As an employer, I interview a lot of folks… and a lot of teens. I hate to say it, but teens usually have no clue how to interview and get a job! They blow it!

This article will address the three mistakes most teens make so that you or your kid can learn how to get your favorite job.

1. Resume

I would say about 8 out of 10 kids drop off a resume with misspellings. This is the FASTEST way for the resume to be thrown in the trash!

In addition, most resumes look like someone just spit a bunch of information into a template and hit print. The information is rarely organized and often unformatted. The result is a messy-looking resume with misspellings that gets thrown in the trash before there’s even a chance to interview.

Here are a few keys for a good resume:

1. Triple check spelling!
2. Don’t add an objective. Rather, write a couple of sentences explaining why you’re different and HOW you would help the company.
3. List the jobs you’ve had… and how you impacted the company rather than just the job. I don’t care that you were a pizza delivery person. What did you do different that helped the company?
4. List your education at the bottom because it’s not as important.
5. Contain your resume to ONE piece of paper – front side ONLY. Most people don’t want to read a lot, and multiple pages just makes things difficult.

2. Follow-up

OK, let’s say you submitted a great resume… that’s the least of your worries now. Many companies won’t call you back.

I don’t call anyone back. Why? Because I want to see if they’ll take the initiative and call me. I want to know if they’re a go-getter and willing to be persistent.

Most people never call back!

The call-back is very simple. All you have to do is ask if they received your resume. When they say yes, simply say “Great! Well I’d love to set up a time to interview.”

Maybe they’re actively looking for employees so they will set up an interview. Maybe they want resumes because they want to have some people ready to call IN CASE they need someone. In that case they might tell you they’re not hiring.

Ask to interview anyway. Tell them you understand, but you want to meet them so they know who you are in case they need someone.

If someone called me and said that… I might even hire them and replace one of my employees that wasn’t doing a good job. That kind of call shows initiative and demonstrates that you would be a great worker.

3. Dress & Presentation

So now you have the interview… big deal. Most kids blow their chances because they dress terrible – They wear a tank-top, shorts, and flip flops to the interview.

Even though that might be standard clothing for most teens, it creates a bad first impression. As an employer, we think, “Oh no, this kid is unprofessional. They’re probably not a good fit.”

You just made a great phone impression, so you need to reinforce that with a good visual impression. Make sure you wear a collared shirt, either slacks or khakis, and some nice shoes. Women should wear the same thing or a nice dress that isn’t too short.

his will set you apart from the other kids applying, and it will leave a great impression with the employer… HELLO JOB!

In addition to dressing well… always remember to sit tall and speak well. Make eye contact and answer questions confidently.

When you slouch, chomp gum, or look around, it makes you look dumb and unqualified.

There you have it! If you can make these simple changes, you will make yourself much more valuable to the employer and be more likely to get the job you want!

Humans are curious by nature, actually all up-right walking primates tend to be curious, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Nor should it surprise anyone to learn that any good book publisher that publishes nonfiction books will tell you that the word “secret” in the title of the book will help it sell more copies. There is something that is alluring to the fact that there is a secret, something we don’t know about, that makes us all too curious to go and find out. Religions use this tactic to recruit individuals to their flock, and marketers use it to sell products and services.

Still, it’s used so often, and there are so few secrets in the information age that the chances of you learning a real secret are slim to none. That is to say, sure you might learn something that you don’t know, but it’s hardly a secret. And there are many more information outlets to discover the exact same information, usually for free. It’s even more so than it ever has been in the past because all of mankind’s information and knowledge is now online on the Internet. With billions of people connected to this massive communication system the concept of keeping secrets will someday be a thing of the past.

What I am trying to say is the biggest secret of all; is that there really are no secrets, that is to say no important secrets. Yes there is undiscovered information, and there are some things that humans don’t yet know about physics, but I guarantee you someday in the future our artificially intelligent supercomputers, along with our scientists will discover all that information as well. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase; Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe. There are no secrets in physics – there are only challenges in the observational abilities, and the limits to the devices that we presently have to do the viewing.

