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VOLUME 18, ISSUE Best of Q4

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  Here's Exactly How Much Paychecks Changed After Tax Reform For People At Every Income Level From $20,000 To $269,000 A Year

  GovernmentJob TrendsCompensation, Benefits

  IRSLifestyleLeadership, Career

  The new tax law, which changed the 2018 tax brackets, went into effect at the start of this year. By February, many Americans began to notice a bump in their take-home pay because of the law. The IRS released new guidelines in January, known as tax-withholding tables, that help employers calculate how much to take out of employees' paychecks in taxes, Business Insider's Bob Bryan reported. That amount is paid to the IRS in the employee's name. At the end of the year...

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  Severance Agreement Debacle: How One Tiny Error Almost Cost This Firm Millions

  StandardsBusiness Intelligence PerspectivesBest Practices

  Job TrendsHuman ResourcesHR ManagementHiringCompensation, BenefitsLeadership, CareerLawBusiness Intelligence

  Here's a cautionary tale about just how badly severance agreements can wind up if they're not being reviewed closely enough. An employee had been employed for 28 years when his employer was bought by another company. After the sale, the employee was laid off and was offered a separation agreement that included, among other benefits, pay for 34 weeks. The employee returned the signed agreement to the company, and that seemed to be that...

• The 'Common' Payroll Mistake That Cost This Company $165k-Plus

  StandardsBusiness Intelligence PerspectivesBest Practices

  Record KeepingJob TrendsCompensation, BenefitsIRSFinancial strategyFinancial ReportingFinanceBusiness Intelligence

  Even if the DOL acknowledges a company made a minor, "common" mistake regarding overtime calculations, it doesn't mean the agency will let that company off the hook. And that's a lesson Ide Management Group LLC learned the hard way.

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  Company Credit Cards: Relaxed Rules Could Lead To More Headaches For You

  Business Intelligence PerspectivesBest PracticesSecurity

  Record KeepingJob TrendsIRSFinancial strategyFinancial ReportingFinanceLawBusiness Intelligence

  Put your road warriors on alert: They're going to have to keep an even closer watch on their company credit cards during their business trips. That's because you're going to have one less fraud prevention protection. As of April 13, both American Express and Mastercard no longer require signatures for purchases where people checkout in person. (Visa said it will let North American merchants choose whether or not to require signatures starting this month.) And that could make some headaches for you. You can thank chip technology for this change - card companies say it's no longer necessary to sign on the dotted line as their fraud prevention capabilities have advanced so far.

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  Bill Gates Reveals His 6 Favorite Books He Read In The Past Year

  Best PracticesLifestyle

  Bill Gates reads about 50 books a year, but only a few make his annual list of favorites. For several years, the Microsoft founder has chosen five titles he enjoyed over the past year and published reviews of them on his Gates Notes blog. Here are his recommendations...

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  These Two Men Paid Over $650,000 For Lunch With Warren Buffett-Here Are 3 Things They Learned

  StandardsBusiness Intelligence PerspectivesBest Practices

  Job TrendsLeadership, CareerBusiness Intelligence

  The average American spends just over $1,000 a year getting lunch at restaurants. But investors Guy Spier, 52, and Mohnish Pabrai, 53, spent $650,100 on just one lunch, although it was for a very special reason: They got to dine with billionaire Warren Buffett. The businessmen purchased their high-priced lunch in 2007 as part of an annual charity auction for Glide Foundation, which helps the homeless and impoverished get back on their feet. Last year...

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  Millennials Aren't Having Kids. Here's Why That's A Problem For Baby Boomer Real Estate & Retirement

  LifestyleFinanceFinancial Reporting

  Financial strategy

  After 30-plus years in her career, Donna is counting down the months until retirement. She gleefully shares with me everything she has planned for when she can do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. But in the middle of her excitement, something turns her mood. She clenches her fists and asks me demandingly, "Where are my grandbabies?" Donna is not alone. While I can't speak to...

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  Why Great Employees Quit -- Instead Of Admitting They're Unhappy

  Business Intelligence PerspectivesBest PracticesMotivation

  Job TrendsEmployee RetentionLeadership, CareerBusiness Intelligence

  Dear Liz, I know that as a manager you're not supposed to have a favorite employee but let's be honest, most managers do. I have a favorite employee on my team. His name is Josh. He's a super star. He accomplishes more than almost anybody and he's extremely clever. I'm down in the dumps this week because Josh gave notice. It came out of...

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  Revenge In The Workplace: Top 10 Ways Employees Get Back At Each Other

  LifestyleJob Trends

  There's always going to be some conflict in the workplace, but the real trouble can happen when employees take their anger a step further. A new study by insuranceQuotes, which surveyed over 1,000 U.S. workers, found that 44% of employees admitted to exacting revenge on a co-worker. These acts of revenge range from small to severe, and...

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  2018: Heal Your Digestive System

  StandardsBest PracticesHealth

  Lifestyle

  What Your Gastroenterologist Won't Tell You. According to Western (and Eastern) medicine; the core of your health is the health of your digestive system. According to the National Institute for Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Disease : 70 Million Americans (26% of the US population) have some form of digestive illness. Of course, this statistic represents only those that have sought treatment. Given the sensitive nature of the disease and the high-cost of treatment, it's reasonable to assume that...