A Pandemic Of Potpourri
Did Somebody Get Into The “Potent Potables”?

Ten Inspirational Quotes
Profound Or Just Confusing?
You Be The Judge.

1. It’s not the days in your life, but the life in your days that counts. — Brian Williams
2. The best way to predict the future, is to create it. — President Abraham Lincoln
3. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. — General George S. Patton
4. A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night. — Marilyn Monroe
5. I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. — Michael Jordan
6. You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough. — Mae West
7. To avoid criticism: Say Nothing. Do Nothing. Be Nothing. — Aristotle
8. When the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it may be that they take better care of it there. — Cecil Selig
9. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great. — Mark Twain
10. We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. — Ronald Reagan

BONUS QUOTE: “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live.” — Luke 10:26-28

MEDICARE MISHEGAS
“OY VEY! DE GOY IST USING A YIDDISH WORD… SOME CHUTZPAH, DA KLUTZ!”
“QUIT WITH DE KVETCHING, BUBBE… MENSCH OR MESHUGGENEH, WHO CAN SAY?
HE’S TRYING AND THAT AIN’T BUPKIS” BASICS

1. Medicare is a Mulligatawny Stew of Health Insurance Options, including Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Part D Prescription Drug Plans.
2. 2.1 million Michiganders, Michiganians, or Great Lakes Staters are enrolled in Medicare.
3. Everything Changes Every Year! Open Enrollment is NOW! GOOD STUFF is available.

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE (PART C AND SOMETIMES PART D)

1. Average Monthly Medicare Advantage Insurance Premiums DROPPED from $35 to $29 per month for 2022.
2. 25 new Medicare Advantage Plans are available in 2022. Total: 191 DIFFERENT Plans.
3. Some Medicare Advantage Plans have ZERO, that is $0 per month premiums.
4. 18 Advantage Plans offer rewards and incentives for healthy behaviors.
5. Advantage Plans, including Advantage Plans with ZERO premiums, are available to ALL (that’s 100%) of Michigan Medicare folks.

MEDICARE STAND ALONE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN (PART D)

1. 23 Stand Alone Prescription Drug Plans (Part D) are available in 2022.
2. Many Advantage Plans include Part D coverage.
3. 99% of Medicare recipients can lower their 2021 premiums.
4. Part D Plans start at $7.50 per month.

OPEN ENROLLMENT… OPEN ENROLLMENT… OPEN ENROLLMENT

You get the chance every year to change your MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE. The time is NOW! From October 15 through December 7. Do NOT miss this opportunity to evaluate your Medicare insurance. Maybe you already have the best plan of all time. Maybe there’s a new one that would fit you better. You do not get to complain if you do not get involved. So get involved in your own health care insurance. You have choices.

The Government evaluates all the various plans and assigns STAR ratings to each. One Star or Five Stars? That is your choice. The ratings are available right now on MEDICARE.GOV.

GET INFORMATION NOW!

“Don’t be a shmendrik… Listen to the spiel… Mazel Tov!”

You can watch a super video class on your 2022 Medicare choices. It is so easy!
1. Prepare a nice hot cup of tea. And a muffin or scone.
2. Go To davidcarrierlaw.com
3. Click on “Free Workshops”
4. Click on “Visiting Expert Series”
5. When You Get to the Visiting Expert Series page, scroll down to “In Case You Missed It.”
6. Click on “Medicare AEP (Annual Election Period)”.
7. Relax! Sip the tea. Nosh the scone. Absorb the information!
8. Decide… Do you want to make changes?

THE REST OF THE STORY…

Your Medicare, along with Medicare Supplement Insurance and Medicare Advantage Plans are essential pieces in assembling the puzzle of your health plan. Hospitalization. Disease. Injury. Bad Stuff that Happens. Medicare is there when you need acute care. Or a new knee.

But Medicare is only part of the story. What about long-term care? What about at-home care or assisted living? What about nursing home care? What about the $185.50 co-pay for Days 21-100 of rehabilitation services? What about NO COVERAGE AT ALL for Days 100+? Medicare is not the answer for these questions.