There are no secrets to our world, no one is purposely trying to hide anything of any huge magnitude, just silly little things, that don’t amount to a hill of beans anyway. Luckily humans are a curious bunch, and they were to seek out information they do not know. However, with over 7 billion people on the planet now – the chances of anyone secret escaping all of mankind in the past, present, and off into the future is highly unlikely.

Therefore you should always realize that the biggest secret of all is; there aren’t any real secrets anymore. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it. If you have any comments, concerns, and/or philosophical questions please shoot me an e-mail.

We all hear the various statistics, data, models, and trends passed around in ever more sophisticated manners that promise new insights and new ways to fantastic business success. However, none – absolutely none – of these analysis or “expert” models get at or even talk about what has been, according to my tracking data of my organization over the last 15+ years, the number one killer of growth and by far the single biggest problem for cash flow and operations management: the divorce rate.

The popular statistic concerning the divorce rate is that 50% or thereabouts of all marriages will end in divorce. I tend to agree with that statistic but what this statistic masks – or what the media fails to report on – is that there are in very many cases children involved in these divorces who are themselves enrolled in things like ballet classes and other economic activity generators like private school, music lessons, cell phone use, so on and so forth. The real problem then is not just that divorce happens but that when it happens, at least 90% of the time, the two “adult” parties do not conduct amicable proceedings and so the child(ren) are caught in a vortex of uncertainty, as are any and all businesses that interfaced with this family or it’s children.

Years ago divorce still happened but there seemed to be active, deliberate efforts to minimize the impact on the children. This is borne out in our statistics because we show clear divorce trends back into the early 1990’s but it is within the last 5 years especially that the trend has gone from “stealth” or “smooth” divorces (wherein our organization would detect the divorce but only after it had happened and been settled but mean while the children of the family had continued their activities, had maintained a healthy focus, and did not appear traumatized) into “nuclear” or “armageddon” divorces where the proceedings are contentious, parents are obviously talking bad about each other in front of the children because the children turn around and mention these things in class, the children’s focus gets hazed-out and they become lackadaisical, and the financial structure needed to pay for activities like ballet class is totally disrupted resulting in at minimum ongoing account balances that are past due and usually ending up in financial failure and the student having to discontinue lessons.

What we have determined is that on a year-to-year basis, fully 30% of our client base will discontinue. Normally about 40% to 45% growth with new clients happens to offset this so our growth trend is still positive, but consider this: of that 30% loss, at least 75% of it is directly due to bad divorces. That is staggering. If the divorce rate went down to a more historically normal rate of 20% our year-on-year growth would not be 10%-15% but instead more like 25%. That is a huge difference. The “divorce factor” as we call it is at least as big a cost as our yearly insurance and utility bills plus about half of our advertising budget combined. What is worse is that unlike other cost factors which do facilitate business operations, this cost factor is completely negative, no positive side effects at all come from it. In fact, one could argue that as children are exposed to these “nuclear” divorces and the associated social trauma, later in life they become if not more prone then at the very least more accepting of this as a normal status which in turn would serve to amplify this already nefarious trend in society leading to further increases in the divorce cost factor for all businesses and organizations.

Now just what any organization or business can really do to effect a change of this trend is not at all clear, but one thing is certain: get the divorce rate down, and our data strongly suggest a dramatic rise in income would happen, across the board. A rise as large as if you could suddenly stop paying for insurance, all utilities, and no longer needed to advertise much. No other single cost factor even comes close to this outside of critical expenses like payroll or space rent. Therefore it is suggested by this author that businesses and organizations begin focussing mental energy and creative capital not on new ways to massage numbers, but on a fix to this ever rising, burdensome and real cost factor: the divorce rate.

The death of a loved one and the grief that follows teach many lessons. Perhaps the most important one is that pain is the sign to take a new road in life. This is a double barreled lesson. First, we often have to decide to do some things we have not thought of previously–or ever attempted before. And secondly, of equal importance, the key to advancement into our new world (that is, our adaptation to the loss) is the necessity to take action.

Accepting the new and taking action are crucial learnings; they are also difficult to embrace. New direction takes many forms in the grief process. Here are five to consider that others have had to deal with in their journey through grief. You too, may well have to deal with one or more of them.

