Net Investment Income Tax is Alive and Well: How it can affect your estate plan.
January 20, 2020 Knowledge Center
Net Investment Income Tax is Alive and Well: How it can affect your estate plan.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reduced individual income tax rates, but it left the 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) in place. It’s important to address the NIIT in your estate plan, because it can erode your earnings from interest, dividends, capital gains and other investments, leaving less for your heirs. How it […]

Keeping the Faith in a Reverse Mentoring Program
January 20, 2020 Knowledge Center
Keeping the Faith in a Reverse Mentoring Program

In a reverse mentoring program, a younger and usually less experienced employee mentors an older one, who’s typically in management or even an executive or business owner. The general idea is for the older employee to “get hip” to the latest technology or a new trend while the younger one gains experience and becomes better […]

Keep In Touch With Former Employees With an Alumni Network
January 16, 2020 Knowledge Center
Keep In Touch With Former Employees With an Alumni Network

For many employers, the struggle to find and hire good workers is real. So real, in fact, that some employers aren’t looking only at new faces, they’re keeping in touch with familiar ones as well. Sure, you could add an ex-employee’s name to a newsletter mailing list or send him or her a holiday card. […]

Wellness Programs Are Subject to Many Federal Laws
January 14, 2020 Knowledge Center
Wellness Programs Are Subject to Many Federal Laws

At the beginning of the year, many people make resolutions about improving their physical fitness and overall well-being. Employers may seek to give these goals a boost in the longevity department by offering an employee wellness program. If your organization is doing so, or considering such a program, it’s important to be aware of the […]

Cost Management: A Budget’s Best Friend
January 10, 2020 Knowledge Center
Cost Management: A Budget’s Best Friend

If your company comes up over budget year after year, you may want to consider cost management. This is a formalized, systematic review of operations and resources with the stated goal of reducing costs at every level and controlling them going forward. As part of this effort, you’ll answer questions such as: Are we operating […]

4 New Law Changes That May Affect Your Retirement Plan
January 8, 2020 Knowledge Center
4 New Law Changes That May Affect Your Retirement Plan

If you save for retirement with an IRA or other plan, you’ll be interested to know that Congress recently passed a law that makes significant modifications to these accounts. The SECURE Act, which was signed into law on December 20, 2019, made these four changes. Change #1: The maximum age for making traditional IRA contributions […]

Must Employers Distribute Initial COBRA Notices Every Year?
January 6, 2020 Knowledge Center
Must Employers Distribute Initial COBRA Notices Every Year?

When an employer’s staff size reaches 20 or more, it’s generally required to offer “COBRA” health care coverage to departing employees. (The name comes from the legislation that made it law: the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.) If your organization is subject to COBRA, you may wonder whether you must provide the initial […]

How to Research a Business Customer’s Creditworthiness
January 3, 2020 Knowledge Center
How to Research a Business Customer’s Creditworthiness

Extending credit to business customers can be an effective way to build goodwill and nurture long-term buyers. But if you extend customer credit, it also brings sizable financial risk to your business, as cash flow could grind to a halt if these customers don’t make their payments. Even worse, they could declare bankruptcy and bow […]

Your Home Expenses May Be Tax Deductible
December 30, 2019 Knowledge Center
Your Home Expenses May Be Tax Deductible

Technology has made it easier to work from home so lots of people now commute each morning to an office down the hall. However, just because you have a home office space doesn’t mean you can deduct expenses associated with it. Regularly and exclusively In order to be deductible for 2019 and 2020, you must […]

What’s the Right Device Policy for Your Company?
December 26, 2019 Knowledge Center
What’s the Right Device Policy for Your Company?

Device policies pertaining to smartphones and other technology tools continue to frustrate business owners as they try to balance their needs for security and functionality against employees’ rights to privacy and freedom. At some companies, loose “bring your own device” (BYOD) policies are giving way to stricter “choose your own device” (CYOD) or “corporate-owned, personally […]

Stretch Your Marketing Dollars Further With Smart Strategies
December 23, 2019 Knowledge Center
Stretch Your Marketing Dollars Further With Smart Strategies

If your marketing budget is limited, there may be ways to make that money go further. Smart strategies abound for small to midsize businesses. Let’s look at a few ideas for stretching your marketing dollars a bit further. Check out the big guys Look to larger companies for ideas on how to improve and amp […]

Do You Have a Side Gig? Make Sure You Understand Your Tax Obligations
December 20, 2019 Knowledge Center
Do You Have a Side Gig? Make Sure You Understand Your Tax Obligations

The number of people engaged in the “gig” or sharing economy has grown in recent years, according to a 2019 IRS report. And there are tax consequences for the people who perform these jobs, such as providing car rides, renting spare bedrooms, delivering food, walking dogs or providing other services. Basically, if you receive income […]