Author Archives: Jay Butchko
The Landlord’s Guide To Security Deposits In Maryland
It is easy to find advice online for tenants about how to spot a landlord who is likely to rip you off or fail to make necessary repairs during your tenancy. It is also easy to find advice for landlords dealing with the difficult situation of dealing with tenants who are unable to pay… Read More »
2022 Is The Perfect Year To Benefit From The Annual Gift Tax Exclusion
When your kids were younger, this time of year was when you would take them shopping to buy clothes and school supplies for the upcoming school year, and they would daydream about which Halloween costumes they wanted to wear that year and which presents they hoped to find under the Christmas tree. Life was… Read More »
Hybrid Life Insurance Could Be Just What You Need
If you have managed to save any money for retirement, you must know enough about personal finance to know that being insurance poor is a mistake. If you have not retired yet, then the biggest decisions about how to spend your retirement, such as whether to stay in the Washington DC area or move… Read More »
Credit Card Fraud Hurts Small Businesses, Too
Putting your finances back together after someone steals your credit card information is time-consuming and stressful. At least credit card companies usually give consumers the benefit of the doubt that they are telling the truth about the charges being fraudulent, and even though it takes time, you can usually get the money back that… Read More »
How Landlords Can Cope With Sky High Rents
The Washington DC area has always been famous for its expensive rents and real estate prices, which makes investing in real estate in the Maryland suburbs of D.C. both a challenge and an opportunity for profits. Of course, in recent months, unaffordable high price tags are popping up everywhere on everything, not only in… Read More »
Annuities As A Source Of Retirement Income: Friend Or Foe?
Annuities are one of the most boring sources of retirement income. Far from giving you the thrill you get from investing in the newest kind of cryptocurrency or buying stock in a startup that promises to change the world for the better, annuities have been around since the Roman Empire, when they acted as… Read More »
Is Your Small Business Charging Customers Illegal Fees?
The federal government instituted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in 2010, when most working adults were reeling from the 2008 financial crisis. The goal was to protect consumers from abusive and unfair business practices, predatory loans, and excessive fees. Debt is still a widespread problem in American society; more than half of U.S…. Read More »
Maryland Employers Should Prepare To Comply With New Paid Family Leave Requirements
As of 2022, no federal laws guarantee paid leave from work for short-term illnesses or family caregiving obligations; all legal entitlements to paid leave in the United States are based on state laws. Maryland has been an early adopter of statewide paid leave policies; only ten other states and the District of Columbia implemented… Read More »
Choosing A Brain Trust For Your Estate Plan
Even now, nearly a century after it formed, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Brain Trust” still gets the occasional shout out in journalistic think pieces. President Roosevelt’s Brain Trust was a group of legal and economic scholars from whom Roosevelt sought advice on policy, and some of whom held positions in his cabinet; one of… Read More »
These Elder Care Apps May Leave Extra Room In Your Estate Planning Budget
No matter the size of your estate, the biggest concern on your mind as you begin your estate plan is not being a burden to your family. You may have read the New York Times article several months ago about high end assisted living facilities that make aging Baby Boomers feel like they are… Read More »
