3 Records You Should Keep Indefinitely Once Your Taxes Are Filed

I’m a Tax Expert: 3 Records You Should Keep Indefinitely Once Your Taxes Are Filed

Kerra Bolton   Fri, March 14, 2025  GOBankingRates

While it could be tempting to throw away documents after filing tax returns, doing so could put you at financial and legal risk. Maintaining certain financial records indefinitely can safeguard against future tax disputes, facilitate asset management and ensure compliance.

 “It is important to keep documents that affect future years forever, such as documents related to losses that have created carryovers, agreements and investment records, which may create future cash basis,” said Crystal Stranger, senior tax director and CEO of Optic Tax.

While the IRS provides guidelines on the minimum duration for retaining various documents, GOBankingRates spoke to two tax and financial experts to explore three records you should keep indefinitely once your taxes are filed.

Filed Tax Return Copies

Individuals should keep copies of their filed federal and state tax returns even for years after they’re filed.

“General tax return documents should be kept at least three years,” Stranger said. “But it can be good to keep records for seven years, because the IRS could go back that far if there are certain types of underreported income or fraud.”

These documents serve as a historical record of an individual’s income, deductions and tax payments.

“If you get rid of tax records and then later need them, you will not have what you need to substantiate your deductions or credits,” Stranger explained. “This can cause a loss or reduction in allowed deductions, and you could end up owing taxes.”

Property and Real Estate Records

Documents related to property ownership, such as deeds, titles and records of significant home improvements, should also be kept.

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/m-tax-expert-3-records-160112864.html

Grow Money Like the Rockefeller Family

Grow Money Like the Rockefeller Family– 5 Ways They Created Generational Wealth

Caitlyn Moorhead  Thu, March 13, 2025   GOBankingRates

There is no way around the Rockefeller name being associated with money, as it’s synonymous with immense wealth and the realization of the American Dream. The family’s fortune, established by America’s first billionaire John D. Rockefeller Sr., the founder of the Standard Oil Company in the late 19th century, has endured for generations, making the Rockefellers one of the wealthiest families in history.

In large part, this massive amount of money was thanks to the following factors:

• At one point, the company-controlled 90% of U.S. refineries and pipelines, which led Rockefeller to become the richest man in the world and one of the first billionaires.

• The family fortune was valued at over $600 billion in today’s dollars. Today, that translates to one of America’s richest families having a net worth of $10.3 billion.

• The Standard Oil Company would later evolve into the ExxonMobil and Chevron corporations that everyone knows today.

• The Rockefellers also developed one of the first major business trusts, which controlled Chase Manhattan Bank, now known as Chase Bank.

• The Rockefeller Foundation went on to establish themselves as industrialists and philanthropists throughout U.S. history, and have given away an estimated $1 billion to varying charitable causes.

Over a century later, the Rockefeller generational wealth still establishes them as one of the richest families in the world. Valued at $10.3 billion among 70 heirs and family members, the fact that the Rockefellers have continued to keep the wealth in the family for decades is proof of their knowledge in investing in generational wealth building. Here are five ways the Rockefellers built and sustained their generational wealth.

Diversified Investments

To further grow the Rockefeller wealth, they safeguarded their real estate and bond investments which supplied both physical assets that grew in value over time and consistent income. A well-diversified and balanced portfolio helped offset riskier ventures and protected their fortune.

The Rockefellers recognized the importance of diversification in wealth preservation. While the initial fortune was built on oil, the family expanded their investments into various sectors over the years and have stakes in real estate, industry and even venture capital, thus ensuring a consistent growth and safeguarding of their wealth against market volatility.

Rockefeller Center alone was purchased out by Jerry Sperry for a whopping $1.8 billion. With Exxon mobiles and Chevron stations still being built today, the family has consumed and purchased many companies over time such as General Mills, Kellogg, Nestle, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Procter and Gamble to name only a few.

Though most of us don’t have billions lying around to purchase a company like Nestle, it is great advice to diversify one’s money into companies, through our own research, to bank on being successful.

Philanthropy and Reputation Management

Philanthropy has been a significant aspect of the Rockefeller family’s legacy, and each generation has taken up the torch. In fact, he and his son John D Rockefeller Jr. dedicated themselves to philanthropy, giving away more than $1 billion and establishing the University of Chicago.

The establishment of numerous charitable foundations has not only contributed positively to global society but also helped in maintaining and enhancing the family’s reputation. Their philanthropic efforts have facilitated network building and influence expansion, inadvertently aiding in wealth preservation and growth.

Simply put, the more you give, the more you make.

