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  • COVID-19 Vaccination Considerations for Employers

    Posted Date January 1, 2021 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 5 min readLooking at a 2009 letter from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers may be able to require their employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine, with a few exceptions (such as the likelihood of a life-threatening reaction to it). With the COVID-19 vaccine being rolled out, how can employers balance workplace safety, maintain productivity and stay within the law? According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the early vaccination stages will likely focus on those who are at particular risk of severe and life-threatening complications from COVID-19. This... View Article

  • A Flush of Protections for Veterans and Native Americans

    Posted Date December 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readVeterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2020 (HR 6168) – Introduced by Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) on March 10, this bill increases Vet compensation benefits by 1.3 percent (the same as for Social Security recipients). The increase impacts veteran disability compensation, compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. This bill passed in the House in May and the Senate in September, and was signed into law by the president on Oct. 20. Veterans’ Care Quality Transparency Act (HR 2372) – Designed to improve... View Article

  • COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: Where We Are So Far

    Posted Date December 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWhile the pandemic is not over, we do have some good news. There are vaccines and they will be available soon. Here’s where we are in terms of an overall plan and where states are with distributing the vaccines. Operation Warp Speed The current administration has already purchased hundreds of millions of doses of several vaccine candidates. Two of them are from Moderna and Pfizer and they’ve shown significant efficacy in Phase 3 clinical trials. The incoming Biden administration will take on distribution and has established a COVID-19 Task Force. A limited number of doses may... View Article

  • 2021 Social Security Tax and Benefit Increases Announced

    Posted Date December 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readThe Social Security Administration recently announced 2021 increases to both benefits and the taxable wage base for FICA taxes. Increases Announced for 2021 Workers are facing a 3.7 percent increase in the taxable wage base subject to Social Security taxes, increasing the amount from $137,700 up to $142,800. This means high earners who make as much as or more than the taxable wage base will pay $8,853.60 of the employee withholding portion or $17,707.20 in total for the self-employed – who pay both employee and employer portions of the tax. Retirees receiving benefits will only garner a... View Article

  • Last Minute Financial Moves for Year’s End

    Posted Date December 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readThere are certain year-end financial transactions that must clear by Dec. 31 to be reported on the 2020 tax return. It’s important to take a good look at your financial portfolio in light of the plethora of unusual events that occurred this year. Now is a good time to see if you have fallen off track and reposition your portfolio for better opportunities in 2021. Investment Portfolio Despite the dramatic stock market drop that accompanied the outbreak of COVID-19 on our shores, markets have recovered remarkably well. This means the traditional strategy of harvesting gains and... View Article

  • How Businesses Can Adapt, Grow During COVID-19

    Posted Date December 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readIn order to survive – and even thrive – during these unprecedented times, small businesses have had to find new ways to make money. The UPS Store’s Small Biz Buzz survey found that 41 percent of small businesses in the United States took steps to modify their businesses in hopes of survival. Fifteen percent provided customers with curbside delivery options, 28 percent moved to online sales as their primary source of sales, and 65 percent made a concerted effort to grow their e-commerce capabilities. More than 50 percent of those polled by a U.S. Census Bureau... View Article

  • Will StarLink be the Next Disruption to the Telecommunication Industry?

    Posted Date December 1, 2020 Posted Time 12:00 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWith every new project comes expectations, uncertainties, questions, opposition, and more. Elon Musk’s StarLink internet is one such project. Just last month, on Nov. 24, SpaceX launched 60 StarLink internet satellites – making a total of more than 900 of its flat-panel satellites already on low earth orbit (LEO). This also marked the company’s 23rd space launch since the start of 2020. But just what is StarLink; why is it a big deal; and will it replace existing internet infrastructure? Follow along for information already in the public domain that will help answer some of these... View Article

  • Our Top 6 Year-End Tax Planning Tips

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

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readThis 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... 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 am Published in

    🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readNational 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 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.... View Article

  • Why Gratitude is Important During a Pandemic

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

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWe’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, Ph.D., 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... View Article

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