Looking forward to a new year almost always prompts reflection. Weight loss and a healthy lifestyle could make your list of resolutions again this year. There are many ways to improve health, but exercise tops the chart. Health clubs are a healthy option, but not the only option. Alternatives include exercising outdoors or having your […]
Starting Jan. 1, the minimum wage in Colorado will rise from $7.78 to $8 an hour — a 2.8 percent increase. Regardless of the exact numbers, minimum wage remains a political football. There are those who seem to push for higher minimum wage rates nearly every year. It all sounds good if you’re the one […]
The commercial real estate market in the Grand Valley continues to try to strengthen. Local real estate activity has remained quite busy, and 2013 has seen investor purchases for the first time since 2008. However, it’s commercial leasing activity that’s kept local commercial brokers busy into the holidays. It happens toward the end of each […]
In the course of my law practice I often ask clients, “What is it that you will leave to your loved ones?” During the discussion, the beginning answer of “my wealth” evolves into the real answer — “myself and my stuff.” All of that really is one’s wealth. Drilling down into the meaning of “myself” […]
Thanks to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, charitable Individual Retirement Account gifts are once again allowed in 2013. An IRA owner aged 701/2 or older may give up to $100,000 this year to either a 170(b)(1)(A) public foundation or 501(c)(3) charity. Congress could elect to extend this opportunity in 2014 and subsequent years. […]
There’s something powerful and serene about watching hot air balloons rise in the morning stillness, their burners propelling colorful shapes into the atmosphere. Retirement is a lot like untethered flight — life’s possibilities are limited only by your imagination and where the wind takes you. At one time, you could count on lifts from a […]
Many people give to nonprofit organizations during the holidays. But with so many organizations in place, how should people decide which to support? Start by considering the basic differences among some of the more common types of nonprofits: 501(c)(3) organizations are operated exclusively for one or more purposes: charitable, educational, fostering national or international amateur […]
The Avant-Garde Advisors proprietary leading economic index (LEI) paused briefly in October, but remains in a longer-term upward trend that began in May. During the most recent month, the number of indicators reporting improvement increased compared to a month ago. However, the magnitude of the decreases in the declining factors more than offset slight improvement […]
Creating a mobile website constitutes a challenge within itself. Creating a mobile website Google loves is even harder. You first must understand and harness the power of mobile. With 53 percent of American consumers using their smartphones to access search engines at least once a day and 95 percent of those searches for local […]
When you think of the holiday marketing that can be critical to your business success, promotions and discounts might be the first things that come to mind. But you don’t have to break the bank or cut margins to stand out from the crowd. Here are seven budget-friendly steps you should consider to promote your […]