Plan to Protect Digital Information after Your Death Think of all the various places you have information online—Facebook and other social media accounts; online banking, memberships, Amazon.com and other retail accounts, your e-mail, everything you have in the cloud. What happens to all of that when you die? Who has access and who can get access? How can you prevent your loved ones from getting a computer-generated message from a social media account to wish you a happy birthday…long after … [Read more...]
Some Tattoo Ink Kits May Lead to Infection
May 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
FDA Warns of Risks Associated with Some Tattoo Kits The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responding to complaints filed by consumers using certain home tattoo kits, has determined that at least some of the kits sold by White and Blue Lion, Inc, have a bacterial contamination that could cause serious health problems. The FDA confirmed one documented case of a skin infection caused by the White and Lion product, and is investigation other reports. The product has since been … [Read more...]
FDA Asks Consumers to Report Problems
May 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Food and Drug Administration Solicits Help from Consumers The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the federal watchdog for issues related to medicine, medical devices, pharmaceutical products and food, is asking consumers to be proactive in reporting concerns they have with these various products. The FDA's Medwatch program offers a simple form that allows individuals to disclose any problems or negative experiences, so that the FDA can take appropriate measures, from changing the warning label … [Read more...]
Common Medication Errors Reported to the FDA
May 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Under its Medwatch program, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tracks instances where consumers have, for a variety of reasons, received the wrong pharmaceutical product. Over the last 15 years, the FDA has received nearly 100,000 reports from consumers who have been given the wrong drug. FDA officials express concern, though, that the numbers understate the problem, as all medication errors are reported on a voluntary basis. FDA representatives say that pharmaceutical errors occur for a … [Read more...]
Car Accidents at Railroad Crossings
April 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Railroad Crossing Accidents The deaths of six people in a collision at a railroad crossing in New York has riders and transportation officials nationwide looking at the causes of the crash, as well as the potential risk of similar accidents in other parts of the country. According to data gathered by the Federal Train Administration (FTA), an average of 2,400 people are either killed or seriously injured in train-motor vehicle collisions at train crossings every year. Officials say that the … [Read more...]
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
April 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Advantages of a Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreement If you are considering getting married, but you have substantial net worth or children from a prior marriage, you may be concerned about the loss of your net worth in the event of a separation or divorce. A prenuptial agreement can help you ensure that you don't unnecessarily or unfairly lose your property, allowing you to focus on your relationship, instead of worrying about what you might lose. The Benefits of a Prenuptial Agreement The … [Read more...]
The Importance of Medical Directives
April 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Why You Want to Have a Medical Directive If you are young and healthy, you may not think it's necessary to establish who will make medical decisions for you in the event of injury or illness. You may believe that setting up an advance medical directive is only for the old or the infirm. You are wrong. The reality is that tragedy can strike at any time, and can affect anyone. If you don't put a clear process in place to allow someone else to make your medical decisions when you cannot, you … [Read more...]
Dividing Retirement and Investment Accounts
March 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Distribution of Retirement and Investment Assets Upon Divorce One of the more challenging components of a divorce is often the division of debts and assets. Though much personal property can be easily allocated, and real estate is often sold or appraised at fair market value as a part of the settlement, dividing investment and retirement plan assets can be tricky. Retirement Plan Assets There are typically two ways that retirement accounts can be divided as part of a divorce: Pursuant … [Read more...]
Dividing Business Interests in a Divorce
March 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Dividing Business Interests in a Divorce According to a recent federal report, nearly 4 million businesses in the United States are jointly owned and operated by spouses. Even when both spouses aren't involved in the ownership or operation of the business, a family business is generally considered a marital asset, subject to division when parties divorce. Experts say that the best way to protect yourself and your business in the event of a separation or divorce is to have a "business … [Read more...]
