Your Personal Advisor

But what is available for people in need of instant advice who are
without access to such call-in centers? Thanks to technology, there are
person-to-person Internet advice sites that let them talk to experts on
topics like taxes and investing. It is important to note, however, that
these sites do not vouch for the accuracy of their experts’ advice.

A
major purveyor of telephone counseling and hand-holding is Keen—a
company that describes itself as “Your Personal Advisor,” offering
live, immediate advice for everyday life. Keen provides computer tech
help, career coaching, astrologic readings, relationship advice, credit
counseling, and just about everything between. Unless you have need for
such services, ignore them, and head straight for Keen’s tax planning experts.
(In the interests of full disclosure, I was among the first dispensers
of tax advice recruited by Keen when it debuted in 2000.)

Keen’s
specialists cover a broad range of financial topics—anything from
tax-efficient maneuvers that callers can implement themselves, to new
theories to test out on real-world advisors, to portfolio
diversification strategies.

Keen allows callers to check out
advisors’ backgrounds and client ratings. Another confidence booster is
that Keen makes the call to both parties—ensuring that its online
specialists are clueless about callers’ names, phone numbers, and other
personal information, unless callers choose to divulge such details.

What
does a service like this cost, and how does one pay? As with most
Internet sites, Keen accepts credit cards and bills per minute, but
frequently discounts fees for first-timers. There is no minimum fee
commitment, and callers decide when to conclude the conversations, so
they are in control at all times. The result is helpful advice at far
less than the cost of in-person sessions.

That noted, Keen is
not ideal in all situations. At least some of its mavens will lack your
mom’s smarts and accessibility, and none can compete with her, whose
24/7/365 counsel comes at no cost at all! Still, Keen is particularly
well suited for several common situations. Its advisors can provide
inexpensive reassurance when taxpayers want to verify that information
received from their advisors or the IRS is correct or when their
returns are being audited.

Keen is particularly useful during
tax filing season, when other advice lines may be overloaded. According
to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), taxpayers trying to dial
into the IRS telephone assistance system for comparable help may be
stymied by busy signals or put on hold, only to endure lengthy waits.
But Keen’s advisors offer prompt answers.

Throw in another plus
for last-minute filers choosing Keen over the IRS: They improve their
chances for obtaining advice on circumventing stiff, nondeductible
penalties for late filing (as much as 25% of the balance due on a
return submitted after the due date) and late payment. The IRS charges
interest on penalties and back taxes. Whereas taxpayers can count on
Keen’s availability on April 15, that is the day when “abandoned
calls”—the GAO’s term for calls to IRS telephones that go
unanswered—surge. And, in case you forgot, that is also the day the
Titanic sank.

Click here to browse Keen’s directory of tax advisors
(select one by clicking on a “Call Now” icon), or dial
1-800-ASK-KEEN (275-5336) and follow the voice prompts. That may be all
it takes to speak with someone who can staunch the hemorrhaging to the
IRS.