While tax season seems far away, the reality is that we are more than half-way through 2014, and we are having many tax-related discussions with clients. No one wants to pay any more taxes than they have to, so we help clients be as tax efficient as possible. As a client once told me, “While Uncle Sam might be a relative because he’s my uncle, I don’t like him that much, so I don’t want to give him a penny more than I have to”.
Last week, my oldest son Gates brought home one of those terrible school fundraisers. You know, the kind we all dread that requires your child to raise sponsorships in order to earn a cheap and useless prize. This time, the prize was a giant plastic Frisbee, and Gates wanted it… desperately.
We have become a very news-conscious society. Thanks to social media, live-streaming newscasts and online journalism, we have access to information instantly, and can read about current events as they’re happening. While this instant access may give us tools to make more informed decisions, it has also introduced a whole new level of worry into our culture.
By now, 2014 is in full swing for most of us. The Christmas decorations have been removed and plans for the new year are underway. Personally, I have made some remarkable changes in my life already this year. First, I finally got around to cancelling the gym membership I bought five years ago (most of you are probably surprised that I even had a gym membership in the first place!). I also recently polished off what remained of a box of chocolates from Christmas. Now that those sweets are gone, I’m feeling deprived of chocolate and very thankful that Valentine’s Day is coming soon!
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