Beware of the Debt Settlement Tax - What to Look For, What to Do

By Sean Payne

If you're still in debt, you're probably thinking about talking to your creditors about settling your debts for less than you owe. Beware, though. What you probably don't know about debt settlement is that it can have a great impact on your taxes.

If you negotiated a settlement with your creditors, you're basically "earning" money from your debt. Here's how it works: If you took out a loan for $10,000 and couldn't pay it back, but negotiated with your creditors for them to accept $6,000 as full payment of your loan, you've pocketed $4,000 (the difference between how much you borrowed and how much you paid back). The IRS takes a close look at these kinds of loan repayments.

I'm sure that at one point, there was a loophole in the IRS tax laws that allowed for this to happen. Unfortunately, the IRS is quick to get wise about these types of things. Just like so many other tax loopholes, this one has been closed.

As in our example above, if you settle credit card debt or any other type of debt for less than you owe, you will probably be held liable for whatever "profit" you realize after settling your debt. Remember this when it's time to file your taxes after settling your debts.

Even though this may sound like a bad thing, you still come out ahead after taxes. In our example above, the $4000 you realized as a gain might be taxed at 30%, depending on your tax bracket. However, even when you add the $1200 tax, you've still only paid $7200 to clear a $10,000 debt. That's still a bargain in my book.

Because the debt settlement tax comes as a surprise to many people, they don't do anything about it until the IRS comes to audit them. Don't let this hidden tax take you by surprise.

If you need any more details on how to deal with this tax, please check with your CPA or another tax expert. - 23162

About the Author:

Sean Payne is a personal finance enthusiast who has learned through trial and error (and a lot of advice) how to get out of debt. Discover how to avoid the debt settlement tax at Sean's website, where you'll find a unique "get out of debt course" that really works.

Understanding Stock Market Timing

By Mike Swanson

Playing the stock market can either make you a lot of money or let you lose a lot of money. To play the game right, you must have adequate stock market timing and know technical analysis. Knowing when to buy long or sell short can be very confusing. Timing is an essential part of the game.

Timing in the stock markets is essential for making money. You have to have adequate stock market timing in order to be successful. Buying long, selling short, or cashing out is all something that must be done perfectly in order to experience success.

Many companies have developed their own stock market timing systems that serve as a guide to you. They direct or advise you on when to buy, when to sell, or when to cash out. By following one of these systems, you can have a better chance in playing the game correctly and being successful at it. The stocks can be volatile. It is vital that you have adequate timing.

Most people play the stock market to make money for retirement, etc. They do not have the money to lose. It is utterly important that they do have the right timing so that they do not lose everything that they have worked hard for. Having direction from a company who has developed a can have a tremendous impact on one's portfolio; however, these timing systems that have been developed are certainly not perfect. They are only used to serve as a guide.

Reality is that nobody can accurately predict what the stock markets are going to do from day to day or from year to year. Stock market timing systems are only there to serve as a guide for the investors.

Stock market timing will have an enormous impact on one's investment portfolio, whether it is good or bad. One has to remember that any stock market timing system that is developed is only there to serve as a guide, and it should not be relied too heavily upon. - 23162

About the Author:

For more articles from Mike Swanson sign up to his stock strategies weekly newsletter.

The Big 401k Picture

By Michael Swanson

You need 401k advice. Years ago almost every employee in every company received a pension through a company paid pension plan. People stayed on one job for their entire career and companies felt it was their duty to provide this type of loyalty after retirement as well. The major benefit of having a pension was that the employee didn't need to contribute. It was a gift. Then life changed and so did corporate America. Companies still were willing to help you after retirement, but they looked for other vehicles to do it. And so came the 401k plan.

Its popularity spread quickly. Employers liked the idea that they weren't the ones funding the accounts; the employees were. They had less responsibility with 401k's because, unlike pension plans, they had no access to the money. All they needed to do was select a brokerage house and hand out paper work to the employees to begin the account. Even though companies could voluntarily contribute to the employees' plans, many did at the beginning and then changed their minds when the economy collapsed recently.

The law allows employees to invest a maximum of $15, 000 a year. It doesn't matter how much they make. These funds are comprised of mutual funds of varying degrees of safety, and you can choose which ones you'd like to invest in. Keep in mind that you can only invest in what the brokerage firm sponsors.

