When your business has delinquent debts, you may need help. Your law firm might be able to assist you in collecting money owed on past due accounts, unpaid promissory notes, judgments and other debts. In many cases, the prospect of legal action by a law firm results in quick recovery of money owed to your company, […]

When you take withdrawals from your traditional IRA, you probably understand they’re taxable. But what does that really mean?  Important: Once you reach a certain age, you must start taking required minimum distributions from your traditional IRAs to avoid an expensive tax penalty. Previously, the required beginning date (RBD) was April 1 of the year after the […]

Let’s say an individual dies without a will. Who will inherit his or her assets? The first in line are spouses and children. But what if the individual is single, has no children, no siblings and his or her parents are dead? What if the only relatives the deceased person has are aunts, uncles or cousins? How […]

If you’ve been in business a while, it can be easy to assume that you know who your customers are. But unless you’re growing so fast that you can’t keep up with customer demand, reviewing your marketing strategy is probably a good idea. And that can start by reacquainting yourself with targeted marketing basics. Without a […]

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “a verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.” Yet many business owners and executives still enter into handshake deals. For example, consider the case of a successful Irish pub with a 10-year lease. The property had a great location with lots of foot traffic and a loyal clientele […]

As you already know, public relations professionals can help your company get publicity about the products or services you provide. But a good public relations program can also help your company avoid litigation in the future. Here are four ways that first-rate PR can provide protection: 1. It can help manage media relations during a crisis situation. Let’s […]

Financially savvy parents of college students should generally take the time to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Students must file their FAFSA for the 2022–2023 academic year between October 1, 2021, and June 30, 2023. This means there’s still time to file a FAFSA for the 2021–2022 school year. Important: The […]

When trying to collect money from people who owe your company, you’ve undoubtedly heard these declarations: “The check is in the mail.”“Give me a call next month.”“There must be some mistake.” What’s the real objective of these delinquent customers? In a word, it’s often “delay.” The debtors are trying to buy time — perhaps hoping that […]

Before you sell your home, consider the tax consequences. There are some subtle nuances to the home-sale gain exclusion. (See “Home-Sale Gain Exclusion: Timing Counts” at right.) Here are some scenarios that you could fall into — and tips to help you maximize the tax-saving gain exclusion break.   Married Couples Who File Jointly with One Home To […]

In many areas, residential real estate markets have surged, and some are still surging. In these sellers’ markets, big home-sale gains are likely. That’s great news if you’re a seller — but will you owe taxes on the profit? If you sell your principal residence for a large profit, you can potentially exclude tax (pay no federal […]

The first thing every Boy Scout or Girl Scout learns is to “be prepared.” Business owners would do well to remember this motto when they’re developing fraud control procedures. Even if you don’t believe your employees are capable of defrauding the company, it could happen. And if you have a fraud contingency plan in place, you’ll […]