Defrauded? Prioritize Evidence Preservation

You may suspect that an employee has stolen from your company. But without evidence of a crime, you’ll have a hard time pursuing prosecution. So if you discover a fraud, first call your attorney. Then take immediate steps to preserve the evidence. Safeguard paper documents Place any hard documents related to the possible fraud in a safe location that’s accessible only to key people. The fewer who handle it, the better. Don’t make notes on any paper documents and, unless necessary, don’t let them be handled. Instead, make separate notations about when and where they were found and how you preserved them. A court case can be derailed if you don’t preserve the chain of evidence and can’t prove to a judge’s satisfaction that the documents haven’t...

Make Direct Payments of Tuition and Medical Payments

With the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption at $11.40 million for 2019 ($11.58 million for 2020), you may think you don’t have to worry about gift and estate taxes.  However, there are no guarantees that estate tax law won’t be revised in the future or that your accumulated assets won’t eventually exceed the available exemption (which is scheduled to drop significantly in 2026). Thus, there’s a need to investigate other tax-saving possibilities. Beyond annual exclusion gifts Under the annual gift tax exclusion, you can reduce your taxable estate without using up any of your lifetime exemption by giving each recipient gifts valued up to $15,000 a year. For example, if you have three children and seven grandchildren, you can give each one $15,000 tax free, for a...

5 Business Service Scams to Watch Out For

Preventing fraud from costing your company can sometimes seem like a game of whack-a-mole: Squash one scheme and another one pops up. Business service scams are particularly abundant. Fraud perpetrators know that business owners don’t always have time to verify the identities of salespeople or service reps and the legitimacy of their claims.  Your best defense is to refuse to pay anyone anything until you’ve ascertained the facts. It also helps to know what schemes are popular with criminals. Here are 5 business service scams to watch out for. (1) Utility Bill Fraudsters Someone claiming to be from your gas, electric or water company may call and say services are about to be cut off for non-payment. However, you can stop the discontinuation if you immediately pay the...

Coronavirus Pandemic is Spreading

As  posted to the Peak Prosperity YouTube Channel on January 25, 2020 (Run time 4 min 42 sec) In Update #2, with regards to the Wuhan New Coronavirus (offially "2019-ncov"), Chris Martenson reports that there are already 1,370 reported cases in China 41 deaths 38 cured 28 cases confirmed in 10 countries 30 municipalities/provinces have launched the highest emergency response level. (This is Blog Post #700) Chris Martenson, is a former American biochemical scientist and Vice President of Science Applications International Corporation.  Currently he is an author and trend forecaster interested in macro trends regarding the economy, energy composition and the environment at his site, www.peakprosperity.com....

Coronavirus is Worse Than You've Been Lead to Believe

As  posted to the Peak Prosperity YouTube Channel on January 24, 2020 (Run time 9 min 47 sec) Already, the Coronavirus is a Phase 4 Pandemic.  Chris Martenson explains why the Wuhan New Coronavirus (officially “2019-ncov”) a substantially more dangerous threat than the standard flu. (This is Blog Post #699) Chris Martenson, is a former American biochemical scientist and Vice President of Science Applications International Corporation.  Currently he is an author and trend forecaster interested in macro trends regarding the economy, energy composition and the environment at his site, www.peakprosperity.com....

Dont be Afraid of Probate

The word “probate” may conjure images of lengthy delays waiting for wealth to be transferred and bitter disputes among family members. Plus, probate records are open to the public, so all your “dirty linen” may be aired. That said, don't be afraid of probate.  The reality is that probate doesn’t have to be so terrible, and often isn’t, but both asset owners and their heirs should know what’s in store. Defining probate In basic terms, probate is the process of settling an estate and passing legal title of ownership of assets to heirs. If the deceased person has a valid will, probate begins when the executor named in the will presents the document in the county courthouse. If there’s no will — the deceased has died “intestate”...

What Does it Take to Get a Medical Expense Tax Deduction

As we all know, medical services and prescription drugs are expensive. You may be able to deduct some of your expenses on your tax return but the rules make it difficult for many people to qualify. However, with proper planning, you may be able to time discretionary expenses to your advantage for medical expense tax deduction purposes. The medical expense tax deduction: basic rules For 2019, the medical expense deduction can only be claimed to the extent your unreimbursed costs exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). You also must itemize deductions on your return. If your total itemized deductions for 2019 o 2020 will exceed your standard deduction, moving or “bunching” nonurgent medical procedures and other controllable expenses into one tax year may allow you to...

When Limited Partners Suspect General Partners of Fraud

Fraud suspicions are hard enough to investigate if you’re a business owner and call the shots. But what if you’re a limited partner (LP) in a business where a general partner (GP) is possibly engaged in mismanagement, self-dealing or fraud? With little control over the company, limited partners that suspect general partners of fraud face several challenges. The problem In a limited partnership, one or more general partners (GPs) manage the business while limited partners (LPs) contribute capital and share in the profits. LPs don’t run or manage the business. In fact, in most states, if they become involved in management decisions they can lose their LP status. Other states allow minor exceptions to this rule by, for example, allowing an LP to vote on issues that...