Month: October 2013

  • Quick course in PA inheritance tax

    Pennsylvania imposes an inheritance tax on all estate transfers except those passed on to a surviving spouse, IRAs are exempt. The tax is 4.5% to children and higher for other beneficiaries. See http://www.revenue.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/inheritance_tax/11414 for more information.

  • We still get an “F” for courting environmental tourism

    Watermen (the term used to describe the people who harvest fish, shellfish, crabs and other resources from the bay) are known for their intelligence and sharp wit combined with a lack of formal education. The result can often be offensive to those with a deference to politically correct positions. The Money Island Marina community has…

  • Privacy and security

    I’ve been convinced for years that the concepts of “privacy” and “security” as most people imagine them no longer exist. Recent news surrounding NSA capabilities and activities brought that discussion into the mainstream. There is some value gained, I believe, in living with the presumption that all of our individual and collective actions and communications…

  • New Jersey Department of Agriculture: Don’t sell out to the soybean industry

    The future of aquaculture in New Jersey New Jersey Department of Agriculture is headed down a dangerous course by promoting a soy-based aquaculture industry. We should be clear that the program’s sponsor, the United Soybean Board, is the marketing arm of the notorious Monsanto corporation with the help of pesticide maker DuPont. Together they champion…

  • Colleges may stop offering CFP

    Wall Street Journal Wealth Adviser brief writes “CFP controversy hits educators. College-level educators expect to see fallout from the CFP Board’s recent troubles over how advisers have been using the “fee-only” label. For one thing, it’s likely to hurt enrollment in CFP exam courses, one professor tells Financial Planning. Some educators are wondering if they…

  • The detail of my complaint against the Better Business Bureau

    I became aware that the BBB had removed my A+ rating on Saturday September 21, 2013 I don’t known when they actually initiated the action. This was about one week after Yahoo Finance published an article on the potential for abuse by scammers playing off the federal health insurance exchange launch scheduled for October 1.…

  • Advertising investigation by BBB

    I am frustrated by the Better Business Bureau’s “shoot first and ask questions later” policy in pulling my A+ rating for an advertising review. I wrote about my original complaint with BBB staff behavior at https://novaktony.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/the-detail-of-my-complaint-against-the-better-business-bureau/. I became aware that the BBB replaced my A+ rating with a “NR” (not rated) on September 28 when a…