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  • Our Top 6 Year-End Tax Planning Tips

    Posted Date November 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 pm Published in

    This has been a year of economic and tax uncertainty with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, potential stimulus bills and the presidential election. As a result, tax planning may be more important than usual this year. To help guide you, we will cover six year-end tax planning strategies – three for individuals and three for businesses. Individual Year-End Tax Planning Tips and Strategies 1. Take advantage of above-the-line charitable deductions. Unlike previous years, where taxpayers needed to itemize their deductions in order to see any tax benefit from charitable deductions, everyone can benefit on their 2020 tax return. The... View Article

  • How to Effectively On-board & Train Employees Virtually

    Posted Date November 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 pm Published in

    With COVID-19 still requiring remote working, companies that effectively on-board new workers retain their workers longer, have better worker performance and increase their profits by almost 100 percent, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. However, there are many considerations that companies should take during this important process. For remote orientations, a welcome package that discusses the company’s products or services can be emailed to attendees prior to the live introduction. It’s also imperative that essential employees for the new hires (training and supervisors, for example) and existing employees who they will be working with are on the virtual meeting... View Article

  • How Would a Second Stimulus Check Impact Markets?

    Posted Date November 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 pm Published in

    The $1,200 stimulus check sent out to individuals had mixed impacts on our economy, based on academic research, including by the University of California-Davis. For recipients with $3,000 or more in their bank accounts, there was no positive impact on the economy. However, for recipients with bank account balances up to $500, they spent 44.5 percent of their check, on average, within 10 days of receiving the stimulus check. The first stimulus check was part of the CARES Act, which guided how the checks were issued: The IRS began with those who filed 2018 and/or 2019 taxes, and looked at... View Article

  • A Realistic Picture: Will You Be Able to Afford In-Home Elder Care?

    Posted Date November 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 pm Published in

    By the end of September, the nation had recorded over a quarter million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 60,000 deaths in nursing homes that were attributed to the disease. The recent pandemic offers yet another reason why more than 90 percent of seniors say they want to grow old in their homes rather than move into a senior housing facility. But just how feasible is that goal, from a financial perspective? Much depends on how independently you can live for the rest of your life. That is something we cannot plan. Even elderly people with an excellent gene pool and... View Article

  • Why Gratitude is Important During a Pandemic

    Posted Date November 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 pm Published in

    We’re living in unprecedented, challenging times. If you’re feeling stressed and scared, you’re not alone. However, there is a way to navigate through all of this uncertainty: gratitude. Studies have shown that keeping in mind the things you’re grateful for on a regular basis not only helps you mentally, but also physically, which is something we all need these days. Gratitude Improves Your Immune System According to Lisa Aspinwall, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, there’s data to back this up. In one study, researchers compared the immune systems of healthy, first-year law students who were under... View Article

  • Exploring Brain Computer Interface: Tech That Connects to Your Brain

    Posted Date November 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 pm Published in

    Imagine using your mind to control machines, or your employer reading how you feel in real time from a dashboard? This is the future of BCI technology. Do we really need this technology? What are the potential benefits and possible implications of this emerging field? What is BCI? Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is also referred to as Brain Machine Interface or Neural Interface. Wikipedia defines BCI as a direct communication pathway between an enhanced or wired brain and an external device. The brain is said to process billions of bits of information per second and runs on electrical signals that... View Article

  • Dial 9-8-8 for a Mental Health Crisis; Enforcement Against Violence in the Native American Community; and Enhanced Protections for Veterans and Wildlife

    Posted Date November 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 pm Published in

    National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 (S 2661) – Introduced by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) on Oct. 22, 2019, this bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to designate 988 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. It also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide access to competent, specialized services for high-risk populations such as LGBTQ youth; minorities; and people who live in rural areas. The Act was passed in the Senate in May, the House in September, and was signed into law on Oct. 17. Savanna’s Act... View Article

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