Home › Local Business Columns

Local Business Columns Section

David S. Poole: Don’t assume you own your Web site
In an age where customers are beginning to rely on your Web site more than your telephone-book advertising to locate you, the value of your company's Web site as an asset has never been higher.

	D. Frank Norton: How to survive inflation We may be on the cusp of inflation raising its ugly head again. How so? Our government is spending trillions of dollars using a broad swath of initiatives to fight deflation, which is the opposite of inflation. Herein lies the rub. If government were to succeed in stopping deflation, the huge new debt issuance that's supporting them could lead to a spike in inflation that we have not experienced since the 1970s.
	Jim Lentini: Protecting yourself from the economic pinch How are you reacting to the current state of the market? How do you feel about the current U. S. economy overall? And, more importantly, what are you doing to protect yourself from the economic pinch?
	Oscar Dominguez: Take a personal inventory to determine net worth In this challenging economic environment, consider taking inventory of your finances by first determining your net worth - the difference between your total assets and total liabilities.
	Kenneth W. Keller: The mid-year company marketing review The mid-point of the year is an appropriate time to review how the year is progressing in marketing.
	Jim Lentini: How will baby boomers find health care solutions? By 2030, the over-65 population in the US is projected to swell to 72 million. This is the group - composed of folks born between 1946 and 1964 - we call baby boomers. Their presence raises several interesting questions, including this one: How will boomers find solutions about senior health care options? I just recently attended a seminar about the changes in Medicare and supplemental health benefits, and I find the options and changes challenging ...
	Oscar Dominguez: How new credit-card rules will affect everyone Effective February 1, 2010, Santa Clarita Valley residents will be among the millions of credit-card users nationwide to experience extensive credit-card reforms featured in the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, recently signed into law by President Barack Obama.
	Jerry Kessler: Guardians: Who will have custody of the kids? One of the most difficult questions facing people who need a will or trust is, "Who will take charge of our minor child if something happens to me and my spouse?"
	Julie M. Sturgeon: Choosing a business entity in a tough economy The current condition of the economy and the nation’s unemployment figures give rise to more and more people considering turning their hobbies into viable businesses.
	Jim Lentini: A guaranteed tax-free income I have always stressed in financial planning what is tax-deductible, tax-deferred and tax-free.
	Oscar Dominguez: Homeowners should be wary of foreclosures rescue scams As many homeowners struggle to maintain their home mortgages in this challenging economy, scam artists have developed a number of schemes to con unsuspecting homeowners out of their money - and their homes.
	Randall D. Armour: Don’t let Uncle Sam become your only life insurance beneficiary Life insurance is an excellent way of providing financial support for a surviving spouse or children upon the death of the family breadwinner, or if both parents die.
	Kenneth W. Keller: What you can learn from the Super Bowl When an employee is tardy more than a few times to work, the reason is not traffic, car trouble or an alarm that didn’t go off. The real reason is that Johnny never learned it was unacceptable to be late to work.
	Jim Lentini: What's your retirement income focus? To make sure you have enough money for your retirement, begin with a few estimations and rough calculations.
	Oscar Dominguez: tips for creating a sound budget Creating a budget in a tough economy may help you better understand where your money is going so you can properly manage your finances and plan for the future.
	Brian E. Koegle: Agencies target businesses to generate revenue It should come as no surprise to learn that the economy has been weak for many industries throughout California for the better part of the last year.
	April E. Oliver: Be aware of automatic restraining orders If a restraining order was to be imposed against you, you would probably be aware of it, right? But were you aware that once your petition for a divorce is filed with the court, automatic temporary restraining orders go into effect against you? Unfortunately, these ATROs can be a very serious trap for the unaware, particularly those who are not represented by an attorney in a family-law case.
	Kenneth W. Keller: Using leadership and teamwork to make beautiful music A group of musicians gathered together for the purpose of playing in harmony to provide beautiful music for an assembled audience. It was a simple goal, easy to describe, understood by all, yet difficult to execute. The desired result was to sound like one rich instrument.
	Jim Lentini: What is a guaranteed income worth? A report entitled "Social Security, Medicare Face Insolvency Sooner" was published recently in the Wall Street Journal.
	Oscar Dominguez: Build yourself a nest egg Whether you would like to set money aside for a down-payment on a home, build an emergency fund or save for retirement, concern about the economy has many thinking about ways to save and create a nest egg for the future.
	Robert Mansour: Make sure you have a trust Recently, several people have asked me to review existing estate plans. Usually, they say something like, “I need you to review my trust to make sure it’s still good.”
	Kenneth W. Keller: Don't sanction incompetence in your business Tom Hill’s Eaglezine arrives each Friday morning via e-mail. It’s a short, fast-paced, single-page newsletter that always contains at least one nugget of knowledge worth pondering.
	Jim Lentini: Should you roll over your 401(k)? Regardless of the economic environment, about 18 percent of American workers (more than one in six) leave their jobs every year.
	Kevin W. Yeam: Know the facts of the McDonald’s coffee case The McDonald’s “scalding coffee case” has entered the public consciousness as an example of out-of-control litigation.
	D. Frank Norton: May 19 was a wake-up call for all Californians I’m afraid that Sacramento needed this. Politicians there have had their heads in the sand for too long. Their spendthrift policies had to stop. The five measures rejected in Tuesday’s vote — where spending would continue with tax raises being extended to future years — were defeated.
	Kenneth W. Keller: Make sure you don't fail your business It would be wonderful to believe that success is something that every owner strives to achieve. Success, however, is a relative term; most privately held businesses might consider survival in this economy a success.
	Jim Lentini: AIG crisis due to risky sales Ever since the AIG financial crisis broke in the media, we in the financial business of insurance and investments have been answering questions and defending the insurance industry.
	Oscar Dominguez: Tips for ATM safety For many Santa Clarita Valley residents, visiting an automated teller machine is part of a routine, much like grocery shopping and filling up at the gas pump. With new and sophisticated scams to pilfer personal financial information, it is wise to be increasingly vigilant in your efforts to protect yourself and your financial information when visiting an ATM.
	Julie M. Sturgeon: A bit of good news for first-time home buyers The First-Time Homebuyer Credit has been extended and enhanced. Use it and you might be able to benefit on your 2008 income tax return, even if you bought or built your home during 2009.
	Kenneth W. Keller: A few rules for winning in golf and business The current issue of Golf Digest has an article by Dr. Bob Rotella titled, “10 Rules for how to win your major (golf tournament).”