Fancy pants and financial discipline
I sat across from a new client recently and declared, “You’re a fancy pants … I know this because it takes one to know one.” To her credit, this client took my comment in stride, and we had a good laugh about the telltale signs of a true fancy pants. This started as a conversation […]
Dorie Fain: Five lessons from working with divorcing couples
Recently, I have been in intense negotiations between divorcing spouses. This is not work for the faint of heart. I finish each work day after these meetings feeling emotionally exhausted and, at times, unclear as to what has been accomplished. With more time and reflection, I become aware that a great deal has actually been […]
State revenues expected to dip by $238 million
The state Board of Revenue Estimates voted Thursday afternoon to write down revenues by $238 million over the fiscal 2014 and 2015 budget years.
JPMorgan to pay over $2 billion in Madoff fraud
NEW YORK — JPMorgan Chase & Co., already beset by costly legal woes, will pay over $2.5 billion for ignoring obvious warning signs of Bernard Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme, authorities said Tuesday. The bank will pay $1.7 billion to settle criminal charges and a $350 million civil penalty for what the Treasury Department called “critical […]
Maryland’s CDA bond series highly rated
Fitch Ratings, a global credit rating agency, assigned 'AA+' credit bond rating to Maryland’s Community Development Administration on its $52.5 million housing revenue bonds, 2013 series B and C, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Pew survey questions Gen X, baby boomer savings
NEW YORK — A research report by the Pew Charitable Trusts says younger baby boomers and Generation Xers face an uncertain retirement because of reduced savings, high levels of debt, and losses during the Great Recession. The study found that members of Generation X, who are now between 38 and 47 years old, lost almost […]
Robert Nusgart: You are your home’s best advocate
During the last several years, the mortgage industry has undergone intense scrutiny. And with good reasons:
Regulator opposes Washington Adventist Hospital’s planned move
TAKOMA PARK — A Maryland hospital commission member is recommending the state deny a hospital permission to move from Takoma Park to Silver Spring. Barbara McLean, who is on the Maryland Heath Care Commission, tells The Washington Post that she opposes the request from Washington Adventist Hospital because it has failed to show its proposed […]
Wisp ski resort owner talks with prospective buyers
HAGERSTOWN — The owners of Wisp, Maryland’s only ski resort, have met with a number of potential buyers in their efforts to stave off financial failure, one of the partners said Thursday. But selling the western Maryland resort is not inevitable, as one of the group’s major creditors claimed in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court filing […]
Life of Social Security trust funds loses 3 years
WASHINGTON — High energy prices and an economy that has been slow to rebound are worsening Social Security’s finances, shortening the life of the trust funds that support program by three years, the government said Monday. Those funds will now run dry in 2033, according to a report issued by the trustees that oversee the […]
Making partner and the business of law
I got a promotion. As of Jan. 1, I am officially part of the membership of Bowie & Jensen LLC. I have been elevated to partnership status, elected into the exclusive club. It is a milestone event for me. There has been little noticeable difference in my daily routine this week, but there has been […]
Marianne D. Fishler: Study all of your options for long-term care
A friend of mine recently moved his elderly mother into an assisted living facility. It was a difficult decision for the family to make, but a necessary one given the human and financial resources required for her to continue to live on her own. This scenario is played out daily in families all across the […]