<P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif><STRONG>Wi-Fi around Chicago..</STRONG></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif><FONT size=2>The Daley Center between Clark and Dearborn is&nbsp;now (as of September 2003) a wi-fi hot zone. I have not personally connected there, but the word is </FONT><FONT size=2>that the signal around Daley Plaza and Block 37 is strong. Click <A href="http://www.xchicago.com/main/article.php?articleID=413">here</A> for more information. </FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT size=2>If you are outside of downtown Chicago,the UPS stores (formerly Mailbox Etc.)&nbsp;will have wi-fi access (for a fee) in mid-September as will many McDonalds (for a fee). <A href="http://www.computerworld.com/mobiletopics/mobile/story/0,10801,80914,00.html">UPS story</A></FONT></P> <P><FONT size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</P>

<P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif><STRONG>Truth about Annuities</STRONG></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>Many clients buy annuities. I think it is fair to say that most clients do not understand the annuities and, in many cases, the annuity purchase was an inappropriate choice. In my opininion annuities are appropriate when:</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>1. The client wants to save more for retirement and already puts the maximum in his or her IRA/401k; </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>2. The client is in a high tax bracket and wants to reduce taxes;</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>3. The client won't need the principal for quite a long time and the annuity makes up a small portion of the client's total investments.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana size=2>I have one client who paid no income tax, was 85 years old,&nbsp;had been retired for 20 years and purchased 4 annuities with all of her liquid assets;&nbsp; her only other assets, after the mass annuity purchases,&nbsp;were her condo and a checking account. The annuities were "unsuitable" for her, but were perfect for the annuity salesperson who netted at least $20,000 in commissions.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana><FONT size=2>&nbsp;See the </FONT><A href="http://www.annuitytruth.org/"><FONT size=2>annuity truth</FONT></A><FONT size=2> web site for&nbsp;some&nbsp;interesting reading on annuities and whether one is right for you&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></FONT></P>

<P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2><STRONG>What to Do if Your Mortgage Lender Bails Out on You</STRONG></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>Recently, as interest reates rose and&nbsp;the number of files on their desks exploded to record levels, mortgage companies have bailed out on clients&nbsp;and failed to close. In two&nbsp;cases I am involved in (both of which are new construction) the mortgage companies literally "forgot" about the client. The loans were not ready to close because no one&nbsp;paid attention to the file for months. The other problem is that many lenders are so busy that they can't close by the end of the "lock-in" period. The client is left with a lame promise that the mortgage company will do a "free refinance" later to cure the problem.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>How can you prevent this? Pick a reputable lender in the first instance; not one from the internet or your brother-in-law who thought he would try out mortgage brokerage. Stay in touch with the lender. If all else fails, file a complaint with the office of banks and real estate. Here is the form to file the complaint:</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>&nbsp;</FONT><A href="http://www.bre.state.il.us/CONSUMER/FORMS/c-Form41.pdf"><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2><a href="http://www.bre.state.il.us/CONSUMER/FORMS/c-Form41.pdf">http://www.bre.state.il.us/CONSUMER/FORMS/c-Form41.pdf</a></FONT></A><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>It rarely pays to file a lawsuit against the lender. Attorneys fees are cost prohibitive and your damages are hard to prove.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,Sans-Serif size=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></P>


several key events that tax collectors and auditors regularly deal with regarding Texas taxes. For one, there is the matter of tax evasion. Though used interchangeably with tax avoidance, there is an essential difference between the two that makes evasion a crime. Tax avoidance simply merits finding loopholes in Texas taxes, Texas tax laws, and policies, and using these to lower tax burdens by legal means. This ensures that the individual pays the least amount of tax as legally possible. Though this may cause tension between the collector and the taxpayer, this is something that can be easily settled with an audit. If the audit confirms that all tax deductions are valid, the taxpayer can get away with his minimum tax. However, if the audit proves otherwise, and the taxpayer was found out to have employed unlawful means to evade paying taxes such as under-declaring income, he could be charged with tax evasion. The legality of the methods used to lower taxes is the difference between the two.

Even if they lack state tax, Texas taxes, Texas tax laws, and policies require that the IRS conduct regular audits. These audits ensure that the taxpayers honestly meet their obligations. These are done in three ways, and the most employed is randomization. In this method, the IRS randomly selects income tax files from the submitted returns. Since there is a probability and a chance that they would be evaluated, taxpayers are driven to be honest with their tax information, thereby, limiting tax evasion cases. The second method employs a computer program used to spot evasion patterns which are prevalent among tax evaders. Evasion patterns such as unusually large allowances for entertainment are red-flagged. Individuals who are repeatedly tagged for the same pattern are investigated.

Thus, even if Texas does not have state income taxes, stringent Texas taxes, Texas tax laws, and policies, ensure efficient tax collection. Texans do not suffer from burdensome state taxes since the tax collection system employed in the state more than suffice for needs of Texas. Texas proves that added taxes are not guarantees for increasing state income.

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