Nonqualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) Plans are a benefit often offered by corporations to high ranking executives, usually Directors and above. They are distinctly different from qualified retirement plans such as pensions or 401(k)s, and since NQDC plans are not widely offered, the pros and cons of participating are not widely understood. Whether to participate is … Continued
You catch your flight, arrive at your destination, get to the car rental counter — eager to get a vehicle and get on with your vacation — and then, you get asked the dreaded question: “Do you want insurance coverage on your rental vehicle?” What to do? You know you have regular car insurance on … Continued
Entrepreneurs are some of the busiest people on the planet. Their responsibilities seem endless and their time is short. When the “going gets tough and the tough get going,” having solid foundational financial plans for your business and family will help greatly. In supporting entrepreneurial clients and their families, it is essential that the family … Continued
It used to be that earthquake insurance in California had to be offered by the same company that underwrote one’s regular homeowners policy. Then in 1994, the devastating Northridge earthquake literally shook up the entire industry, and subsequently many insurance companies simply refused to write either type of policy. Out of necessity, a new entity … Continued
Good news: It’s only March and your tax return has been filed! Bad news: It wasn’t by you. It’s a problem that is all too common these days and one that unfortunately could affect you this tax season. You try to file your tax return only to have it rejected as it has already been … Continued
There’s a time for buying life insurance and for many people it is when their first child is born. Along the way, you may have increased your insurance coverage as more children and a larger mortgage became a part of life. If those babies are now adults, your mortgage is paid off and your investment … Continued
There are no limitations on how much money you can take out of your own bank account—it is your money after all—but there are governmental reporting requirements that need to be made by banks for transactions of certain type and size. The Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 was passed to help detect and prevent money … Continued
Use it up, wear it out… make it do, or do without. This old New England proverb is generally good financial advice, especially with big commitments like vehicles. Thus owning an affordable car is usually good practice over the long run. But car leasing has come a long way – due to improvements in residual … Continued
When you think of the word ‘frozen’, several images probably come to mind fairly quickly: characters from the Disney movie, frozen yogurt, the east coast during winter… but it’s very unlikely that you thought of frozen credit. That’s right, freezing your credit accounts with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion can be done and keeping them frozen … Continued
The State of California holds more than $8 billion in unclaimed funds on its books. States all over the country are running massive surpluses of orphaned accounts. These funds are the result of bank and investment accounts being left behind or dividend and interest, even tax refund checks or insurance proceeds, never cashed. As the … Continued