Healthy Financial Habits

Buying and selling gold is a hot topic these days as gold prices remain at historic highs. You may want to know how to sell your gold, whether it is scrap gold or gold coins. If you are interested in selling your gold in today’s Market, you just may be able to cash in and receive a respectable return. With gold prices soaring, finding a buyer will not be very difficult.


Gold, whether it is coins, bars, or scrap can all be sold easily in a matter of minutes. Gold demand is high and gold buyers can be found everywhere and are willing to purchase your gold at the right price. The way that you sell your gold all depends on what form your gold is in.

Scrap gold is sold by weight and purity. If you wanted to sell a gold ring for example, you may be surprised with what little bit of money you are offered because when you sell scrap gold, craftsmanship is not taken into account. You may have paid $2,000 for a ring but its scrap value may only be $200. When you sell scrap gold you will also face having to pay refining cost. Scrap gold has to be melted down to separate the gold from other metals. This process will usually run about 10% -20% of the value of your gold. Most gold buyers will take this into consideration when they are considering purchasing your gold.

Gold coins are perhaps the easiest type of gold to sell. This is especially true with the American eagle gold coin. The purity and weight of the American eagle gold coin is guaranteed by the United States federal government, making this coin desirable and easy to sell worldwide. If you have a one ounce gold coin, you will be able to sell if for the price of an ounce plus a small premium.

Abdullah Patel

Odds are that you probably have noticed an increase in gold buying interest. Many people are trading in their cash for gold such as the American eagle gold coin. Gold is an excellent hedge against inflation because it holds its value even when the United States currency is down. For this reason, many Americans have turned to gold as a way to secure their financial future in uncertain economic times. You have probably heard the commercials that want to sell you gold buying information and strategies on gold buying.


You may be interested in purchasing gold but are uncertain of where to purchase it or whether to purchase bars, coins, nuggets, etc. The American Eagle Gold coin has become a popular choice among investors for one simple reason. The weight and purity of the American Eagle Gold coin is guaranteed by the United States government. This guarantee makes purchasing the gold eagle a popular choice.

The American eagle gold coin is easy to buy and easy to sell because of its popularity worldwide. These coins are made from United States gold and are usually 22 Karats. Other metal alloys are added to the coin to make it more durable and resistant to scratching or markings.

Author: Abdullah Patel

As the popularity of gold continues to increase, many people are looking to buy gold: sell gold. With such a hot market, you may want to consider selling your scrap gold to earn a little extra cash to help supplement your income. Selling gold is an excellent way to come up with money to pay your rent or buy groceries. With gold being such a high interest to many investors, you can find multiple gold buyers in every town. You can also find several online gold buyers who will purchase your scrap metal.


Selling your scrap gold is easy to do. Getting ripped off is also easy. The best way to prevent being scammed is by understanding how scrap gold prices are calculated. The amount that you receive for your scrap gold has nothing to do with the condition or craftsmanship of your gold. When you sell your scrap gold jewelry, you are selling based off of weight and purity. Nothing else matters when it comes to selling your gold for scrap. Now that you understand this, let’s take a look at how the price of scrap gold is calculated.

First, you must locate the marking on your jewelry that indicates the purity of your gold. This marking usually contains a number and the letter “K”. The letter “K” stands for Karats and is a measurement of gold purity. An example of a purity marking may be 14K or 18K. Although rarely used, 24K is the equivalent of pure gold.

Now that you have determined the purity of your gold, next you must weigh your piece using a scale. You can use a digital scale or something as simple as a metal jewelers scale. You can often find these scales in tobacco supply shops. Weigh your piece and take note of the weight in grams.

Take a look at the current gold price per gram. There are several websites that will give you live gold prices. Next, use the following scrap gold formula created by Healthy Financial Habits:

Scrap gold value = ((Karats/24) * weight in grams) (Current price per gram) (.80)

Your scrap gold price is multiplied by .80 because you will usually pay the refinery cost of your scrap gold which can be as high as 20%.

