Social Security to See Payout Exceed Pay-In This Year

The rich are pulling away because of the value of compounding interest. Wealth tends to grow exponetially. The things you call tax breaks have little to do with it.

 

The rich are also pulling away because some people will never have an opportunity to do what others have done because they have the victim mentality given to them by their so called leaders.

How many of these people could have succeeded if they would have had the proper attitude or surroundings?
If people had better attitudes and were better workers more people would have an opportunity to become better off or rich and society would be better off.
That would include a smaller government and less taxes.
That also goes for all the millions of dollars wasted by government, tired of us sending money overseas instead of taking care of our own!
Government also takes away the abilities or advantages of people trying to make a living or becoming rich as it expands.

 

Because with a lower tax rate it made a hell of a lot more sense to cash in and realize some of those long term capital gains. Until gains are realized they are just big numbers on some peice of paper. They don't really exist. If I have a million dollar gain I would be much more inclined to realize it when the tax rate is 15% than when it is 48%.

This is also why, even at the lower rates, tax revenues from long term gains went up during that time.

When most of your income comes from investments you are 99 times out of 100 a RETIRED middlce class person and not some Paris Hilton socialite.

Even if you are some fat cat you shouldn't be punished for taking on risk and powering our GDP. You should be thanked because your investments provide capital that provide jobs and oppurtunity.

Hey rich dudes. Thanks for tipping me when I served you at CCL. Also thank you for hiring my firm to do your taxes.

 

I agree with giving capital a break that actually provides jobs and opportunity a break, but the majority of things treated as capital gains don't do that. For example, why should you get a capital gains break when you buy an existing share of stock? None of the money goes to the company. Why should that investment get tax preference over interest on a CD, when that money actually does get invested in the economy? There's a difference in risk, but that's accounted for in returns. I'm sure some liquidity argument could be made, but I think that's too far removed from actually helping the company.

 

Buying existing shares drives the stock price up. This improves the balance sheet position of the corp and allows them more access to borrowing for things like hiring, expansion and new curtains.

 

How is market price of outstanding shares reflected on the balance sheet?

 

Well duh. Do you find it shocking that those with much wealth are more likely to live off of it than those with less?

We are seeing the number retirees living off of investments increase every year as fewer and fewer folks have pension income available to them.

Though there is not a clear coralation between long term capital gains (there are a few categories where they could be included) and your 8 year old study you pretty much made my point. The average retiree derives 14.5% of their income from investments that would seemingly be ltgc. Do you not see how a reduced cap gains rate can benefit them.