1. Grief and loss frequently demands the development of new routines. In death, divorce, or loss of friendships survivors usually have to assume new responsibilities which may have belonged to their partner or friend who is no longer there. New routines, often difficult to institute, are significant coping responses to establish. The sooner the better, because they eventually help bring stability to a life that has changed through loss.

2. Grief and loss may say: change the way you perceive the world. Perceptions are the personal meaning we give to experience. Perhaps you may have to find new meanings. The world is no longer a totally happy place to be, but one in which pain must be accepted as part of the fabric of life. This is a very normal response, especially if this is the first time you have had to deal with a major loss.

3. Grief and loss sometimes implies the adoption of new beliefs. Beliefs affect every facet of your response to loss. One of the most critical new beliefs to ponder is that with most losses–if not all–the key message is take a different road, a new approach, or access in order to adapt and reinvest in life. This is a big stumbling block for many as we don’t like to give up our old ways and do the distasteful.

One of the new considerations I suggest to most who are mourning the death of a loved one is that they are entering a new life, the next chapter. And, what does that mean you must do?

4. Grief and loss may point to the development of new relationships. Widows and widowers usually lose their connections to other couples in their social circle. Yet, everyone needs interpersonal relationships of the right type and number.

Deepening the relationships you already have by meeting more regularly with friends could be called for. Developing connections at your church or synagogue or with relatives that you do not regularly see is another avenue. What is clear is that such strong relationships promote health and longevity.

5. Grief and loss often results in the needed development of new skills and abilities. Sometimes certain skills are necessary in order to take a new job. At other times, it may be out of necessity: either learn how to fix the leak in the faucet or toilet tank or pay a hefty bill from the local plummer. Sometimes it’s as simple as learning how to pump your own gas. Many times it’s learning to do the taxes and manage financial records.

To summarize, don’t ignore the biggest lesson grief and loss teaches: pain signals to take a new road or you stay longer in pain. Look for those who have dealt with the kind of loss you are experiencing or who are experts in helping the bereaved. Learn from their wisdom and experience regarding where you need to take action on your new road.

We all, at various times, have to do what we dislike doing. However, take comfort in the fact that the history of loss shows that mourners do adjust to their new path and are able to finally reinvest in life.

Skiing & Snowboarding are such popular sports and really offer a great break from the Winter blues. Ski season in the USA generally lasts from about mid November to mid April depending on the resort & weather conditions. All ages can really enjoy this sport & you’ll see tiny kiddies through to octogenarian ski clubs on the slopes. There are so many ski resorts in the USA that it can be hard to choose which one to visit. Yes there are the big names like Vail & Aspen world-famous resorts, known throughout the world as great ski areas & deservedly so.

But do you know which is the biggest ski resort in the USA? Major changes are afoot and the biggest ski area in the USA is now Park City Mountain Resort.

Ski resort operating giant Vail resorts took over Park City, after it was already running next door Canyons ski resort. These 2 fantastic ski resorts are being combined to make one giant ski resort called Park City Mountain Resort. Major investment is adding a new “interconnect” gondola to connect the 2 resorts between the Silverlodge lift in Park City & the Flatiron Lift at Canyons. In addition to this new lift there will be major upgrades to Kingcon chairlift changing it to a 6 person high-speed detachable chair & increasing capacity. The Motherlode lift is being upgraded to a 4 person high-speed detachable lift from the old fixed grip chairlift, making it much easier to access the slopes.

From the new interconnect gondola it will be possible for skiers & riders to unload at the top of Pine Cone Ridge (snow conditions permitting) & ski or board down to Thaynes Canyon. There are also going to be new runs from Pine Cone Ridge down to the Canyons Iron mountain area.

So if you love skiing there will be so much to ski at this one mountain. The new ski resort will have 7300 acres of terrain, bigger than Vail and have a great variety of runs from green beginner, through to blue intermediate pistes & black expert areas. The total combined lifts will stretch for nearly 23 miles & the vertical rise will amount to 34,400 feet. Altogether there will be 17 peaks to swoop down, after checking out the views from the top of course. The 14 bowls will be paradise in the powder & after all this area of Utah, USA does get 355 inches of snowfall on average per year, so chances of some epic freshies are high. Over 300 ski runs will be marked & over 150 park features for those who love to strut their stuff in the terrain parks. 8 half-pipes including the super pipe will also be ideal for those who love to get big air.

