Here’s an interesting statistic for you… Did you know that in theUnited States, 92% of all children have an online presence by age two? That means that they will have an online “history” for most of their lives. Pretty startling, isn’t it? Fortunately, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is there to protect children in their online activities. As a business owner, you are responsible for making Read More
Protecting Your Child’s Identity
The holidays are upon us, and unfortunately, so are the opportunities for being victims of fraud. Most of us are savvy enough to know we should shred our credit card bills and anything else with identifying information on it. But have you thought about protecting your child’s identity? Child identity theft is a fairly new problem but it’s happening more and more. And according to the FTC, 5% of the victims were Read More
Simple Legal Tips For A Successful Small Business
Every entrepreneur has a dream… Independence – both financial and personal… Providing a good life for their family… Grabbing their little piece of the American Dream… With the head in the clouds dreaming, it’s easy to forget some simple legal steps you can take to get your business off to a good start and provide a firm foundation for the business as it grows. When you’re starting your business, keep these five Read More
New Year’s Resolutions For Your Portfolio
We all make New Year’s resolutions… Losing weight… Spending more time with family… Learning a new language… Few of us think of our investment portfolio in terms of resolutions. But we should. This is a great time to sit down and really look at how your investments have done this year and plan for the next. If you’re a do-it-yourself investor, with all the market volatility this would be a great time to talk to Read More
“Happy Holidays From Your Acton Estate Planning Lawyer!” – How’s Your Estate Plan?
By David Feakes, Acton Estate Planning Lawyer and Personal Family Lawyer. The end of the year is always a good time to reassess where we are financially… Plan for the future… Correct past mistakes… And, most importantly, change course if needed. This year, a review of your estate plan is more vital than ever. The resurrection of the federal estate tax and generation-skipping transfer tax (GST) in 2011, the Read More
Are You Ready for the 2011 Tax Changes?
If ever there was a time to call your estate planning or tax attorney, now is that time. The tax cuts instituted by the Bush administration in 2001 and 2003 are set to expire in 2011 unless Congress does something to stop it before the end of this year. There are many proposed bills up for discussion right now but it’s anyone’s guess which, if any, will be passed in time. If you are a single person earning Read More
What Do You Know About Long Term Care and Medicaid Planning?
When was the last time you actually looked at your estate plan? Have you ever seen your parents' estate plan? Many people don't like to even think about their parents aging and the eventual need for long-term care, much less their own. Changes in Medicaid eligibility requirements have taken place in the last four years or so that make this "ostrich approach" to one of life's unpleasant facts a very expensive Read More
Traditional vs. Roth IRAs – Which is the Better Choice?
The talk this year about changes in the availability of Roth IRAs has raised questions from many people eligible for the benefits of these individual retirement accounts. One of the hottest topics of discussion is the advantages of a traditional IRA versus a Roth IRA, and whether or not you have to convert your traditional IRA to make it a “stretch” IRA. First of all, the answer is no, you don’t have to convert Read More
Summertime and the Living is Easy
Summertime in the U.S.A. Kids live for it… Parents spend much of the year trying to plan for it… It’s the perfect time of year to get out of our comfort zone and break free from the safe routine of daily life. Yet along with pushing those boundaries and living the adventure comes the increased possibility of accident or injury - those unexpected events we spend the least amount of time planning for and years Read More
The 15 Estate Planning Mistakes That Could Leave Your Family in Danger (Part 1)
Does Your Plan Make One of These 15 Fatal Mistakes that Can Endanger Your Family, Result in the Government Taking Too Much of Your Money, and Leave Your Family With a Huge Problem? (Part 1 - Counting Down: Mistakes #15 -11) Regardless of whether you've prepared a plan for what will happen in the event of your death or incapacity, a plan is in place. It’s the people you love the most who are going to have the Read More
