I have never worked with one or the other. I do my personal financial planning and my tax with Tax Cut or whatever the other software is called.
What are the pros and cons of working with one or the other. I know this is very open-ended, but I’m just trying to find out if I might be missing something that could be useful.
Also, I would appreciate if you have any good recommendations. I don’t really want to deal with someone at H&R block that treats me as a number and doesn’t really know more than me other than what their software is telling them (yeah…I don’t really have that high of an opinion, but I think it’s more of a judgment than based on facts, so please let me know if I am wrong here).
]]>The problem is all inside your head, Ben said to me
The answer is easy if you wreck the currency
I’d like to reinflate your weak economy
There must be fifty ways to beat deflation
He said it really is my habit to intrude
Furthermore, I hope my actions won’t be historically misconstrued
I’m sick of all these pundits yelling “OMG We’re Screwed”
There must be fifty ways to beat deflation
Fifty ways to beat deflation
Just bail out a bank, Hank
Mail out some checks, Rex
You dont need to be coy, Roy
Just give ‘em for free
Stamp up the moss, Ross
You don’t need no Congress
Just shell out the bread, Fred
And do it for free
Just buy up some bonds, Ron
Quantitative ease, Louise
You dont need to be coy, roy
Just give it for free
Lower the rates, Nate
You dont need a Senate debate
Just drop it from planes, Jane
And do it for free
He said that hoarding cash won’t do to ease our pain
I know there’s something that will make you lend again
I said I appreciate that and would you please explain
About the fifty ways
He said I gave a speech on this way back in 2002
And it’ll work if we all just see it through
But that guy Mish thinks my head is full of poo
There must be fifty ways to beat deflation
Fifty ways to beat deflation
Heard the news from CNBC today, FED/Gov will ask or work with lender to make sure the 30-year mortgage rate will be at somewhere 4-4.5%. I could not believe that FED would do that, however it might be true. Any comments on how the very very low mortgage rate will impact RE market?
]]>The plan, which is in the development stage, would temporarily use the clout of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to encourage banks to lend at rates as low as 4.5%, more than a full percentage point lower than prevailing rates for a standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.
...
The lower interest rate would be available only to borrowers who are buying a home, not those refinancing a mortgage.
In addition, borrowers would have to qualify for a mortgage guaranteed by Fannie, Freddie or the Federal Housing Administration. Those guarantees apply to loans where borrowers can document their income and afford their monthly mortgage payments, steering the government away from backing loans considered risky.
]]>http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9497OEO0.htm
The world’s largest dealer of Lamborghini has shut down.
Lamborghini Orange County was renown for catering to the glamorous fans of the 12-cylinder, $600,000 sports cars. It’s doors were padlocked Wednesday.
It sold about 10 percent of the 2,400 Lamborghinis made in the world each year. NBA stars Kobe Bryant and Dennis Rodman were among its customers.
The dealership flew in actors Eric Roberts and Luke Perry by helicopter from Los Angeles to attend a company event earlier this year. Other promotional parties have featured stars such as Elton John and Sharon Stone.
The owner of the Santa Ana-based dealership would not comment on the closure.
Lamborghini’s separate sales company in the United States says the dealer closed because of its own mistakes, not the economy.
But wait -there’s more:
Italy’s Automobili Lamborghini Holding SPA is trying to help reopen its largest U.S. dealership, Lamborghini Orange County, which abruptly closed this week.
“This is our first priority,” said Pietro Frigerio, chief operating officer for Automobili Lamborghini, a unit of Germany’s Volkswagen AG that is in the process or relocating its North American headquarters to Santa Monica.
The automaker declined to say how it was helping or provide any word on the status of Lamborghini Orange County.
The Santa Ana dealership, the nation’s top seller of pricey Italian Lamborghinis, closed due to undisclosed financial issues that aren’t related to the economy.
“We do not have all of the information and, therefore, cannot comment on the status of Lamborghini Orange County’s financial situation,” Frigerio said.
He said the management at Lamborghini Orange County made a few “unfortunate business decisions, independent of Automobili Lamborghini, which have caused the current issues that they are trying to resolve now.”
Siblings Vik, Nora, Sossi and Astrid Keuylian own and run Lamborghini Orange County.
Their 4,000 square-foot Calabasas Lamborghini dealership, which opened in 2007, also is closed.
Calls made to the family haven’t been returned.
Earlier this week, the dealer’s receptionist said it was undergoing an “ownership change” and would reopen in about 10 days.
Phones weren’t being answered Thursday.
Representatives for the state attorney general’s office and the Orange County district attorney’s office said they have no information about the dealership’s closure.
Lamborghini owners for now will have to turn to Lamborghini Beverly Hills or Lamborghini San Diego for service.
If they were 10% of total worldwide sales out of that shitty building (240 cars, $600K a copy, $144,000,000 a year!) what does Beverly Hills do? “We keep a low overhead Santa Ana location and pass on the savings to you!“ does not seem to be a viable marketing stragety, but maybe…...
]]>He also says that the real estate market will be flat and we may even see a slight bounce back in 2009 from all of the government invention to save the real estate market. He warns to unload all your real estate by 2009 - 2010 (at the latest) as 2011 - 2013 we will see prices drop to 1996 - 2000 levels. I guess that he is implying that one would be able to buy a 2500 square feet SFR in Newport Coast for $700,000 by 2013.
This video did scare me a little if his prophecy comes true. He did predict that the real estate market will reverse by 2006 back in 2004 like Peter Schiff. Again, i do take his predictions as grain of salt. Peter Schiff also had some really great calls in the collapse of our DOW in late 2007 - early 2008, but had no clue in seeing the deflation and the unexpected rally of our dollar.
I just wanted to hear your opinion about what Harry is saying? Do you think he is full of crap or there is there some credibility to what he is saying?
[youtube]8sMdpuYbjBY[/youtube]
]]>I was laid off in the 2001 downturn when I worked for a Fortune 500 company and fully expected it. In fact, I was starting to think that somehow no one knew I was still on the payroll by the time it happened. Even with all the bleak news about the economy and what’s to come, both hubby and I are in positions where we have both been given nice raises this year and are very valuable to our companies. It’s the one thing that keeps me from having a nervous breakdown after reading the news every day.
We both work for small companies, so I’m also curious about whether smaller firms provide more security now. I know that I’ve sort of left out the self employed other than giving them a vote option, but am also curious as to how the business owners feel their company will fare over the next 12 months. Please feel free to comment.
The main reason I’m posting this is there is so much doom and gloom for the economy, but I also suspect that there are many of us who will not be taken down hard, which bodes well for the future. I really suspect that the majority of us will keep our jobs and things will hum along rather than see many of us fall off the cliff.
]]>Somehting like EEM would do the job for the exposure to emerging markets, but won’t do it for the exposure to the US dollar. I know I can do this in 2 transactions, but I would like to have full exposure in a single transaction (more risk = more return ... don’t flam me ... it can also be more losses).
Any ideas?
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