*Ponzi Schemes--Bernie Madoff and others have been accused of swindling investors out of their hard-earned dollars. Now a new IRS ruling says you can deduct such losses as a theft loss rather than a capital loss. The loss is deductible in the year it is discovered without applying the usual limits. Normally, casualty and theft losses must be reduced by $100 per event ($500 in 2009) and are subject to a 10%-of-AGI floor.

*Business Ethics--Do you make ethical business decisions? Try writing a short news article about the actions you take. Do not worry about the quality of the writing as much as stating the facts. Then review the article a week later. Determine if you would be comfortable if it ran in a local newspaper and friends and family saw it. This can help you set your moral compass at work.