Entries by Carol LaCombe

Cleary Community Outreach

Presented by Michael Regan Cleary Insurance is a member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP), which is the national professional organization for agencies that have a specialty in surety bonding.  We take pride in reaching out to contractors who may need assistance when obtaining surety bonding. Small, emerging, disadvantaged, minority, women owned, […]

Effect of Interest Rates on Investing

Presented by Douglas W. Greene CFP® CLU® As a result of the prolonged Federal Reserve’s involvement in stimulating the economy, interest rates are and have been at extreme lows. Over the course of the next five to ten years, the Fed is expected to pull back its control in a way which will allow rates […]

Ice Dam Guide

What is an Ice Dam? Ice dams are ridges of ice that form at the edge of a roof and prevent melting snow from draining off your roof. Water that backs up behind the dam can leak into your home and cause damage. Walls, insulation and ceilings are at the greatest risk for damage from […]

Trump Signs Executive Order on the ACA

On Jan. 20, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order addressing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as his first act as president. The order states that it is intended “to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens” of the ACA until the law can be repealed and eventually replaced. The executive order broadly directs […]

New Stand-alone HRA Option Available for Eligible Small Employers

Due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most stand-alone health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs)—an HRA that is not offered in conjunction with a group health plan—have been prohibited since 2014. However, on Dec. 13, 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act (Act) was signed into law, which allows small employers that do not maintain group health plans […]

Health FSA Limit Will Increase for 2017

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) imposes a dollar limit on employees’ salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) offered under cafeteria plans. This dollar limit is indexed for cost-of-living adjustments and may be increased each year. On Oct. 25, 2016, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2016-55 (Rev. Proc. 16-55). Rev. […]

National Fall Car Care Awareness

Fall is National Car Care Awareness! Hooray? Ok, it’s not the most exciting thing on your calendar. I don’t think there’s a Hallmark card for the occasion. Nonetheless, it could be one of the most important times of the year for your car or truck. A well cared for car or truck is a happy […]

Group Captives Questions and Answers

Why join a Captive Insurance Company? The insurance marketplace commonly goes through its “hard and soft” cycles where premium fluctuations have little relation to individual loss experience. By pooling your resources and creating your own captive reinsurance company, these swings can be avoided, making your costs more predictable. Also, by pooling your resources, you can […]

Workers Compensation Leave? Consider FMLA!

If you are an FMLA-covered employer, you should always consider whether an employee who requires time off of work due to a work-related injury or illness is eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (and/or possibly leave under a state law). Certain workers’ compensation (WC) leaves may also be covered under […]

Four Reasons to Love Your Mortgage

1.     It’s probably the cheapest way to borrow  –  The interest incurred is tax-deductible and the rate should be low as the loan is secured by your home. 2.     It creates leverage – A mortgage can be compared to opening a margin account at a brokerage because it can increase your assets with borrowed money.  The […]