During this holiday season, amidst holiday gift shopping, preparing meals, gatherings and gift giving, it’s inspiring to read or hear about the many goodwill gestures that symbolize the holiday spirit.  We recently posted one about an anonymous donor who paid more than 50 layaway plans for people less fortunate. Her incredible gift motivated another anonymous donor to do the same in another part of the country. Among these stories is yet another one about Autism-friendly Santas who provide those with autism a private and extraordinary opportunity to meet with Santa. Here’s that story: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/living/article/Autism-friendly-Santas-a-hit-at-malls-parties-2416609.php?referer=twitter

The early bird catches the worm – and when it comes to taxes, this could mean thousands of dollars in savings. Keeping with our commitment to providing our customers with useful financial tips, here’s an article on how to lower your tax bill, from reaping green credits to harnessing losses. However the catch is you need to move on it before the end of year. http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/19/pf/lower_tax_bill.moneymag/index.htm

*Please consult with your tax advisor before implementing a new tax strategy.

Being self-employed has its perks – namely flexibility of time. However, if you don’t have a routine and discipline, it could be a disaster. For our business customers who are self-employed or are looking to become self-employed, here’s some sage advice from one self-employer who is celebrating his 10th successful year! Ten Lessons from Ten Years of the Self-Employed Life http://huff.to/oiu6Wn via @huffingtonpost