With this in mind, life insurance companies will often perform nicotine testing to figure out for certain whether you smoke. While companies in the past would ask people to be honest about their smoking habits, rampant fraud made it so that many modern companies do their homework before handing out coverage. You might be wondering just how long nicotine is detectable in your system if you’re facing a life insurance inquisition.

Urine testing and life insurance
Most life insurance companies will use a urine test to see whether you have nicotine in your system. With this form of testing, nicotine will stay in your urine for anywhere between three days and one week. Four days is the average, so you should plan accordingly. On top of that, if you have been a smoker for an extended period of time, then cotinine may stay in your system for as long as three weeks. While not all life insurance companies go so far as to test for this byproduct of nicotine, many are starting to do so because it is more difficult to conceal.

The danger of committing insurance fraud
You may be thinking that it is a good idea to try and hide your smoking habit so that you can either get insured or you can cut down the premiums you’ll pay for coverage. With a four-day half-life for nicotine in urine, it may sound easy enough to pass the test, lie to the insurance company and take the policy as a supposed non-smoker. You should know that this comes with many dangers, not the least of which is a potential fraud charge.

It is against the law to lie on an insurance application in this way. If you are caught, you may face state and federal charges. Even if you are not charged with a criminal offense, an insurance company may cancel your policy if they happen to figure out what you are up to. When you consider these potential consequences, the idea of cheating the system seems like less fun.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Rules for workers under the age of 18
Young workers receive special protections according to the law. Because the horrors of child labor were so self-evident in the past, many states have passed restrictions on how long children can work. To Florida’s credit, it enshrines in state law the requirement that all companies give workers under the age of 18 a 30-minute meal break for every four hours they work. This means that if you work a full day, you are entitled to two full half-hour breaks.

Unfortunately for older workers, state law does not dictate what companies must do in terms of breaks. Florida’s state legislators were apparently worried only about what to do with children in the workplace, and they neglected older workers. The good news, though, is that federal law has these workers covered in a slightly less helpful way. Even if Florida’s state laws can’t protect you, you are still entitled to protection under federal law because federal statutes apply to the states.

Federal law on breaks
There is no federal law that requires an employer to give his employees breaks. This is the bad news. However, there is a federal law that requires employers to pay employees through their short breaks. If you take a break of between five and 20 minutes, that break should be paid. This means that you don’t have to clock out to go to the bathroom. If you run downstairs to grab a slice of pizza and then eat it at your desk, you have to be paid for this time. Employers don’t have to give you the time off, however, given the contours of existing federal and state law.

Employers and industry custom
Even though there is no state or federal law requiring that adult workers are given a lunch break, most employers will do so out of custom. In a time when human resources is an increasingly competitive battle, the desire to attract the best candidates pushes many employers to provide benefits that are not required under law. They do so because doing so is good business when how they treat their employees will become a criterion upon which they are judged by the public.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Discounts for good grades and driver’s education
Some insurance companies will provide discounts for young people who meet certain criteria. For instance, many insurance providers gave out discounts for high school students who could prove they earned a “B” average or higher. Others will award discounts for students who complete a driver’s education course. Young men seeking insurance should make sure they take advantage of every known opportunity to reduce their rates through these discount programs.

Driving history matters
If you have a clean driving history, you can expect lower rates. This is true for high school seniors just as it is for senior citizens. While rates for an 18-year old male will still be higher than rates for older drivers, if you have a couple years of driving without citations or accidents, your rates will be lower. Focus on safety and compliance during your first few years so that you can get the best rate possible.

Location and car type influence outcomes
Where you live and what you drive will dictate your insurance costs in a major way. If you’re in a big city where accidents and break-ins happen more often, your rates will be higher. If you happen to drive a very nice, new car, you’ll pay more. While the bulk of risk in young driver insurance comes from the potential liability of injuring another person in a crash, if your vehicle has a lower value, your risk profile will be lower to the insurance company.

