Your Social Secuity Statement

Social Security Statement is a concise, easy-to-read personal record of the earnings on which you have paid Social Security taxes during your working years and a summary of the estimated benefits you and your family may receive as a result of those earnings.
We provide the Statements in two ways: in automatic annual mailings to workers and former workers aged 25 and older and at any time to workers of any age who request them.
We hope you will keep your Statement with your other important papers and use it in several ways:
First, the benefit estimates in your Statement can play an important role in your financial planning. When combined with your savings, investments and other pensions, your Social Security benefits can help you build a secure future for yourself and your family.
Second, the Statement can help you make sure your reported earnings and other important information such as your name and date of birth are correct on your record. Mistakes could keep you from getting all the Social Security benefits you have earned. The sooner you identify mistakes, the easier it will be to help us correct them.
And finally, the general information on the Statement tells you about all the protection you are earning under Social Security. Many people think of Social Security only as a retirement program. The Statement shows how even young workers are building valuable protection in case they become disabled or die before they reach retirement age

Texas Taxes

In May 2006, the Texas Legislature passed comprehensive school-finance reform that lowers school property taxes by about $7 billion over the next three years. Well, how will this actually work you ask.

The rate for public school taxes will be reduced $0.17 per $100 of value for the 2006 tax year and $0.33 for the 2007 tax year.

• The vast majority of school districts had reached the tax-rate cap of $1.50 per $100 of value. That $1.50 rate will go down to $1.33 for the 2006 tax year and down to $1 for the 2007 tax year.

• The $1.50 cap applies to school maintenance and operations. A school district can exceed $1.50 if voters in that district pass bonds to pay for new schools and facilities. Amounts approved by local voters for school bonds are not affected by the tax cut.
  

• Tax rates and appraisals are separate components of your tax bill. When appraisals jump significantly, taxing authorities—like school districts, cities, and counties—can lower their tax rates, so that suddenly higher appraisals don’t equate to suddenly higher tax bills.

• If you believe your home has not been fairly and accurately appraised, you can file a protest to be heard by the appraisal review board. (The deadline for filing protests typically is May 31 each year.) If you disagree with the appraisal review board’s decision, you can submit your case to binding arbitration.

Lake Travis Flooding Continues

With Lake levels rising every hour, the current level is 699.79 ft. and will rise to 701 ft. this week. Mansfield Dam will continue to keep four floodgates open and will not open any more than the current four floodgates at unless Lake Travis is forecast to rise above 710 feet msl based on rainfall already having fallen. This is a great example of buying a home without reading and being aware of the elevation and flood plain maps. Since Thursday

June 28, 2007, this home is now completely underwater. if you are considering buying waterfront property it is very important to know where the food plain line in on that property. If not you could be swimming in your home during the next big rainfall.