Written by Adam Sullivan on February 2, 2011.
North Carolina disability attorney is unsuccessful in obtaining disability insurance benefits for former TYCO employee
This short term disability insurance case originated from North Carolina and involved a claim that was denied under the TYCO short term disability plan. This North Carolina disability claim was not governed by ERISA as the TYCO short term disability plan is self-funded. The theory for filing a lawsuit in this claim was breach of contract, but in an unusual argument the North Carolina disability insurance attorney attempted to argue that ERISA should apply to the case. This case is an unusual disability insurance claim.
Guardian disability insurance denial is upheld by Ohio Federal Court & Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
A federal court of appeals upheld Guardian Insurance Company’s denial of disability benefits. The claimant in this case was paid disability insurance benefits for several years, but when he returned to work for more than 40 hours a week, Guardian was convinced he was no longer eligible for benefits. T
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Written by Scott Barnes on January 28, 2011.
Forget online marketing. Everybody and their mothers are competing with search and social media these days. Sure, it’s important to drive traffic to a web site, but there is value in thinking “out of the box” and creating unique offline promotions for your business. Whether it is direct mail, QR codes, or promotional advertising, doing something a bit different makes your business stand out. Here are some of the most memorable creative advertising promotions.
QR Codes
QR codes are a link between online and offline promotions. They allow a user to scan the code on their mobile device, bringing them to a website or virtual location. These barcodes are being widely adopted by marketers because they are a fun, different way to share information.
Earlier this summer, Women of the Storm gathered a community of supporters to sign petitions to restore the gulf. A big piece of this campaign was the QR code that directed users to a Be The One video. The p
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Written by Joseph Perry on January 28, 2011.
Pending home sales continued to grow in December and achieved their fifth gain in the past six months, the National Association of Realtors reported Thursday.
The index was up 2 percent to 93.7 based on contracts signed by homebuyers last month. That was up from 91.9 in November but it was still 4.2 percent below the 97.8 mark in December 2009. An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was a historically healthy period, The economic indicator monitors the relationship between existing-home sale contracts and transaction closings.
“Modest gains in the labor market and the improving economy are creating a more favorable backdrop for buyers,” said Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist, in a release.
Pending home sales in the Midwest rose 8 percent in December to 84.6 but fell 5.1 percent from a year ago. “Th
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Written by Scott Barnes on January 26, 2011.
I previously highlighted the itemized tax filing delay, which came as a result of the Obama tax cut deal (aka the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010). The Act extended some deductions from 2009 through 2010 and 2011. It’s time for an update.
After getting their system and paperwork in order (as well as Turbotax, H&R Block, and all the tax software companies who had to update their software), the the IRS announced the new 2011 start date for itemized tax deduction filers. If you’ve already purchased your tax software, you’re fine, you can start working on your return, just wait until February 14, otherwise your return will spontaneously combust when you submit it.
The new tax filing start date is February 14, celebrated by some as Valentines Day (the perfect way to spend that special Hallmark holiday with your loved one).
Those affected by tax filing delay were the following groups:
- Taxpayers who itemize tax deductions. This is
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Written by Joseph Perry on January 24, 2011.
Choosing an online broker can be a daunting task. There are literally dozens of companies to choose from and fee structures to examine. Not only that, but choosing the wrong brokerage could end up costing you if you don’t carefully read the fine print and see what you’re getting into. Some companies make their commission schedule look very attractive, but that may only be for high-volume clients or those with a very large account.
Scottrade isn’t like that. What you see is what you get and their commission schedule reflects that. Their goal is to give you a flat rate for all stock trades, and they deliver. Stock trades at Scottrade are just $7. That’s it. No minimum order, no per share surcharge, and no hidden fees. If you’ve ever been burned by signing up with a discount broker in the past only to get stuck with unexpected commissions and fees, you’ll like this.
Ok, so low commissions are good, but as you know there’s more to finding a quality broker than that. Paying less i
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Written by Scott Barnes on January 24, 2011.
You need to make a new purchase for your company. What’s the first thing you do? Probably, like most of us, you go to a web search engine like Google or Bing and you search for that product. Perhaps you search by name, description or part number. Or maybe you start with research for potential providers by company name. Either way, you want to “cast a wide net” at this stage and get as much info as possible so you make an informed decision.
One way to do this is to first research the industry classification for your product. With this information as a starting point, you can get great information like industry norms, lists of companies and even comments and ratings for companies.
All businesses in the U.S. (and Canada) are typically classified using one or both industry classification systems which are the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) or Standard Industrial Classification (SIC).
These classification systems cluster companies together into groupings based on the product(s) or service(s) that they provide. There
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Written by Joseph Perry on January 20, 2011.
James B. Fadim and Melissa Fadim, have listed for sale a four-bedroom, 3.2-bath home at 1518 Braeburn Ave. in Flossmoor for $950,000.
Fadim paid $655,000 for the property in May 1997. The 4,090-square-foot home in East Flossmoor was built in 1932. It is located in the Flossmoor Estates subdivision.
Fadim, a real estate lawyer, is senior vice president and general counsel at Conlon Public Strategies, a Chicago-based provider of strategic consultancy services to companies, organizations, and government entities.
He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan.
According to BlockShopper.com, there have been 162 home sales in Flossmoor during the past 12 months, with a median sales price of $200,000.
Written by Scott Barnes on January 17, 2011.
Beyond the likes and dislikes, there’s also the cold, hard, reality of business fundamentals. If you’re busting your gut working in a failing business, then it is likely that it won’t be much fun. Therefore, you also need to ensure that the business opportunity has the potential to be financially lucrative.
Conduct some market research. You can start by using the Google Keyword Tool to get an idea of the keyword search volume; this should provide some insight into the level of existing customer demand in the marketplace. Create a market research questionnaire and interview as many people as you can about the product or service offering. Develop a list of all the competitors and take some time to understand their business model, making sure to include substitute products in your analysis. Ask yourself what differentiates your potential franchise acquisition from its competitors. Is there a sustainable competitive advantage or is the business just another me too player?
Interview the franchisor about their franchise business opportunities. Come
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