Yearly Archives: 2006
The Bait/Switch Referral Sale Pyramid Scheme
What do the above consumer scams have in common? They were all made illegal by Pennsylvania‘s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (“Consumer Law”). The Consumer Law declares unlawful: Misrepresenting a product’s brand. Misrepresenting the source, sponsorship, or certification of a product or… Continue reading
Year-End Tax Tips
It’s not too late to plan for your 1999 individual income taxes. Between now and December 31 you can take steps to change your 1999 tax picture significantly. Some ideas: If you are debating whether to donate stock or cash to a qualified charity, you… Continue reading
Latin Lovers
In a recent trip to London, I discovered that Latin phrases are more prevalent in Great Britain, especially in connection with matters of royalty. It seems many of the buildings occupied by the royal family (including Buckingham Palace) have the letters “ER” displayed prominently, as… Continue reading
Collection — Get Your Money’s Worth (Anatomy of Successful Collection)
An entire industry has grown up around the collection of debts. In fact, this industry had gone to such extremes in the past (such as calling a debtor from the emergency room of a local hospital, telling him a loved one is injured, and then… Continue reading
The Queen’s English — ‘Bout Done with Apostrophes
Previously we spoke of apostrophes and contractions where we combine two words such as a pronoun and a verb (“They’ve left.”). There are other times when the apostrophe is used when letters in a word are being omitted. Some illustrations: ‘burbs for suburbs ne’er (do… Continue reading
Nursing Home Care
We are frequently asked questions regarding Medicaid eligibility to cover nursing home costs. Often, the questions are raised when the need for nursing home care is imminent; it may be too late to establish an ideal plan regarding nursing home care, but usually some planning… Continue reading
Recent Changes for IRAs and Retirement Plans
The IRS has just released new rules for IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans). The sweeping changes are effective immediately. However, IRA owners may continue to apply the old rules for the year 2001. Surprisingly, the IRS has taken a number of complex… Continue reading
Copyright – Work Made for Hire
When a company hires a consultant to develop software for its business, who owns the copyright to that work, the company or the consultant? The answer depends on whether (1) the consultant is considered an employee of the company or an independent contractor, and (2)… Continue reading
Slip and Fall Injuries
With the slick winter weather we are seeing a rise in the number of slip and fall incidents occurring in public places. Serious injuries, including broken bones, back injuries, and various types of strains and sprains are being reported. Normal, healthy people rarely fall down… Continue reading
Foundations Made Easy
Several months ago we commented upon a method which was designed to reduce an individual’s federal estate taxes to zero. One of the key components of this type of estate plan is the organization of a family foundation. We have worked with a number of… Continue reading