Medicaid is the rest of the story… Find out at a LifePlan™ Workshop. Or come to the Navigating Medicaid Webinar sponsored by MLive!

PANDEMIC PANDEMONIUM: FREE COVID CASH
TRILLION HERE, TRILLION THERE, PRETTY SOON YOU’RE TALKING REAL MONEY
EMPLOYEE RETENTION TAX CREDIT – THROW MONEY OUT THE WINDOW!

FULL DISCLOSURE: For the last 31 years, from the very start, the Firm paid taxes. And paid. And paid. Freedom is not free. Blessings of Liberty have a price. But now we have the World Turned Upside Down. Government wants to give the Firm money. To keep folks employed. To keep the lights on. And the Firm has said yes. Including this galloping geyser of cash called the Employee Retention Tax Credit. The Firm is happy to duke it out with other law firms on any fair ground. But when the government starts spewing cash, the game is rigged. And it’s either play by their rules or lose. The Firm does not like to lose. So, the Firm took the PPP. And the ERTC. And we don’t like it. But your highly trained, motivated, and grateful team is still here to serve you and your family.

The 2020 CARES Act gave us this payroll tax credit. The Employee Retention Tax Credit. It has been extended through December 2021. The ERTC is worth up to $10,000 per employee for 2020. For 2021, it’s up to $28,000 per employee (70% of each employee’s earnings, per quarter, up to $7000). This is not chump change.

You get the money if:
a. Your business was partially (or fully) shut down by COVID, or
b. Your revenue was down by 20% in any 2021 quarter this year (50% in any 2020 quarter) as against the same quarter in 2019.
c. By the way, what if your income was down in the first quarter, but not the second? Under the alternate quarter rule, you can use the first quarter to qualify for the ERTC in the second quarter.
1. Here’s where it gets crazy. You can still claim the credit in the first quarter! Your business only qualifies for one quarter, but you can claim for 2 quarters? Yes. Nuts, right?
d. ERTC is supposed to offset employer payroll taxes. And it does. But what if you do not have enough employer payroll taxes to use up the credit? The IRS sends you a check. Not kidding.
e. Jed Clampett was surprised to find oil in his backyard. You may be just as shocked to discover this little fountain of fun. Too bad, you missed out in 2020, right? Nope, just go back, amend your returns, and get a nice fat government check.

EXIT QUESTION: Would You Give $3.5 Trillion Dollars to the Goof-balls Who Dreamed This Up? Do You Think They Would Spend the Money Wisely? Would You Want Them Running a Hotdog Stand? Collecting Your Garbage? (Apologies to waste haulers everywhere!)

SURE IS GREAT TO FIND OUT HOW THINGS REALLY WORK…
UNCOVER THE ELEPHANT!

Elephants to the left of us, elephants to the right… Sneaky devils! Cleverly camouflaged by the global investment industry, the legal profession, government, and others.

Can you handle the truth? I knew you could! Come find out what is really going on…

Most people know that long-term care is the stinkiest elephant in the herd. But you can get the straight story. Accurate information. Clear thinking. What you truly need to know.

Of course, you are busy. So much going on. We make it easy. Get the information, insight, inspiration you need. To live your life. Make smart decisions. Cut through the fog. It is your turn. For you. For your loved ones.

NO POVERTY. NO CHARITY. NO WASTE.
It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice.
Get Information Now.
800-317-2812

The post This Is Jeopardy!® Let’s Meet Today’s Contestant… It’s You appeared first on Carrier Law.

Covid Over? 331 Million Americans Suffering, 33 Million Americans Infected, 600 Thousand Americans Killed, Government Gone Wild, Rust Belt Revival Risk

They Can Always Make It Worse

Have you noticed that our government is shoveling money out the door as fast as they can “print” it? Trillions (that is trillions, with a “TR”) of dollars have been conjured up out of thin air in the last couple years. How much is trillions? Lots. And lots. And lots. And then some…

Washington, D.C. Government computers humming along. Busily churning out all these brand-new dollars. Who needs a printing press? Besides, there isn’t that much paper on the planet.

