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As we make our way out of this deep recession, the most important thing we can do for the middle class is strengthen the economy and help the private sector create jobs as quickly as possible. We also must begin to reverse the declines middle-class families saw not just these past few years, but have seen for over a decade: working harder for less; college becoming more unaffordable, health care costs skyrocketing; home values plummeting; and retirement savings dwindling and becoming less secure. There are immediate steps we can take to reduce the strain on family budgets by helping middle class families manage their child and elder care responsibilities, save for retirement, and pay for college. A year ago, President Obama appointed a Task Force on the Middle Class, naming Vice President Joe Biden as its chair. After a year of meetings held all over the country, today we are previewing elements of the recommendations of the Middle Class Task Force (the full report will be released in February).

2011 is poised to be a very interesting year. Keeping track of the many numbers that may apply to our clients’ finances is difficult at best.

Kestler Financial Group is pleased to again provide the Key Numbers Report for 2011. This valuable, 20-page tool contains just about every tax rate, income limit, and deduction you can imagine.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 first allowed taxpayers age 70½ or older to exclude from gross income otherwise taxable distributions ("qualified charitable distributions," or QCDs) from their IRA that were paid directly to a qualified charity. Taxpayers were able to exclude up to $100,000 in both 2006 and 2007. The law was extended through 2009 by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, and has just been extended again, through 2011, by the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the Tax Relief Act).

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If you're contemplating selling stock in 2011 and beyond, you should be aware of new federal regulations that give you more flexibility in managing the tax impact of your investment decisions.

Aviva’s Advanced Markets team is pleased to announce the addition of new e-Pocket Tax Tables for 2010-2011 to Aviva Live.