We are all potential victims of identity theft.  Understanding how thieves acquire your personal information can help prevent the crime by creating a solid first line of defense.  Here is how it’s done: Pretexting is a criminal posing as a legitimate business person and soliciting you by phone. Phishing is the same thing online with [...]

When shopping for car insurance, be careful to select “full tort” as opposed to “limited tort.” It is easy to be sold on the latter under the pretense that you are saving money.  If you are involved in an automobile accident, the difference can be huge if you are seeking to collect for pain and [...]

Business owners want protection from personal liability while taking advantage of business write-offs from taxable revenue. Here is a quick summary of some options available when shopping for the right form for a business. A “sole proprietor” is a business owner who uses his/her social security number to report income/losses. This is true even if [...]

Do I need to have a will? The answer is a resounding “yes.” Do I need to have a trust? The answer is a qualified “maybe.” Here is why. Wills are cornerstones of estate planning.  It appoints a representative when you die; appoints someone to take custody of your minor children; it can create a [...]

The news has been filled with “sub-prime” mortgages and their problems.  “Sub-prime” mortgages are loans to borrowers who are not the best qualified people for a loan.  They are “risky” because the borrower may not be financially sound or deep in debt evidenced by a lower credit score than generally acceptable. To cover the additional [...]

This region has boomed with gas drilling.  At the center of this opportunity for gas companies and property owners are property rights and contracts.  When approached about a gas lease, here are a few things to remember: 1.    There is a difference between natural and methane gas.   Natural gas is owned by the property owner [...]