Some of you may remember that I started a blog on SpritzCentral many months ago to use as a training tool for the WISE members.  The blog was focused specifically on the tools and terminology associated with the well-known WordPress blogging platform.

Here’s a short, but ghastly update on what’s happened in the interim.  For you bloggers in the group, and on the web in general, read and take heed.  Don’t make the same mistake that I did (always good advice).

After starting strong with several short postings over the course of a week last year, I promptly got busy and completely abandoned my baby blog.  Not only did I discontinue posting new articles, I also didn’t bother to see if anyone was reading it or posting comments.  If I wasn’t paying any attention to my blog, surely no one else was!

Well, I was wrong.  I happened to stumble across my blog over the weekend, and was horrified to see that hundreds of visitors had viewed my blog, and that several dozen un-moderated comments had been posted since its inception. 

The discovery was mortifying for two reasons – a few of the comments were clearly inappropriate for display on my blog (and have since been removed), and the visibility that I could have been gaining from my blog with a little time and attention was a painful missed opportunity.

What’s a blogger to do?  If you find yourself in a similar situation, you might try what I did to rectify this personal atrocity: 

1. Added SpritzCentral’s comment feed to my feedreader (now, remember to read that!)
2. Updated my anti-spam plug-in to reduce spam comments.
3. Installed a stats plug-in to easily track the blog’s traffic stats from the dashboard — a reminder to me that people are actually visiting the blog.
4. Re-dedicated myself to posting regularly — at least once a week.  It’s now on my Outlook calendar as a recurring event.  Any ghost writers out there?

The moral of the story is this — neglecting your blog is like not showing up at your own party.  Don’t disappoint your guests.  If you’re going to blog (and you should), commit yourself to nurturing the blog on a regular basis.  You’ll develop a loyal readership, and the potential payback in visibility for your business is tremendous.

Happy blogging!

Tammy Hartweg
Spritz Web Solutions
847-510-5987
Read my blog!

Just about everyone has heard of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), but there is often confusion about how a Traditional IRA differs from a Roth IRA.  As the name indicates, both are accounts that an individual has set up to fund with retirement contributions.  You can set up the account with a bank or a brokerage firm.  You put money into the account and allocate it into various types of investments such as certificates of deposit, stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. 

For a Traditional IRA, the contribution may be deductible on your personal tax return, depending on whether you are covered by another plan and your level of income.  The earnings on the investments are tax free until you begin withdrawing money, at which time the distributions are fully taxable.  Generally, you can make withdrawals without penalty once you are 59 1/2 and you must begin taking withdrawals once you reach 70 1/2.  The advantage is tax deferral on the earnings and the possibility that you are getting a tax deduction during high earning years, then later receiving the taxable income during retirement when you may be in a lower tax bracket.

Contrast this scenario with a Roth IRA, in which you get no deduction on your tax return when you make the contribution, but the investment grows tax-free with no tax paid when money is distributed.  Distributions of earnings are allowed without penalty once you have reached 59 1/2 and have had amounts in the account for at least five years.

The difference in these two types of IRAs allow for significant tax planning opportunities.  The longer time that the Roth can grow, the more advantageous it is.  A young person who is in a low tax bracket would have many years of potential tax-free growth.  (Roth 401k plans may also be available through your employer.) There is no requirement to begin making distributions of Roth IRAs at any age and tax-free transfers can be made to beneficiaries, so there are significant estate planning factors as well. 

While it can be difficult to estimate your income and tax situation in retirement, one factor to keep in mind is that under the current tax law, social security benefits may be taxable depending on your income level.  If all of your retirement savings are in traditional IRAs or retirement plans, any distribution that you take could trigger taxes on your social security income as well as the tax on the distribution itself.  A Roth IRA allows you to have some of your retirement money in an account that does not trigger taxable income.

One planning strategy is to transfer funds from your Traditional IRA into a Roth IRA.  This transfer is a taxable event, but is not subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty.  It is wise to consider this strategy in a year in which you have low income or your investments are at a low mark.  In 2009, you can make this transfer only if your other income is less than $100,000.  However, for 2010 distributions there is no income limitation and half of the distribution is taxed in 2011 and half in 2012.

Due to the complexity of these tax laws, you should consult with your tax professional regarding such issues.  Depending on your circumstances, a Roth IRA can be a very valuable tool.

Jean M. Diamond CPA

847-441-3391

A web video can make your website come to life. What used to cost many thousands of dollars can now be done with local pros on a laptop. First of all, you need cutting-edge content. Something that is fresh, creative and interesting. Keep it simple with a clear focused message about your product or services.

• Start with a well-written script.
• Combine it still photos or a video.
• Add music and a voice over to make it stand out.
• Use supers (lettering) to emphasize key points.
• Include your logo at the beginning and/or end.
• One to two minutes is plenty of time to communicate
who you are and what you offer.

In additional to having your video on your website you can also post it on YouTube for more exposure. A video is an effective way to attract people to your website, generate interest and grow your business.

To see examples of online videos we recently created go to:

http://www.lilyasirazidesign.com/Gallery_Lilya.html

http://www.sunrisesunrise.com

Linda Frothingham
847-251-2073

www.Frothideas.com

www.ChicagoHollywood.com