Now that fall is rapidly approaching – even though it might not feel like it – I’ve got to ask you a question:  What are you doing to ensure that this year is STILL a great year for you? It’d be far too easy to point to the headlines in the news and simply use them as an excuse, but would it be the truth? Only you and your dedication to your business and your craft can answer that question.   Here’s what I do know: I n the last 18 months, most entrepreneurs and...

I get a lot of messages from clients about the material I often share with you guys, and a recurring theme seems to be “Why don’t you teach more ‘tax tips’ each month?”   There’s actually more than one answer to that question, but the main one is the easiest – we’re professionals, and our clients come to us because of that.  In fact, aside from the obvious things I mention from time to time – deductions, credits, and contributions – I’ve found it’s far better to educate...

I know a LOT of companies that have been forced to rethink entire business models or their ideal clients are simply not able to make purchases.   What about those companies? Well, if the problem you’re having isn’t generating sales but generating leads, there still plenty of solutions, but the underlying point stays the same – those leads have to be converted to paying customers.   Nonetheless, let’s assume you can close at a high rate, but you aren’t getting...

For a lot of employees in more traditional industries and for those who receive Social Security benefits, a lot of people expect to see a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) either annually or every other year.  Is this year any different?   In a lot of ways, 2020 screwed up COLA for a bunch of people.   Not only is the data that businesses and the government rely on skewed considerably based on the economic shutdown, but this year, rising prices – creating inflation...

With so many people in new jobs, working from home, or entering the so-called “gig” economy due to the pandemic and the subsequent economic recovery, it’s time to remind you to make sure your deductions are correct.   There’s no worse feeling than receiving your W2 in the mail only to find out that your company hasn’t been taking the proper number of deductions out of your check.   Seriously, we see this happen every year, even in the “good ones” with minimal economic...

It’s hard to believe the difference a year can make.  This time last year, the world was practically locked down, and now?  Economies are opening, people are getting back to work, and production of nearly everything is running as quickly as companies are staffed to produce things.  The exact same thing is happening in the housing market.  Incredibly low inventories, record-high supply costs, and a large labor shortage have all created an optimal environment for homeowners looking to...

If you follow the financial markets – even for a company 401(k) – you’ve probably noted that there are some challenges going on right now.  Not only are the markets up and down on a near-daily basis, investors are freaking out about crypto-currency, financial naysayers are encouraging you to invest in precious metals and bonds, and – more than usual – folks are acting crazy about investments.  Here’s the funny thing, though:  this seems to happen every year from May to roughly...

Despite what the movies would have you think, there’s a very real zombie problem in the United States that only a few people understand BUT one that can have a hugely negative impact on homeowners.  Zombie Mortgages.  I know how it sounds, but the reality is this:  in the Great Recession, many mortgage companies who held second positions on mortgages went bankrupt.  Those assets were purchased for pennies on the dollar and now, years later, the companies that own those...

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, “I like my job, but…”  It’s a hard truth that a lot of us like parts of the jobs we’re paid for, but accept that our jobs have plenty of things we don’t like about them, too.  Over the years, as I’ve interacted with people from all walks of life, I’ve come to the realization that it doesn’t matter what the job is, how an individual approaches that job makes all the difference in the world.  I get it – some companies are fun to work for, while...

People of a certain age will remember Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street and one of his most famous lines… “The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.” Now, I’m certainly not Michael Douglas, but as much as...