Strategic Financial Management

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/grow-money-rockefeller-family-5-130046841.html

8 Key Signs of a Quiet Millionaire

8 Key Signs of a Quiet Millionaire, According to Rachel Cruze

Ashley Donohoe  Thu, March 13, 2025  GOBankingRates

When you think about millionaires, you might picture people who visibly show off their expensive things or who got rich by receiving an inheritance or making one lucky investment.

However, the National Study of Millionaires by Ramsey Solutions showed that millionaires more often built their wealth by more ordinary means, like stashing funds in a 401(k), and many didn’t even earn extremely high salaries. It can even be hard to tell who is rich sometimes.

A recent YouTube video from financial expert Rachel Cruze looked at eight common signs that can help you identify “quiet” millionaires.

Not Living Paycheck to Paycheck

A recent Pymnts Intelligence report found that 65% of respondents relied on their next paycheck. That number also included some Americans who lived paycheck to paycheck but didn’t necessarily struggle to pay their bills.

Quiet millionaires don’t share this problem. Cruze explained that such people thrive because they have a bigger margin thanks to budgeting and not spending excessively.

Not Worrying About Upcoming Expenses

Unlike those living paycheck to paycheck, quiet millionaires are less worried about becoming financially damaged if they face a big expense. They’ve already saved up the money.

“Having an emergency fund for upcoming expenses for the unexpected is key, but then also planning for upcoming expenses ahead of time, being proactive,” Cruze explained.

Investing Money Wisely

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/8-key-signs-quiet-millionaire-150135402.html

4 Types of Financial Documents You Should Keep Together at All Times

4 Types of Financial Documents You Should Keep Together at All Times in Case of Emergency — Here’s Why

Adam Palasciano  Tue, March 11, 2025  GOBankingRates

Life is full of the unexpected. You never know when you may find yourself in dire straits or faced with an emergency that’s totally out of your control. Sadly, Americans are affected by weather-related disasters now more than ever before.

According to the NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2024 alone was full of “billion-dollar” weather-related natural disasters: There were 27 individual weather and climate disasters with at least $1 billion in damages, which is only one less than the record of 28 events in 2023. Last year’s natural disasters took nearly 600 lives and cost approximately $182.7 billion in total.

With natural disasters on the rise, you’ll absolutely need to be prepared for whatever comes your way. This includes having a “financial go bag” at the ready.

A financial go bag is basically what it sounds like: It’s a bag with everything related to your finances, identity, emergency contacts and medical information that you need to keep on your person.

Here are four specific categories of items you’ll want to be sure you have in your financial go bag.

Financial and Legal Documents

Having copies of any applicable financial and legal documents printed and at the ready is critical, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). For example, if your home is destroyed in a fire, maintaining copies of these documents in your go bag may be the only physical proof you have of account ownership.

These include but are not limited to the following types of documents:

• Credit and debit card statements

• Checking account statements

• Savings account statements

• Retirement and investment account statements

• Utility bills

• Student loan statements

• Alimony and child support documents

• Elder care information.

Identification

When faced with a catastrophe, you’ll need to have at least a few forms of identification in your bag, according to FEMA.

TO READ MORE:  https://finance.yahoo.com/news/4-types-financial-documents-keep-150101110.html

3 Ways To Avoid Being Exploited As You Get Older

3 Ways To Avoid Being Exploited As You Get Older

‘They left us with nothing’: This elderly couple was evicted from their home of 20 years — after their son transferred ownership. 3 ways to avoid being exploited as you get older

Serah Louis   Sun, September 24, 2023

An elderly California couple was devastated when they were served an eviction notice in April for the home they’d been making regular payments on for two decades.

Ismael and Angelita Ramirez purchased their home back in 2003 with their son, who told them they didn’t need to include their name on the title.

"He told us they told him it wasn't necessary. And well, since we don't know English, that's where they lied to us," Ishmael told FOX26 News.

The eviction notice reportedly stated that the owner of the home was selling the property and the couple said they later learned their son had transferred the home to a woman who sent them the notice. Although the couple tried to get legal help, there wasn’t much the lawyer could do since the house wasn’t in their name.

“We thought, why did our boy do that to us if he knew the house was ours?" Ishmael said.

Elder financial abuse impacts millions of Americans

The Ramirezes were victims of elder abuse — which is far more common than you’d think.

In fact, the National Council on Aging reports up to five million older Americans are affected each year, while victims of financial abuse are estimated to lose at least $36.5 billion a year.

And in almost 60% of cases, the perpetrator is a family member — often the adult child or spouse of the victim.

The Ramirezes told FOX26 they’ve since been displaced and their Social Security income isn’t enough to buy a new home or even afford rent.

