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  • Standalone 5G Networks: Potential Vulnerabilities that Could Result in Denial of Service for Customers

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

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min read5G networks promise high speeds, lower latency, and more robust security compared to its predecessors – and this has created a lot of buzz. As a result, there is a lot of competition among operators to roll out the network while manufacturers are already producing 5G devices. The deployment of 5G around the world has also been facilitated by a need for always-connected computers, widespread internet of things (IoT), and dependence on smartphones. All of this is constraining the 4G LTE technology. With the current uptake in remote working due to COVID-19, 5G is expected to... View Article

  • 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

  • Paying the Price for Vice: The Evolving Landscape of Excise Taxes in America

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

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readWhile excise or vice taxes have long been a part of the American tax landscape related to alcohol and cigarettes, the recent invention of vaping and legalization of marijuana and other substances is changing the landscape. What Are Excise Taxes? Excise taxes are taxes on specific types of consumable products such as alcohol or tobacco for one of two reasons. First, as vice taxes in order to raise revenue to cover the costs related to consumption; and second, to deter consumption itself. Unlike other types of consumption taxes such as sales tax, these are specific to... View Article

  • Looking Ahead to 2021: Hope is Not Canceled

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

    🖨 Print⏱ 4 min readDespite the fresh start that a new year promises, our world hasn’t changed much since last March. We’re still living in a new normal. We’re masking up, working (and schooling) from home, and social distancing. Furthermore, scores of community events and activities have been canceled. However, there is something that’s never been canceled: it’s called hope. Here are a few things to embrace that can lift your spirits and help you navigate all the uncertainty. Be Happy: The COVID-19 Vaccine is Here This is incredible news. To date, there are two vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Those... View Article

  • Deciding if a Roth IRA Conversion is For You

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

    🖨 Print⏱ 2 min readRoth IRAs can be a powerful tax tool, but they are often misunderstood and misused. Investment income in Roth IRAs compound tax-free and most distributions are tax-free as well. Another benefit is that there are no required minimum distributions (RMDs) throughout the original owner’s life. Long-term Roth distributions are tax-free to the beneficiaries who inherit the IRA as long as they fully distribute the Roth within 10 years of inheriting. As the annual contribution limits are rather small, most Roth IRA contributions are made by converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. The downside to... View Article

  • What To Know About Filing For Bankruptcy

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

    🖨 Print⏱ 3 min readAbout one million Americans file for personal bankruptcy each year, with one in 10 households having filed at some point. Given the loss of jobs, reduced income, and the coronavirus recession in 2020, those numbers could increase this year if the economic recovery is not both swift and omnipresent. There are two main types of personal bankruptcy: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7, which is the more common option, will liquidate the filer’s assets in order to discharge all or a portion of the outstanding debt. People generally choose this route because they are in... 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

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