Archive for November, 2008

How can this be Justice?

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

The felony murder rule is a law used in some states that says if a murder is committed during a felony that murder can become a first degree murder charge even if there is no premeditation. In 2006 the Iowa Supreme court made a ruling in the Heemstra case on the felony murder rule that stated for the felony murder rule to be used the felony had to be a separate crime then the murder itself. For example if you pull a gun and point it at someone that is a felony, but if you then shoot and kill that person you can not be charged with the felony murder rule because the actions are not separate. If however you are say robbing a liquor store and then shoot and kill the clerk the felony of robbing the store is a separate crime and the rule can be used to convict that person of first degree murder.

When the Iowa Supreme court realized however that this ruling could possible cause hundreds of people to go free they quickly decided to make a revision to there ruling. They then ruled that this new interoperation of the felony murder rule would only be used on the Heemstra case, all future cases, any case that was currently on appeal, but not for any old cases. Basically they said the new rule would not be retro active.

How can two people convicted of the exact same crime be treated completely different? One can get involuntary man slaughter and get ten years in prison while the other can get a life sentence for doing the exact same thing. Of course the original Heemstra case involved a white farmer and the majority of the people who the Iowa Supreme Court decided that this rule could not also help are black. Iowa leads the nation in black to white prisoner ratio and they obviously intend to keep it that way. I just hope that there are some good Iowa criminal defense attorneys working on this case so that this outrageous injustice can be stopped.

Basics of a Reverse Mortgage

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Basics of a Reverse Mortgages
Seventy-six thousand, eight hundred and two American seniors have received an FHA HUD reverse mortgage in 2006. They simply decided it was the best way to increase their peace of mind and enjoy a better quality of life without selling their homes. Even so, you should carefully study the below information on reverse mortgages to see if this would be an option for you.
Benefits
You will retrieve all the equity you have in your home as a one-time lump sum of cash, monthly payments, or a line of credit. You will never need to repay the reverse mortgage as long as you live in the home.

Your existing mortgage (if you in fact have one) will be fully paid off. The disbursements will be tax-free and can be spent however you chose to do so with no impact to your Social Security or Medicare benefits.

Eligibility
In order for one to qualify, the homeowner must be at least 62 or older. Furthermore, the recommendation that you have paid off at least 40% or more of your mortgage. Finally, you should plan to stay in your home for many years to come. This type of loan has no income or credit requirements.

Cost

The cost of an FHA HUD reverse mortgage (HECM) is much lower than buying and moving to a new home. Interest rates will usually be lower than the best rates on a traditional mortgage. Costs will be packaged into the reverse mortgage so you rarely have out-of-pocket expenses.

Liability of Estate
Your heirs will never be personally liable for the reverse mortgage since it is secured solely by the equity in the home. Your heirs can still inherit the property and have the option to sell it or to refinance with a traditional mortgage company.
Repayment
Once a reverse mortgage loan has been completed you owe nothing as long as one homeowner lives in the home. In addition, the FHA mortgage insurance will ensure that you can never owe more than the sale price of your home, even if the home depreciates.

When you have moved out of the home, your estate will have up to 12 months to repay the loan (usually by selling). If the home does sells for more than the loan balance, the remaining equity will pass to your heirs.

Your Offshore L.L.C. (Limited Liability Company)

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

Did you think that if your company failed financially you would fail financially also? Have you ever been invited to join a program or business that had the backing of other partners, but you feared that you might be the one to lose the most if the company dissolved? For owners and partners alike, an offshore LLC is the perfect tool to operate freely, while maintaining personal financial integrity without fear of losing it upon a business failure.

It can be run by one person or a collection of many. As long as it is properly registered and maintains an office in the country of residence, an offshore LLC has been used by many savvy entrepreneurs as the lever to success. After receiving quality advice from monetary and business pros who know how to get offshore business done, you may find that the offshore LLC is perfect for your global company. While you may think this option is only for large business, many small firms which employ only one person use these strategies to protect revenue, delay taxation, and increase profits through a mixture of asset protection and economic mobility. An offshore LLC offers you the best of our global economy along with the benefits of monetary structure which defends against local government taxes until you are ready.

As we live in an era of sharing and communication, the way we accept the ups and downs of the world is through sharing and exploring. Finding new ways to continue success and eliminate the failure of current trends in world political and economic confidence is what we accomplish when working together for the benefit of all. An offshore LLC could be the right tool for your business group to take advantage of the current trends in banking and business models which separate from traditional “in country” banking and business methods which have resulted in the losses we see in today’s global environment.