Articles

Switching Jobs? Here’s What To Do With Your 401(k).

Suppose you’re switching jobs if you were furloughed because of the pandemic or you’re simply searching for greener pastures. If you have a 401(k) from your soon-to-be former employer, you must decide what to do with your retirement account when you leave. Here are your four options: Leave the money in your previous employer’s pension plan. Roll over the money to your new employer’s pension plan. Roll over the money into an IRA. Take the money

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Is a Tax Trap Lurking in Your Paycheck?

Does your paycheck look a little higher than normal? If so, it could be a tax trap. The Problem A payroll tax deferral beginning September 1 was recently signed via a presidential executive order. This deferral of the employee’s portion of Social Security will raise your paycheck temporarily until January, 2021. Beginning in 2021, the deferred Social Security will then need to be paid. This year’s tax deferral is NOT currently a tax holiday. So even

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Don’t forget to fund your trust

Most people who have an estate plan have created a trust. But one thing many people forget is rather important: funding the trust. During the lifetime of the grantor who created the trust, the trustee can use the trust assets for the grantor’s benefit, if the grantor becomes incapacitated. If you want the trustee to do that, you must be sure your trust is funded. To fund the trust during your lifetime, you must change the

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Borrowing from your retirement due to COVID-19

When you save for retirement, the goal is to keep the money growing until you are of retirement age. But sometimes unexpected financial crises arise, as is the case with many people due to the pandemic. The CARES Act, which was signed into law in March, offers some relief with expanded withdrawals from IRAs and retirement plans and expanded loan options from certain retirement plans. You are eligible for these relief options if you, your spouse

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Tips for succession planning

The longevity of a small business depends on a well-thought-out succession plan. For a family business, you want to evaluate who else can run the business and whether you have to look beyond family members as the business grows. An experienced attorney can help the key stakeholders create a succession plan or review your existing plan. If you want to choose a successor, here is a basic how-to-guide to help you get started: 1) Think about

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When to sell your parents’ home: The tax consequences

Let’s say you’ve known for years that you are inheriting your father’s home when he dies. Hopefully, you also know that he has a will that indicates clearly that the house will go to you. Now let’s assume that your father is no longer living in the house and doesn’t need the money from the sale. Perhaps he just moved to assisted living and has long-term care insurance to cover the costs. Or maybe he just

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Patent lawsuits are on the rise

Patent disputes are increasing, according to recent information gathered by Unified Patents, an organization that works to reduce patent abuse. According to the data, nearly 900 district court lawsuits relating to patents were filed in the second quarter of 2019. Patent fights tend to increase when the economy experiences a slowdown. New areas of patents, such as new smartphone-related technology, new cannabis products and new products in the life sciences space, may be behind an uptick

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FTC settles case involving privacy violation on Yelp

A Federal Trade Commission settlement with a California mortgage broker who posted personal information about consumers on Yelp after they posted negative reviews of his services is a cautionary tale to businesses, which should never publicly disclose clients’ personal information. According to a Department of Justice complaint filed on behalf of the FTC, mortgage broker Ramon Walker, owner of Mount Diablo Lending, responded to negative Yelp reviews by posting information about customers’ health, taxes, credit history,

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OSHA increases maximum fines for 2020

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has boosted its maximum fines for workplace safety violations. The new maximum fine for “serious” violations is $13,500 per violation, while the top fine for “willful” or “repeated” violations is $135,000 per violation. Typically, an OSHA investigation is prompted by a worker contacting OSHA anonymously or an employer filing a required report. Employers generally are not obligated to inform OSHA about workplace injuries except in certain circumstances: a fatality must

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