Billionaire Warren Buffett weighing choices for '08 endorsement

By JOSH FUNK, AP Business Writer

Someday soon, Warren Buffett may have to apply his legendary stock-picking skills to the candidates clamoring for his endorsement in the 2008 presidential race.

For now, the plainspoken Nebraska billionaire appears to be enjoying his role as an unaffiliated kingmaker, raising money for Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton while promising to do the same for her chief rival, Barack Obama. He's even heaped praise on New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who recently left the Republican Party and might join the race as an independent.

"As the markets often would follow Buffett's investments, I think that same mentality would follow his political activities, too," said Joseph Marbach, a Seton Hall University political science professor.

An outspoken critic of economic inequality in the U.S., Buffett is using his newfound political prominence as a platform to speak out on the obligation of the privileged to help the poor.

The 76-year-old Buffett is one of the world's wealthiest men, ranked third by Forbes Magazine behind Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim.

In 1956, armed with $105,000 raised from a handful of friends and relatives, Buffett founded the investment company now known as Berkshire Hathaway. Today, the company has assets of nearly $262 billion and owns more than 60 subsidiary businesses including insurance, clothing, candy and furniture.

In 2003, Buffett served as a top economic adviser to Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger's first campaign for California governor, but he advised Democrat John Kerry's presidential campaign a year later. He's also been active in several Nebraska contests.

When it comes to investing dollars in candidates, Buffett clearly favors Democrats. He's donated $65,600 to federal candidates since 1992, almost all of it to Democrats with a handful of contributions to moderate Republicans like Connecticut Rep. Chris Shays, according to Federal Election Commission records available through the nonpartisan Web site opensecrets.org. He gave $4,000 to Clinton's Senate campaign in 2000, and $5,000 to Obama's political action committee, Hope Fund, in 2005.

Buffett's political involvement reached a new level this year, as he began more forcefully criticizing the Bush administration's foreign and tax policies.

Buffett helped Clinton pull in at least $1 million at a New York fundraiser last month, and has said he would do the same for Obama later this year. But in a recent Time magazine interview, he also said he dreamed of a Bloomberg-Schwarzenegger presidential ticket.

"That would be one hell of a team, wouldn't it?" he said.

Buffett's political views have at times been controversial in the business world, particularly on the subject of taxes. He's made no secret of his belief that rich people have a duty to pay more taxes and that President Bush and Republicans in Congress have erred by pushing tax cuts for the wealthy.

"If you're in the luckiest 1 percent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 percent," Buffett told attendees at the Clinton fundraiser.

On Friday, Clinton's campaign announced her support for cracking down on a tax loophole known as "carried interest" that allows some Wall Street investment managers to pay lower tax rates, citing concerns raised by "many finance and tax experts, including billionaire financier Warren Buffett."

In 2003, Schwarzenegger had to distance himself from Buffett after the billionaire was quoted criticizing Proposition 13, California's landmark initiative that keeps property taxes artificially low. The measure is revered by Republicans and many homeowners in the state, but it has also been blamed for badly underfunding public schools.

"I told Warren if he mentions Prop. 13 one more time he has to do 500 sit-ups," Schwarzenegger said at the time.

Dubbed the "Oracle of Omaha" by his many admirers, Buffett is revered in the business world. His annual investment lecture draws at least 25,000 people to Omaha.

Buffett grew up a Republican like his father, Howard, who represented Nebraska's 2nd District in Congress from 1943-49 and 1951-53. The younger Buffett switched parties during the early 1960s, saying his views on civil rights aligned more with Democrats.

Andy Kilpatrick, the stockbroker who has chronicled Buffett's life in "Of Permanent Value: the Warren Buffett Story," said Buffett's political activity seems to be attracting more attention now than it has in the past.

Kilpatrick attributed the new interest in part to Buffett's growing visibility as a philanthropist, particularly his plan to donate most of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

While carefully withholding a formal endorsement, Buffett has said he'd be happy with either Clinton or Obama as president. Federal Election Commission records show that Buffett donated the maximum $4,600 to Clinton's campaign in January, while no donations to Obama have yet been reported.

University of Nebraska at Omaha political scientist Loree Bykerk said Buffett's reluctance to officially back either Clinton or Obama suggests he still believes the race for the Democratic nomination is wide open. When he does decide, Bykerk said, the endorsement will carry that much more weight.

"Insofar as he's seen as to be an excellent decision-maker, very competent, down to earth, and with Middle American values, there's almost no downside to that endorsement," she said. "He's a name almost anyone would be happy to be associated with."

How to get your financial records in order

By Tom Herman

How do you know whether you need to spend more time getting your financial affairs organized?

Answer: When a professional organizer sends you her latest book on the topic -- and you lose it before you get a chance to open it.

