Financial Engineer Discusses Ways to Troubleshoot
Unnecessary Financial Burdens

Taxes account for the most expensive burden you'll experience in your lifetime, says engineer-turned-independent financial planning coach Rao K. Garuda.

In addition to federal, state, city and death taxes, there are 59 other varieties. Relatively few taxes, however, account for the bulk of the burden on citizens, says Garuda, whose clients include retirees, people planning for retirement, physicians, business owners and other professionals.

He thinks his fellow Americans deserve a shot at keeping more of their money.

"When I came to the United States, I had less than $10 in my pocket, but I had an excellent education as an engineer. When I married a physician, I realized how expensive it is to make a good living here," says Garuda, (www.aca-incorp.com), who quickly applied his analytical engineering mind to understanding the complicated tax system.

"Since this country has given me so much, I wanted to repay my fellow Americans with strategies for keeping more of their own money."

Garuda identifies some of the most expensive and common tax hurdles affecting Americans and offers advice on troubleshooting our tax system.

• Problem: The IRA tax: great on the front end, terrible down the road.
Solution: An IRA is tax-deferred, which means it will accumulate value over time. But when you withdraw from it, you will be heavily penalized with high taxes. That's why you should convert this asset to a Roth IRA, which allows your money to grow tax-free. Since the money put in was already taxed you don't have to pay any taxes when you take it out, and, overall, you'll save a significant amount of money.

• Problem: Too many people don't take advantage of creating tax-free income via insurance products.
Solution: From a financial perspective, retirees and professional planners run into a significant issue: seniors, blessed with good health, who outlive their money. But with certain insurance products, retirees can create tax-free income while covering the later years of retirement - and protect their wealth if they become severely ill. There are certain insurance products tied to the stock market that can help people accumulate assets in the long run. Many of these products offer a tremendous upside for potential without the downside of increased risk.

• Problem: Missed opportunities - people who don't take advantage of free money in a 401k.
Solution: Perhaps the company you work for is, like many others, bureaucratic to the point of being impractical. Your employer may not have done the best job communicating details about benefits such as matching 401k contributions, or you may not have taken the time to learn them. Now's the time; this is free money! If your employer is offering a 50 percent match on your first 6 percent of contributions to the 401k, you should be contributing at least 6 percent. Educate yourself on your company's plan so you can take full advantage.

About Rao K. Garuda

Rao K. Garuda, CLU, ChFC, is president and CEO of Associated Concepts Agency, Inc. - "The Missing Piece" of financial planning -- founded in 1978, and a popular speaker at seminars and conferences for financial industry professionals. He came to the United States from India 35 years ago with a degree in engineering and, after marrying a physician, realized he had to learn how to reduce the couple's taxes. Disappointed in the financial advice he received from professionals, he went to business school and developed expertise in tax reduction, and protecting money from stock market losses. Rao is a founding member of First Financial Resources, a national organization with over 75 partners in the USA; a life member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), and a life member of MDRT's Top of the Table for 21 consecutive years.

She Did All She Could in Iraq, Woman GI to Tell all on Veterans' Day

She was all that she could be with the U.S. Army in Iraq, and she told all about it in her book,   All I Could Be, a May 2013 title from History Publishing Company. The media called on her for the ten-year anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom and now there are those event planners and movers who want their attendees and audiences to hear all about her for Veteran's Day and days beyond.

Miyoko Hikiji, once a soldier deployed to Iraq with the Iowa National Guard's 2133rd Transportation Corps, and now a model, actress, and author, is compiling a list of events that will call on her to prove that she is still all that she can be without her M-16 and heavy truck. She no longer drives into the face of the enemy but now looks into the faces of friends and fellow Americans. She will be soon doing that on a growing list:

• 11/7   Notable Iowans exhibit debuts at Iowa Gold Star Military Museum, Camp Dod
• 11/8   Van Meter community Veteran's Day assembly, Van Meter High Schoo
• 11/9   Veteran's Day presentation at Cedar Rapids Public Libra
• 11/11 Veterans' Day luncheon and speech, sponsored by Chrysalis Foundation and Ellen Hubbell
• 11/12 Veteran's Day presentation, Waukee Public Library, Wauk11/18 Presentation, Ames Rotary Club, Am
• 12/3 Dupont Pioneer International Series Presentation, Iowa International Center, Des Moines Public Library
• 12/7 Jordan Creek Barnes and Noble, Book Signing, West Des Moi
• 12/13 Edgewater Retirement Community Program, West Des Moine
• 1/8 West Des Moines United Methodist Church Women's Group Presentation
• 3/5 "A Date with History" Lecture Series Presentation & Book Signing, First Division Museum, Wheaton, IL

Miyoko Hikiji  is considered a force of nature by those who know her. The U.S. Army discovered that in Iraq, television and radio audiences discovered that too, in recent months. And now those who honor and respect those who served in the military will as well.

