Month: January 2017
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Fantastic opportunity to save on taxes and insurance
Great news for health care costs: Small businesses can immediately combine the benefits of the the recent December 13, 2016 federal health care law with Trump’s new January 20, 2017 executive order to save money on health insurance and taxes. The new law reverses prior IRS positions to give us new opportunities for savings. The…
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Civil action as a family value
The warm feelings shared today after the Women’s March, the world’s largest peaceful civil protest against government yesterday sparked a personal memory from 15 years ago. On one of our earliest trips to Washington DC with Josh, 8 and Arielle 5, and friend Greg (above) we visited the White House. But we didn’t go on the…
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Personal health data on blood pressure
Each of us has access to plenty of medical information. Yet I still find it difficult to sift through the mass of medical data to find the most relevant information to help manage my own health. I conclude that sometimes the best data is that which you collect yourself. Over the past month I’ve intensified data collection about…
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Propaganda tools
A commenter wrote “the NY Times is basically the propaganda arm of the Democratic party, in the same way Fox news is the propaganda arm of the Republican party“. I see it quite differently: Science, data, educational institutions , intellectuals, and investigative journalism are all part of the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. Religion,…
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The real reason why San Francisco is a great place to live
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently passed a resolution, introduced by Board President London Breed, in response to the election of Donald Trump. The resolution reads as follows: WHEREAS, On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump was elected to become the 45th President of the United States; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That no…
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How to handle the Trump mortgage insurance fiasco
If you are a first time homeowner with a variable rate mortgage then there’s a good chance that your payment will increase by the maximum amount this year because of rising interest rates. To help offset the burden on these already strapped homeowners, the FHA planned to reduce the mortgage insurance rate by 1/4 of…
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Tax planning for small business owners in 2017
Tax laws change every year, often providing new opportunities for business and personal planning that can save money and improve our overall financial results. This year is no exception. While there are no major changes to tax law affecting small business owners this year, there are a number of more subtle developments in tax procedure…
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Day 1: Screw working class homeowners
It’s really hard for me to believe this is tonight’s business news and not a science fiction story but apparently the first three actions in the Trump White House were apparently to: 1) remove scientific data about climate change from the government’s web site, 2) remove online information defending equal rights for minorities, and 3)…
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Pros and Cons of a One Person Pension Plan
This post summarizes the pros and cons of a one person private pension plan (sometimes called a “Solo Defined Benefit Plan”) for a successful small business owner as opposed to other self-employed retirement savings options. Pros Potentially larger immediate tax deduction; perhaps in the range of 3 times to 5 times larger than a 401(k)…
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Support for immigration reform
I am committed to support the right of individuals to travel freely across political borders. The U.S. Constitution ensures equal representation for all individuals living in the United States, regardless of immigration status. Noncitizens lack the right to vote in federal elections but they have the right to have their voices heard by their representatives…