By James A. List
The Law Offices of James A. List, LLC
There was much speculation about what the current presidential administration was going to do about estate tax law changes in late 2008 into 2009. Some of this has quieted down as the stimulus package, unemployment, the auto industry and AIG, and health care reform now dominate the headlines. However, 2010 is upon us and the debate will soon again heat up, so it’s best to stay on top of the issues.
By Matthew Jones, CFA
Investment Manager for Harvest Investment Consultants
In the first quarter of 2009, Harvest Investment Consultants, LLC provided information about the structure of corporate bonds and detailed the compelling investment opportunity that we had identified in that sector. The corporate bankruptcies and onset of global recessionary conditions in late 2008 and early 2009 lead to a credit market freeze and high-quality companies were unable to issue new debt. Over the last six months, the capital markets have been gradually improving and we believe the corporate bond market has moved closer to “fair value” levels. High quality corporate bonds that are relatively short in maturity can still provide attractive income opportunities and lower levels of volatility compared to riskier asset classes due to their priority level on a company’s balance sheet.
By Mary E. Ryan
Taylor & Ryan, LLC
Employers are well-advised to review their hiring practices with respect to verifying employment eligibility on Form I-9 as well as conduct an audit of existing Form I-9s. After all, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has made worksite enforcement a priority. Further, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has conducted high-profile investigations that have resulted in substantial fines based on I-9 violations and criminal charges for employers who knowingly employ undocumented workers.
By Lawrence N. Leitch, ChFC CLU
Partner with Synergy Financial Group
We are starting to see some parts of our economy begin to heal from the big bank meltdown that started last fall. And after severe declines in U.S. GDP in the fourth quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year, the second quarter report shows a modest one percent drop in real GDP. However, many areas remain weak – consumer spending, business investment, residential construction and inventory investment all declined, while net exports, due to huge declines in imports, and government spending improved.
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