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MORTGAGE lending activity picked up slightly last month but the long-term trend remains downward, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reported yesterday.

There are conflicting reports over exactly how long the US Tax Code is, but estimates range from 16,500 to 2,500,000 pages long. Even on the conservative end of 16,500 pages, that's a whole lot of pages on taxes. It is virtually impossible for any one person to know all of it and I would be exceedingly wary of anyone who claims to know it ALL.

Having trouble deciding whether you should donate a car or sell it? It's important to keep four things in mind when deciding if you are donating your car or selling it to whoever is willing to pay your asking price. These four things are: What is the value of the car?

When you need tax problem help of any kind the best person to turn to is a qualified tax negotiator. Tax problems such as overdue tax accounts and mounting tax penalties can quickly become real nightmares as collection efforts accelerate. It can seem as if there's no end in sight when in reality there are number of actions that can be taken to solve the problem.

Demand for alternative assets continues to be strong, as pension funds around the world seek to diversify their portfolios and capture alpha through absolute return strategies.

Despite a slumping economy, U.S. companies are planning to keep pay raises steady next year. Employers expect to give workers merit increases that will average 3.5 percent in 2009,. This is the same salary increase, on average, that workers received this year and is just slightly lower than the 2007 average of 3.6 percent.

Employers continue to selectively outsource their HR technology and functions rather than rely exclusively on a single provider.

The pace of retirement plan changes among FORTUNE 100 companies is stabilizing, and a majority still offer pension plans to their new employees.

Citi takes down Lehman. JDS needs more fiber in diet. Yamana Gold's silver lining.

A tax relief associate is a specialist in every sense of the word. A tax associate specializes in resolving IRS problems that seem as if they can only get worse. But it's important to make sure you choose an associate that's experienced, reliable and has a proven track record of success.