24 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 9, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com business How to manage your online reputation I receive many questions about social media and how to best protect our online image. I spent some time talking with Shannon Wilkinson about how to manage our online reputation. Shannon is the CEO of Reputation Communications (www. reputation-communications. com). The agency creates comprehensive digital profi les, fresh Google search results and publicity for clients. Since 2009 The fi rm has focused on online reputation management. Why is reputation management important for small business owners? Reputation management is important because most purchasing decisions by consumers are now made after conducting online research. So having an informative, authentic digital presence is essential to reach your audience. The Internet is an incredible marketing platform. You can monitor and participate in social media conversations about your business, competitors and your industry. You can publish content that helps you to become known for your expertise or excellent products. But there are no laws governing Internet speech. You can’t control what people say about you, but you can counterbalance it with compelling, factual information and visuals to tell your story and engage potential clients, customers and journalists. That is what reputation management does. How is reputation management relevant for job seekers? Reputation management gives you the opportunity to present your best self on the Internet. That is where it is being assessed by potential employers. Strategic job seekers take full advantage of the Internet to publish appealing portraits and professional biographies on every appropriate social media platform. Many employers also value digital skills, so showcasing yours can make you a more valuable prospective employee. What do you consider the most important thing for our readers to know about protecting their online reputation? The average Google page has 10 entries. The more of those you “own” in your name and establish professional profi les on, the more of a protective digital fi rewall you will create around your online reputation. So in addition to maintaining a LinkedIn profi le, reserve your name on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and all of the other top-ranked social media platforms. Publish your headshot and profi le on them, even if you don’t plan on using them. Mindy Stern, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, ACC is a trusted HR advisor, career coach, author, speaker and president of AIM Resource Group Inc. Visit the website at www.aimresourcegroup. com or call 718-217-1074 if you would like to discuss how to use social media to your advantage. Do you want your questions answered in this column? Send requests to: www.askmindynow.com procedures to your employees. Do you want your questions answered in this column? Send requests to: www.askmindynow.com The Elder Law Minute TM The Importance of a Special Needs Plan BY RONALD A. FATOULLAH, ESQ. AND EVA SCHWECHTER, J.D. Anyone who has a family member or loved one with special needs can appreciate the importance of meeting with an attorney and establishing an appropriate plan. However, as we all know, circumstances change! It is also important to stay in close contact with your attorney throughout your life. In case you haven’t thought of checking in with your special needs planner in a while, here are fi ve events that should trigger an immediate call to your attorney. 1) A Family Member With Special Needs Is Turning 18 Once a child with special needs reaches the age of majority, parents will no longer be able to make many of the decisions that they were able to make for him during his childhood. A special needs planner can discuss various options to help families through this transition, including the preparation of a health care proxy and a durable power of attorney to the extent the individual with special needs has the requisite capacity. If the individual is deemed to lack capacity, an attorney can guide the family through the process of guardianship. The timing of these processes is extremely important, and should be discussed well in advance of the individual reaching the age of majority. An attorney can also help in determining whether a fi rst-party supplemental needs trust or third-party supplemental needs trust is the right tool for the individual with special needs, to protect his assets while maintaining his government benefi ts. 2) A Person With Special Needs Moves to Another State Although some federal benefi t programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are governed by federal rules, there can be smaller details that apply at the state level. For example, there are usually signifi cant variations in how state Medicaid programs are run. Therefore, if a person with special needs moves to another state, it is important to speak with an attorney who is familiar with local rules and programs. 3) A Person With Special Needs Has a Change in His Financial Situation If the family member with special needs has a signifi cant change in income, whether an increase or a decrease, the special needs plan is probably going to require change. For instance, a change in income means that the method for funding a special needs trust may need to be completely altered. If the individual’s income or other source of funds previously used to fund a trust drastically decreases, it may be time to consider other planning techniques such as using life insurance to fund a trust in place of other assets. 4) A Parent of a Child With Special Needs or a Creator of a Special Needs Plan Retires, Become Disabled, or Passes Away When the parent of a child who had a disability that manifested while the child was still young retires, becomes disabled, or dies, the child may qualify for benefi ts based on the parent’s work record. Additionally, if a person who created a special needs plan dies, that individual’s attorney must be contacted to implement the next stages of that plan. 5) A Person With Special Needs Has a Change in Health Status Sometimes, individuals who were previously ill and/or suffered from a disability get well and don’t need a restrictive special needs plan anymore. More often, unfortunately, people deteriorate and require additional planning. In all cases, if the benefi ciary of a special needs plan dies, there will be a great deal of work to do, including the potential payoff of government liens and the disposition of trust assets or the amendment of a special needs plan. Once again, if the benefi ciary’s health changes, the plan is going to have to change, as well. An attorney can explain all of the available options in case of signifi - cant changes. Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. is the principal of Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, a law fi rm that concentrates in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid planning, guardianships, estate administration, trusts, wills, and real estate. Eva Schwechter recently graduated from Hofstra University School of Law, where she was a member of the Hofstra Law Review. The law fi rm can be reached at 718-261- 1700, 516-466-4422, or toll free at 1-877-ELDERLAW or 1-877-ESTATES. Mr. Fatoullah is also the co-founder of JR Wealth Advisors, LLC. The wealth management fi rm can be reached at 516-466-3300 or 800-353-3775. ELDER LAW RONALD FATOULLAH ESQ, CELA* EMPLOYMENT MATTERS MINDY STERN SPHR, SHRM-SCP, ACC
QC06092016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above