That's what happened to me recently, much to the amusement of several colleagues who sit near the mountains of books, papers, magazines, notepads, umbrellas, coffee cups and tax publications lying around my work space and spilling out of more than a dozen file cabinet drawers. One friend politely informed me I don't really need an expert organizer. I need an archaeologist.

But it's never too late to get started, and even the most paper-addicted pack rats can benefit from the growing number of books, pamphlets, software programs and getting-organized kits that focus on personal finance. Among the most popular software programs are Intuit Inc.'s Quicken and Microsoft Corp.'s Microsoft Money. They can help you pay bills, figure out where you're spending your money and create a budget. Millions of people have turned to these and other online products offered by banks and other financial institutions to pay bills and manage finances.

Getting your finances neatly organized is critically important if you care about your family and other heirs. Missing documents, records or stock and bond certificates can be hazardous to your family's wealth -- in addition to being frustrating and time-consuming experiences.

Some of the best organizing tools are free. For example, Merrill Lynch & Co., the nation's largest securities firm, offers a handy document you can download and use to jot down key personal contacts, location of important papers and other items. More free planning tools and organizers can be found on the Web site of Ronald Rogé, a financial planner.

Here are some thoughts from lawyers, accountants and organizing experts on how to be better organized, including what documents to keep, where to keep them and for how long.

Getting Started

Start by compiling a list of key people to call, including relatives, physicians and lawyers, in case of emergency. I carry around such a list in my wallet. I started doing this after a family friend was hit by a car on Park Avenue in New York City many years ago. She had no personal identification papers on her. Fortunately, a woman who had witnessed the accident raced to her side and asked her, just before she passed out, if there was someone who should be contacted. Our friend gave her the name and phone number of one of her sons, who raced to the scene. Our friend survived and told me that her saga underscores the importance of having a "loved-ones" list with you whenever possible.

Consider photocopying all your credit cards and other important items you carry in your wallet. If you lose your wallet or it's stolen, you'll know exactly what's missing and how to contact the credit-card companies. Store this list in a safe place at home with other details, including the location of any unused gift certificates you have received, as well as your point totals for frequent-flier or other similar programs.

Make sure to tell your family and advisers where you keep important documents, such as your will, health-care proxy, living will, insurance policies, household inventory, deeds to property and important tax records. Be sure to include the location of your bank safe-deposit box -- and where you have stored the key.

It's not enough just to compile these lists. Make sure to update them regularly, says Stephanie Winston, a professional organizer based in New York City and author of several books on the subject (including "Getting Organized," the book I somehow managed to lose).

Beware of mindless clutter, Ms. Winston says. She recommends a paper-handling system called "TRAF," which means toss, refer, act or file. While it may feel good to save everything, that could backfire if you can't find what you need in a hurry.

Pay attention to security. Store your information in a safe place. All your careful organizing plans can easily backfire if you allow your information to fall into the wrong hands. If you use a Palm Pilot, as I do, use passwords to protect all the information you've stored there. If you store your list on your computer, be sure it's password-protected. Also be sure to print out copies regularly and give them to a trusted relative or adviser.

Wills and Other Documents

Lawyers constantly marvel at how many highly intelligent people don't have a will -- and at how many people who do have wills haven't updated them for decades. Granted, nobody likes thinking about this subject, and lawyers say clients often are superstitious. Those clients fear that if they draw up a will or update it, they're sure to die on the spot.

But remember: When someone dies without a will -- or without an up-to-date will -- that can lead to lengthy family feuds, even over seemingly insignificant details.

Another reason many people don't have a will is they're uncomfortable discussing such delicate subjects with children and other family members. Get over it. Failing to have this conversation is an invitation to trouble.

Consider giving the original copy of your will to your lawyer or some other trusted adviser, along with the location of key documents. Make sure to tell your heirs what you've done. Don't put the only signed copy in your safe-deposit box; your heirs will need to get the will quickly.

Take the time to make sure you have a well-written power of attorney, and pick someone you trust completely.

Check with your lawyer to make sure that any power-of-attorney form you sign does precisely what you want it to do. For example, if you want the person holding your power-of-attorney to be able to make gifts of money or other property on your behalf, say so in writing. While state laws may vary, be as precise as possible on this subject.

And remember that a power of attorney isn't just for the elderly. Sudden illness -- or accidents -- can strike at any age, making it important that someone be authorized to manage your finances.

If you move to another state, make sure to get a thorough financial check-up from a pro just to make sure you don't need to make important revisions.

Above all, act now while you're healthy -- and be careful whom you select to help you. One of the classic mistakes is to wait until you get sick to start thinking about a power of attorney and other tough topics.

Updating Your Finances

Buy-and-hold may be a commonly recommended strategy on Wall Street -- but not when organizing your finances. With all the swings in financial markets these days, it's important to update your finances regularly.

