Margaret Lindley paid $15,030 of interest on her $300,300 acquisition debt for her home (fair market value of $500,300), $4,030 of interest on her $30,030 home-equity loan which was towards the purchase of a personal-use automobile, $1,030 of credit card interest, and $3,030 of interest on a loan used for the purchase of stock. Assume that Margaret Lindley has $10,030 of interest income this year and no investment expenses. How much of the interest expense may she deduct this year

Garrett is an executive vice president at samm hardware. he researches a proposal by a larger company, maximum hardware, to combine the two companies. by analyzing past performance, conducting focus groups, and interviewing maximum employees, garrett concludes that maximum has poor profit margins, sells shoddy merchandise, and treats customers poorly. what actions should garrett and samm hardware take? a. turn down the acquisition offer and prepare to resist a hostile takeover. b. attempt a friendly merger and use managerial hubris to improve results at maximum. c. welcome the acquisition and use knowledge transfer to impart sam hardware's management practices. d. do nothing; the two companies cannot combine without samm hardware's explicit consent.