"They left us with nothing," Ismael said.

Their other son, Ismael Jr., created a GoFundMe fundraiser, which has already received more than 1,600 donations to help the couple.

Here are five ways to avoid being exploited as you get older, or to protect your aging parents from predators.

1. Appoint a power of attorney

A power of attorney (POA) allows an individual to act on your behalf in legal or business matters — and you can appoint this person while you’re in control of your mental faculties.

Appointing a financial POA allows someone to manage your financial affairs, like signing and mailing checks, filing tax returns and managing investments on your behalf. They can have specific and limited powers, or more broad capabilities.

But most importantly, be careful who you select to safeguard your finances, as the Ramirezes learned firsthand. You should only appoint someone you really trust — but you can tell your (trusted) friends and family about your POA so they can look out for you. You could also request that your agent report to another person so that they’re held accountable for any transactions they make on your behalf.

TO READ MORE: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/left-us-nothing-elderly-couple-100000273.html

Is the US Headed Toward Recession?

Is the US Headed Toward Recession? [Podcast]

Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black)  March 11, 2025

By the late 1920s, the US economy was booming and had advantages that most of the world did not yet enjoy.  Manufacturing in America was extremely competitive due to mass electrification powering factories. Farmers had traded out horses and mules for trucks and tractors.

US productivity was surging.

Global trade was still recovering from World War I, but there was enough sense at the League of Nations (the precursor to the United Nations) to campaign against trade barriers.

The final report from the World Economic Conference in 1927 concluded that “the time has come to put an end to tariffs. . .”

But America decided to move in the opposite direction.

Two politicians, Willis Hawley and Reed Smoot put forth a plan to impose steep tariffs that reached as high as 59.1% on some products.

The infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act passed in 1930, and almost immediately, countries around the world imposed their own retaliatory tariffs against the US.

Global trade plummeted as a result, which became a major factor in prolonging an almost never-ending and extremely painful economic depression.

I don’t think another Great Depression is in the cards right now, but frankly all these threats of tariffs are starting to have an impact.

Stock market investors are realizing that a recession is clearly on the table, and that business and consumer sentiment across the board have taken a nose dive.

That could all rebound just as quickly as it has fallen, but the larger point is that tariffs will absolutely make the country, and the world for that matter, much worse off.

The key reason is that tariffs force the economy to operate below its maximum potential.

Think about it on an individual basis. Imagine if Tom Cruise were sacking groceries instead of making movies. I think most people would probably acknowledge that creating multi-billion dollar box office hits is a hard thing to do, and sacking groceries would be below his potential.

The same goes for a trained and experienced neurosurgeon— picking turnips is not the best use of his or her time.

The US economy is certainly capable of producing just about anything. But there’s no point in deliberately producing below your potential— i.e. taking scarce talent and resources away from more valuable more productive sectors, and instead focusing that energy to make socks and underwear.

If an economy consistently underachieves its potential, everyone is worse off as a result— regardless of whether that results in a near-term recession.

The US has the potential in small-scale nuclear reactors, and emerging technology in AI, automation, robotics, and high-performance computing to create a level of abundance and prosperity that is almost unimaginable. That advantage is specific to the United States and that reality could be just a few years away because most of that technology exists or is close.

And that’s what the US needs to get out of its $36 trillion debt problem— a productivity and innovation driven economic boom.

Tariffs throw cold water on the whole thing.

This is what we discuss in today’s podcast.

We also touch on:

• Recent stock market swings

• The valuation of stocks now, and historically

• Who is investing in the stock market today

• What could drive investors into bonds

• And more.

You can listen here.

(For the audio-only version, check out our online post here.)

To your freedom,  James Hickman   Co-Founder, Schiff Sovereign LLC

https://www.schiffsovereign.com/podcast/is-the-us-headed-toward-recession-podcast-152224/

How To Handle Cash Savings Of Deceased Parents

How To Handle Cash Savings Of Deceased Parents

Liz Weston   Sun, March 9, 2025  LA Times

Dear Liz: My mother passed away a little over a year ago, and my father about 18 months prior to her. I discovered that my parents saved up quite a lot of cash (in the six figures), and I'm afraid to deposit it without triggering the IRS.

My parents routinely saved anywhere from $5,000 to up to $20,000 per year for the last 30 years. I read my mom's handwriting on the envelopes with the dates. How can I deposit all this without triggering the IRS? Some of the bills are “vintage” so I will keep them to see if they're worth more than face value. I also thought about using it to buy real estate.

 Answer: You mention “triggering the IRS” as if your deposit might set off an explosion of audit notices and tax liens. In reality, you’re far more likely to cause yourself grief by trying to avoid IRS notice than you are by simply depositing the money.

