Route 422 Business Advisor

From the Editor's desk at Route 422 Business Advisor — Relevant news and information of interest to business owners and operators along the Route 422, Route 100 and Route 30 corridors in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Please visit www.422bizmag.com

 

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ESTATE PLANNING Part Two - Last Will versus Living Trust

The correct strategy for you last will or living trust depends on your individual

circumstances and objectives. A last will determines how your assets pass to your heirs or others

at your death; whereas, a living trust is created in your lifetime and affects your property during

your lifetime and upon your death. If you establish a living trust, then it is advised that you have

a “pour-over will” for any assets that may not be in trust at the time of death.

A last will generally costs less and is very easily established, but cost should not be a

Wading onto the Board of a Nonprofit Corporation

If you are a business owner, or one of the otherwise active members of the community, I believe there is a ninety-percent probability you will end up on the board of a nonprofit corporation. This is good. It is good for you and great for your community.  Some will serve small entities of little geographic reach, while others will help govern and direct organizations serving the reach of the Commonwealth and beyond.

Bigger Isn’t Better

We’ve all heard the biblical story of David, whose well-aimed stone brought down the giant Goliath. When negotiating telecom services, small companies armed with powerful negotiating techniques can do as well or better than their larger counterparts. Here are four tips to help:

1. Know what you have and what you need.

Why is Estate Planning an Essential Component of Financial Management?

Estate planning is an important part of your overall financial management strategy

because with a plan in place you will avoid unintended consequences. Certain plan documents

will assist you in your lifetime, whereas other documents will assist upon death. If you become

incapacitated, then you will have a trusted, competent person or persons that you have named to

handle your financial and health affairs. If you pass away, then your assets will be distributed per

What Is A Funeral Trust?

Greg Koch's picture

Submitted by Greg Koch Fri, 06/29/2018 - 14:55

Like other major life events, pre-funding your funeral will give you peace of mind, comfort and assurance knowing that money will be there to pay your final expenses. Now, wouldn’t it be nice to have an insurance policy that is designed to do exactly that? Pay for your funeral costs, while also having the money protected from Medicaid or creditors so it will be available for its intended purpose?

How will my SURVIVORS pay for my funeral?

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

A recent report published by Identity Theft Resource Center stated that since May 1, 2018, there have 383 data breaches across various industries including the military, financial, healthcare and others so far this year. Imagine if that is your customers’ data that was compromised

7 Things Your IRA Custodian Won’t Tell You

Greg Koch's picture

Submitted by Greg Koch Tue, 05/29/2018 - 12:54

What hasn’t your IRA Custodian told you?

It is important to know what your IRA custodian will tell you and what they will not or cannot tell you. The I in IRA stands for individual and many times it is up to the individual to know things or keep track of them.

Marketing Lessons from Driveway Spammers

Every spring they appear like leaves in the fall. Unwanted, they sit at the end of the driveway in the muddy-muck left from winter. Landscapers, contractors, handymen, and asphalt companies have all latched on to a marketing technique that bears some discussion.

Here’s how it works: Print up a cheap flyer on yellow or green paper, grab some gravel or a single rock, stuff both into a plastic bag, and tie it closed. Then head for my neighborhood and litter every driveway in sight.

Tax Planning 2018: How will your tax situation be different in 2018? What is the effect of the new tax law changes on your situation?

This is the perfect time of year to do tax planning, and planning ahead provides the

greatest opportunities and benefits to you. Even before considering the new tax law changes;

determine if there will be any change to your income and deductions this year versus last year.

For example, in Tax Year 2017, did you have a large capital gain or loss, sell a rental

property for a one-time gain, get a one-time taxable distribution, or did you make a deductible

retirement plan contribution? Are you scheduled to make estimated tax payments based on last

PayPerClick–Instant Results = Big money SEO-Delayed Results = Lasts Forever

In an article written earlier for these pages, we covered how the criminal behavior at a respected news magazine read by at least three generations and, likely some millennials, when International Business Times (IBT), publishers of Newsweek, were exposed by SocialPuncher  and BuzzFeed showing how IBT, in order to secure a government advertising contract for nearly $3 million, purchased fraudulent traffic directed to their websites in order to embellish their presentation to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and secure the contract.

Do you have a Roth IRA? Should you have a Roth IRA?

Greg Koch's picture

Submitted by Greg Koch Wed, 02/07/2018 - 11:55

The Roth IRA is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. It started January 1st 1998.

The Roth IRA is growing stronger than ever. You may be already reaping the tax benefits of owning your own Roth IRA or, did you hesitate to open one?

Here are 20 ROTH IRA Facts you need to know:

SEO vs. PPC

Assuming you have a website, your 24/7, three-hundred-and-sixty-five day per year online brochure is up and running. The question is what now?

This article will attempt to educate the reader on the advantages and disadvantages of Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both will require a monthly investment, in either time, effort and the pocketbook.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Why Mobile Marketing Needs to be Part of Your Digital Marketing Strategy

The hype and fanfare surrounding the recent introduction of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X are proof that smartphones are an integral part of our lives.

According to comScore, an American media measurement and analytics company, smartphone penetration in the United States has crossed 80 percent in 2016. When the iPhone was launched in 2007 only six percent of the population had a smart phone!

Cash Management: Enhance your financial position and take control of your finances

A fundamental building block of financial planning is cash management. Effective financial planning requires the accurate examination of cash inflows and outflows and the examination of assets and liabilities. The process of monitoring and examining cash flow allows people to prioritize and address financial goals and monitor progress. 

Cash Inflows: Sources of Funds 

• General income sources, for example, salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, alimony, child support, rents, royalties or trust distributions. 

Tax Reform Proposal Unveiled

Greg Koch's picture

Submitted by Greg Koch Fri, 12/01/2017 - 17:16

The much-anticipated Republican proposal for tax reform has been released in the form of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, an over-400 page long major rewrite of the Tax Code.

Individual Retirement Accounts

IRA rules are left largely untouched by the Act. Contribution limits and requirements are unchanged, stretch IRAs remain in place, and favorable treatment for Net Unrealized Appreciation remains available as before.

Health Insurance: Executive Order

On October 12, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order. What does this mean for health insurance? What changes will take place in the health insurance market now? What changes might happen to health insurance in the future?

What If You Could Pay Health Care Costs in Retirement with Tax-Free Dollars?

Greg Koch's picture

Submitted by Greg Koch Fri, 11/03/2017 - 12:38

As medical expenses continue to increase, planning for them in retirement takes on greater importance.  One approach is to shift thinking of the Health Savings Account (HSA) as an account to defray medical expenses annually to an account with pre-tax dollars and tax-free earnings to defray medical expenses years from now in retirement.

Consider this planning strategy to help insulate your lifestyle dollars from medical expenses:

• Fully fund an HSA to the maximum annual contribution allowance, potentially to age 65.

Processing Workplace Incidents

In the last article, we reviewed Workers’ Compensation file basics. In this article, we are looking at processing workplace incidents. Workplace incidents include workplace accidents and "close-calls." There were approximately 2.9 million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2015, which occurred at a rate of 3.0 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that more than a dozen workers died every day in American workplaces in 2013.

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