• AS MORE PEOPLE ARE DRAWN INTO THE CRYPTOCURRENCY WORLD, BE AWARE OF FEDERAL TAX TREATMENT: (1) When purchased, crypto is considered to be capital asset property, but not eligible for 1031 exchange; (2) When as payment for goods or services (including mining), it’s taxable as ordinary income at market value when received, and subsequently becomes property; (3) If mining activity rises to a level of trade or business, then income on subsequent disposition remains ordinary income; (4) Presently not required for FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Reporting) even if the Wallet or Exchange is located overseas; (5) Forming an ‘entity’ for crypto activity “is more likely to draw federal regulatory scrutiny as a potential unlicensed Money-Service-Business which can lead to potential criminal prosecution.”  Be Aware.  [CALIFORNIA CPA – July 18]
  • THE ‘Z’ GENERATION BORN AFTER 2000, aka iGens or the AppsGen, “will be the most technically savvy in history.” But their values, characteristics and behaviors will be very much different than Millennials, having “witnessed the disruption of unprecedented political, societal and economic norms, realities & codes of conduct… effectively never having known a time before financial crisis and growing up with uncertainty.” The positive news is that they entering the workforce with self-direction, strong values and tolerance for rules & boundaries which will drive them to work well with others. To attract and retain Gen Z workers, employers will need to recognize their different priorities including an inclusive workplace, opportunities for ongoing education, economic security, and “exposure to practical experience to ensure they stay employable as well as useful to society… Additionally, as the first generation born into a world of virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence, post-millennials will expect a degree of digital engagement in every person, place and thing they encounter.” [INTERCHANGE-GROUP.COM – July 2, 18)
  • “PHYSICALPROXIMITY IS OVERRATED AS AN OFFICE COOPERATION ENHANCER and open-plan offices are making workers less social.” Harvard University researchers found that eliminating walls were “overstimulating with too many distractions from too many people walking around,” decreasing face-to-face interactions by up to two-thirds, and resulting instead with over 50% increase in emails and 67% in text messages. [THE WEEK – July 20, 18]
  • OVER 2/3 OF ORGANIZATIONS NOW USE ANALYTICS as a component in at least half of business decisions, with over 40% of global companies utilizing “advanced analytics algorithms to make operational decisions.” The array of business arenas include “enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, e-commerce systems…and range from boosting product quality, to deploying workers efficiently, to re-engaging customers who appear headed for the arms of a competitor… with easy-to-use dashboards being put in the hands of line-of-business workers to drive new applications.”  [CFO MAGAZINE – Jun/July 18]
  • “AUTONOMOUS ROBOT ‘STUNT DOUBLES’ which can fly & flip through the air and stick landing every time” are now performing at Disneyland. The latest generation of ‘animatronic’ characters are “flexible, interactive and essentially ‘limited robots’… controlled by an on-board accelerometer and gyroscope arrays supported by laser range finding… and are able to be slung from the end of a wire to fly, while controlling its pose, rotation and center of mass to land aerial tricks on target while holding heroic poses of costumed superheroes in midair. [TECHCRUNCH – June 28, 18]
  •  “VOLUNTARY BEHAVIOR” IS, UNSURPRISINGLY, THE SUBSTANTIAL CAUSE OF CANCER CASES according to the latest study by American Cancer Society. Exposure from sun or tanning beds was linked to 95% of skin cancers; smoking was to blame for 82% of lung; excess body weight for 60% of uterine and over 30% of liver; and alcohol intake for 25% of liver and 17% of colorectal cancers in men (12% and 8% in women). “Collectively, 45% of cancer deaths are attributed to modifiable risk factors” which have been advised for decades and most choose to ignore. [CA CANCER J CLIN. 2018 Jan]
  •  THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK: Studies show that pedestrians hit by SUVs are up to 3 times likelier to be killed than if hit by cars.

       The numbers are actually unfathomable but, according to the World Bank, “global debt has ballooned to a staggering $237 trillion” – over 40% from a decade ago – necessitating Central Bank increases in interest rates which “put particular stress on emerging markets and developing countries… while 55% of the world’s population now live in cities, increasing faster than their ability to absorb in terms of infrastructure and employment.”

      “California: The American Nightmare… an express train to hell, thanks to immigration, the joys of diversity, and liberal politicians & voters following the Mexican Model.” A sad perspective: https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/opinion-columns/wayne-allyn-root/commentary-illegal-immigrants-have-turned-california-into-the-american-nightmare/