DoorWay

I hear a lot of people asking for tolerance... yet I don't see much of it toward Christians on this site. If you know something is moraly wrong, would you let it slip/tolerate it or try to voice your concern?

Word: fuerzas (meaning strength). How is it pronounced?

If I don't get company health benefits and I am paying my own premiums which with other medical expenses exceed 7.5% of my Gross Annual Income, am I correct in assuming I qualify to write them off.

If I am interested in updating my application skills, like Excell, Word and Power Point... is taking the 2003 MSO certification the right track? I know office 2007 was recently released. My office system uses 2003 and it may be another year or so before the new version is adopted at the corporate level.

Is there an impact of a stock splitting within the mutual fund that I own? Also, is there ever a good reason why a mutual fund would split... considering that fractional shares can be purchased so the actual cost per share doesn't seem to matter?

I currently hold shares of the Vanguard S&P 500 mutual fund. I pay a $10.00/annual fee because my balance is less then 10K, also I pay 0.18% fee on the portfolio balance annually as the established managment fee for the fund. Are any of these fees deductable?

A follow on question is a broker fee, if I had an account where I pay an annual fee for broker services... or a fee for trading normal stock, are such fees deducable?

Investing in REIT funds provides a steady stream of dividents, but these dividents are taxed at the normal income rate, unlike other mutual fund investment dividents. Thus, my question is... if I am in my thirties does it make sense to have some REIT in my portfolio? Obviously for someone retired, this investment vehical has lower tax implications. So I see this as a grades scale... with small percentage early on and possibly growing as I age. Does this make sense?

I presume interest income is treated as regular income, so if the last dollar I pay tax for the year is getting hit at 28% by Uncle Sam, then in effect my interest income will be taxed at 28% that year. In comparison, taxable dividents from a mutual fund are taxed at 15% (fixed, assuming it is qualified... I understand I would not qualify for the 5% due to my income level). Am I correct in my understanding? So why would I put money into interest baring accounts (other then some need for liquidity)?

In 1 Corinthians 13, the Word of the Lord talks about the quality and significance of love. In the last segment it notes "where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge , it will pass away. For we know in part and and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." Our knowing in part will be replaced by us knowing in full. As such I was wondering, how much effort should we put in to knowing in part. I think there is the temptation of wanting to know everything... but that seems impractical, because it wont give us time to simply practice the truths we arleady know (theoretical vs. practical). Where do you think a healthy balance is?

We trace our Faith back to Abraham, so then are we not serving the same God. If so, why the war between brothers? Can we be mature enough to admit our wrongs, test our Faith by the fruit it bares, refrain from bloodshed, eradicate the seeds of hatred (they are not from God). Are we blinded by traditions, cultural biases and ignorance to the point that we don't realize that we are the salt of the earth, the sons and daughters of God a holy people set appart for the works of God!

Without Christ there was no salvation, those who died before he came (or without knowing him) went to Sheol. After Jesus' crucifiction he descended to Sheol to lead the righteous to Heaven... does this imply that both the righteous and the unrigheous were in Sheol, awaiting Jesus (judgement). Now that we have Christ, is there a need for Sheol (perhaps so for the unrigheous before the final judgment which would eternaly separate them from God).

A friend already submitted her taxes (TurboTax) and now received notice of a $300.00 penatly for withdrawing money from her 401K sometime during 2006. She attempted to amend her taxes but when she put in the penatly... her tax refund did not go down by the expected $300.00, instead it decreased about $150.00. Any particular reason for this... what is she doing wrong in ammending her tax return?

I live in the State of Virignia... according to the State I get upto a 2000.00/year deduction for contributions made to my daughter's 529 plan. I am using Turbo Tax, and for the life of me I can't find what IRS form I am supposed to fill out to enter my 2006 contributions to this account.

I would like to buy some stocks, but I want to do it in a cost effective and flexible way. I have been looking at Scottrade and E-Trade, but I wanted to ask people with experience. I would like to purchase stocks online. Also, I am puzzled by the saving's account that acts as an intermediary between my bank account and my investment portfolio. Are there firms that eliminate this "middleman" approach, but still provide a flexible (quick) way to purchase/sell stock. I don't plan to do day trading... most likely periodic investments (long term), though I want to make sure if I want to but a stock, I can do so quickly. Should I be looking at some other investment firms I am not aware of? Your insight is appreciated, I don't want to start out with the wrong firm.

I have recently purchased an index mutual fund (S&P 500). Everytime I buy shares I buy mini-shares in each of the 500 underlying companies. Is there an investment vehical out there that is similar to mutual funds but allows customization of assett allocation within the fund... for example, I realize for the mutual fund to be it has to have a set of stocks. That's fine, now lest say I don't agree with buying stocks from 3 of the 500 I have on my list... I would like to change my assett allocation to such so that zero dollars go to the 3 and the remaining is spread across the rest. I am not sure if ETFs would do this or not... so far I am unaware of how to do this without simply just buying stocks (but then the broker fees will crush me).

Why is that? Do index funds only update once a day... perhaps when the market is already closed? Is this normal? All day today it was showing the previous trading day's values... till tonight. I presume tomorrow it will show tonight's value till the trading is done. Is this a correct assumption? What is the logic behind this... and why does this not apply to my 401K mutual funds?