One area many people overlook: U.S. savings bonds. They sound simple, but they bear close watching. For example, many investors own savings bonds that stopped paying interest years ago. The Treasury estimates that, as of April 30, savings bonds worth around $15.1 billion had stopped earning interest and were still in the hands of investors.

To learn about the status of your bonds, go to a Treasury Department Web site. Click on the section "Individual/Personal," and then click on: "Find out if your Treasury securities have matured." There, you'll find tables that will help you figure out whether your bonds are still earning interest, or for how long you can expect them to earn interest.

If you own any bonds that no longer are earning interest, be sure to cash them in or exchange them as soon as possible. Also check to see whether you or other family members own any stock certificates representing shares in companies that have gone bust. Even though those certificates may be worthless, they may help cut your taxes.

If you don't claim a loss for a worthless security on your original return for the year in which it actually became worthless, "you can file a claim for a credit or refund due to the loss," the IRS says. Use Form 1040X to "amend" your return for the year in which the security became worthless. But keep in mind that you must file it "within seven years from the date your original return for that year had to be filed, or two years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later," the IRS says.

Here's another idea: If you have stock certificates for Enron or other well-known corporate disasters, consider trying to sell them to collectors through an online auction.

Tax Records

Most people should keep their federal income-tax returns for at least three years. But accountants and lawyers often recommend that clients keep returns for at least six years. That's because the IRS can go back that far if you didn't report taxable income you should have reported and it's more than 25% of the income shown on your return. Check to see if your state tax department has different rules.

There's no time limit if you file a return that is false or fraudulent, or if you don't bother filing a return at all. In that case, "an action can generally be brought at any time," the IRS says.

Some supporting documents need to be stored for much longer periods. For example, keep detailed records of how much you paid for your stocks, bonds, mutual-fund shares and other investments you haven't yet sold. When you sell them, you will need those records to establish what's known as your "cost basis." Also be sure to keep records of what you paid for your home and the cost of any improvements.

Before throwing away old tax returns, check to make sure the Social Security Administration has accurate records of how much you've earned each year.

If you get a Form W-2 from your employer, keep Copy C until you begin receiving Social Security benefits, the IRS advises. "This will help protect your benefits in case there is a question about your work record or earnings in a particular year," the IRS says in Publication 17.

When you do pitch old returns, make sure to shred them carefully so that they don't fall into the wrong hands.

Classic Blunders

Here are some things to watch out for when organizing your life

1. Neglecting to write a will. Not telling heirs the location of your financial accounts, safe-deposit box and key, and other important items.

2. Throwing away tax returns after a year or two. Save them at least three years -- and preferably six or seven.

3. Saving too much paper. If you do, you may be unable to find what's important when you need it.

4. Storing the only signed copy of your will in your safe-deposit box, instead of giving a copy to your lawyer or other trusted adviser.

5. Neglecting to carry an emergency list of loved ones, doctors and advisers in your wallet.

Source: WSJ reporting

Miscellaneous Tips

1. Direct Deposit. Whenever possible, have your paycheck, dividends, interest, income-tax refund and other income deposited directly into your account, rather than having checks sent to you in the mail. Ms. Winston says a client whom she was helping to get organized found a $13,000 check that hadn't been cashed. Fortunately, the client was able to get paid.

2. Paper certificates. If you still have stock or bond certificates lying around, consider turning them over to your stock broker, or the transfer agent, and having them transformed into electronic digits. That way, you don't have to worry about losing the certificates.

3. Filing taxes online. Filing electronically usually means speedier refunds and greater accuracy. IRS workers, after all, don't have to type your information into their systems. More than half of all returns filed to the IRS each year now are filed electronically.

4. Three key points: Update regularly. Back up your records regularly. And print several copies.

Al Gore's son arrested in California on drug suspicion

Associated Press

Al Gore's son was arrested early Wednesday on suspicion of possessing marijuana and prescription drugs after deputies pulled him over for speeding, authorities said.

Al Gore III, 24, was driving a blue Toyota Prius about 100 mph on the San Diego Freeway when he was pulled over at about 2:15 a.m., Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said.

The deputies said they smelled marijuana and searched the car, Amormino said. They found less than an ounce of marijuana along with Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall, which is used for attention deficit disorder, he said.

"He does not have a prescription for any of those drugs," Amormino said.

Gore was being held in the men's central jail in Santa Ana on $20,000 bail.

Kalee Kreider, a spokeswoman for his parents, did not immediately return phone messages to The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The son of the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee also was pulled over and arrested for pot possession in December 2003, in Bethesda, Md., while he was a student at Harvard University.

He completed substance abuse counseling as part of a pretrial diversion program to settle those charges.

The youngest of Al and Tipper Gore's four children and their only son, Gore lives in Los Angeles and is an associate publisher of GOOD, a magazine about philanthropy aimed at young people.