Banks report large cash deposits — typically those of $10,000 or more — to the IRS as a way to combat money laundering. Anti-money-laundering rules also have been extended to real estate deals. Banks are looking for smaller deposits that could add up to more than $10,000, so don’t think spreading out the deposits will help you avoid scrutiny.

“Depositing the money all at once would probably arouse less suspicion with the bank than making a continuing series of deposits just under $10,000,” says Mark Luscombe, principal analyst for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting.

Luscombe suggests retaining all those envelopes with your mother’s handwriting. If you are questioned by your bank or the IRS, the envelopes could help show your parents were gradually saving the money over time rather than engaging in some money-raising scheme on which taxes were never paid.

You didn’t mention if your parents had wills or other estate documents, or if there are other beneficiaries. Consult with an estate planning attorney to see if the cash needs to be deposited in the name of your mother’s estate.

TO READ MORRE:   https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/handle-cash-savings-deceased-parents-100048077.html

China And Germany Are Leading The Next Round Of Global Inflation

China And Germany Are Leading The Next Round Of Global Inflation

Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black)  March 6, 2025

Between press conference bust ups, tariff announcements, peace deals, and cryptocurrency reserve proclamations, it has been a busy month and a half.

Despite all this, our global economic outlook remains relatively unchanged: we’re still anticipating a pretty serious bout of inflation around the world, and I’ll explain why.

Inflation isn’t hard to understand. We all see it when we go to the grocery store, fill up our cars, or pay for tuition, daycare, or medical services.

The pandemic was the perfect illustration of how this happens; governments worldwide locked people in their homes, halting the production of goods and services. Meanwhile, they borrowed and ‘printed’ trillions of dollars, flooding the economy with money.

The obvious result was inflation. More money was chasing fewer goods and services, so prices for just about everything increased, from stocks, crypto, and real estate to eggs and bacon.

We’ve long argued that this trend will continue. And while there was a brief respite, this cycle of debt and central bank money printing is poised to accelerate again.

Germany, for example, just announced roughly €500 billion in spending, almost all of which will be fueled by debt. And that figure appears to be just a modest down payment in their overall spending plan. They want the rest of Europe to join them in this debt binge as well.

Bear in mind, Germany is supposed to be the ‘responsible’ country that lives within its means and spends conservatively. Yet practically overnight, they have adopted a ‘whatever it takes’ mentality, and are working to eliminate legal restrictions on government expenditures so that they can spend even more.

Not to be outdone, the Chinese Communist Party earlier this week announced its own spending bonanza designed to prop up the economy and increase consumer spending.

This is all literally just from the past few days. And the implications cannot be overstated. Similar to what we saw during the pandemic, the flood of new money into the global economy will be inflationary.

We also don’t think it’s going to stop with Germany or China. Most Western nations are poised to spend beyond their means... almost as if locked in a deficit-spending ‘arms race’. So, again, our inflationary outlook has not changed.

This is why we continue to view real assets as a safe haven.

It probably also helps that, in general, real assets are at a remarkably cheap spot in their market cycle, especially when compared to financial assets.

In fact, the last time real assets (commodities specifically) were this cheap relative to stocks was in 1999 at the peak of the dot-com bubble. Commodities and related industries surged 2,000% in the years that followed, dwarfing the returns of the Dow Jones and S&P 500.

We’ve paid very special attention to real asset businesses which are trading at laughably cheap valuations even while gold is near its all time high.

Here’s a great example— last month in our highest-level investment research service, The 4th Pillar, we highlighted a precious metals business operating in one of the worlds best jurisdictions. It has a pristine balance sheet and is quite profitable, yet its stock price trades at a mere 3 times forward earnings.

In our most recent edition, which will be sent to 4th Pillar subscribers tomorrow, is another precious metals business that has been completely overlooked by investors. It too is profitable and has a fantastic balance sheet, yet also trades at a multiple of less than 3.

It’s extremely uncommon to see such healthy, well-managed businesses have enormous growth potential, yet simultaneously be so inexpensive. As a comparison, many popular tech companies have Price/Earnings multiples in excess of 30 or 40.

It’s crazy when you think about it; gold has gone through the roof, yet extremely profitable gold-related companies have seen their share prices languish.

In other words, the share prices of these precious metals companies don’t reflect the fact that gold is already near its all-time high... and they certainly don’t reflect the additional upside potential that gold could continue to surge in the coming years as foreign central banks continue to trade part of their US dollar reserves for gold.

Our investment research service, the 4th Pillar, focuses very heavily on these deeply undervalued real asset businesses: profitable companies with fantastic balance sheets and serious growth prospects that are trading at ridiculous discounts right now.

