If you itemize or even if you take the standard deduction, you probably want to consider the following. Too often I see people who have in essence paid more tax than they should have by not squeezing every bit of value out of their deductions.

To understand this concept, you need to understand the value of your deductions and the tax cost of income.

Can the nonprofit world handle a flood of helpers? That’s the question posed by The Chronicle of Philanthropy in the headline of its lead story (Oct. 15, 2009 edition). The article’s premise: More and more people are seeking opportunities to volunteer with charities, but the charities may not be ready, have the desire or the ability to engage them.

BIG TIP: Always focus on how you can spread passion for your cause. If you do this, the money and the donors will follow. There is no greater calling than to share one’s passion about a meaningful cause. Too many many non-profits fail to spread passion. They spend so much time soliciting transactions that they forget the big picture.

Never in the course of our history has there been a crying necessity for people to take a hard look at how much they are paying in taxes. Tax planning is a vital requirement for anyone who wants to pursue a BIG dream.

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 10 of our new book, “Generation BIG – The Rising Tide of Dreams to Action.” In the book, we profile several bold, innovative, and generous (BIG) people, and then we offer you guidance to help you on your

An excerpt from Chapter 9 of Generation BIG – The Rising Tide of Dreams to Action To launch a BIG life, you need a financial foundation that perpetually fuels the journey. Being BIG doesn’t demand sacrificing lifestyle. In fact, our observations confirm just the opposite.

An excerpt from Chapter 10 of Generation BIG – The Rising Tide of Dreams to Action The Greatest Generation was not about personal reinvention and dream fulfillment. They went to war and then went to work – at the automobile factory, at IBM, for the

GenerationBIG co-founder Jeffrey Smith discusses the importance of innovation…

GenerationBIG co-founder Jeffrey Smith describes the GenerationBIG mindset…

According to the April 4 Kiplinger Tax Letter, the opportunity to donate your IRA withdrawals to charity without tax affect will be reinstated retroactively to January 1, 2008. Congress allowed this benefit to expire at the end of 2007. This is good news for people