. Cruise ship employment scam
      5. Truth 50. Get a job online scams
    14. Part X: The Truth About Home Scams
      1. Truth 51. Home sweet scam
      2. Truth 52. Variations on a theme
    15. Part XI: The Truth About Investment Scams
      1. Truth 53. Stock scams
      2. Truth 54. More investment scams
      3. Truth 55. Unusual investment opportunities
      4. Truth 56. Fees in legitimate investments
      5. Truth 57. Free financial seminars
    16. Part XII: The Truth About Solutions
      1. Truth 58. Some solutions
      2. Truth 59. Keeping your computer secure
      3. Truth 60. Wi-Fi
      4. Truth 61. Due diligence
    17. About the Author
  5. The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Table of Contents
    3. Introduction
    4. Part I: The Truth About Filing Requirements
      1. Truth 1. Not everyone has to file
      2. Truth 2. Figuring out your filing status
      3. Truth 3. Filling out the right form
      4. Truth 4. Meeting filing deadlines
    5. Part II: The Truth About Taxable Income
      1. Truth 5. Determining what’s taxable
      2. Truth 6. Earned versus unearned income
      3. Truth 7. The alternative minimum tax
      4. Truth 8. Our progressive tax system
    6. Part III: The Truth About Credits and Deductions
      1. Truth 9. Why credits are better
      2. Truth 10. Standard versus itemized deductions
      3. Truth 11. Dealing with deduction limitations
      4. Truth 12. Maximizing charitable deductions
      5. Truth 13. Deducting without itemizing
    7. Part IV: The Truth About Taxes and Your Family
      1. Truth 14. Marriage and taxes
      2. Truth 15. Innocent and injured spouse issues
      3. Truth 16. Tax implications of divorce
      4. Truth 17. Claiming exemptions and dependents
      5. Truth 18. Adoption assistance
      6. Truth 19. Child and additional child tax credits
      7. Truth 20. Tax help in caring for your kids (and others)
      8. Truth 21. Tax-favored college savings options
      9. Truth 22. When a child has to file
      10. Truth 23. Taking tax-smart care of a parent
    8. Part V: The Truth About Taxes and Your Employment
      1. Truth 24. Getting your withholding right
      2. Truth 25. Tax-favored employer-provided benefits
      3. Truth 26. Recouping employee business expenses
      4. Truth 27. Writing off job-hunting costs
      5. Truth 28. Tax help in paying work-related moving costs
      6. Truth 29. Self-employment tax considerations
    9. Part VI: The Truth About Taxes and Your Home
      1. Truth 30. Mortgage interest deduction
      2. Truth 31. Writing off your property taxes
      3. Truth 32. Increasing your home’s tax basis
      4. Truth 33. Home-sale tax exclusion
    10. Part VII: The Truth About Investment Taxes
      1. Truth 34. Capital gains rules and rates
      2. Truth 35. How bad investments can pay off
      3. Truth 36. Reporting investment income
      4. Truth 37. Wash sale rules
      5. Truth 38. Accounting for the kiddie tax
    11. Part VIII: The Truth About Retirement Taxes
      1. Truth 39. Individual retirement accounts
      2. Truth 40. Company retirement plans
      3. Truth 41. Retirement saver’s credit
      4. Truth 42. Retirement plan rollovers
      5. Truth 43. Taxable Social Security benefits
      6. Truth 44. Required minimum distributions
      7. Truth 45. Estate taxes, or leaving it to your heirs, not the IRS
    12. Part IX: The Truth About Tax Compliance
      1. Truth 46. The trouble with tax protests
      2. Truth 47. Payment options
      3. Truth 48. Tax penalties
    13. Part X: The Truth About Audits
      1. Truth 49. Minimizing audit risks
      2. Truth 50. Preparing for an audit
    14. Part XI: The Truth About Special Tax Situations
      1. Truth 51. Taxpayers abroad and military filers
      2. Truth 52. Tax help in disastrous times
    15. Epilogue
    16. About the Author
    17. Simply the Best Thinking
    18. Copyright Page
  6. The Truth About Buying Annuities
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Contents
    3. Introduction
    4. Truth 1. The history of annuities
    5. Truth 2. Immediate annuities
    6. Truth 3. Fixed rates
    7. Truth 4. Deferred annuities
    8. Truth 5. Annuity fees
    9. Truth 6. Variable annuities
    10. Truth 7. Variable annuity investment choices
    11. Truth 8. Actively managing variable annuity sub-accounts
    12. Truth 9. Equity indexed annuities
    13. Truth 10. More about equity indexed annuities
    14. Truth 11. Calculating index changes
    15. Truth 12. Inflation-protected annuities
    16. Truth 13. Tax-sheltered annuities
    17. Truth 14. Annuity settlement options
    18. Truth 15. Tax deferral
    19. Truth 16. Annuity risk
    20. Truth 17. Annuity death benefits
    21. Truth 18. Annuities and income taxes
    22. Truth 19. Tax-free 1035 exchanges
    23. Truth 20. Charitable gift annuities
    24. Truth 21. Split annuities
    25. Truth 22. Joint and survivor annuities
    26. Truth 23. Shorter surrender annuities
    27. Truth 24. Longevity insurance
    28. Truth 25. Inheriting an annuity
    29. Truth 26. Variable annuities versus variable universal life insurance
    30. Truth 27. Choosing between mutual funds and an annuity
    31. Truth 28. Annuities and asset allocation
    32. Truth 29. Asset allocation and laddering annuities
    33. Truth 30. Minimum required distributions
    34. Truth 31. About 59 ½
    35. Truth 32. Annuities in IRAs
    36. Truth 33. Annuities and 401(k)s
    37. Truth 34. More about annuities, IRAs, and 401(k)s
    38. Truth 35. Annuities for children
    39. Truth 36. Bonus credits
    40. Truth 37. The Pension Protection Act, annuities, and long-term care
    41. Truth 38. Annuities and Medicaid
    42. Truth 39. Annuities and reverse mortgages
    43. Truth 40. State Guaranty laws
    44. Truth 41. Annuities and creditor protection
    45. Truth 42. Getting out of an annuity
    46. Truth 43. Annuity scams and senior citizens
    47. Truth 44. Annuities and class actions
    48. Truth 45. Prospectuses and annuities
    49. Truth 46. Free looks
    50. Truth 47. For whom annuities are best
    51. Truth 48. Steve's annuity rules, part one
    52. Truth 49. Steve's annuity rules, part two
    53. Truth 50. Where to go for information
    54. About the Author

Product information

  • Title: The Truth About Personal Finance (Collection)
  • Author(s): Steve Weisman, Kay S. Bell
  • Release date: August 2010
  • Publisher(s): Pearson
  • ISBN: 9780132582339