Author: Abdullah Patel

Did you purchase a home last year? If so, you may be eligible to receive the federal housing tax credit on your 2009 income taxes. This tax credit is available to both move-up buyers and first time home buyers. Claiming the credit is simple to do when filling out your income taxes. It is as simple as completing a worksheet and entering the amount into your 1040 tax form. The two credits that are available for the 2009 year are the $8,000 credit and the $6,500 credit. Both credits are fully refundable and do not have to be repaid. Other restrictions apply to these tax credits.


The first time homebuyer’s tax credit was available all of last year and continues into the 2010 tax year. This credit is worth 10% of the purchase price of your home up to $8,000. If you purchase a home that exceeds $80,000, you will only be able to claim the $8,000. This credit is fully refundable; meaning that you will receive 100% of the credit exceeds your tax liability. An important factor to consider when claiming the tax credit is the length of time that you plan to spend in your home. If you can not see yourself in your home three years from the purchase date, you may not want to accept this credit. Failure to remain in your home for at least three years will result in you having to repay the credit.

The move-up tax credit was not available until the end of last year. With this credit, you must have owned your previous home for five consecutive years. This credit is worth $6,500 and is fully refundable. Like the First time home buyers tax credit, you must remain in your new home for at least three years to avoid repayment.

Author: John Zinsky

Do you wish that there was a faster way to receive your federal tax refund check? If you are still filing your taxes by using a paper form, then mailing in your taxes, you are missing out on a faster way to file your taxes. Efiling your taxes is the process of preparing your taxes online and submitting your tax return to the IRS for review. Millions of Americans take advantage of filing their taxes online and enjoy their federal tax refund check weeks before those who file using the old paper form method.


Filing your taxes online is so simple that just about anyone can do it. You can prepare your own tax return in a matter of minutes and send your tax return to the IRS in just seconds. After your returns are submitted to the IRS, you will receive a response within 48 hours. Try doing this using the traditional tax filing method. If your income tax return is accepted, you can receive your federal tax refund check in a matter of days and not weeks. To receive your check faster, you can choose to have it directly deposited into your checking account. By using electronic fund transfer, you can shorten your wait by a few more days.

Filing your taxes using traditional filing methods is now outdated with the introduction of online tax filing. There is really no reason why you should continue using all of those confusing paper forms. Free filing is safe, secure, fast, easy, and convenient.

Author: Mike Smitt

Getting more money back on your 2009 taxes can be as simple as finding an IRS income tax credit. Income tax credits are available to more people than ever, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment act that was signed last year by president Obama. The bill created more tax incentives and tax credits that will have an impact on millions of Americans this tax season. The energy star tax credit, Federal housing tax credit, and American Opportunity tax credit are just a few of the tax credits that are available this year. By claiming an IRS income tax credit, you can reduce your tax liability dollar for dollar. This is different from a deduction because you are actually reducing your tax bill. With a tax deduction, you lower your taxable income. With a lower taxable income you will pay less income tax.


There are several IRS income tax credits available to individual tax payers. Each credit has its own limitations so be sure to check with the IRS website to determine your eligibility before attempting to claim a tax credit. Here are just a few excellent tax credits that are available for the 2009 income tax year:

American opportunity tax credit – Extension of the hope credit. Receive up to $2,500 per student

Federal housing tax credit – First time home buyers can receive an $8,000 credit and move up buyers may be eligible for a $6,500 credit

Energy star tax credit – If you replaced certain products in your home with energy star products, you may be eligible to write off up to 30% of the cost of your products

Making work pay tax credit – Worth up to $400. Most people saw this credit as a reduction in taxes each paycheck

Hybrid car tax credit – If you purchased an eligible Hybrid car last year, you could be eligible for a tax credit up to $3,400

There are many other tax credits available. If you would like to significantly reduce the amount that you pay in taxes, you may want to consider hiring a qualified tax accountant. A qualified tax accountant can find ways to save money on your taxes that you may have never known existed.

