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On Friday morning I attended a presentation given by Dr. Peter Diamondis, Chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation. Through this organization Dr. Diamondis is pushing the world's top minds to expand our ability to enter space and accomplish other world-changing feats. Through the X Prize Foundation he's offered $10 million for the first private spaceflight to accommodate three civilians to space, as well as $10 million for 100 mile-per-gallon equivalent cars.…

The tax system in the U.S. continues to grow in complexity. Recent examples include burdens placed by the Affordable Care Act and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. This comes at a time when the IRS has reduced staff and its training budget, the result of a budget that's been cut by more than $1 billion since 2010.…

The investment markets, particularly in the US, continue their upward trek. In fact, the S&P 500 has brought positive returns the last six years!…

This morning I was able to have breakfast with Leon Panetta while attending the TD Ameritrade national conference in San Diego. Mr. Panetta has an incredible background, one in which he has served our country in myriad ways. This includes his tenure as Director of the CIA (2009-2011) and the US Secretary of Defense (2011-2013). One of many career highlights includes oversight of the mission that took out Osama bin Laden.…

Originally featured in The Wall Street Journal on April 11, 2014…

Originally featured in The Progressive Farmer on April 4, 2014…

We have many clients that faced succession issues with their business and know that there are many steps to a successful transition. This February the NBA is facing a big change as commissioner David Stern steps down after 30 years at the helm, to be replaced by Adam Silver. The NBA saw explosive growth during Stern's tenure, as revenue went from $118 million to $5.5 billion. …

There are essentially two methods of obtaining Bitcoin, the digital currency. The first is to buy it from an exchange, where the going rate is $875 per coin (one year ago it was at $17). The other approach is to "mine" the currency. Bitcoins have a limited supply; in order to increase the supply computers must mine them by solving a series of complex calculations that add and certify the transactions of other Bitcoin holders. If a particular miner solves the problem before others, the miner earns 25 Bitcoins ($21,875 at today's prices).…

Originally featured in the Business Record on May 10, 2013…

Originally featured in Progressive Farmer Magazine in the April 2013 issue…