Archive By Section - Business Columns
Three things I learned from the NFL
When the Green Bay Packers football team hired Vince Lombardi as its new coach, he was intrigued with the challenge of turning the franchise around. Naturally, Lombardi being Lombardi, was all pumped up about it.
Retirement strategies, part two
As a follow up to the previous article about couples' retirement strategies, following are some points in planning and protecting your retirement plans should you wish to consider variable annuities and their special income guarantees not offered by any other investment.
Learning the 'new math' of retirement
With the normal challenges of retirement planning and the current financial crisis adding pressure to your planning, will your retirement portfolio be able to maintain your current lifestyle?
Now, where did I put that list?
The holiday season can be a frantic time, both personally and professionally, but here are a few tips to help you.
New law provides tax incentives
It's hard to believe that anything that takes nearly 800 pages to describe could be time sensitive, however, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was recently enacted and, for many, it may provide the incentive needed to act now, and finally buy a home of their own. A new $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers is a temporary incentive from the government to boost interest in real estate - but the time frame to take advantage of the credit is limited.
How to keep down business expenses
This is the conclusion to the 36 tips I promised to help keep your business expenses in control:
Multimillion-dollar age discrimination verdict after layoff
When the federal government required one of its defense contractors to reduce its workforce, the contractor first evaluated its employees based on the criteria of performance, flexibility and critical skills.
Lawsuits cause businesses to leave state
Too often I am reminded of the impact that California state regulations and litigated claims can have against companies doing business in California, resulting in businesses closing or moving out of state.
Check the numbers for 2008 tax savings
Do you like numbers? Do you like them better when they involve tax savings? Here are 10 numbers and 10 tax-saving strategies to consider as the clock starts to wind down on 2008.
'Tis the season to harvest your tax losses
While the economic reasons for buying and selling in the stock market are critical, strategies to minimize your tax burden must also be considered.
What I learned about finance
One of the best educational experiences during my tenure in corporate America was the two-and-a-half years I spent crunching numbers for one of the largest consumer products companies in the country.
Couples need smart retirement strategies
The odds are overwhelming that a wife will live longer than her husband. She is also two and a half times more likely than the husband to live alone. Needless to say, she has to be self-sufficient and the money has to last longer.
Coping with the stock market decline
Stock market declines are an inevitable part of investing. We have all heard of strategies to stay the course and stay on track.
The great mystery of creativity
Why do the best ideas arrive in the shower? There you are lathering up, when, bam! Inspiration strikes. The perfect marketing plan, or the solution to your cash-flow problems are suddenly crystal clear and you go dashing through the house looking for a pad and pencil, dripping all the way. So what's the deal? Is there something magical about the water, the steam or the soap? Scientists have some theories about the phenomenon. One clinical ...
Ways to keep lid on expenses abound
Here are the next 12 tips for keeping your business expenses under control: n Invest excess cash in an interest-earning account. It's amazing how many businesses let their checking accounts build up to ridiculous levels. Big corporations manage their cash by keeping enough in the checking account for immediate needs and to waive service fees, but investing excess cash in interest-earning accounts. n Shop for the best terms on ...
Articles by Section - Business Columns
Ken Keller: Permission to argue is granted
Peggy Noonan wrote a column in the Wall Street Journal on April 20 about her attendance at Margaret Thatcher's London funeral service. She commented that Mrs. Thatcher was often frustrated with her staff. Thatcher once said to her aides, "I don't need to be told what, I need to be told how."
Bob Khalsa: Statewide median home price at five-year high
Heated market conditions fueled by a tight inventory and strong sales in higher-cost coastal regions drove California's median home price in March to its highest level since May 2008. Local prices, right here in the Santa Clarita Valley are headed higher, too.
Ken Keller: How one company turned it around
This week I'd like to introduce a company in a far different place compared to just a year ago. The organization has gone from despair to celebrating success. At the end of the first quarter of 2013, the owner said his company had "…Increased sales, reduced costs and improved our overall financial position in terms of positive cash flow and profitability, as well as reduced debt."
Steven Tannehill: What do businesses want, anyway?
This is part two of a two-part column.
Bob Khalsa: Feds ease loan modification rules
Some homeowners who are still struggling to avoid foreclosure may soon benefit from streamlined rules that offer an easy way to lower monthly payments and modify their mortgage without requiring financial or hardship documentation.
Ken Keller: Here are the vitamins a leader must distribute
Looking back on those individuals who were my bosses, a clear distinction comes to mind.
Holly Schroeder: New homes benefit more than just buyers and builder
The only people who benefit when a house is built are the family members who get to live there, and the builder who constructed and sold the home, right?
Steven Tannehill: What do businesses want anyway? Part I
This column is part one of a two-part column.
Ken Keller: Lessons to be learned from lack of feedback
In 1970 I started my first official job. I worked nine hours a week at a small grocery store. For the next two years I grossed $11.25 a week.
Bob Khalsa: Prices, sales rise as SCV’s housing market continues its recovery
The residential housing resale market in the Santa Clarita Valley continued to recover during February, with sales and prices up to their highest levels in years.
Ken Keller: Getting crystal clear about your business
There is a terrific exchange in the courtroom drama "A Few Good Men." Colonel Jessup, played by Jack Nicolson, turns from being a witness in a court martial to being the prosecutor when he asks Lieutenant Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise: "Have you ever spent time in an infantry unit, son?"
Disaster recovery — is your business prepared?
Is your business prepared for a disaster? While it is not something any of us like to think about, businesses should have a disaster plan in place.
Joe Klocko: The conundrum: supply and demand, wages and the skills gap
Most people understand the basic economic principle of supply and demand and incorporate it into their daily decisions. They may not do it consciously, but economic decisions are made every day by each and every one of us.
