American Shareholders Association: AT&T: Reaching Out to Touch Health Care Consumer Choice

About ASA

The American Shareholders Association represents the 50% of households and 70% of voters who own shares of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.

These shareholders are the rank and file of the "new investor class." They hold their investments in 401(k) plans, IRAs, taxable brokerage accounts, and other vehicles.

What unites all these investors is a desire to see public policies that encourage growth and discourage economic contraction. ASA was founded to represent shareholders in their quest to grow the economy, reward risk, and increase the value of everyone's nest egg.

Tax Links

529 Plan Comparisons
The best site to learn about 529 plans and compare state plans.
American Shareholders Association
Wealth of information on capital gains, dividends, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and much more.
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Tax Reform
The arm of the tax reform movement. Headed up by Grover Norquist
Club for Growth
HSA Bank Calculator
See for yourself how superior an HSA plan is over traditional health insurance.
Independent Contractor "Twenty Points"
The question of whether someone can reasonably be classified as an independent contractor is an important one. The above link is the safe-harbor the IRS and the SSA uses in making these determinations. If you want someone to be an independent contractor, comply with as many of them as possible.
Internal Revenue Service
The belly of the beast. All you need is here, from publications to instructions to forms
Rollover Chart
What the rules are for rolling over accounts into one another
Tax Foundation
These are the folks who produce "Tax Freedom Day" and have been tracking tax issues since the Great Depression
Tax Foundation "Tax Policy Podcast"
This tax podcast is hosted by Scott Hodge and features a great guest list of policymakers and tax experts
Tax History Project
Dedicated to noting the history of taxation. This has the links to Presidential tax returns going back to FDR
Tax Notes
The premier tax publication available
Tax Policy Center
They're lefties, but they have a wealth of information on tax stats at all levels
Tax Talk Today Podcast
Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Podcasts for Tax Pros
Tax Update Podcast
Arizona CPA Ed Zollars has a weekly "Tax Update" podcast geared for tax pros, focusing on a different tax topic every week
TaxAlmanac
This premier tax wiki has real-time Internal Revenue Code/Title 26, real-time Treasury regulations, and a very helpful message board
Understanding Your W-2
A lin-by-line guide to the most common tax form people get in the mail, the W-2
Vanguard Diehards
A message board for the "Vanguard Diehards," a group of guerrilla warfare passive investment true believers (like me)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

AT&T: Reaching Out to Touch
Health Care Consumer Choice

Kudos to AT&T for defending consumer-driven health care (which they offer to employees) in general and health savings accounts (HSAs) in particular:

The emergence of consumer-driven health care plans, and the health savings accounts available to participants in these plans, could play a key role in reining in runaway health care costs while expanding preventive care options.

Health savings accounts are an important corollary to consumer-driven health care plans. With a health savings account, the employee gets a tax break to fund medical expenses.

We believe that our plan is paying off in several ways. Our employees are taking a closer look at managing their health, and we're keeping a cap on our health care costs. We hope our experience can serve as a positive guide for other companies considering this path for their employees.

Posted by Ryan Ellis on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 10:05 AM | Permalink