by Leif Jensen | Sep 9, 2020 | Investing |
When deciding to begin investing in stocks or bonds, part of the equation of whether to do so or not to invest is the “return on investment” or ROI. In the days of yore, this was a much simpler calculation and it was easier to determine which stocks to invest in and...
by Leif Jensen | Sep 8, 2020 | Banking, Running a Business, Taxes |
I am going to harp on this on final time. PPP Forgiveness of the loan will be deemed tax-free. However, to business owners who take the loan will not be able to write off expenses that would otherwise be deductible if they use those PPP funds to cover the cost and...
by Leif Jensen | Sep 1, 2020 | Economy |
The Wall Street journal recently have had a few articles on American’s race to arm themselves. The first article quoted FBI gun-sale figures. They show that in July the bureau carried out 3.6 million background checks, the third highest month on record. Adjusting the...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 30, 2020 | Rant, Retirement, Taxes |
You have worked long and hard. You also planned and saved and sacrificed to make this happen and now want to enjoy your later years in peace and quiet, with comfort. Did you expect that in retirement taxes can be your largest expense? Probably not. All of those...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 25, 2020 | Taxes |
Some data to explain why the IRS would like oversight of unenrolled preparers. Those who are not CPAs, attorneys, enrolled agents, enrolled actuaries, etc. They prepared 53% of all 2018 Form 1040s. That figure increases to 76% when you count only 1040s with Schedule...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 24, 2020 | General |
We alone are no longer number one. To stay number one, we need to recruit from other countries and our policies are now making this more difficult, if not impossible. We are not growing all that we need internally. In the competition for global talent the U.S. has...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 19, 2020 | Estate Planning |
Lately there seem to be a number of articles, at least were I am reading; with children having difficulties with family heirlooms or inheritance since their parent passed away and their new spouse is laying claim to all property by rule of law. I lived a bit of this...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 18, 2020 | General |
I was just reading that lockdowns may have to be put back on the table for those states that reopened too fast and have epic levels of new coronavirus. There is even concerns that Illinois’s numbers are going in the wrong direction as well. Just not as fast, but we...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 17, 2020 | Running a Business |
Over the years I have worked with five published authors. Only one tied to live off their writings, but they were not doing so successfully when I stopped working with them. But they actually did made the bestseller list on the week the books come out, only to drop...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 12, 2020 | Running a Business |
Restaurants have had an extraordinarily difficult time with this pandemic. First having to shut down completely, then being able to have their product delivered or picked up only. Then being allowed to only have outdoor eating, then allowing at most if possible 20% of...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 11, 2020 | Investing |
Johnny Appleseed, there is the myth and legend, but then there is the man. We all know bits and pieces of the legend. Most of us know little about the man, fewer still know the man beyond some sparse general details. I was reading a book that briefly mentioned the...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 10, 2020 | Corporate Entities |
When original owners sell stock in companies, they find ways to get the money, but still control the company. One of the ways to do this is to issue a different share of stock with little or no voting rights, but rights to dividends and growth. One such company is...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 5, 2020 | General |
George Washington may well be the first environmentalist in our country. All planters knew that the tobacco crop depleted the soil. Others just bought more land, George looked into ways to replenish the soil. His research lead him to move away from tobacco as the...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 4, 2020 | Running a Business |
I read a review of the book George Washington, Entrepreneur. It was surprising, all that I had read about Washington, and it never really touched on this aspect of his life. So, I purchased and read the books it was fascinating with what George and Martha did, they...
by Leif Jensen | Aug 3, 2020 | Taxes |
The bottom 43 to 45% of taxpayers don’t pay in any money for federal income taxes. So, it is unsurprising, that most Americans pay more in payroll taxes than in income taxes. Based on the structure of the Social Security payroll tax, poor and working-class people...
by Leif Jensen | Jul 28, 2020 | Running a Business |
Your business is back up and running. Your revenue and profits are down significantly from last year. The prospects are not looking good for a strong 4th quarter. What we are doing is solidifying our foundation. Making sure we touch all of our existing clients,...
by Leif Jensen | Jul 27, 2020 | Investing |
I have recently reworked two investment accounts. The first is new I opened a Vanguard account when the market tanked, I put half in the S&P account and the other in Wellington. In a couple of months, I am up over 10%. The other was small cap high dividend...
by Leif Jensen | Jul 22, 2020 | Rant, Uncategorized |
It’s the 4th of July weekend and all five of us are here for the annual barbeque. While my wife was thrilled to have us all together, it was interesting to see my boys all in their twenties playing video games together. While this has been a common sight in years...
by Leif Jensen | Jul 21, 2020 | Rant |
Have you noticed that there are significantly fewer movie studios than there were 20 years ago? Some still exist in name only like Columbia, but they are owned by Sony, so don’t count. The consolidations have left us with studios who are less willing to take risks...
by Leif Jensen | Jul 20, 2020 | Running a Business, Uncategorized |
We all have our own horror story for poor customer service. This one is mine. I have been going to this place for years to pick up food. There is an elderly woman who my whole family hates to deal with. She is rude and condescending and slow in her actions. This...