Meantime, in the real world… I am sure you recall that place… the place with lockdowns, new normal, rules for thee but not for me… In that place, the economy tanked. Factories froze. Companies closed. Businesses busted. Hotels hurt. Restaurants retreated. Get the picture? If not, look out the window.

Let’s recap.

An Unbelievable, Incredible, Super Tidal Wave of Dollars.

Fewer Goods and Services. (Check out your local new car dealer).

Can you say, “Inflation?” I knew you could!

What is coming next? How can we deal with it?

These Truths We Hold To Be Self-Evident

If you are like me, you see the government as a monster that gobbles up tax dollars and spits out pot-holed roads. You and I do not expect good things from government bureaucrats, promises or programs. We wish they would just take the money from our paychecks and leave us alone. We cheered when Ronald Reagan said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.”

Most of us middle-class folks who work for a living have enormous compassion for our truly disadvantaged brothers and sisters. Middle-class Americans, by far, are the most generous, charitable, open-handed people in the world. You can look it up. Helping strangers. Donating to charities. Volunteering time and effort. We do it. And we do more of it than anyone in the world. Authentic charity to solve genuine problems of our undeniably needy American family makes us feel great. Our hearts glow.

On the other hand, we are exasperated by government “social programs”. Huge sums dedicated to noble causes. Tiny dribbles of cash to those in need. Hard-earned dollars stupidly squandered on politically correct and tragically senseless schemes. Most of the money going to professional parasites, the Beltway Bandits. It is no coincidence that Washington, D.C. is surrounded by the richest communities in America. Tough job doling out your cash, but hey, somebody’s gotta do it!

Brave New World True Confessions

People like us cannot imagine that we would ever again see any of the money forked from our paychecks by government. Let others put their snouts in the trough. Just leave us enough to get by. We will figure it out. Frugality: beans and rice, rice and beans… Besides, it seems wrong that anything would come back to us… That is not how it works.

But pandemic panic politics has changed things. Can we deny the evidence of our own eyes? Radical reactions fundamentally overhauled our public policy. And economy. And our ability to plan.

None of us want the hand-out. Other folks got the gimmees, but not us. We play by the rules. Fairly. But what can we do when, in the middle of the game, they change the rules? Are we supposed to roll over and die? Go broke? Submit? No, thank you very much!

The World Turned Upside Down. Adapt Or Die… Or At Least Go Broke.

Many of us remember when expensive long-term care was unusual. Nursing Home Poverty was not a concern. Your grandmother did not have to sell the farm because your grandfather had dementia. Nor did your great-grandmother. Nor your great-great-grandmother. Regular people could save up, help the next generation. Not so much anymore. Failing to plan for long-term care in the 21st Century means, nursing home poverty, no choice, no legacy. Planning means security for you and your loved ones.

Just a short time ago, mere months, small businesspeople were riding high. Record numbers of women, Blacks, Asians, all sorts of ambitious entrepreneurs, were rolling up their sleeves and getting down to business. Sure, taxes, regulations, and competition were still big worries. But success was in the air. What do you smell today? Desperation. Confusion. Fear.

Government is pumping floods of cash to your competitors. Belly up to the bar! You cannot ignore the new reality or wish it away.

Truth And Consequences

Skilled care at $12,000 per month means you will need Medicaid. Broke or not broke, that is up to you. If you are like me, you will not like it. But it is not up to us. Our likes and dislikes are irrelevant.

Payroll Protection Plan, Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Employee Retention Tax Credit, Stimulus Payments. Just a few of the government programs dumping tons of money on small business.
The competition is getting this money. Other businesspeople have received and are receiving tens to hundreds of thousands. Direct from the money factory. If you are like me, you do not like it. Neither do I. But we cannot wish it away.

How can you say NO! to money that keeps your team members’ children clothed and fed, mortgages paid, and bills up to date? They made the rules. We must play by them or lose all we have worked for.

Paul Revere Rides Again
Inflation Is Coming,
Inflation Is Coming!

