Sales were lower, steady and higher depending on year end – grain volumes rebounded for the most part but grain and agronomy commodity prices were lower. Lower grain margins; inverses and less opportunity to capture carries in the market. Drying revenues up based on 2013 harvest, more agronomy acres covered. Expenses continue to grow –...

WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN 2014 Credit unions have seen their profitability continue to stabilize in 2014 when compared to 2012. Through the first six months of 2014, credit unions have maintained a return on assets of 0.80%. For the first half of 2014 the interest margins continue to tighten as yields on loans have...

The federal self-employment (SE) tax just keeps going higher and higher. If you’ve reached the breaking point, there may be a way to tame the SE tax beast by converting your existing unincorporated small business into an S corporation. How to Evaluate the Option If you’re a self-employed individual — meaning a sole proprietor, partner or...

Disasters never happen at a good time. But the timing is irrelevant. What counts is that your business can recover quickly with minimal long-term effects. And that means having a disaster recovery program in place so that your company is well-positioned to respond to — and rebound from — a wide range of calamities. The issues your...

Workplace violence isn’t just limited to high-risk jobs such as police officers, taxi drivers and late night convenience store clerks. It happens everywhere, as illustrated by recent high-profile cases. Workplace shootings have occurred at all types of businesses including factories, hospitals, engineering firms, advertising agencies and colleges. Testing Issues Some employers have tried testing to gauge the propensity for violence...

The free use of a company car is one of the best perks an employee may be entitled to as part of a compensation package. But the benefit to the employee isn’t completely “free” under current tax law. Essentially, personal use of a company car is treated as a taxable fringe benefit, subject to income tax...