The bottom line
It is difficult to give out a bottom line that every person can rely on. Because you haven’t yet hit the magic age of 25 when insurance rates go down, expect to pay more. You should expect a six-month premium price of somewhere in the $1,000 neighborhood. As you get older, that number will come down closer to $600. For the time being, you will need to pay more money because insurance companies know that young men wreck cars more often.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Reasonable suspicion
In order to conduct a stop under the so-called Terry doctrine, an officer must have reasonable suspicion that criminal activity either has happened in the past or will be happening some time in the future. Reasonable suspicion, being a somewhat broad concept, is all about the facts that an officer can articulate to justify the belief that a crime is afoot. It is based in part on the training and professional experience of the officer. Likewise, it deals with the totality of the circumstances. When determining whether reasonable suspicion exists, one must ask whether, given all of the facts as they are known to an officer, it was reasonable to presume that a crime might have been happening.

The higher standard of probable cause
Probable cause is undoubtedly a higher standard than reasonable suspicion. Probable cause is the sense that with all of the concrete facts that are known at the time of the determination, it is more likely than not that a crime took place. The word probable is key there, as there must be a greater than 50% probability that a crime happened. Probable cause is used in two ways. First, it is used in order to proceed with a criminal case. A court will look at the evidence against a person and determine whether there is probable cause to proceed with the case. Probable cause is also used by officers to make arrests and seek out warrants.

Reasonable suspicion and probable cause are both doctrines used by police officers and courts to ensure that when a person is stopped or arrested, it is for good reason. Reasonable suspicion must be more than just a mere hunch on the part of the office, and probable cause goes up to a standard even above that. If reasonable suspicion does not exist to think that a person is involved in criminal activity, then officers have no right to stop and detain citizens. Likewise, without probable cause, the criminal justice system cannot move forward.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Refund Checks To Students

If you are a college student who is expecting a refund check from your student loan after a portion has been taken out for tuition, you may be waiting for a while. It often takes time to work its way through the full process of the financial aid system.

First, you’ll have to wait for all forms of financial aid to be applied to your bill. These include other forms of financial aid, grants and all loans.

Financial Aid Award Calculations

If you are expecting a refund check for the amount that exceeds the total cost of attending school, you will be disappointed. The amount of your financial aid award is calculated by including tuition costs, living expenses, costs for school supplies and any extracurricular activities where you are a participant. However, if you are involved in a work-study job, there is an exception. The income from your work-study doesn’t count as a form of financial aid when calculations are being made for your refund.

Receiving Your Check

In most cases, your check will be sent within the first 14 days after the semester begins. This will usually allow enough time to post your financial aid and any supplemental financing that you receive. However, if you are a first-time student who has taken out a student loan for school, it may take longer for you to receive your refund check. It is also important to note that if you do drop a class after the deadline has expired, you will not receive a refund for that class.

Depends On The Institution

The time that it takes to receive your student loan refund check may also depend on the educational institution that you attend. It may be a slower process if you are going to school at a community college. They handle a large number of financial aid forms for students who are in attendance. The staff that handles this may be inadequate to handle the large volume of paperwork. In contrast, you may attend a university that has an efficient procedure for providing quick refunds. You may end up getting your student loan refund check in less than a week after classes start up.

Electronic Refunds

If you don’t have a bank account, you may be required to open one so that you can receive an electronic refund. Otherwise, you may have to make other arrangements that will allow you to receive your refund. Typically, there are strict policies regarding who receives this refund. It will usually have to be posted in the personal account of a student who is receiving it. Unfortunately, if you are expecting a student loan refund check, you can’t have your parents or other relatives accept it.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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The initial consultation
There are many levels of service that one might get when going to see a gynecologist. Most women who see these doctors are going just for the initial consultation. The first visit will almost always include a pelvic exam and a papsmear. These are the basic diagnostic procedures that will help to show cancer and other important conditions. When you go to a doctor for these procedures, you will pay roughly $125 out of pocket without insurance. While this is a rough average, it does represent what most can expect to pay.

