Business News

And this year’s tax scam winners are…

1. Telephone Excise Tax Refund Abuses: Taxpayers request a refund of the entire amount of their phone bills, rather than just the 30 percent tax on long-distance and bundled service to which they are entitled.

Peter Drucker, someone I think very highly of, indicated something that we have seen validated on many occasions over the years.
Many businesses are more than concerned about developing their resources than undertaking processes to help their people become more productive.  This is coupled with the need for life-long learning.  Your business needs to consider that the most valueable resource you have is your people, your employees.

If you have an adjustable-rate mortgage or ARM, there’s a chance it will be heading toward a rate reset in the coming year.  A reset is defined as the change in the interest rate of your mortgage loan after the initial fixed-rate period to the adjustable rate you will pay for the remainder of the life of the loan.  And this year, as rates have increased, such a reset could cost you more money.

What’s the difference between just having a web site and providing a valuable online resource for your business?
You’ve heard it said that real estate is all about location, location, location.  Well, the number one key to every successful website is content, content, content.

On November 3, 1987 voters in the Santa Clarita Valley created a new city composed of the historic towns of Newhall, Saugus, Valencia and Canyon Country.  It was the birth of the City of Santa Clarita. 

Many college graduates are entering the work force this summer and soon may be starting to repay student loans.  One of the first tax lessons they may want to learn is the one about deducting student loan interest payments.  Here are the basics:

Businesses are run on a global scale, 24/7.  If a business is not innovative it will be left behind.  Surviving today’s business competition requires new thinking and new business patterns.  

Even if you’re not necessarily planning on changing jobs, you need to know where you stand.  By consulting with a career professional and talking through your career, you’ll be able to develop solid confidence in the skills and experience you have developed.

California labor laws dictate 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.

It sounds like some kind of science fiction movie, doesn’t it?  In fact, it’s a significant tax break for our local business owners.  The inside secret is that the Business Advisory Group of Santa Clarita has their own expert on this outstanding opportunity. 

Domestic Violence is a terrible thing.  I was watching the news recently and heard about a case in Washington State where a University of Washington researcher was gunned down and killed by her former boyfriend, who then turned the gun on himself. 

If you are operating a business without placing the business in an entity, you and your personal assets may be subject to business creditors’ claims.

There are different options to make your income more profitable.  Online advertising can turbo charge your business.  Expose your company online.  You can search for many suggestions online to make your business stronger.  Some businesses make 80 percent of their revenue through online marketing companies.

The following are some commonsense suggestions to help you if you ever find yourself a witness to a car accident:
CALL 911: Don’t assume that someone else has done so already.

The first principle is to go into retirement with a plan.  Retirees should answer the following questions:

Now that the deadline to file tax returns has passed, taxpayers can breathe a sigh of relief or can they? Here are some cautionary tales:

Yes, that’s right your computer may be committing a crime right now as you are reading this.  Bob Sullivan, a MSNBC Technology Reporter specializing on security, writing in the Red Tape Chronicles blog he does for MSNBC, reports that almost 150 million computers worldwide have been unknowingly hijacked to act as bots in botnet networks.  

Santa Clarita welcomes Wachovia, a residential home loan division.  Wachovia is the fourth largest holding bank in the nation.