WASHINGTON – Interest groups troubled by John Roberts’ (search) record are blitzing Internet sites and airwaves in hopes of building public support for the Senate to take a close look at the Supreme Court nominee. To keep a spotlight on Roberts during the summer doldrums, the initiative includes visits to …

Like any major financial transaction, divorce has serious tax implications. And pitfalls galore for unwary individuals. Don’t expect much help from your divorce attorney. These folks are often surprisingly ignorant about taxes (and disinclined to admit it). So it’s up to you to become educated on the subject before you …

The tax rules are tricky when it comes to inheriting an IRA from someone other than your spouse. Here’s a tutorial. In a related article, I explained how the IRA minimum withdrawal rules affect spouses who inherit their husband’s or wife’s IRA. But what if you inherit your Uncle Henry’s …

So you’ve inherited your spouse’s IRA. What you do now could have far-reaching tax implications. The one thing you cannot do is ignore the whole issue. Why? Because if you fail to withdraw at least the required minimum amount from your inherited IRA, you will be charged a penalty equal …

The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 affects individuals and small-business owners. Here’s how. OVER THE PAST few weeks, most Americans have been thinking a lot about President Bush. Most likely it wasn’t in connection with the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, which he signed into law on Oct. …

Older job hunters face a double whammy these days — a tough job market and younger competition. Here’s how to play your age to your advantage. ROBERT KIMMEL REMEMBERS when he first felt his age could throw a wrench into his job search. Two years ago the then 57-year-old marketing …

Next to car salesman, they’re probably the least-trusted middle-men out there. And for good reason. Here’s why. 1. “Your open house is really a party for me.” Hire a real estate broker to sell your home and one of the first things he’ll likely suggest is hosting an open house, …

JERUSALEM – Forty-three years after banning the Beatles from playing here, Israel is crooning Love Me Do to surviving members of the Fab Four and inviting them to perform at the Jewish state’s 60th birthday bash in May, an Israeli daily reported Monday. The Beatles had been booked to appear …

A patient at a Finland hospital got an unexpected surprise when he looked down at his plate of steamed vegetables and saw — a mouse head. The head most likely originated in a bag of Belgian legumes, Reuters reported. Sakari Kela, chief administrator at the Northern Karelia Central Hospital, told …

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – About 100 people who came from Nepal to work at a north Alabama factory seemingly vanished from a pair of apartment buildings, along with a lot of furniture and appliances, and can’t be located, officials said Tuesday. Immigration agents are trying to determine what happened to the …