Articles

TASA ID: 1604

Trying to plan a response to health care reform these days is like telling a man on fire to find water. Most agents are reeling after being slaughtered on individual and small group commission reductions during a time when the process of ensuring people became 10 times more difficult with mandates, changing plans/networks, tax credits and penalties. President-elect Trump has stated that he intends to repeal, at least in part, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) enacted in 2010 by President Obama. Estimating what the new president will approve, or at least support, is a bit easier knowing that one political party, the Republicans, control the whole enchilada, and can essentially approve, cancel or choose not to enforce selected provisions of the law. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has shed a little light in public comments on the issue, but details have not been provided. The central question on everyone’s mind is, “What provisions will change in 2017?” The blank-eyed mantra is “repeal and delay.” That oxymoron speaks for itself.

TASA ID: 321

“Risk cannot be eliminated … it can only be mitigated.”

No one can predict the future or how events beyond the control of a company will affect its ability to operate. An interruption to daily operations is not just costly—it could wipe out your organization. The American Management Association has stated that, “About 50% of businesses that suffer from a major disaster without a disaster recovery plan in place never re-open for business.” 

TASA ID: 1565

Since the US payroll tax changes of the 1980's, many organizations have embraced the use of temporary "staff augmentation" contractors in lieu of adding permanent employees.  Advantages include: 

TASA ID: 2343

It's not easy being a household employer. For some, the legal, tax, and insurance issues make paying their employees "under the table" seem easier and cheaper. But this decision can be penny-wise and pound-foolish if you get caught. Even if you don't get caught, you'll be missing out on legal and tax advantages that you can't use if you're paying illegally.

TASA ID: 2343

You've just hired your nanny or other household employee. You're thrilled, she's thrilled, and you're in the employer-employee version of a honeymoon. You can't imagine that anything will ever go wrong.  While in most cases, fortunately, that's true, in other cases things can get contentious if your understanding of the details of your arrangement is somehow different than your employee's understanding of them.