Technology can be a great equalizer when it comes to allowing small businesses to compete with the large corporations. Cloud based products like Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google’s G-Suite offer complex technology infrastructure that delivers high level productivity without requiring an expensive IT department and support. More and more businesses are “going to the cloud” with their data and applications, making them more mobile and platform-independent.
This can lead to greater vulnerability, though, as we hear all the time on the news about companies like Target and Equifax being breached. Even if you keep your data on local servers and don’t go to the cloud at all, you can be at risk. Being hacked could, quite literally, put you out of business and ruin your financial freedom.
That is why in this episode of the podcast, I talk again with Dave Strout of Cettei & Connell here in Woodbury about what your current business liability coverage does, and does not, cover when it comes to cybersecurity, along with the type of policy you will need to cover you properly if disaster should strike.
Those that serve our country in the military make extraordinary sacrifices in their lives and those of their families. Many come home with physical injuries and disabilities. Others come home whole physically, but bear scars that no one can see. These scars can make it often as difficult to adapt to civilian life as the loss of a limb.
That is why New Jersey’s Veteran’s Diversionary program is so important, as it helps veterans and servicemembers suffering from mental illness to avoid the sanctions and consequences of the nonviolent crimes they commit as a result of this disability. So in this episode of the podcast, I talk about how this program gets veterans the help and counseling they need, not jail time and fines.
The biggest asset most people have is their home, so if they decide to sell it, they want to make sure that they get the most they can in price. This can be particularly important if they still owe a lot on the mortgage or mortgages. But the real estate market isn’t what it was prior to 2008, and probably won’t be again any time soon. So, if you want to make the most from your home sale, you need to be smart and strategic about it.
That is why, in this episode of the podcast, I talk to real estate broker Lynn Stambaugh, the owner of Cardinal Real Estate Services here in Woodbury, about some do’s and don’ts when it comes to selling your home. If you are planning to put your home on the market, or are looking to do so in the next few years, these are some things that you should definitely bear in mind!
Student loans continue to be in crisis in this country, with debt over $1 trillion nationally. Naturally, people with these loans are looking for a solution to their problem. Unfortunately, many of them are automatically eliminating one of them based on a common misunderstanding, and that is: Student loans cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.
Therefore, in this episode of the podcast, I wanted to dispel this misunderstanding and show how student loans can be discharged in bankruptcy. It is not easy to do, and it definitely is not inexpensive, but it is worth looking into if you have a crushing balance of student loan debt.
Traffic violations in New Jersey can have a serious effect on your financial freedom, depending on the seriousness. Not only can the fines and surcharges be significant, but they can also lead to jail time! This is also true of minor criminal charges, like disorderly person’s offenses, that can be brought in this court.
That is why I discussed this topic on this month’s episode of Lunch with a Lawyer, which covered not only ways to avoid a jail sentence, but alternatives to serving that time in a cell. Since this is such an important topic, I wanted to share this information on the podcast as well.
In the previous episode of the podcast, I talked about getting ready for 2018 by formulating a budget and goals for the coming year. This is critical to financial freedom and should be done every year, preferably in December. But for most of you, creating a budget and goals is a new thing, and like any skill, it takes time to develop.
So, in this episode of the podcast, I wanted to talk about what you should expect in the first three months of 2018 as far as this process is concerned. By knowing what is ahead, you will be better prepared for it and be less likely to give up before you build up the momentum you need.
I have discussed in previous episodes of the podcast about the importance of having a short term and long-term financial strategy. The former is accomplished by a budget and the discipline to keep track of expenses and keep within the limits of that budget. In fact, in Episode 13 I reviewed the online budgeting tool EveryDollar to maintain that strategy.
But the long-term strategy is having savings and a retirement plan, so that you will have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your efforts now are paying off and that your financial freedom will last for a lifetime. To help you do that, in this episode of the podcast I review Wela, an online tool that gives you the ability to gain an overall view of your entire financial situation from one free application: investments, cash, credit card debt, student loans, and real estate.
In most instances, pleading guilty or being found guilty of a disorderly, or petty disorderly, person’s offense (New Jersey’s equivalent of a misdemeanor) is bad enough, with the fines, costs, and sometimes jail time. But there are some things that can happen outside the judge’s sentence for the offense.
Sometimes you can lose your job! This is called employment forfeiture, and it can have a devastating effect on your financial freedom. So in this episode of the podcast I talk about this forfeiture, how it works, when it could apply to you, and what effect it can have.
Achieving and maintaining financial freedom involves making the right decisions about your finances. It’s about choosing the right mortgage with the lowest interest rate, deciding with each purchase whether you want or need that item or service, and picking the right insurance company and policy options and coverage.
One important decision is where to do your everyday banking. Where do you keep your money? What institution has the best services, lowest fees, convenient branches, and the like. But it is also important to decide whether to go with a traditional bank or a credit union. So in this episode of the podcast I talk about the advantages and disadvantages of a credit union, and who should bank with one.
A lot of people do that one stupid thing in their lives that they’re not proud of. It’s that youthful indiscretion, that one brush with the law encountered by that otherwise law abiding citizen. Sometimes it’s that joint in your pocket or your car; sometimes it’s an impulsive grab for goods in a store that leads to shoplifting charges.
Fortunately, courts in New Jersey recognize this and give you a one-time "out" for these charges, called a "diversion." Two of them, Conditional Discharge and Conditional Dismissal, are used for minor charges in traffic court, while another, Pretrial Intervention, is used for more serious charges in county court.
In this episode of the podcast, I will discuss diversion for minor charges, as a criminal record can cause real problems for your financial freedom, often leading to the inability to get a job or a higher paying one!