A Payroll Tax Cut Roundup

Let’s jump right into this week’s roundup, first is an article by Beating Broke. North Dakota to Vote on Abolishing Property Taxes but they don’t have any ideas how to replace the lost revenue. Hmm. In my town, 2/3 of my property tax goes to fund the schools. If we killed our property tax, we’d have a real issue. If replaced by a statewide sales tax, there would just be another reason to go to New Hampshire, the state with no sales tax at all.

Financial Mentor offered 12 Tips To Build Wealth For Early Retirement. The article is worth reading, slowly. A list of steps that, if taken, are sure to put you on the right path. It’s about planning, focus, and discipline.

Rob at Doughroller wrote A Guide to Refinancing Your Mortgage. This article links to his five part series that posted through the week, each day discussion a different aspect of the refinance. Rates are still at an all time low, Under 4% for a 30 year fixed, less for 15 years. Have you refinanced yet?

Peter at Bible Money Matters lists Ways To Make Extra Money Series: 20 More Income Generating Ideas From Our Readers. If your budget has you just a bit on the tight side, sometimes it really makes more sense to move to increase your earnings, especially if you feel you have no more room to cut back.

 When Should You Receive Social Security Benefits? Glad you asked. Miranda has the answer for you at Cash Money Life. The decision isn’t so simple, but Miranda makes it understandable.

At Girls Just Want to Have Funds, Ginger wrote 21 Days to Rock Your Finances: Day 14 – Roth IRA vs Traditional 401k vs Roth 401k vs 403B vs SEP IRA.  This article had one of the best easy to see chart to show the key differences between these retirement accounts.

Let’s wrap up this week with a bit of good news. At Don’t Mess With Taxes, Kay Bell broke the news Payroll tax cut OK’ed for all of 2012; high-earner recapture tax repealed. Good news, yet, I have mixed feelings on this as social security seems to be a bit underfunded, retirement age getting pushed higher over time, and the threat of reduced benefits hanging over all of us. And with no high earner recapture, it seems this lower rate will apply to all. I still have 15 years or so before I collect, I hope there’s some left for me.