WASHINGTON -- Investors who stress out by waiting until the last possible minute to file their income taxes are probably not doing all the strategic planning that should be part of defining their long-range financial picture, the nonprofit Alliance for Investor Education warned today.The Alliance for Investor Education is a 17-member organization of leading financial-related trade associations and governmental organizations. In urging taxpayers to start planning for their 2005 taxes now, the alliance says the first step being the creation of a solid financial plan. To that end, today the alliance unveiled a new online resource that features 10 of the best Web-based financial education tools for investment and tax planning."Many Americans who put off tax filing until the last minute dread and avoid any aspect of planning out their finances," says Michael D. Jones, president of the Alliance for Investor Education, who also serves as senior executive vice president and chief administrative officer for the National Association of Securities Dealers. "However, the reality is that you simply will not be prepared for major financial needs down the road, such as retirement, unless you start planning ahead now. We want to help give people who are behind in their financial planning the tools they need to get started now, a full year out from the end of the 2005 tax season."The new "Plan Ahead for Taxes and Retirement" section of the Alliance for Investor Education Web site features the following 10 steps:"Investment Tax Strategies" - www.pathtoinvesting.org/categories/managingyourportfolio/strategies/stra... Planning Opportunities and Pitfalls" - www.aaii.com/promo/20040405/taxstrat.shtml#BODY."Smart 401(k) Investing" - www.nasd.com/Investor/Smart/401k/index.html. "The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Municipal Bonds" - www.InvestingInBonds.com/AMTandMunis.htm. "Taking Stock: Getting Your Fiscal Act Together" - www.sec.gov/investor/pubs/takingstock.htm. "Taxes and Overseas Stocks" - www.betterinvesting.org/articles/bi/1111/8680?print=1. "Defining Your Investment Objectives" www.aimr.org/investorservices/pdf/defining_investment.pdf."Financial Planning Basics" - www.cfp.net/learn/knowledgebase.asp?id=1. "Investing for Your Future" www.ici.org/i4s/bro_i4s_future.html "Planning for Retirement" - www.pathtoinvesting.org/vantagepoints/vp_retirement.htm The Alliance for Investor Education Web site at http://www.investoreducation.org provides investors with access to a full range of information they need to make wise investment decisions. Dedicated to facilitating a greater understanding of investment basics, the Alliance for Investor Education was established in 1996 as a coalition of leading financial services industry and investor advocacy groups."