Gas prices at a 7-year high. Low interest rates. Sky high housing. Families priced out – cannot afford it! Factories shut down. Pipelines closed. Workers paid more to stay home than they could earn by working. Some prices have not changed, but there are fewer Cheerios, garbage bags, less laundry detergent in that box. More Money. Less Stuff. This is what inflation looks like.

How can local business survive? To get through this human-made storm, shouldn’t you take advantage of every opportunity? Including the uncomfortable, unavoidable opportunities provided by government programs? You did not ask for the money. You did not want the money. But the programs are here, your competition is taking advantage. You cannot afford to ignore them any longer. It is a matter of survival.

Most people, faced with disaster, will close their eyes. Hope for the best. And watch their business, life savings, and achievements of a lifetime evaporate like a snowflake on a hot griddle. Why do hard-working, prudent, frugal, middle-class entrepreneurs accept poverty? Most of the time?

Small Business Salvation – Employee Retention Tax Credit
Ten Things Everyone Always Gets Wrong (Mostly)

1. I got Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) money, I’m out!
False. PPP is irrelevant. Does not matter! Chin up… you can qualify whether your PPP loan was for Draw 1 or Draw 2, forgiven or not.

2. I did not qualify for PPP money, I’m a loser!
False. See #1, above. No relation between the programs. Irrelevant!

3. My business revenue did not decline, poor, poor pitiful me!
False. Is it a slam dunk if you had a revenue decline? Pretty much. But if putting in those 16-hour days means you kept the money coming in, we argue that COVID still fell on your business like a ton of bricks. Hundreds of pages of lawyer-talk interpret the law. It is complex. Do NOT jump to conclusions, bad or good.

4. I did not completely shut down, I’m sunk!
False. By soldiering on, you are a hero to me! Sure, complete shutdown is another (pretty much) slam dunk. But there’s more than one way to skin that cat!

5. My enterprise is an “Essential Business”, woe is me!
False. ERTC is supposed to keep people on the payroll. Being essential does not automatically disqualify you. For example, hospitals (pretty “essential” right?) clearly qualify. You might too!

6. I did not pay enough income tax to use a tax credit, I’m up a creek.
False. This is a refundable tax credit. If you can’t use the whole amount to offset tax, the government will shoot you a refund check. Also, as a payroll tax credit, your income doesn’t matter for eligibility.

7. Our FTE employment numbers are down, and our turnover is so high, I installed a revolving door! I’m down and dizzy.
False. Good News! The ERTC amount is based on the wages you paid to employees. It does not matter that they later left.

8. I managed to hire even more folks. I am doomed by my success.
False. Hey there hero! Not only can you qualify, you might even get a larger tax credit.

9. I was dazed and confused by the PPP process and this ERTC looks even worse. I do not want another migraine!
BINGO! The exception that proves the rule. ERTC is guaranteed to give you a splitting headache, halitosis, and the heartbreak of psoriasis. Or not. But payroll companies are asking their clients to sign liability waivers for messing this up. Our research and expertise will lighten your load.

10. My brother-in-law the accountant can do this. I am as confident in his abilities as I was in my electrician brother-in-law who burned down our house. Could have happened to anyone!
Well, maybe. We have heard too many accounts of accountants mistakenly claiming businesses would not qualify. Sometimes they are correct. Sometimes they just do not do the hard work of digging through the law. Go ahead, roll the dice on your future.

Not Chance, Your Choice

There is nothing inevitable about losing your independence and security. All of that is a choice. Despite what “everybody else” says. For thirty years, people have told me, “I’ve never heard of this before!” “If this is real, why doesn’t everyone do it?” “My lawyer / financial advisor / brother-in-law / accountant / tax person / banker / best friend / fill-in-the-blank never said anything like this…”

Well, here you are. Now you know. No excuses. You have the information, insight, inspiration. Now it is your turn. Ignore the message? Invite poverty? Or get the freely offered information. To make wise decisions. For you. For your loved ones.

No Poverty. No Charity. No Waste.

It is not chance. It is choice. Your choice. Get Information Now.

(800) 317-2812

The post Small Businesses Breaking and Broke appeared first on Carrier Law.