The price can go up if you live in an area with expensive real estate. For instance, if you happen to live in San Francisco or New York City, you can expect the cost of that visit to go up to around $200. If you live in a smaller, less populated area, then you can expect the price to be closer to $100. Medical prices reflect the market, and bigger cities will command higher prices.

Charges for additional services
If you come into your doctor’s office with health insurance, you’ll largely receive service based on what you need. While you still have that option without health insurance, you’ll have to pay piecemeal for each additional service. There are several that you may need, depending on the source of your discomfort. A urinary tract infection diagnostic test can cost roughly $200. A standard pregnancy test, conduct by urinalysis, will cost $50 on average. You can choose the service you want and pay for it accordingly. In most cases, you can get out of the office with a total bill less than $500.

When will you pay?
The good news is that gynecologist offices are not at all like restaurants when it comes to timing of payment. Though you might be shopping a la carte for services, you won’t be billed up front. In fact, you may receive a 30-day or 60-day grace period before you are required to make payment. This can provide you with some leeway if you have to have medical service but aren’t ready to cut a big check just yet. You can wait and pay later.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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California’s Inheritance Tax

California currently does not have a state inheritance tax. This means that if someone from San Francisco inherits real estate from someone who lived in Los Angeles, then there is no tax on the value of the land.

However, that does not prevent that person from having to pay an inheritance tax in other states. If the person from San Francisco inherits property in Nebraska, then there will be an inheritance tax bill from the state of Nebraska.

California’s Estate Tax

When a person who owns property in California dies, their estate will not have to pay a California estate tax because one does not exist. This means that the estate will not have to pay an estate on property before the property is distributed to a beneficiary.

Federal Estate Tax

In 2018, the laws regarding the federal estate tax have been changed dramatically. The federal government puts a ceiling on assets to determine whether or not an estate must pay a tax when the owner of the estate passes away. In 2018, an estate must be worth more than $11,180,000.00 before any estate tax is applied. This is in effect in California as well as all of the other states in the union.

Double Estate Tax?

The existence of the federal estate tax does not cancel out any estate taxes applied at the state level. For example, if a person owns real estate in Delaware passes away, then that estate will have to pay a federal and state estate tax on that asset. These estate taxes are the reasons why so many people with assets use financial vehicles to try and protect their families from having to pay extremely high estate taxes upon their deaths.

California is a state where there is no inheritance or state estate tax. The only time a resident of California would have to pay an inheritance tax is if they are the beneficiary of a person who lives in a state with an inheritance tax. Since the federal ceiling for estate taxes has been raised to such a high level, most people in California will never have to worry about paying an estate tax when their loved one passes away.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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What Does Fed OASDI/EE Mean?

Fed OASDI/EE stands for the Federal Old Age Survivors and Disability Insurance Employee Expense, more commonly known as Social Security. Every worker in the United States, whether they work for a company or are self-employed, must pay this tax. As the title indicates, the portion you see on your paycheck stub is your part of the payment. Your employer pays a matching amount that is not allowed to be taken from your pay. People who are self-employed pay both the employee and employer contribution.

How Much Is It?

The Fed OASDI/EE is a percentage of your gross pay that fluctuates based on the rate of inflation. For example, the employee percentage in 2012 was 6.2 percent, which meant that the employer contribution was the same. When this percentage is raised each year, the Social Security payments made to qualified seniors also go up by the same percentage.

Each year, the federal government sets a ceiling on the amount of income a person can make and still pay this tax. In 2013, anyone who made $113,700.00 for the year or more did not have to pay the Social Security tax. This amount changes every year based on inflation and income growth.

Not An Income Tax

Despite the fact that the Fed OASDI/EE is based on your income, it is not considered an income tax. This is a services tax that is used to fund the Social Security system. It does not affect your federal income tax rate and it does not have any impact on your income tax payments.

Similar Service Taxes

The Fed OASDI/EE tax is similar to the Fed MED/EE tax in that it funds a federal government program used to distribute money or services to citizens. The Fed MED/EE tax funds Medicare, and Medicare and Social Security work hand-in-hand to provide income and healthcare services for Americans age 65 and older.

