Segments From This Episode

• Letters: Relocating for love and taxes

  by Marketplace Contributor

  Can moving expenses be written off of your taxes if you relocated to be closer to your mate? How should you report a large gift to a non-dependent? Financial expert Louis Barajas answers listeners' questions related to end-of-year filing.

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• Has the U.S. become a no-vacation nation?

  by Marketplace Contributor

  More Americans are using less vacation time. Are people too stressed and too cash-strapped to coordinate a getaway or are employers making it more difficult to take time off?

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• The holiday bonus: From turkeys to incentive plans

  by Marketplace Contributor

  It used to be that you might get a turkey from your boss as a holiday bonus, but today a bonus check is more like it.

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• ‘Santa’ and ‘budget’ can coexist

  by Marketplace Contributor

  Families and experts share how they express their generosity without pulling out the plastic.

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• When it comes to charity, the poor give more

  by Marketplace Contributor

  Those who earn $50,000 to $75,000 donate about eight percent of their discretionary income. That's twice as much — percentage-wise — as those making above $200,000.

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• The Christmas tree: A consumer conundrum

  by Marketplace Contributor

  Every December, millions of Americans spend their hard-earned money on Christmas trees. To find out why this tradition persists and how consumers decide which tree is right for their budget, Tony Cox visited a busy Christmas tree lot in L.A.

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• Giving through the ages

  by Marketplace Contributor

  Marketplace Wealth and Poverty reporter Shereen Marisol Meraji takes a look at how the charitable tax deduction has changed over time and why some think lowering it could benefit the middle class.

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• Calling for ‘The Great Tithe’

  by Marketplace Contributor

  With the in-fighting in Washington over the fiscal cliff, the future of tax deductions for charitable giving is uncertain. But author and philanthropist Kevin Salwen argues, if anything, we need to encourage more giving.

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• Why you shouldn’t volunteer for the holidays

  by Marketplace Contributor

  This time of year, the spirit of volunteerism begins to creep out of the deepest reaches of the cerebral cortex and sends well-meaning people in search of a deserving outlet for a helping hand. Commentator Zachary Slobig says for the greater good, please resist that impulse.

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