Login | October 04, 2023

Portage County Legal News.

Business
Military tax breaks
Q. Are there any tax breaks for military folks? -- B.T., Salem, Oregon
A. There sure are. For example, any combat pay earned might not count as taxable income -- though you can count it when calculating your Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which can shrink your tax bill. Enlisted members, warrant officers or commissioned warran ... (full story)
Germany went from envy of the world to the worst-performing major developed economy. What happened?

ESSEN, Germany (AP) — For most of this century, Germany racked up one economic success after another, dominating global markets for high-end products like luxury cars and industrial machinery, selling so much to the rest of the world that half the economy ran on exports.
Jobs were plentiful, the government's financial coff ... (full story)
Electrify America charging network must navigate patchwork of utility rates, government regulations
If Jigar Shah doesn't do his job correctly, the company with the second-highest number of fast-charging electric vehicle plugs could lose money or EV owners could have to pay more to fill up.
As director of energy services at Electrify America, Shah is in charge of navigating a wide range of rates charged by more than 200 electr ... (full story)
Why retirees may want to buy an immediate annuity now
An immediate annuity is an insurance product that provides guaranteed income: You give an insurer a chunk of money, and the company gives you a stream of payments that can last for life. The payments begin within 12 months of purchase.
Now may be a good time for retirees to buy an immediate annuity, since payouts are the highest ... (full story)
For filmmakers, 'Oppenheimer's' $900M-plus haul is an important moment for Hollywood and theaters

Hopes were always high for Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer." The studio knew the film was great, and commercial. But no one in the industry expected that a long, talky, R-rated drama released at the height of the summer movie season would earn over $900 million at the box office.
After an early screening, " Dune& ... (full story)