History Publishing Company will make available to accredited members of the media review copies of Miyoko's book,  All I Could Be. To download a review copy, please use the widget link below.

All I Could Be

https://www.netgalley.com/widget/open?widget_id=37652_42987_1381787042525c65a2d3469_9781933909868_US

Contact: Don Bracken, djb@historypublishingco.com, 945-398-8161

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Senator Chuck Grassley made the following statement after the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund released a report showing that the False Claims Act provides a 20:1 benefit to cost ratio in fighting health care fraud for the federal government.

Grassley is the author of the 1986 law updating the federal False Claims Act.  His qui tam amendments empower whistleblowers to file suit on behalf of the federal government against contractors who fraudulently claim taxpayer dollars.  The law is the most successful tool of the federal government in rooting out fraud against the federal treasury, and has helped recover nearly $35 billion in taxpayer funds that would otherwise be lost.

"Time and time again the False Claims Act has proven its worth to taxpayers.  The law has empowered whistleblowers to come forward, risk their careers and root out the shady characters looking to give the taxpayer a bad deal.  In 1986 the focus was defense contractors.  Now, proving the law's flexibility and value, it's the most effective tool against health care fraud, as evidenced by the report released today.

"The threats to this successful law are constant.  Any efforts to undermine this successful law should be met with skepticism by the courts and Congress."

Embodied Leadership Mentor's 3 Tips for Differentiating Ego from Higher Self

"You've come a long way, baby," wasn't just an ad for Virginia Slims cigarettes during the late 1960s - it was also a dubious signifier for the gains women had made in society.

Since then, women have continued the march for progress, making huge gains in the academic and professional sectors. But have Western women lost something along the way?

"As women, we have spent so much time and effort living up to the standards of a patriarchal society that we've almost completely disconnected from our own deepest, authentic truth," says Leela Francis, author of "Woman's Way Home: Navigating Your Path to Embodied Power," (www.WomansWayHome.com), which includes techniques and tools from her Vividly Woman Embodied Leader Tools and Training.

" 'What do women want?' Sadly, many women today aren't even sure; but by tapping the power of her inner wisdom, a woman can have the life of her dreams."

One key component of birthing one's own dream life is harnessing your intuitive power, she says. This ability to distinguish between ego-driven wants and higher self-wisdom is crucial so that you are making choices in alignment with your personal integrity, she says.

So, just how does one accomplish that? Francis offers the following suggestions:

• Ego isn't bad or wrong, but we do need to be able to distinguish its voice from that of our intuition. The ego has its place; it's a necessary part of our self that allows us to function and strive, but we need to be able to identify what is driving us in each moment. Intuition is the awareness and acknowledgement of being more deeply and meaningfully connected to life. The ego is a self-advocating force that caters to external standards and often gets in the way of higher self-awareness. Learning to recognize the differences between these two voices is a profound way to create more ease and lessen suffering.

• Recognize when ego and intuition are pulling you in different directions. "Having witnessed the outcome of choosing ego over intuition enough times, I've seen how counterproductive ignoring intuitive wisdom can be," Francis says. "I can't help but notice that I sense the most friction when my ego is winning that inner tug of war." The ego is a perpetually hungry creature, never satisfied, whereas higher intuition has a contented nature that aligns with your personal integrity. Wisdom's signals are palpable, but we've become so masterful at ignoring them that we don't recognize them when they occur. Both the ego's plea and intuition's nudging are able to be sensed in one's body as distinctive body sensations. Listen inwardly for these sensations, for example, when someone is trying to sell you something questionable.

• Be available for those intuitive moments in which you can witness yourself, objectively, on every level. Intuitive power gives us a profound ability to see ourselves from a bird's eye view on every level - sensually, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. These intuitive moments don't have to be random; you can cultivate your mind to be more on the look out for sensations that are taking place in your body in each moment, and especially in situations that require you to make a difficult decision or choice. Be aware of your body as it goes through its daily activities and, at the same time, consider all levels of your self when doing so. This higher awareness enables women to have all aspects of their selves peacefully coexist and work together for a more whole and happy life.

About Leela Francis

Leela is the founder and director of Vividly Woman Embodied Leader Tools and Training. A facilitator of groups and individuals for more than 20 years, she's an expert in the field of body consciousness and soulful personal expansion.  Along with her trained staff and apprentices, Leela facilitates Vividly Woman workshops and retreats at beautiful nature resorts all over the continent and appears regularly as a speaker and contributing facilitator at other live & virtual events. Leela divides her time between Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, and the rest of North America.