When my editor and I first discussed an article on ICE—Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement— I was not quite aware of the scope of all the government agencies that fall under the broad umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, the all-encompassing agency that handles the myriad protective security issues concerning our United …

When most Americans hear about immigration policy or “undocumented workers,” a debate of some sort generally ensues. “They do the work most American’s won’t do,” you hear, or, “these are good people who have come here just to do their best for their families.” The debate is mostly framed by perceptions promoted by the media, …

While I was driving on the freeway last week, a car began to cross over into my lane and then—thankfully—the driver spotted my car there at the last minute (my horn honk helped). Then, less than ten minutes later, another “near miss” happened between a couple of cars ahead of me. Whew! As I continued …

Stanley and Iris is a movie that sneaks up on you. While you may or may not be able to relate to middle America, most of us somewhere in our background at least had a taste of it. This delightful movie puts you right there in the middle of it. Every day factory worker, Iris …

Conveying our family and belongings from one location to another has existed forever. The vehicle of choice to make the trek has changed over the years. First, there was the horse and buck board, some years later emerged the station wagon, suburban, van, minivan, SUV, and now the Ford Flex. Ok, yes, I know I …

Earthquake in Japan, nuclear meltdown, tensions in the Middle-East, rising gas prices, high unemployment, soaring deficits, and the European debt crisis—wow, what an incredible list of things to worry about! Yet, the equity markets continued to move higher. How can this be? I would argue that seeing the market go up during times of worry …

I sat there freezing my buns off wondering if I would be safe or not. I convinced myself it’s just a Little League game and those rugrats are only eight-years-old. Dangerous would certainly not be the word description I was looking for here. That is, until a ball flew out of no where and landed …

When I see new clients, one of the first things I ask them is whether they have any existing estate planning documents. Is there a Trust, Will, Financial Power of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directive? Often I find out that clients have to search through their files to bring me the requested paperwork. Documents are …

Q. My spouse and I live in Blackhawk. Our home has significantly decreased in value since the peak market a few years back and now we are thinking of ‘short-selling’ it. I’ve heard that the success of a short sale depends heavily not only on the amount of the mortgage forgiveness but also on the …

It happens to all of us: new golfers, expert golfers and professional golfers. One good shot followed up with a bad shot. Good one day, bad the next. Lowest round ever and the next time you go out it’s as if you haven’t touched the club in a year. Holing every putt on the front …