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The flurry of activity during the last weeks of December can make it difficult to pay attention to finances. If you want to save on your tax bill come April, now’s the time to make some critical moves.
If you have a tax advisor or financial planner, it’s wise to run these ideas by them first. Here are some suggestions to investigate by year-end with follow-up in the new year:
1. Accelerate your deductions and defer your income. It makes the list every year because it works. To keep your 2014 tax bill low, try to defer bonuses, consulting income or self-employment income until 2015 while taking as many deductions as you legally can in 2014. Deductions may include paying your January federal and state income taxes before Dec. 31, real estate taxes and interest payments.
2. Bunch non-urgent medical expenses this year or move them to 2015. If you have non-emergency medical procedures coming up, it’s a good idea to pack them into the same year so people under age 65 can exceed the 10 percent adjusted gross income (AGI) minimum for medical expenses. For those over age 65, the AGI minimum is 7.5 percent.

In the water wars, the latest battleground is the Gila River. Recently, the Interstate Stream Commission voted to take the first step in acquiring more water through a federal settlement. The controversial decision followed a 10-year public discussion in which the stakeholders grew too polarized to agree on any of a dozen options.
For the record, I can see both sides of this intensely divisive question. Because precedent and money are on the line, not to mention the credibility of the ISC, it’s worth a harder look.
Ostensibly, it’s water users vs. environmentalists, but it’s also about how diverse residents in the state’s four southwestern counties of Luna, Grant, Hidalgo and Catron see their future. And it’s something of a clash of water titans.
Through a 2004 settlement, the four counties have the opportunity to obtain an additional 14,000 acre-feet of water a year, a 47 percent increase. It’s enough to supply 24,000 to 40,000 homes annually, provide irrigation water for farmers and keep water in the river for endangered species, according to State Engineer Scott Verhines.
What community in New Mexico wouldn’t jump at the chance?
The federal settlement act provides $66 million for water projects or up to $128 million for storage. Cost estimates, however, are upwards of $575 million.

A government employment number stepped from the shadows recently and got my attention. The number was for local government.
First, a bit of context.
States that have a whole lot of federal government spending tend to be states that are home to large expensive activities that are allocated to the feds. This insight comes from a recent report by wallethub.com, a business finance website operated by Evolution Finance of Washington, D.C. (evolutionfinance.com).
States attracting federal money tend to be border states (New Mexico, Arizona, Montana), located on a coast with big ports (Louisiana), with military, reservations and federally owned land (especially in the West) and national parks. Uniquely among the states attracting proportionally significant federal spending, New Mexicans do research and development on behalf of national security.
Military personnel are not in the usual non-agricultural wage job numbers. That means Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases, White Sands Missile Range (run by the Army) and the military at Kirtland Air Force, which is unusual in being a multi-mission facility with everything from special forces activity to space research.
A look at the 13 big job classifications suggests that Pogo had it right when he said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Choosing a good dog trainer is much like finding the right teacher for your child. Assertive but caring, attentive and knowledgeable — there are many important qualities to keep an eye out for when making this crucial decision. In order to choose one wisely, it is advised that dog owners call, interview and observe a trainer prior to hiring them.
“There are numerous ways to train dogs. In addition, each animal has his/her own learning style and preferred motivators,” said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, or AVSAB, endorses training methods that allow animals to work for things (such as food, play, affection) that motivate them, rather than techniques that focus on using fear or pain to punish them for undesirable behaviors.”
A good rule of thumb is to avoid any trainer who displays methods of physical force that may harm your dog, including ones who routinely use choke collars, shock collars, or any other physical punishment as a primary training method. Look for a trainer who uses reward-based training with treats, toys and play instead.