Business News

California labor laws state that if you are injured during the course and scope of your employment, your only remedy is to receive workers’ compensation benefits.  However, there are exceptions to this rule.  One exception is if your employer does not carry workers’ compensation insurance, then you can file a lawsuit against your employer for compensation of your medical bills and pain and suffering. 

What is enough?  What is not enough?  If you’re considering retiring in the near future, you’ve probably heard or read that you need about 70 percent of your end salary to live comfortably in retirement.  This estimate is frequently repeated, but that doesn’t mean it is true for everyone.  It may not be true for you.  You won’t learn how much retirement income you’ll need by reading this article. 

An interesting, but troublesome situation has transpired.  Prices are falling, not just for homes and cars, but for the talents of great people.  Job searchers have to tackle not only one of the toughest job markets they may ever address in their working careers, but they also have to grapple with incredibly dicey negotiations!

Every year, scams are becoming increasingly complex as con artists discover new, sophisticated ways to fleece the public. Unfortunately, even the well-known deceptions still fool victims. Whether new or old, con artists prey upon the same vulnerabilities in our human nature. We can better protect ourselves by first knowing what kind of fraudulent operations exist and how they function.

The severe downturn of the financial markets that began in 2007 has led many investors to question their investment strategies and the choices they made in the past.  Investment decisions are among the most important life choices a person can make. They may determine where your children will be able to go to college, when you’ll be able to retire and the type of lifestyle you’ll enjoy after you retire.
For these reasons, many investors are now reevaluating their strategies, reassessing their personal tolerance for risk, revisiting their asset allocation strategy and rethinking their long-term financial plans.

These days, most companies have at least a decent investment in their website, if not a sizeable one. So it’s important to make sure that your investment is protected from potential loss.  Over the years, one of the most common ways we’ve seen companies run into trouble with their website is to allow the contact information for their domain name to become outdated.

If you own real property, you understand that California State law mandates that all real property is subject to taxation unless otherwise exempted. Your property taxes support services provided to the residents of Los Angeles County, such as law enforcement, fire protection, education, parks and recreation, and other services. 

Bank of Santa Clarita, the only commercial bank headquartered in the Santa Clarita Valley, reported net earnings for the second quarter of 2009 of $90,000 as compared to second quarter 2008 earnings of $102,000; it also reported that earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2009 totaled $129,000 as compared to earnings of $151,000 recorded in the same period of 2008.

In a high-profile Tax Day press conference, President Obama announced an even more aggressive war on tax cheats. Now, the IRS is planning the assault.

It was only a couple of months ago that President Barack Obama stood in the White House and announced his plan to aggressively go after — tax cheats, no matter where they hide their money.

A new age is upon us!  We can find previously lost and wonderful contacts from our earlier career adventures!  I recently attended a helpful seminar here in the SCV presented by Quantum Technology Solutions.  I learned a great deal, but probably more important is the thinking that it caused me to do about making, keeping, and nurturing professional connections.  The seminar discussed Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging, and use of video in such applications as websites and YouTube.  Amazing and a bit intimidating opportunities exist to promote and connect oneself!

As time goes by and wealth accumulates, one of the most costly mistakes a married couple can make is not establishing an estate plan to protect their assets.  While it’s true that married couples can generally transfer assets at the death of one spouse to the surviving spouse on an estate-tax-free basis, this may lead to a tax trap when the second spouse dies and those assets are passed on to children or other beneficiaries.  Without proper planning, those assets may be exposed to federal estate taxes up to 45 percent of the total estate value, not to mention possible state estate taxes on top of that.
 Here’s why:

Early one morning, you are out for a jog.  As you approach an intersection, you notice a “no-walk” red traffic signal against you.  There are no cars approaching on the horizon so you decide to keep jogging and enter the crosswalk against a “no-walk” red traffic light.

It is always good when parents can agree to a child support order without a court hearing.  A settlement lends to certainty; the parties are more apt to comply with the order because they participated in the making of the order, and it saves everyone time away from work and attorneys’ fees.

City Upgraded to Second Highest Credit Rating Possible

The City of Santa Clarita’s Standard & Poor’s credit rating was upgraded yesterday from AA to AA +, characterizing the City as having “very strong wealth and income levels.”  This is the City’s third credit upgrade in five years.

“Certified Financial Planner” – what does that title really mean?  When you search for a financial advisor, it means everything. Let me explain why the CFP® designation is so important.

By default, parents are usually the primary source of a financial education. However, many young people may receive allowances — or even sizable inheritances — without a sound base of knowledge in saving, budgeting, investing and financial planning. To help the children in your life develop a responsible attitude about money, it might help to consider these points:

As the world market changes this can cause a change in how business, both national and local, perform their responsibilities.  This can also cause a change in how individuals perform their responsibilities.
You need to become good at knowing what to change and at what point in time to do this.

Short Sale Transactions and Non-Judicial Foreclosure Proceedings

With so much anxiety regarding our current economy and real estate market, a common question property owners ask is: What are my rights and obligations if my property goes into foreclosure, or if I decide to sell my property and it is in a Short Sale position with the bank?  The answer is somewhat complex, and may surprise you.