Evelyn Jacks: Wishing You the Very Best of the Holidays

It has been a pleasure to serve the close to 22,000 subscribers to Knowledge Bureau Report this year and to feature up-to-the minute commentary on tax and economic affairs from our stable of contributors including our researchers, course writers, in-class instructors, guest writers, editors and technical distributors of the information. They have each done a phenomenal job.

We hope that you have benefited from this extensive effort to bring interpretation to what’s going on in financial news each week. If you are in the tax or financial services industry, we salute you – you do very important work and it’s not easy. You need to be up-to-date, exact, and have a crystal ball on your shoulder, too. . .a task that’s not for the faint of heart.

If you are joining us as a concerned taxpayer, investor, or retiree, we salute you, too. You have taken an important step in consolidating your tax and financial literacy in order to shore up your knowledge and skills and make responsible financial decisions for your family. 

Now, it is time to enjoy the holidays and reflect on how 2014 will develop for you. Don’t forget to fill up the car on December 31 and purchase those extra office or medical supplies to ensure these costs are deductible on the 2013 tax return rather than waiting 12 to 16 months for the return of your 2014 refund. There is also still plenty of time to top up your donations for 2013 and to consider whether your tax instalments for the year were high enough.

And if you’re a last minute shopper – remember, the January credit card bills are just around the corner. It may be much more prudent and satisfying to give the gift of time to your family and friends. It’s as valuable as money or gifts; in fact, it’s priceless.

It’s Your Money. Your Life. May all the warmth of the holiday season wrap itself around you; may the simple goodness of humanity prevail around your family life and may you share new and special memories that will strengthen your faith in our beautiful world.

Evelyn Jacks is president of Knowledge Bureau and author of 51 books on tax and personal wealth management. Her newest book Jacks on Tax: 2014 Edition is now available. She is also the founder and director of the Distinguished Advisor Conference (DAC). The theme of the 2014 three day think tank in Horseshoe Bay, Texas Nov 9-12 will be “Think BIG: Find the Sweet Spots in Wealth Management”  Follow Evelyn on Twitter at @EvelynJacks.