An in-depth guide to 401(k) plans--for the over 24 million Americans participating in them As 401(k) assets accumulate, so do the questions about the plans--especially with regard to the investment options which typically include at least seven choices by employers. This much-needed book explains how 401(k) plans work, how federal regulations and company policies affect retirement savings, how to develop investment strategies that will benefit individual needs, and what happens when money is taken out of a 401(k) plan. It also compares 401(k) plans to other tax-sheltered retirement plans, including IRAs, 403(b) plans, and 457 plans, and provides comprehensive listings of Web and print information resources. Most importantly, J. K. Lasser's Winning with Your 401(k) helps readers to understand their company plan in terms of their own personal needs and goals for the future. Grace W. Weinstein (Englewood, NJ) writes a weekly column on personal finance for the Financial Times and a regular column on tax issues for Investor's Business Daily. She has appeared on Good Morning America and the Today Show.

BUILD A SOLID RETIREMENT FOUNDATION BY TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR 403(b) Learning how to properly choose and maintain a 403(b) plan can be confusing and downright frightening without the proper information. J.K. Lasser?s Winning with Your 403(b) will educate you on this unique and powerful tax-sheltered retirement plan for employees of nonprofit organizations. Retirement planning is an important aspect of everyone?s financial strategy. This indispensable guide to 403(b)s will give you the insight and knowledge needed to ask the right questions when choosing a 403(b) plan, receive respectable returns on your investment, and reap the rewards of your plan as you head into retirement. Whatever your goals may be, if you are investing in a 403(b) as a vehicle for retirement, you should also invest in J.K. Lasser?s Winning with Your 403(b). Critical coverage will help you: * Learn why selecting the right 403(b) vehicle is crucial to the success of your investment returns * Pick the 403(b) plan that fits your specific needs by using a 10-point checklist * Compare 403(b) plans with other retirement plans including 401(k)s, Roth and traditional IRAs, annuities, and pension plans * Select funds to meet the objectives of your 403(b) plan * Develop sound investment strategies that will keep your 403(b) healthy * Steer your 403(b) through job changes, retirement, and beyond J.K. Lasser?Practical Guides for All Your Financial Needs Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com

SENSIBLE WAYS TO SAVE FOR COLLEGE From tuition and books to room and board, the cost of college is staggering-and it isn't getting any cheaper. What you're saving today may not be enough to cover the cost of your child's college education tomorrow. J.K. Lasser's Winning Ways to Save for College provides the most straightforward, tax-efficient strategies to save for your children's college education-whether they're eight months old or eighteen years old. Even if you've worked out how much money you need to save, you still need to make many other important decisions, such as how that money will be invested, the tax consequences of those investments, and how that investment portfolio should change over time. Don't wait! The faster you start saving, the sooner you can stop worrying. Key coverage will help you: * Choose the investments that fit into your college savings plan-stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CollegeSure CDs, and U.S. Treasury Bills * Use educational savings provisions in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 to speed up the growth of your college savings * Understand how 529 savings plans stack up to prepaid plans, Education IRAs, UGMAs, and UTMAs * Select a financial planner who will help you plot a strategy for college savings * Apply for financial aid such as grants, loans, work-study jobs, and scholarships J.K. Lasser--Practical Guides for All Your Financial Needs Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com

* Completely updated for all the new tax laws * Capitalize on every deduction! * Sole proprietor, corporation, or partnership? The Ultimate Guide to Running a Tax-Efficient Home-Based Business The advantages of operating a home-based business are countless, but what many owners don't realize, and are often not prepared to handle, are the host of complex tax issues surrounding a home-based business. The completely updated Fifth Edition of J.K. Lasser's Taxes Made Easy for Your Home-Based Business clarifies the current tax environment with regard to home-based businesses, and shows you how to make the most of the new tax laws. This perennial guide answers home-based business owners' questions, with a special focus on the changing tax laws and deductions for the home office. Expert advice and in-depth insights will help you avoid costly mistakes and take advantage of opportunities you would otherwise miss. Critical coverage will help you: * Navigate the details of the new tax laws and IRS rules * Increase your knowledge of deductible expenses * Keep your records up to IRS standards * Organize and run a home-based business for maximum tax benefits * Make filing easy by utilizing sample tax forms

The ultimate guide to running a tax-efficient home-based business Today, millions of people are making either a full- or part-time living selling things on Internet auction sites like eBay. Still more are making a living selling products from their homes--think Mary Kay and Avon. If you're just entering the home-based or online business arena, you might not be aware of your potential tax liability. With J.K. Lasser's From eBay to Mary Kay, leading tax consultant Gary Carter walks you through the challenges of accounting for a home-based business. Topics covered throughout this comprehensive guide include: * Can you deduct the use of your home? * Are there ways to avoid taxes entirely? * What types of taxes might you owe? * How do you account for your inventory? * What are the rules on collecting sales and use taxes? The advantages of operating a home-based business are countless, but many owners don't realize--and are often unprepared to handle--the host of complex tax issues surrounding them. J.K. Lasser's From eBay to Mary Kay will show you how to account for your home-based business and avoid unnecessary tax trouble. J.K. Lasser--Practical Guides for All Your Financial Needs Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com

