Personal Finance Daily: Tax rules that could trip you up

Personal Finance Daily JANUARY 25, 2012 Wednesday's Personal Finance Stories By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: Big tax mines that could blow up your return Top tax sites online: How to choose Investing: Keep it simple for best returns Got taxes? Yes, you probably do. And it's time to start thinking about preparing your 2011 tax return. So today, MarketWatch launches its Early-bird Tax Guide. Andrea Coombes, our personal finance editor, writes about tax changes that could trip you up, such as new rules and a new form for reporting cost basis for stocks sold in 2011, new rules for reporting financial assets overseas, and information on IRA conversions. We also have a column from Eva Rosenberg comparing some of the top online tax preparation services and highlighting how to find useful tools and good answers to tax questions. We'll have more TaxWatch columns, news tools and tips in coming weeks. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance TAXES Big tax mines that could blow up your return Most people don't have tax returns as complex as Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich or Barack Obama, but even if you aren't reporting a Cayman Island account or many millions in S-corp. profits or book sales, there are brand-new pitfalls to watch for as you go to do your 2011 return. Read more: Big tax mines that could blow up your return. Top tax sites online: How to choose Which tax software provider is the best? MarketWatch's Eva Rosenberg looks at five of the top providers to compare the services they offer — and how much it all costs. Read more: Top tax sites online: How to choose. INVESTING Investing: Keep it simple for best returns Complex structured investments may not be worth the headache, while simpler investments may pay off just as well — or better. Read more: Investing: Keep it simple for best returns. A leading indicator of a higher market? It's easy to see why the bulls are advancing the notion that the financials sector is a leading market indicator: Since the October lows, the sector has gained nearly 30%, handily outpacing the 20% gain for the S&P 500 index. Read more: A leading indicator of a higher market? ECONOMY & POLITICS Obama calls for economy 'built to last' President Barack Obama uses his State of the Union address Tuesday to describe specific plans to move toward an economy that is "built to last." Read more: Obama calls for economy 'built to last.' What SOPA-like regulations would mean SOPA is off the table for now. But it did not disappear; it may very well come back under a different name. Read more: What SOPA-like regulations would mean. INTERNATIONAL NEWS Forget Greece; it's Portugal that'll destroy euro A Portuguese default will trigger a whole-scale retreat from the euro-zone — and right now that looks like the trigger for the collapse of the system, writes Matthew Lynn. Read more: Forget Greece; it's Portugal that'll destroy euro. Japan posts first annual trade deficit since 1980 Japan posts its first annual trade deficit since 1980, with December's trade gap wider than expected, with analysts divided over how long it will take to return to surplus. R Get the latest news on our mobile site: http://www.marketwatch.com/m MarketWatch has sent you this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. To ensure you receive this newsletter in the future, please add marketwatchmail.com to your list of approved senders. Sent to: kumaresan.selva.blogger@gmail.com Unsubscribe | Subscribe Copyright 2012 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (updated 6/26/07). MarketWatch - Attn: Customer Service, 201 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111