The more you learn about the deductions on your paycheck stub, the more you learn about where your money goes. The next time you get your paycheck, take a look and see how much you are paying for the item called Fed OASDI/EE. That money is your contribution to your future Social Security distributions when you reach the qualifying age for retirement.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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What Must You Prove In A Defamation Of Character Claim?

In order to prove a defamation of character claim, you are required to prove three things:

– What was said or written against you was false
– The person who wrote or spoke falsehoods against you did it with the intention of harm
– You must prove that harm actually occurred

The first item that you have to prove is that the statement spoken or written about you was false. The second item requires you to prove that the untrue statement was made by the other individual in order to cause you some type of harm, and the third thing that must be proven is that actual harm resulted due to having your character defamed.

What Is Slander And Libel?

Slander is a spoken type of untrue defamatory statement that is made about you. It may occur when someone gives a speech or is talking to a group of reporters. Libel is also an untrue defamatory statement that is made about you, but it is made in writing. This might occur when an individual writes something knowingly untrue regarding you. This could be in a blog post or comment, which includes statements made in digital form.

Proving Defamation Of Character

To prove defamation of character, you will need to obtain proof to back up your claim. This is the easiest part of your case. However, it requires you to obtain proof such as a video clip or copy of a blog post.

The second two aspects of a defamation of character case are more difficult to prove. There is no way to show that another individual made a statement with the intention of causing you harm until it actually causes you problems. This means that you will need to wait for the untrue statements to create problems before you can legally prove that you have been harmed.

Injuries Caused By A Defamatory Statement And Supplying Proof

In reality, defamation causes two types of injuries:

– Harm to a person’s reputation
– Some type of financial harm

Due to the fact that you need to prove that an untrue statement made about you caused you harm, you must experience some type of loss related to money, your business or expenses you incurred while attempting to repair your reputation.

It helps to have witnesses who can testify that the statement made about you has had negative effects. In addition, you may produce evidence such as the loss of your job or being passed over for some type of promotion. Financial harm would require you to supply bills, bank statements or tax returns. Another type of harm you may suffer from defamation would include physical or mental anguish. To prove this, you would be required to supply doctors notes relating to your treatment.

You should also be prepared to supply witnesses who can testify with counter arguments in case an offender claims that your reputation was in a poor state before your claims were made.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Committing Immigration Marriage Fraud

Many individuals throughout the world understand that it is valuable to have United States citizenship. Unfortunately, some of those individuals try to thwart the process of becoming a U.S. citizenship by engaging in immigration marriage fraud. The USCIS attempts to stop immigration marriage fraud by conducting a thorough interview process and unscheduled home visits. However, some individuals still attempt to pose like they are married so that the immigrant can get their citizenship in a faster period of time.

Reporting The Fraudsters

If you have any type of information associated with people who are attempting to commit immigration marriage fraud, the USCIS would like you to let them know.

In order to make a concrete case, you will need to supply the USCIS with the following information:

– The individual’s name
– The sponsor’s name
– Any known aliases
– Addresses
– Alien immigration number (if possible)

The authorities need this specific information so that they can identify the individuals who are participating in the phony marriage.

Ways To Contact Authorities And Your Anonymity

You can stay completely anonymous when you report individuals who are involved in immigration marriage fraud. The best way to report this type of fraud is to contact the ICE division of the USCIS. They act as the police force that handles problems related to people who are immigrants. You have two options to choose from when contacting them — by phone at 1-(866)-DHS-2-ICE or by visiting their website at ice.gov. This contact information has been specifically designed for the reporting of immigration violations.

In addition, you may also contact the USCIS by phone at 1-(800)-375-5283. A live representative will record your information. You may also schedule a personal meeting with an official from the USCIS if you feel the need to discuss the phony marriage in person.

Existing Penalties

If fraud has been found, it will immediately nullify U.S. citizenship benefits and could result in deportation as well. Also, if the U.S. citizen is found guilty of this felony, they face penalties equal to a $250,000 fine or up to five years in a federal prison.

Jim Treebold

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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