Not all 401k's are created equal, and it's for this reason that you really need to know what you're doing as you make your selections on sign up day. Any help that the brokerage firm offers will be provided by salespeople on commission who will be very partial to suggesting funds that may have a poor track record and aren't expected to perform well going forward. Get some outside advice before making a commitment.

Since your contributions are from pre-tax dollars, you will be taxed and suffer an IRS imposed penalty should you withdraw money before age 59.

Last but not least, don't forget to roll over your 401k if you leave your job. You can put into either a Roth IRA or another 401k. Get some impartial financial advice before doing anything, though. - 23162

About the Author:

For more on the stock market subscribe to our freestock market beginners weekly newsletter.

Gold Investing 101

By Michael Swanson

In this economy, it is a good idea to try and make money wherever you can. Gold is one thing that you can invest in where in this economy is still profitable. When people end up hoarding gold, it really affect the price- the cost of gold will remain high. Because of the huge quantity of gold that is stored, the cost of gold is changing all the time. Stock trading with gold investing is a sure way to making money, eventually.

The gold used to represent the paper money. Today, there is more paper money than there is gold. Because of the bank failure during the great depression, President Roosevelt in the 1930's Passed a law to outlaw gold ownership.

People that invest in gold buy it because the money in fairly constant. It doesn't go down so you won't lose money when you invest in gold. The trick is just being patient so you give the gold some time to increase in value so that you can make money off of it.

You can buy bullion or coins or you can trade through the gold exchange traded funds. You can also invest in certificates, derivatives, shares or accounts.

As the cost of gold increases, the dollar value actually declines. Investing in gold, for most people, is a way they can beat the inflation and to ensure that their money holds its value. It is essential to do a lot of research before you start investing in gold. Go on the internet and read one of the many articles about it. Many experts have written articles to help the average person learn more about gold investment.

So, if you would like to start gold investing, you need to make sure that you know the facts. Learn all that you can. If you head this advice, you should be able to buy gold at a good price. - 23162

About the Author:

To invest in gold in the stock market get my free gold stock picks newsletter.

Forex Strategies That Make Currency Trading Profitable

By Booker Riley

There are many trading models or strategies. If you are looking to become a serious currency investor, you should take the time to learn how each is used. Each strategy is often used under different sets of circumstances and there is no strategy that works all of the time. Why? The answer is simple. Each trader often trades under a different goals and rules thereby producing a different set of results.

Successful traders will often tell you that the secret to their success is in intuitively learning when to pull out of a trade and when to stay in. The strategies they use make them more confident in making critical decisionsespecially when the markets are fluctuating. You have to understand how to profitable calculate the market to maximize your gains and minimize your loses. This all come with experience.

Trading based on emotions is never advised. Too many beginners get emotional when they see the market fluctuating and make emotional based decisions that cause them to lose money. Others lose by following the wrong advice. You have to learn how the market signals work and use them to your advantage.

More experienced traders use two main strategies to help them make successful trades. They are profit-maximizing and stop loss. The first strategy is mainly used when a trader is seeking to gain the maximum return on their investment. Stop loss keeps an investor from going beyond the bounds of losing money.

Successful traders take many things into account when they are make critical decisions. The initial investment, size of the account, the type of trading platform you are using and global currency factors all affect the performance of your trade. Your experience level will ultimately determine how well you invest based on your experience in trading under all of these influences.

Profitable traders also employ a system of financial leverage to maximize their profits. To use this strategy you will have to hire the services of a broker. This strategy allows a trader to make trades by essentially borrowing money from a broker when you have very little in your own account. Under these conditions a broker will usually lend on a basis of 100:1 leverage meaning they will give you borrow $100 for each dollar you put into your account.

If you are driven by preventing lose, then you may want to learn about the stop loss strategy. The basic premise of using stop loss is to automate your trade by establishing set-points based on the exchange rate of how the market is performing. Once a trade has reached your stop loss preset, the trading activity will cease in your account.

If you are the type of investor that like more control over your investing you may want to consider an automated trading platform. Under this strategy, a trader can set a price of a currency trade and have the system automatically activate once the price point is met.

By setting the price of your currency to activate when it is most likely to be profitable, the odds are stacked in your favor to make money on your investment with an automated trading system. - 23162

About the Author:

Learn more about electronic currency trading by visiting the link electronic currency trading today.