The whole resort is being called Park City Mountain Resort and will still be connected to the Town of Park City & historic Main Street via the Town lift. The old canyons village is being re-named canyons base area at Park City, but the ski runs rising out of the village will all be part of Park City Mountain Resort.

1. I am from the Legal Department and you are being sued.

From my experience less then 2% of all debts listed to a collection agency ever result in formal legal proceedings and in most cases legal costs required to initiate a lawsuit have to be advanced by the collection agency. From a business perspective, it makes no sense to throw good money after bad hoping to recover the legal costs and the debt if you do not have enough assets available to satisfy the judgment being sought after. It’s just not worth it to the collection agency. Bill collectors use the “legal department” threat only because it is scary and most people don’t know better. The fact is that most bill collectors sit in a tiny 3″x 3″ cubicle and pretend to be someone they really aren’t on the phone.

2. I am going to garnish your pay cheque.

In order to get any piece of your pay cheque, the bill collector needs a judgment from a court in their favour but the collectors will not seek a judgment unless they have reason to believe that you have enough assets to satisfy a judgment. Pursuant to Section 7(2) of the Wages Act (Ontario), no more than 20% of your wages may be garnished. A creditor can bring a motion to increase the amount of wages that may be garnished but a debtor also has the right to bring a motion to have such amount decreased. I have heard Collectors tell people they will garnish 50% of their pay but the truth is that even if they get a judgment, garnishments rarely exceed 15-20% of pay. Again they only use the threat because it scares people and most don’t know any better.

3. If I don’t have payment by 4 p.m. today, we are (Insert threat here).

Bill collectors are paid a commission to do their job and so are the managers that are breathing down their necks in order to hit their targets. Some aggressive bill collectors can make six figures annually if they push people hard enough. They will tell you anything if they feel that it will result in a payment and a bigger commission cheque for them.

4. Pay in full, monthly payments are not an option.

They want full payment from you because they make more money off you when you pay in full. Payments are always an option; in most cases going directly to the creditor will get you a monthly payment plan. It won’t fix your credit but you will at least be able to stop the demand for full payment.

5. Collectors can call you as much as they like.

Pursuant to Section 22(6) of R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 74 to the Collection Agencies Act (Ontario), there are restrictions on the frequency of calls that collection agencies can make to you. Despite what they may tell you a bill collector cannot harass you. If you register a letter requesting the collection agency to communicate with only in writing the calls should stop otherwise you can escalate their behavior to their ombudsman or provincial ministry to take further steps.

6. Collectors can call and harass your family, friends and neighbours.

A collection agency can only contact a third party to confirm your home address and telephone number or your employer to confirm your employment, title and business address; that’s it (Section 22(3) of Regulation 74 to the Collection Agencies Act). If the collector divulges details about the debt or tries to embarrass you, there are steps you can take to deal with and stop this behavior.

7. Bill collectors can talk to you any way they feel.

Bill collectors can be obnoxious and rude; many think that insulting people will get the debt paid. Collection laws prevent this type of behavior reoccurring if you escalate it and deal with the issue. If you feel that they have mistreated you by using profanity, intimidating or coercive language, you can certainly stop it. They will most certainly deny the activity so a tape recorded conversation or voice message will be your best friend here.

Collection agencies and bill collectors have a bad reputation because they are a business like any other whose goal is to generate profits for its shareholders; its their job to push you hard to pay. There are ways to deal with the debt and their behavior but it takes time and a certain investment in researching your rights. Try not to avoid the debt but find a way of dealing with it. The only way to stop the collection activity is to pay the bill or go bankrupt. If you can pay the bills in full, do so as soon as possible.

