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Even if you have no heirs, you should have an estate plan. Otherwise, the state will determine the fate of your worldly possessions. In fact, if you pass away “intestate” (without a will), the state can even keep all of your assets for itself – if no heirs are found. The most basic tenet of no-heir estate planning is to write a will. Every state has different rules about what constitutes a legally enforceable will, so be sure to check out your state’s guidelines. If you move, you’ll need to update your will according to the state you live in when you pass away. InRead More →

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For the most part, New Year’s resolutions are hard to keep because many times you either list too many things or ones that aren’t manageable for the long haul – especially those that involve money. Here are a few simple tricks to help you make changes that are bite-sized, easy to implement, and more likely to stick. Do a five-minute daily money check-in. Life is so busy that sometimes it’s easy to just spend money, then move on to the next task at hand. You might think, “I’ll check my bank balance later,” and then you never do. But if you’re serious about getting aRead More →

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Technology advancement has brought about great digital transformation. Unfortunately, this has come with a global tech talent shortage. IT executives highlight the shortage as a huge barrier to the adoption of emerging technologies, as reported by this Gartner study. It is estimated that the demand for tech talent will keep increasing, and this could result in an estimated 85 million global talent shortage by the year 2030. Therefore, companies need to rethink their approach to hiring and retention. Reasons Behind the Tech Talent Shortage It is worth trying to first understand what is causing the tech talent shortage. A few of the reasons that haveRead More →

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Respect for Marriage Act (HR 8404) – Introduced by Sen. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) on July 18, this Act replaces previous provisions that defined marriage as strictly between a man and a woman. It codifies marriage to state that a spouse may be a person of the opposite sex as long as the contract between the two individuals is valid under state law, and prohibits any state from denying out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin. The bill passed in the Senate on Nov. 29 and the final bill passed in the House on Dec. 8. President Biden signed the ActRead More →

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Now is the time of year to do everything you can to minimize taxes and maximize your financial health with proper year-end planning. In this article, we’ll look at several actions to consider taking before the end of 2022. Thoughtfully Harvest Losses and Gains Before Year-End Tax loss harvesting by selling securities at a loss to offset capital gains is a classic year-end planning strategy. Just make sure not to violate the wash sale rules. This means you can’t buy back the same security or a substantially identical one within 30 days of the sale. Reinvest Capital Gains into Opportunity Zones Another way to offsetRead More →

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When there’s a question of the benefit that tangible or intangible assets provide businesses, there are many factors that must be weighed to make internal accounting procedures effective. Businesses must determine how the cost of business assets can be expensed each year over the asset’s lifespan. Looking at how amortization and depreciation work, implementing both processes depend on the type of asset being expensed. There are noticeable differences for each method, including how to salvage value is considered, whether accelerated expensing is allowed, and how each type is expressed on financial statements. Amortization Amortization is an accounting practice of spreading the cost of an intangibleRead More →

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Although you might get busy with the holiday season, don’t forget to consider ways to strengthen tax efficiencies for 2023 and beyond. 2023 Retirement Contribution Increases Set up your accounts to automatically defer money to meet the new increases in retirement contributions next year. In 2023, you can defer up to $22,500 in a 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans and the government’s Thrift Savings Plan. Plan participants who are age 50 and older may defer up to $30,000 next year. Furthermore, the combined 2023 limit for Traditional and Roth IRAs is $6,500, or $7,500 if you’re age 50 or older. If you are a businessRead More →

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Believe it or not, the year is coming to a close. If you want to finish strong and set attainable goals for 2023, here’s a handy, actionable checklist to help you navigate upcoming expenditures. Review Your Spending and Create a Budget This might seem like Finance 101, but it’s a tried and true method that works. Take a look back to see where your money went. When you’ve evaluated your patterns of spending, you can reset priorities for the New Year, assuming you want to make changes. If you do, sit down and create a budget. Your tax professional will probably have a downloadable tax planningRead More →

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Data has become a primary asset for businesses today. Consequently, the survival of a business in our data-driven environment is highly dependent on the ability to have total control over data storage, extraction, and manipulation. As businesses continue being bombarded with vast volumes of data, datafication has become a big trend that provides a solution to turn data into quantifiable, usable, and actionable information.  What is Datafication?   The term datafication was coined by Kenneth Cukier and Victor Mayer-Schöenberger in 2013 when they explained it as the transformation of social actions into quantifiable data. Today, much data is collected at the point of contact withRead More →

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Disaster Resiliency Planning Act (S 3510) – Introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on Jan. 13,this Act details guidelines for federal agencies to incorporate natural disaster resilience with regard to real property asset management and investment decisions. The bill passed in the Senate on June 22, in the House on Nov. 14 and is awaiting signature by President Biden. Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act (S 4254) – This Act is designed to combat attempts of foreign adversaries, such as Russia and China, from trying to influence U.S. political elections. Specifically, the bill closes a loophole used to conceal lobbying efforts frequently used by theRead More →