Urban Legends

We all receive those emails from well-meaning friends who want to pass along the latest "warning" or request for support for an ailing child. But how do you know if they're true or a hoax? Try checking the stories out at Snopes (www.snopes.com) - the online Urban Legend authority. Just enter the title or topic in the search box, and Snopes will return any entries they have on the subject. Well-researched information is available at your fingertips. This gives you a chance to play 30-second detective, and could help preserve your reputation with those your own contact list.

Nine Common Mistakes Business Owners Make:

This is the second in a three part column by L. Content McLaughlin, a partner with the law firm of Tydings & Rosenberg LLP, regarding nine common mistakes business owners make.

5. Failing to Keep Proper Corporate Records. Improper record keeping can cause problems with the Internal Revenue Service, hamper your ability to raise capital and could result in personal liability. And yet, small businesses are notorious for failing to keep appropriate corporate records, some of which are required for corporations. Failure to document meetings of the board of directors and shareholders, failure to record stock issuances and failure to document stock transfers are common infractions of the guidelines that protect your corporate status.

For more information, please contact L. Content McLaughlin, Esq., Tydings & Rosenberg LLP, 100 E. Pratt Street, 26th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. She can also be reached at (410) 752-9755 or cmclaughlin@tydingslaw.com. To view her biography, click here.

Beach Chair Fitness

It may be time to relax and unwind in the summer, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue your healthy active lifestyle routine. Healthy activities can even "fit" into your vacation lifestyle as well! Fitting fitness into your life simply means adapting meaningful movements into your life. Beach chair back builders can do just that!

Lie prone (on your belly) on your beach chair/ lounge chair. Allow your feet to hang off the end.

Back Builder #1: Back Extension. Gently lift your torso off the chair. Engage your shoulders up, back and down. Keep your core and glutes tight. Read a book, magazine or work on tanning your backside (with appropriate sunscreen, of course!) while holding this position for approx 30 -60 seconds or whatever feels most comfortable for you. Most physical therapists and chiropractors recommend back extension on a daily basis.

For more "back builder" tips, click here.

Brought to you by:
Lynne Brick, BSN
Owner & Founder of Brick Bodies/Lynne Brick's Women's Health & Fitness
Lynne.Brick@BrickBodies.com
Brick Bodies Website

Old grout may need cleaning with a wax stripper or heavy-duty cleaner plus a grout brush. Use a bleaching cleanser on tough spots. Once the grout is as clean as you can get it, rinse it well. When it's thoroughly dry, apply a coat of masonry sealer so that it doesn't absorb dirt in the future.

For mildewed grout in tubs or showers, use a grout brush with a 1:5 solution of chlorine bleach and water. Never use bleach in combination with any ammonia-based product and be sure the area is well-ventilated. When you've finished cleaning, rinse the area well to remove all traces of bleach.

Clean colored grout with a heavy-duty cleaner and a grout brush, but don't use bleach because this may remove the color from the grout. Be sure never to use a bleaching solution on colored grout. A masonry sealer can be applied to clean, colored grout to ward off future stains.

For more information, click here, or call their toll free number: 1-800-MERRYMAIDS.

With the ever changing complex tax laws, planning is more essential today than it has ever been. There are still many opportunities to reduce a corporation and its owner’s tax, but planning is a necessity! The following is a valuable tip for corporations:

Eligible for Domestic Production Activities Deduction (aka Section 199 Deduction)?
Manufacturers, construction contractors and businesses involved in certain other U.S. production activities can deduct 6% in 2008 of their taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction). The Section 199 deduction is limited to 50% of W-2 wages allocable to domestic production gross receipts. This percentage will increase to 9% in 2010 and later years.

KAWG&F is open Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm. To view Anita Sheckells' biography, click here.

Because women outlive men, be sure to save enough so you can enjoy your champagne years from 55 to 85 and not have these be Purina years.

According to the Social Security Administration, the average life expectancy (from birth) of an American has increased to almost 80 years, five years more than the average for men. At age 65, a woman can expect to live an additional 19 years.

If you are “behind” in saving for retirement, tax-deferred annuities or permanent life insurance can offer a way to catch up. Earnings grow on a tax-deferred basis until withdrawals are taken.

During most of your lifetime, the annual rate of inflation has always been positive, which means that purchasing power keeps declining. The last year U.S. prices have declined was 1954. Since then, inflation is generally reported to have averaged 4.0 percent per year.

A diversified investment program that uses a technique called “asset allocation” can help you pursue returns that help your money grow on a “real” basis (after adjustments for inflation and lost purchasing power).

Take the time now to take back control of your own financial situation and make it work harder and smarter for you so you can enjoy the years ahead.

For more information, call Wealth Advocacy Partners at 410-527-1171 or visit www.wealthadvocacypartners.com.

Do you have dry skin? Sensitive skin? Do you want to smooth fine lines, or prevent them from showing up in the first place? Whatever qualm you have with your skin, SkinCeuticals has a solution.

Our mission at SkinCeuticals is to improve skin health. Dedicated to this purpose, we make one simple promise -- provide quality products backed by science.

Our dedication to developing advanced skincare backed by science has earned us a strong reputation with the medical community worldwide. SkinCeuticals provides complete skincare solutions through dermatologists, plastic surgeons, medi-spas, and other skincare professionals in the United States and in over 35 countries worldwide. These experts trust SkinCeuticals to promote skin health -- not trends.

For more information, contact Anita Davidson at info@hvskin.com, or by phone: 410-628-1625.