Comments on: Spring Cleaning: Budget, Chickens, Business, Etc. http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/ Stuff in general from a slightly warped perspective... Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Another Investor http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-573 Another Investor Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:18:09 +0000 http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-573 Money market accounts are not immune. They are FDIC insured only if they are held at a bank that belongs to the FDIC system. Some of the more exotic money market funds run by those brilliant folks on Wall Street lost some large investors a lot of money. A lot depends on your plan provider. You have to sort through all of the investment options to see what is available for your cash. A short term bond fund is NOT the same as a money market fund. There should be something offered that is mostly invested in treasuries or other relatively "safe" paper. Don't forget the IRA's, if you are eligible. You have a lot more control over how they are invested. Money market accounts are not immune. They are FDIC insured only if they are held at a bank that belongs to the FDIC system. Some of the more exotic money market funds run by those brilliant folks on Wall Street lost some large investors a lot of money.

A lot depends on your plan provider. You have to sort through all of the investment options to see what is available for your cash. A short term bond fund is NOT the same as a money market fund. There should be something offered that is mostly invested in treasuries or other relatively “safe” paper.

Don’t forget the IRA’s, if you are eligible. You have a lot more control over how they are invested.

]]> By: Connie http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-570 Connie Sat, 12 Apr 2008 02:19:59 +0000 http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-570 Actually, that's a very practical suggestion. Thanks :) Are money markets immune to our current roller coaster? Actually, that’s a very practical suggestion. Thanks :)

Are money markets immune to our current roller coaster?

]]> By: Another Investor http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-567 Another Investor Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:15:59 +0000 http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-567 I don't personally know Mr. (401)k, but I was friends with Ms. 457(b) for a number of years. Whenever the market misbehaved, I would send all new contributions to Ms. 457(b) to the Money Market Woodshed until the market decided to come around. I did NOT skip funding Ms. 457(b), because Ms. 457(b) was tax-deferred and reduced my current taxes significantly. Ms. 457(b) has another feature that might be of use to your County-employed daughter if her employer offers this type of plan. Unlike Mr. 401(k), she does not have to wait until age 59 1/2 to pull money out of Ms. 457(b) without penalty. Because it is treated as "deferred" compensation, once she leaves her job she can pull the money out and pay only the taxes. She can also roll the Ms. 457(b) over into an IRA if she leaves her employment. I don’t personally know Mr. (401)k, but I was friends with Ms. 457(b) for a number of years. Whenever the market misbehaved, I would send all new contributions to Ms. 457(b) to the Money Market Woodshed until the market decided to come around. I did NOT skip funding Ms. 457(b), because Ms. 457(b) was tax-deferred and reduced my current taxes significantly.

Ms. 457(b) has another feature that might be of use to your County-employed daughter if her employer offers this type of plan. Unlike Mr. 401(k), she does not have to wait until age 59 1/2 to pull money out of Ms. 457(b) without penalty. Because it is treated as “deferred” compensation, once she leaves her job she can pull the money out and pay only the taxes. She can also roll the Ms. 457(b) over into an IRA if she leaves her employment.

]]> By: Tax » Spring Cleaning: Budget, Chickens, Business, Etc. http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-559 Tax » Spring Cleaning: Budget, Chickens, Business, Etc. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:53:27 +0000 http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-559 [...] conniebrz.com wrote an interesting post today on Spring Cleaning: Budget, Chickens, Business, Etc.Here’s a quick excerptEvery year we do the following (in no particular order): *Get the taxes together for our CPA….Reevaluate tax position and make changes for next year…. [...] […] conniebrz.com wrote an interesting post today on Spring Cleaning: Budget, Chickens, Business, Etc.Here’s a quick excerptEvery year we do the following (in no particular order): *Get the taxes together for our CPA….Reevaluate tax position and make changes for next year…. […]

]]> By: Connie http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-558 Connie Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:36:26 +0000 http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-558 Well... I'm hopeful, but there's no telling. It didn't work out so well last time. Well… I’m hopeful, but there’s no telling. It didn’t work out so well last time.

]]> By: Another Investor http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-557 Another Investor Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:12:04 +0000 http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-557 If you can figure out how to make Quickbooks work for rental properties, I would love to hear how you did it... Intuit bought or developed a rental property accounting program, but I haven't heard much about it since its initial release. Until something that works and is reasonably priced is introduced, it's pen, paper and Excel for me. If you can figure out how to make Quickbooks work for rental properties, I would love to hear how you did it…

Intuit bought or developed a rental property accounting program, but I haven’t heard much about it since its initial release. Until something that works and is reasonably priced is introduced, it’s pen, paper and Excel for me.

]]> By: Spring Cleaning: Budget, Chickens, Business, Etc. http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-556 Spring Cleaning: Budget, Chickens, Business, Etc. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:03:35 +0000 http://conniebrz.com/2008/04/10/spring-cleaning-budget-chickens-business-etc/#comment-556 [...] Riverside Inland Empire Real Estate News and Information Blog â?? Westcoe Realtors Latest News wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt We’re snowed under around here taking care of tookie-tail stuff. It’s that time of year for new beginnings and self reflection and spring cleaning, both real and metaphorical. Every year we do the following (in no particular order): *Get the taxes together for our CPA. Reevaluate tax position and make changes for next year. We’re not getting as much back this year because we made so much lovely positive cashflow. Yes, I know… such a shame *Go over the household budget and stop up any leakag [...] […] Riverside Inland Empire Real Estate News and Information Blog â?? Westcoe Realtors Latest News wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt We’re snowed under around here taking care of tookie-tail stuff. It’s that time of year for new beginnings and self reflection and spring cleaning, both real and metaphorical. Every year we do the following (in no particular order): *Get the taxes together for our CPA. Reevaluate tax position and make changes for next year. We’re not getting as much back this year because we made so much lovely positive cashflow. Yes, I know… such a shame *Go over the household budget and stop up any leakag […]

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