Just in case you haven't been keeping up with all the latest and greatest facts and figures about last year's US federal income taxes, we'll let you in on a few juicy tidbits:

Dying to know about the President's 2014 tax return?  The Obamas were able to itemize this year, but there were no medical deductions. Since taxpayers are only allowed to deduct medical expenses that are over 10% of their adjusted gross income, many people aren't eligible to take the medical deductions; the Obamas would have needed over $47,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses to take advantage of this deduction. Fortunately they were a healthy bunch last year!

Tax identity theft hasn't gone away—an estimated 1.4 million people were alerted by the IRS by letter this year that their tax identities may have been compromised. Due to IRS budget cuts, it can take an average of 278 days to resolve tax identity theft issues.

The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) was a new issue for the 2014 tax year. About 1 in 6 Americans now have Marketplace plans, and about 87% of those people received financial assistance.

Interested in getting a whole LOT of money from the IRS? The IRS's whistleblower program could net you up to $10 million. Of course, due to those IRS cutbacks, and the large amount of paperwork that they undoubtedly have to sift through from ex-employees and ex-spouses, etc., it might take some time for you to earn your fortune this way.

Taxes, numbers and statistics. What could be better this time of year?

If your New Year Resolutions are health and fitness related—and you know they are!—you might be interested in what trends are predicted for 2016. Read on...

• Be more aware of controlling your portions by preparing your food in muffin pans! Just about any meatloaf or casserole recipe can be divided into muffin trays prior to baking. Find some inspiration in this Country Living article.
• We'll be seeing more changes in the cereal aisle at the supermarket. General Mills has a whole line of gluten-free cereals, and Kellogg’s will be removing genetically modified organisms (GMO) from their products. Other products are promising to provide more natural ingredients and less processing as well.
• Vibrant colors along with different textures and shapes are going to be seen at more restaurants. If you like to keep up with current trends you can experiment with “spiralizing” veggies. Here are some recipes to try.
• This infographic reports the upcoming trends in fitness. Group personal training may be a good fit for you—it's a chance to hang out with your friends who might help you keep accountable for your goals.
• If you're really looking for a fun fad, “crunning,” a crawling-walking workout popular in Australia right now, may interest you. (This activity really looks like it should be approved by your physician first!)

While it's not important to keep up with the latest trends, any fitness activity is good for you, and maybe some of these healthy-eating and exercise ideas will inspire you to try something different. Who knows? A little creativity might be just the thing to help you reach your goals.

Ahhh, the end of another year…

It's a wonderful time for reflection, a chance to see how far you've come over the last twelve months, and a time to plan for the future. You might decide to page through the 2015 photo albums, but here's another option: reminisce while you're going through last year's tax records!

Prior tax returns. This is a great time to lessen the amount of paperwork you’ve been saving. Most sources say you should save your tax returns forever, but that supporting documents (sales copies, receipts, etc.) can be shredded after three years. A good rule of thumb is to keep any documents that have to deal with property for as long as you own the property. This includes depreciation schedules, contracts, and so on.

Remember to safeguard your tax returns, as they do contain information such as your family's names and social security numbers.

Proper documentation. It's important to make sure you have corroborating evidence to back up any income and deductions on your returns. Mileage logs, company reimbursement policies, receipts for job-related moves or education—all of these are important to have on hand for business deductions. Be sure you have receipts for any out-of-pocket medical expenses, including your health insurance policy payments if it's not through your employer.

Sure, it's not exactly a Norman Rockwell post-holiday moment, but getting a head start on your taxes can get it over with so you have time to do other, more enjoyable things.

If you could be assured of success and good fortune for the next twelve months, what would you be willing to do? There are many traditions and superstitions associated with celebrating New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in an effort to bring about prosperity and good luck.

Here are a few easy ones that might make a difference, if you believe in that sort of thing!

Take Care of Business...Many believe that it's important to have debts paid off by New Year's Eve, in order to be debt-free for the coming year. Likewise, having your pantry filled with food at the start of the year will mean that you will not go hungry.

…But maybe not the Laundry.  Having your house clean by New Year's Eve is considered lucky, but don't clean your home—sweep, take out garbage, wash clothes or dishes—on New Year's Day. Doing so risks bringing about bad luck.

Bring a Little Color into Your Life.Many cultures believe colors have special meanings, so it's no wonder many superstitions involve color. Some people believe decorating your home in bright colors for the New Year will bring luck; others believe wearing colorful clothing may do the same thing. When it comes to choosing colors, red is usually associated with prosperity or romance; green means good health; blue symbolizes peace; orange is for those seeking wisdom.

Regardless of your beliefs in superstitions, beginning the New Year with a fresh outlook and a willingness to allow positive experiences into your life will help bring you a year of good fortune.

Your friend knows every Christmas carol ever sung by heart. They have seen Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Charlie Brown Christmas special so many times they can recite every line. Santa doesn’t even bother to check his naughty and nice list when he receives their letters. 

Think they know everything about Christmas? Here's some trivia you might surprise them with:

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created by Robert L. May in 1939, as an assignment for Montgomery Ward department store, who wanted to create an original coloring book to sell. May wrote a poem, which his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, then adapted into a song.
• The first movie to feature Mrs. Claus was Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964).
• A spider web found on Christmas morning is supposed to bring good luck.
• Animal Crackers in the circus style box were designed with a string handle so they could be hung on Christmas trees.
• The first tree put up at the Rockefeller Center was during its construction in 1931. Workers were celebrating the fact that they had a job during the Depression and decorated the tree with paper garlands, cranberries and tin cans. Two years later the first “official” Christmas tree was installed.
• “Jingle Bells” was the first song broadcast from space, by the Gemini 6 astronauts on December 16, 1965.
• Christmas trees—pines, spruces, and firs—are edible. The needles are a good source of vitamin C.
• Red apples were one of the very first Christmas tree decorations.

The first artificial Christmas trees were made in Germany during the 19th century. They were made using goose feathers which were dyed green.
So find your friend and see how much they really know about Christmas.  Happy Holidays!

Does it seem like every December 24^th you are still at the stores looking for the perfect gift for Aunt Ethel? And undoubtedly, if you can actually find it, the price is a lot more than you were planning to spend.

Waiting to shop at the last minute is just asking for extra stress and an opportunity to spend more money than what you had budgeted. To avoid this from happening, you need to make a plan.

Do what Santa does: make a list and check it twice.

This way you can be sure that you haven't neglected someone, and also that you aren't buying extra gifts “just in case.”Keep your list handy—add it to your phone, or keep it in your car so that you have it on hand when you're shopping in a store or online.

If you're planning to make presents, be sure to give yourself adequate time to buy any supplies you need as well as time to be able to create the gifts.

Decide how much money you would like to spend on gifts this year. Ideally you should give yourself several months, so by spending the money over that time you won't feel a big crunch at the end of the year.

If you are shopping online, use a prepaid card with a set amount to avoid overspending.

If you are in a store, only bring a limited amount of cash.

 A little time spent on planning your gift buying, can help you avoid blowing your budget, and lessen your holiday stress.