* Easy-to-understand financial fundamentals * Strategies to improve profit and cash flow * Make your accounting reports more useful * How to budget according to business size PROVEN, HANDS-ON GUIDANCE FOR BUILDING SUCCESSFUL AND EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL BUSINESS PRACTICES Using easy-to-understand language, J.K. Lasser's Financial Basics for Business Managers nails down the financial basics of business management like no other book. With this comprehensive book as your guide, you'll quickly learn how to protect and improve the financial performance and position of your business-regardless of its size. Bestselling financial author John Tracy explains in detail the full range of financial analysis and budgeting techniques used by managers and small business owners in today's workplace, including income statements, balance sheets, operating ratios, profitability, cash flow, cost allocations, capital investments, and much more. Filled with valuable tips and strategies, J.K. Lasser's Financial Basics for Business Managers gives you the tools you need to manage more efficiently than ever before. Critical coverage will help you: * Read financial statements and accounting reports * Better analyze and plan profit and cash flow * Control costs, cash flow, and financial condition * Interpret accounting information * Factor in the cost of capital when making capital investments J.K. Lasser--Practical Guides for All Your Financial Needs Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com

* Be tax-conscious all year long and lower your tax rates * Record-keeping essentials to project your tax deductions * Year-end tax moves to cut your taxes Plan now-so you can save later With each new tax year comes new tax laws, and this year is no different. From the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, and the Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief Act of 2001 to the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002, you can no longer afford to take a wait-and-see attitude when dealing with your taxes. You have to be proactive. If you're looking to avoid unwelcome surprises at tax time, pick up J.K. Lasser's Year-Round Tax Strategies 2003. Whether you invest in stocks or mutual funds, own a home, work from home, or own a business, this invaluable book provides tax-saving strategies that will guide you throughout the year-ensuring a shock-free April 15th. Plan ahead, prepare for new tax laws, and pay fewer taxes with the help of J.K. Lasser's Year-Round Tax Strategies 2003. Detailed tax coverage provides you with: * Comprehensive coverage of new tax legislation and IRS rules * Plain English explanations of income-reporting rules, tax deductions, and tax credits * Special sections highlighting tax-planning and tax-saving opportunities for investors, business owners, and individuals planning for retirement and other special circumstances * Questions and answers that illustrate tax-filing and tax-planning techniques

Plan Now-Save Later With just a little foresight, tax time can be less painful. If you're looking to avoid unwelcome surprises at tax time, pick up J.K. Lasser's Year-Round Tax Strategies 2004 and learn how to pay less in taxes by simply planning ahead. Whether you invest in stocks or mutual funds, own a home, work from home, or own a business, this invaluable book provides tax-saving strategies that will guide you throughout the year-ensuring a shock-free April 15th. Plan ahead, prepare for new tax laws, and pay fewer taxes with the help of J.K. Lasser's Year-Round Tax Strategies 2004. This comprehensive guide provides you with: * Detailed coverage of new tax legislation and IRS rules * Special sections highlighting tax-planning and tax-saving opportunities for investors, business owners, and individuals planning for retirement or other special circumstances * Plain-English explanations of income-reporting rules, tax deductions, and tax credits * Questions and answers that illustrate tax-filing and tax-planning techniques

Planning Your Estate Under the New Tax Law is Easy with J. K. Lasser The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 will affect numerous aspects of your financial life-none more important than how you plan your estate. This new tax law includes the first major estate tax revision in over twenty years. Use J.K. Lasser's New Rules for Estate and Tax Planning to learn how the rules have changed and what you can do now to effectively plan your estate. Learn what the new law means for you and your family, and find out how to use it to keep what has taken a lifetime to accumulate. With this book, you'll understand: * The repeal of the Estate Tax * Wealth-transfer exemption * How the new legislation will impact trusts and inheritances * The role of wills, executors, guardianship, and trusts * Treatment of charitable contributions J.K. Lasser-Practical Guides for All Your Financial Needs Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com

A FAST, ACCURATE, EASY WAY TO FILE YOUR TAXES The best guide to making tax season and year-round planning easier and cheaper is finally here! With a growing number of taxpayers filing online and the recently passed Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, J.K. Lasser's Online Taxes is the perfect answer for all your online tax filing questions. Whether you're a beginner or experienced online tax filer, this practical guide provides accessible information regarding the best tax resources on the Internet, including the IRS Web site. You will also learn how online tax tools offer practical tax strategies and advice at a fraction of what a consultant would cost. With step-by-step instructions on how to file electronically and helpful tips on the new tax law, this book makes filing your taxes simple. J.K. Lasser's Online Taxes will make April 15th seem like just another day. Critical coverage will help you: * Incorporate the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 into your electronic preparation * Pinpoint tax resources on the Web to minimize the need for a consultant * Compare electronic preparation products, including TurboTax and TaxCut * Download necessary tax forms and file your taxes online * File federal and state returns for individuals and small business owners J.K. Lasser-Practical Guides for All Your Financial Needs Please visit our Web site at www.jklasser.com