If payment of your bills is not an option due to extreme financial hardship, you may wish to explore bankruptcy by consulting with a Trustee in your local yellow pages. Going bankrupt will most certainly deal with the debt but since it’s detrimental to your credit rating, it should only be used as a last resort. Also, a Trustee is a court appointed agent for your creditors so even though you pay them for their service, the Trustee is looking after your creditors’ best interests. Your debts are wiped out but so are most of your assets subject to certain limited exceptions and your credit report shows the effect for 7-10 years.

Debt settlement should be considered as an alternative to bankruptcy since it is quickly becoming one of the newest and best options in Canada to retire debt quickly and ethically. A debt settlement company will act as your agent, and negotiate a settlement with your creditors. Once the settlement is paid, the balance is written off and your credit report is updated to reflect that the debt is finalized. The time frame to settle debt can be anywhere from 1 month to 36 months depending on your ability. This is often the least expensive, least damaging to your credit and the fastest path to debt freedom.

Remember that bill collectors make a living off of trying to scare and intimidate people so they can earn a big commission cheque. Consider the source when they call and don’t let bill collectors push you around, you have rights and can fight back and win!

Looking back, knives were first used millions of years ago as essential tools firstly made of rock and flint. It was through technology that has evolved blades made from copper, bronze, steel, ceramics and titanium along with the flint’s practicality as an effective cutting instrument. These have inspired the production of a very wide range of different modern blade patterns and styles that we know of today.

Generally, we see different versions of a knife following culture and origin, but even so, the knife’s serviceable characteristic made it the best tool that spends time in the hands of cooks and chefs. Different types of kitchen knives provide different efficiency and accuracy in cutting different kinds of food, but little did we know, the biggest problem in almost all home kitchens is dull knives. A lot people find it the biggest hindrance in cooking.

Just about every friend’s kitchen I go to, I see different kinds of knives but very few are sharp. The only kitchens I’ve been in where there are sharp knives are those of meat butlers who are selling meat and those where no one cooks and where the knives and cutlery are kept inside the drawers. If most of your kitchen knives are dull and you don’t sharpen them on a regular basis, even on high-end cutlery, your knives are almost certainly dull.

Myth says a sharp knife is safer than a dull knife. This is because using dull knife requires excessive force to cut the food which can slip off food and cause injury to the user. A sharp knife cuts food finely requiring only a little force, so cutting gets much easier along with a good control of the knife, and the user is more likely to be safe. Since kitchen knives become dull time after time, it is only necessary to take best care of them by regular sharpening. Besides it’s one of the ways we can make our knives useful and long-lasting.

Another thing about knives myth says is it should have a full tang. This probably works for heavy duty knives obliged to cut coarse leather and firewood, but not for kitchen knives which are generally only designed for delicate cutting of soft ingredients for food. On the contrary, it will give you problems getting full tang knives as it is rare for high end kitchen knives, or even stainless knives with a full tang. In short, know the kinds of knives you are in most need of so you don’t fall on marketing hypes.

Another thing that is both true and false is that knife sets are a better deal than individual knives. Although you get more metal in a set compared to buying same pieces individually, large sets usually come in a large number or knives that you will not use. On the other hand, you can use the other metals when your useful ones get dull, dirty, or broken. So either you buy a premium set of knives, cutlery and accessories, or get individual pieces of leading quality Chef’s knife, small paring knife, carving knife and bread knife, both can be considered best deals.

Having professional series of knives, cutlery, graters, and mandolins in your kitchen, I don’t think you will ever have a problem working with them. That’s if you spend most of your life in the kitchen.

As we cast our reflective mind’s eye at the sun setting over this year we can be struck in awe at just what has taken place. All our years pack in so much, and this year MMX has seen no less drama and tragedy than we’re used to seeing. Perhaps in terms of magnitude the following ten events can be considered (in reverse ‘countdown’ order of importance) the biggest, most memorable (so far):

NUMBER TEN – “End of H1N1 Flu”

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls an end to the H1N1 influenza pandemic on August 10. Illness due to flu is now stated to be back to “typical seasonal patterns”.

NUMBER NINE – “Synthesised Genome & ‘Alien’ Lifeforms”

A “functional” synthetic genome is officially created by scientists on May 20, synthesising bacterium, however the Venter group stop short of calling it a breakthrough. Also, an arsenic-based (bacterium) life form is discovered on December 2 by NASA.