We don’t believe this anomaly is going to last, i.e. gold surging to fresh, all-time highs, yet gold company share prices languishing.

For the past few weeks we’ve been offering an annual subscription to the 4th Pillar at a steep 50% discount as well. But this too won’t last. In fact we’ll be closing out our special, promotional offer in the next couple of days.

So if you’d like to learn more about the 4th Pillar investment research— and these deeply undervalued real asset businesses, click here for more information while the promotional offer lasts.

To your freedom,  James Hickman  Co-Founder, Schiff Sovereign LLC

https://www.schiffsovereign.com/trends/china-and-germany-are-leading-the-next-round-of-global-inflation-152170/

7 Worst Mistakes Boomers Can Make With Money — and How To Avoid Them

7 Worst Mistakes Boomers Can Make With Money — and How To Avoid Them

Cindy Lamothe    Sun, March 9, 2025   GOBankingRates

Every generation comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. For boomers, there are certain fumbles they can make with money that will significantly hinder their financial situation in retirement.

 “Boomers often face financial pitfalls that can jeopardize their retirement,” said Stewart Willis, President of Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax.

Below are some of the worst mistakes and how to avoid them.

 Putting All Investments Into Cryptocurrency

According to Melanie Musson, finance expert with Insurance Providers, some boomers make the mistake of putting all their investments into cryptocurrency.

“Crypto has had an impressive run. It could grow rapidly, or it could fizzle. It’s risky. High-risk investments have a place in a diversified portfolio, but they’re not where a boomer should allocate all their savings.”

She noted that boomers’ retirement finances don’t have time to bounce back from a major loss.

Instead of putting everything into crypto, she advised investing in a diversified portfolio favoring Are You Rich or Middle Class? 8 Ways To Tell That Go Beyond Your Paycheck options.

Racking Up Credit Card Debt

Another financial pitfall is racking up credit card debt.

“Credit card debt is expensive. Interest rates are ridiculously high. If you get into credit card debt, you’ll pay back far more than you borrowed, making your retirement savings disappear more quickly than you anticipated,” said Musson.’

TO READ MORE:  https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/7-worst-mistakes-boomers-money-110043895.html

The Controlled Demolition of the US Dollar’s Reserve Status

The Controlled Demolition of the US Dollar’s Reserve Status [Podcast]

Notes From the Field By James Hickman (Simon Black) March 5, 2025

Even during the darkest moments of the Biden administration—the shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan, 9% inflation, bureaucrats hell-bent on destroying the economy—I still said America’s problems were fixable.

But I didn’t see any hope in the previous administration or a prospective Kamala administration to fix things and only expected them to grow worse.

We’re now a month and a half into a new administration, and it’s fair to say some things are going very well.  There are others that, depending on your view, are not.

One big concern I have is that no one is interested in reforming Social Security—a massive entitlement program whose own trustees say will run out of money over the next several years. This is a gargantuan financial crisis in the making, a ticking time bomb that no one wants to touch.

Depending on your priorities, foreign relations are also on the list of concerns.

If you're more isolationist, you might think that the unwinding of relationships and alliances is no big deal—that the world needs America more than America needs the world.

But there are consequences to that...

$28 trillion of US government debt is coming due over the next four years, and a lot of that is owned by foreign governments and central banks.

The Treasury Department needs these players to go along and reinvest—not only in America but specifically in US government bonds.

And if relationships are too fractured, they might not be willing to do that.

That could create an enormous fiscal crisis that would most likely result in a lot of inflation.

It also puts into question the US dollar’s status as the global reserve currency, which it has enjoyed for more than 80 years.

The reality, however, is that while the short-term consequences of losing reserve status could be profound, in the long term, reserve currency status is not a requirement for economic prosperity.

There are plenty of countries around the world—Taiwan, Singapore, Switzerland, etc.—that are prosperous nations and do not have the global reserve currency.

In some respects, reserve status is a huge benefit, but also a bit of a handcuff.

In today’s podcast episode, we explore what we call the “controlled demolition” of America’s reserve status—a way for America to potentially remain powerful yet lose that reserve status.

That could be the outcome over the next four years.

And today, we discuss the paths and consequences of that scenario.

Spoiler Alert: It’s probably good for gold, and possibly crypto too.

Click here to listen in to today’s episode.

(For the audio-only version, check out our online post here.)

To your freedom,  James Hickman   Co-Founder, Schiff Sovereign LLC

https://www.schiffsovereign.com/podcast/the-controlled-demolition-of-the-us-dollars-reserve-status-podcast-152164/