Author: Abdullah Patel

Did you know that there is an easier way to file your IRS tax return using your home computer or the computer at work? Filing your taxes online is becoming a popular trend as more and more Americans discover free federal tax filing from several online tax preparation websites. There are several websites that have partnered with the IRS to bring millions of Americans free electronic tax filing. These e-filing website offer free tax filing to individuals who qualify. Out of the 95 million people that filed taxes online last year, 27 million of them used a federal free filing service.


You can file your IRS tax return for free if you meet certain requirements. Almost all free file websites require that your income does not exceed $57,000 a year. Some websites have age and other restrictions. To find out if you qualify, visit the IRS website and click on the “Help me find a free file company” link. Once you follow the link, you will be asked a few questions to determine your eligibility.

You will most likely benefit from free filing if you have a simple tax return. If you plan to itemize your deductions or take advantage of one of the many tax credits available, you may want to pay a little extra money to upgrade to a premium package. You can find a premium package for as little as $10 at some e-filing websites.

Author: Carla Kessler

Filing your taxes online is easy to do and may actually be 100% free if you qualify. Each year, I do my taxes online using a free federal income tax filing website. Many online tax filing websites make filing your taxes not only easy but also fun. These programs come with interactive tools and will usually guide you through the process of filing your taxes. With e-filing, you will never have to fill out another confusing tax form again. These programs do all of the hard work for you.


Selecting a free file program is easy to do because there are many websites that offer this service free of charge. These websites have partnered with the Internal Revenue Service website and agreed to prepare simple tax returns free of charge. Many free file programs give you the option to purchase the state filing package once you have used the federal filing package. You can find several free file websites by using a search engine such as Google, or by visiting the official IRS website and taking a look at their list of authorized e-filing websites.

Filing your taxes online is the fast and easy approach to filing your 2009 taxes. Do your taxes online and save time by not having to shuffle around difficult to understand forms. In addition, you never have to mail any forms to the IRS, so you do not have to worry about your returns being lost in the mail. You will receive a response from the IRS within hours and have your refund in no time.

Author: Allen Dukes

Last year, more than 95 million Americans filed their federal taxes using an online tax preparation service such as Turbo Tax. Turbo tax free file is just one of the many free federal tax filing websites that allow you to prepare and submit your federal income taxes directly to the IRS at no charge. You can find a list of authorized e-filing websites at the official IRS website. Each free file website has certain restrictions, so you want to ensure that you choose a tax preparation website that has you covered.


Filing your taxes online using a free file program definitely has its advantages over traditional paper filing. With online filing, there are no complicated forms to fill out or difficult math calculations. It is as simple as answering a few simple questions and the program will enter your information into the correct boxes on your tax form. In addition, there are no forms to mail which means no long waits. Once you have electronically submitted your taxes online, you should receive a response within 48 hours from the IRS. If you are to receive a tax refund, you will be placed in a refund cycle. The fastest way to receive your refund is by choosing direct deposit.

Take advantage of the free federal tax preparation services offered by websites such as Turbo Tax, Taxslayer, HR Block, Free Tax USA, and many more. You can find an abundance of free file websites by performing a Google search for Free file or by visiting IRS.gov.

Author: Greg Jackson

You may have heard a friend or coworker tell you about filing your state tax online for free. Filing your state taxes online is simple and takes no time at all. There are some websites that offer free state filing when you purchase the federal package. With a combine package, you are able to complete your federal and state taxes in a matter of minutes. By e-filing, you will get a fast response for both your state and federal returns. There are no forms to complete, no postage, and no headaches.


Filing your state taxes online for free usually starts by completing a federal tax return. Once you have selected a tax preparation program and completed your federal returns, you can then complete your state returns. Filing your state returns is a bit less complicated when compared to filing your federal returns. The information from your federal return is transferred over to the state return. There are very few additional questions to answer. Completing your state tax return online usually takes less than five minutes once your federal returns are completed.

The process of submitting your state taxes is just as simple as submitting your federal taxes. Once completed, review your tax forms and check for possible errors. If no errors are found, then you can submit your state taxes with the click of a mouse. You will usually receive a response from your state within two days. If your state owes you a refund, you can have your money deposited directly into your checking account. This is the fastest and easiest way to get the refund that you deserve.

Author: John Zinsky