The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010

On September 27, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. The legislation contains provisions designed to ensure adequate access to credit, and contains targeted tax relief for small businesses. The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 includes increased IRC Section 179 expensing limits, "bonus" first-year depreciation, changes to treatment of small business stock, general business credit, and health insurance costs of self-employed individuals.

Click here to read a summary of key items.

Grand Super Cycle

This chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index from the year 1900 to 2010 illustrates the Grand Super Cycle, where markets exhibit a long period of a flat to declining returns that is often followed by a period of healthy performance. Since 1900, there have been four such periods, with the current one being the worst. Taking a step back further into time, since 1835, there have been only six other roughly comparable episodes. After the prior down phases, stocks averaged 13% per year gains over the subsequent decade. History suggests that those who stay the course will be rewarded.

Going Global

The world has gone global. In 1970 the global market cap was 9.3 trillion with the U.S. making up 66%. With major advances in communications, transportation, trade barriers and improvements in global financial accounting standards the world has grown to $22.6 trillion in market cap with the US percentage dropping to 43% of the total.

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RockCandy Favorite Recipes: Grilled Pork Chops with Apple Pomegranate Sauce

This recipe was created by Executive Chef Danny Lane of the Town Point Club in Norfolk, Virginia. It is an absolutely outstanding recipe and has easily found its way onto our list of favorite recipes. Enjoy!

Click here for Recipe.

Leaving Your Legacy: Build up your wealth, your family from the heart

Legacy planning is more than passing your wealth on to the next generation, it is "passing your story, values, and wealth" on to the people and organzations that you care about. In the October 2010 issue of the Kirkland Reporter, Professional Alliance member, Alan Pratt, was featured for his expertise in legacy planning. The article, "Build up your wealth, your family from the heart" discusses legacy planning and its effects on multi-generational wealth.

Click here to read the full article.

Fiscally Responsible Pumpkin

My parents are blessed with a wonderful neighbor whose parents originally built the home they live in. The children that now occupy the old homestead are continuing to instill fiscal responsibility in their children by keeping family tradition alive. To this family, pumpkins are more than an ingredient in pumpkin pies and the medium for sculpting jack-o-lanterns. They are a lesson in patience, hard work and fiscal rewards. The family’s daughters are responsible for planting and caring for the pumpkin patch and in the fall they haul the pumpkins out to the road and sell them: they get to keep the proceeds.

Last month when I was in Yakima visiting my parents the annual pumpkin sale was on. This time, it was the granddaughters that were offering up six bins of pumpkins that sold out in a couple of hours. The family’s tradition lives on and I could not resist purchasing a few pumpkins to make into jack-o-lanterns to greet the many trick-or-treaters that live in my Ballard neighborhood. I am sure the rewards for these girls’ hard work is much sweeter than any trick-or-treat candy they may have received on Halloween.