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November 24, 2015

Scammers, hackers and identity thieves are looking to steal your personal information – and your money. But there are simple steps you can take to help protect yourself, like keeping your computer software up-to-date and giving out your personal information only when you have a good reason.

We all have a role to play to protect your accounts. There are just a few easy and practical steps you can take to protect yourself as you conduct your personal business online.
Here are some best practices you can follow to protect your tax and financial information:

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November 20, 2015

Learning you are a victim of identity theft can be a stressful event. Identity theft is also a challenge to businesses, organizations and government agencies, including the IRS. Tax-related identity theft occurs when someone uses your stolen Social Security number to file a tax return claiming a fraudulent refund.

Many times, you may not be aware that someone has stolen your identity. The IRS may be the first to let you know you’re a victim of ID theft after you try to file your taxes.
The IRS combats tax-related identity theft with a strategy of prevention, detection and victim assistance. The IRS is making progress against this crime and it remains one of the agency’s highest priorities.

Here are ten things to know about ID Theft:

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February 10, 2010

Two-and-a-half years ago, the Quarterly commented on the “yen carry trade” then in vogue with global traders and speculators. As Japan’s post-bubble malaise extended well into its second decade, the country’s persistently minuscule interest rates had made the yen carry trade a pretty reliable way to lever up incremental returns. Today the talk is about the dollar carry trade. A shaky U.S. recovery and historically low short-term treasury yields are enticing traders to borrow in dollars to purchase a range of other assets. Global equities, high-yield bonds, gold, and other commodities have benefited (see the trailing one year numbers in the accompanying table). This weighs on a U.S. dollar already under price pressure from the flood of liquidity released by the Federal Reserve’s machinations and concerns over unprecedented federal deficits. With the Fed signaling that it will keep rates very low for an extended period, the dollar carry trade has looked like a one-way bet. Such bets can sow the seeds of their own demise. Many of the assets reportedly benefiting from the dollar carry trade can be dumped rather quickly. And as we noted a couple years ago, “currencies can shift faster than the time it takes to profit on an interest rate arbitrage.” Signs of healing for the U.S. economy could hit the dollar carry trade hard. Markets got a taste of the hair-triggered possibilities the other day when November employment numbers came in stronger than expected. The greenback rallied and gold gave up 4% on the day – not a game for the faint of heart.

Nothing contained herein shall constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any security.  Securities are offered through KMS Financial Services, Inc. Material in this publication is original or from published sources and is believed to be accurate.  Readers are cautioned to consult their own tax and investment professionals with regard to their specific situations.