NUMBER EIGHT – “World Sport Top Two”

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is played in South Africa between June 11 and July 11 and is won by Spain. Also, the 2010 (Twenty-first) Winter Olympics is held at Vancouver and Whistler during February 12-28. Home team, Canada, won the most gold.

NUMBER SEVEN – “World Financial Crisis Repercussions”

The depth of the Global Financial Crisis continues to strike some countries hard with both Greece (May 2) and Ireland (November 29) being bailed out by monetary funds to the tune of 110 and 85 Billion Euro respectively.

NUMBER SIX – “Mine Disasters”

The trapped Chilean miners, all thirty-three of them, are brought back to the surface on October 13 after 69-days captivity deep in the earth. Not so fortunate are the twenty-nine New Zealand miners at Pike River Coal Mine, Atarau, who were trapped on November 19 by an initial explosion, only to be almost certainly killed by a second explosion on November 24.

NUMBER FIVE – “Antimatter Created”

Antimatter is trapped for one-sixth-of-a-second, where thirty-eight antihydrogen atoms are temporarily held, at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) on November 17. This is the first time in history that humans have achieved this.

NUMBER FOUR – “Wikileaks”

The ‘Wikileaks’ scandal leaks nearly 100,000 classified and secret reports on July 25 and scandal surrounds the issues from embarrassed governments to persons scrambling for reputational damage. The scandal evolves over the remainder of 2010.

NUMBER THREE – “Eyjafjallajökull Volcanic Ash Interrupts Air Traffic”

The Icelandic volcano erupted initially on March 20, but on April 14 it entered an explosive phase, and the resultant ash was thrown 30,000 feet into the air, threatening the European airspace. It disrupted the travel and return-home plans of millions of people intermittently during the April 15 – May 17 period and it featured some periods of entire shutdown of the European airspace. It further proves the theory that God always has the final say over our plans.

NUMBER TWO – “Deepwater Horizon Disaster”

The Deepwater Horizon oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico is crippled by an explosion on April 20 and eleven workers are killed. It ends up being one of the biggest ever environmental catastrophes. The safety and ethics of offshore drilling is questioned internationally.

NUMBER ONE – “Haiti Earthquake”

The 7.0 Magnitude quake that rocked and shocked Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 12 devastates a nation most ill-equipped to handle such destruction. The world responds in sympathy and aid, and the “Helping Haiti” appeal, song and concerts sought to pour hope into a helpless situation. Over 230,000 people died as a result.

Copyright (c) 2010 S. J. Wickham.

Acknowledgement: source information from various pages on Wikipedia.

A killer headline for your book, sales letter or article can be the most important factor in the success of your product.

Here’s why..

A headline that I used in my first press release worked so well I still use it 12 years later.

Not only will a great headline garner attention, but good publicity can save you thousands of dollars in marketing expenses.

Here’s how I did it…

First I studied publicity. I learned a lot from a guy named Paul Hartunian. He probably has the best course on publicity out there.

Ted Nicholas was also one of my big influences. He was the space ad guy for a long time. That’s where I learned the majority of my space ad stuff.

So, I gave publicity a try with this crazy idea – a science fiction cookbook. Then I wrote a press release.

I followed Paul Hartunian’s format the tee, and I sent that press release out.

I was just inundated!

This was before email, so I mailed it out. I mailed it to radio stations, newspaper.

I still use it. Every year I send these things out. I’ve been doing it for 12 years.

The headline on my press release is, Kids Eat Their Own Faces; Mom’s Laugh Their Heads Off.

There’s a recipe in the book called the Eat Your Face gelatin mold. You can make an exact clone of your face in gelatin and serve it up for the salad course. That’s your Halloween party.

I mailed out about 100 on this first press release. The phone started ringing! It started ringing at five o’clock in the morning.

Just send your press release out first and then when an editor or disc jockey calls you, then you offer to send them your bio sheet and your question and answer sheet.

They think you’re very professional and you’ve done this before and actually you haven’t. You’re still blurry eyed in your pajamas.

