Articles written by Sue A. Sponte - Page 3

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Politics, News & Issues > Police & Prisons Criminal background searching: 3 of 6
There are plenty of reasons to conduct a criminal background check on somebody. And no shortage of companies that will do the leg work for you. Let's look at the "who", "why", and "how" of getting criminal information about somebody. Who. - Employers. - Landlords. - The Government. - Private individuals. Why. - Employers are... More..
Personal Finance > Taxes Determining tax deductible expenses: 2 of 4
Tax deductible personal expenses are divided into several categories, and the rules for each category are slightly different. The following rules are for personal deductions, not business deductions. That is a different topic, and mixing up your personal deductions with your business deductions is one of the easiest ways to ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Constitutional & Contract Law Legal interest: When oral contracts are acceptable: 1 of 2
Here's a lawyer-ly answer to the question: an oral contract is enforceable if it is an otherwise valid contract and it is not rendered un-enforceable by some other aspect of the law. What does that mean? To answer whether a particular oral agreement is valid requires that you look at three general questions. First, is this a... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Understanding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): 1 of 2
The Family and Medical Leave Act seems on the surface to be simple, but as with many laws, figuring out exactly what it requires can sometimes be a challenge. The FMLA is intended to provide some benefits to employees who have to miss work because of family obligations or medical conditions. Here are some rules: Who is cover... More..
Personal Finance > Taxes Government workers paying taxes: 1 of 1
It's tempting to just say that we should pay government workers less and not charge them taxes. But I used to be a government worker, and I think there are three really good reasons to tax them just the same as us. First, it reminds them of the burdens of supporting the very government that they work for. I don't want any bu... More..
Personal Finance > Credit Cards Determining how many credit cards is too many: 12 of 21
It is not the number of cards that you should be worrying about, it is the amount of credit and your ability to repay it. Worrying about the number of cards distracts you from your real concerns. Here is why: Credit cards are not necessarily evil. When used intelligently, they help you to establish a credit history. By consi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 Wealth redistribution, Barack Obama and Joe the plumber: 6 of 10
Here's an experiment that you can try at home. The One tells you that he will lower taxes on all but the most successful 5% of income earners. We are assured by The One that only those who make more than $250,000 will see increased taxes. The One tells you that they will reverse the "George Bush" tax cuts. Can these statemen... More..
Jobs & Careers > Employers Are employers required by law to offer benefits?: 3 of 5
In general, the things that we normally call "benefits" are not required to be provided by employers. But the answer to the question is not as simple as a 'yes' or 'no'. It depends, for example, on what you mean by 'benefits' and how big your employer is. Here are some common benefits that you might have a right to get: Over... More..
Law & Legal Information > Lawyers & Legal Advice Where to get professional advice for drafting a will: 4 of 6
The general answer to where to get professional advice for drafting a will is, "a lawyer." But there are several situations that you might find yourself in. The way to find the best advice for your particular situation will depend on your exact needs. Many people will tell you to absolutely never use a book or software progr... More..
Business > General Management How to create and manage effective work teams: 4 of 6
I have a list of rules for building and managing teams that I keep under a piece of glass on my desk. They are broken into two categories: micro and macro rules. By no means can I claim to be an expert on this, but I have been doing it (sometimes not so well, sometimes well) for a number of years now. Some of this I figured ... More..