Dear Family,

Veterans Day is particularly poignant for many families right now, since their children are at the front.

Regardless of your politics, you must respect the young people, the grizzled lifers, and all those people who serve and place themselves in danger every day. And I thank each and every one who has ever served.

A moment of silence, please.

Moving from the sublime to the asinine, I am reminded of something an English teacher was fond of saying in high school. He said, never assume. You make an ass of you and me:

ASS U ME

This came to mind as a result of an experience yesterday. I don't want to bore you with it here, but if you're curious...here's what happened.

IRS was busy this week improving our lives. The great news, especially for tax professionals who devote many hours, sometimes, even days to getting this done - is the elimination of the second extension for personal tax returns. You don't think this is so great? You will when you read today's IRS News.

IRS also certified two more hybrid vehicles for the credit. By offering tax incentives to people to buy hybrids, Congress has created a hot market for alternative-powered vehicles.

They're so hot, people are on waiting lists trying to get them as factories tool up to meet consumer demands. No one is asking any questions - they're just ready to buy.

Be SURE you get long-term warranties on those vehicles. And be sure that your warranty covers the BATTERY. Most regular auto warranties specifically don't cover things like tires, brakes and batteries. So we're used to that being excluded. But on hybrid vehicles, the battery is the heart of the vehicle and costs thousands of dollars to replace. And I understand that it DOES need to be replaced every few years.

So, be sure that you understand what you're getting when you buy a hybrid. While they may save you money on gasoline; and while they may help our society reduce our dependence on oil - they are apt to cost you much more to maintain that you're prepared to spend. I just want you to avoid maintenance shock.

Best wishes,
Eva Rosenberg, EA
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