Arkin & Company Mission "...To establish a business partnership with our clients by providing responsive and quality accounting, tax, and financial consulting service..."                                                                                        This Month in the News:    Money 101:  Tips and Tricks for Avoiding New Bank Fees Many banks are inventing brand new fees to stick you with and raising the ones they dreamt up years ago.  Fortunately, there are workarounds to avoid these gotchas. When Congress and the Federal Reserve passed new laws and rules that rob banks of some of their favorite fees, the industry came up with some new ones. More     President Signs Patent Reform Bill Banning New Tax Strategy Patents On Friday morning, President Barack Obama signed into law the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (HR 1249), which reforms the U.S. patent system and stops the granting of patents for tax strategies. The bill had been passed by the Senate earlier this month and by the House of Representatives in June. More     More than 2 million turned down for home loans, data show The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council released data showing that more than 2 million people in the U.S. were refused home mortgages last year. Some were turned down because they turned in incomplete or otherwise problematic applications, while others didn't meet certain requirements. The figure does not include those who gave up on the mortgage qualification process. More     Seven Tax Tips for Job Seekers Many taxpayers spend time during the summer months updating their résumé and attending career fairs. The Internal Revenue Service reminds job seekers that you may be able to deduct some of the expenses on your tax return. More