I started to get calls, especially from these morning zoo shows on the FM stations. They just thought it was hilarious. They let me talk about my products for five or ten minutes.

Give my 800 number out and my website address and hang up the phone and go check and I got orders pouring in immediately.

A good thing about publicity is that it creates a lot of this marketing…word of mouth, which is the best kind that you can get.

A big upside to all of this is it’s free. You don’t have to pay a nickel. Of course you do want to continue to advertise so you’ve got that one-two punch, especially if you’re going to be on a radio show in Denver.

So, then you buy a little space ad in the Denver Post or something so that a lot of people will see that and say Hey I heard this guy on the radio!

This is how it worked for me.

They would call and say, “Hey, aren’t you the guy with these exploding cakes, or whatever? They called because they heard of me, and they had heard of me because of my publicity.

Remember: If you’re self publishing a book, maximize your investment by seeking out publicity.

Write a press release with an eye-catching headline and send out as many as you can.

If you land on a nationally syndicated radio show, your book may become an overnight success as the show is aired across the country!

As a lawyer, my clients often share rumors they hear circulating “in the streets” about all types of legal issues. I give them credit for bringing those rumors to me, because it gives me a chance to set them straight and it gives them a chance to get the right advice and do the right thing. Because my practice involves elder law, the most frequent rumors I hear involve Medicaid. They are also the most frustrating. I’m amazed at the misinformation that circulates so recklessly.

The biggest Medicaid rumor my clients have shared with me involves what to do if a parent suddenly becomes gravely ill, they do not have long-term care insurance, they have not done advance Medicaid planning, and they need Medicaid to pay for permanent nursing home care. More than one client has told me that friends and acquaintances have advised them to put all of their parent’s assets in their own name because then Medicaid will see that they don’t own anything and they will be able to qualify for Medicaid right away.

WRONG!

Not only wrong, but rife with problems that could subject those in need and their families to penalties, disqualification or, worse, criminal charges.

Whether an infirm senior citizen will immediately qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care depends on whether they did advance Medicaid planning or whether their current financial status qualifies them at the outset. The truly destitute should not have problems qualifying. It is the lower middle class – those with modest assets that they are trying not to lose entirely, especially if they have a well spouse or children — who face a more challenging task to qualify.

Congress has created methods by which those who are not destitute but not rich can attempt to shield some or all of their assets in order to qualify. In the best-case scenario, someone who plans in advance can create a Medicaid-qualifying trust, transfer all their assets into the trust and wait out the five-year “lookback” period. When the individual can show they haven’t owned any assets for at least five years (because the trustee of the trust owns their property, and the Medicaid applicant cannot be the trustee), they should qualify for Medicaid.

It is in the worst-case scenario – when a senior fails to plan at all, or what we in the industry call “the crisis Medicaid case” – that troubles arise. And this is where those rumors abound. Because Medicaid looks back five years into the individual’s financial history to determine what they own(ed) and where it went, any transfers of their assets into another person’s name without adequate compensation for the transfer will earn the Medicaid applicant a penalty period, which means they will not qualify for coverage for a certain period of time, based on an established formula.

The worst thing a child can do is transfer their parent’s assets out of the parent’s name thinking Medicaid won’t know, or not report all assets thinking Medicaid won’t find them – both of which are tantamount to defrauding Medicaid and could subject that person to criminal charges. (Different rules apply to spouses.) The fact is, Medicaid does a thorough review of every applicant’s financial background, referencing and cross-referencing documents, checking all financial transactions, bank accounts, and other assets, and will determine if money has been transferred. By the time they find out, it will be too late for the senior to do anything to reverse those transfers and they will be disqualified from receiving Medicaid benefits for at least a period of time.

Congress has authorized several methods by which even “crisis” cases can shield some of their assets. Some examples include purchasing an irrevocable funeral trust, investing in certain improvements in the home, making gifts with promissory note paybacks, and entering into personal services contracts with family members. The only way to know if you or your loved one can shield some or all of their assets is by consulting an elder lawyer who specializes in Medicaid planning.

As my father used to say, “Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear”. This is a good policy when it comes to Medicaid rumors. Get the right advice so you can get the best for your loved ones.