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Hiring A Bodyguard Isn't Just For The Rich And FamousWhen most people think about a bodyguard, they get images of the rich and famous. They see Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston in the movie, The Bodyguard. They think of the muscular guys that are found near Hollywood's young female stars. However there are other reasons why someone might hire a bodyguard. A bodyguard is someone who is hired to protect a person from harm or threats. The person may be a celebrity, it may be a business officer, a public figure such as a political leader. The person may also be under the threat of harm because of his or her involvement in a legal case. Unlike the rich and famous who hire an entourage, others hire a single bodyguard for their protection. This individual may or may not carry a weapon. He or she may be trained in combat. But, in any case, a bodyguard is present when there is a risk. It's because of this risk that many people who are involved in a legal situation find themselves in need of a bodyguard. He or she may be scheduled to testify against a gang member, may be a whistle blower within an organization, or may even be an expert witness for the prosecution. In order to avert the risk, a bodyguard is brought on as an intermediary â€" someone who will stay with the witness and identify an increasing threat before it gets out of control. Therefore, when hiring a bodyguard, prosecutors often look to someone who they know that they can trust such as a private investigator to provide the service. A private investigator who works as a bodyguard for witnesses for the prosecution often have been involved in the case in other ways as well. Some will have worked as a process server. Some will have looked at the evidence in the case and tracked down witnesses that may not have previously come forward. Others may even have been involved in accident reconstruction. In any case, the private investigator who is hired as a bodyguard is someone who will be familiar with both the legal matter and the prospective risk. Because of his â€" or to a lesser extent her â€" familiarity with the case, he will know better what to look for. In addition, he may be responsible for transporting the witness to the courtroom at appointed times. In other situations, a bodyguard may be briefed far less â€" being given only the information that he or she needs to know; still, from past experience the bodyguard will know signals that something isn't quite right and be able to evacuate the person from the situation. This is the same responsibility that those who are a bodyguard to the stars have. For those who feel that they may be at risk, a bodyguard can provide reassurance and a sense of security. By hiring a private investigator to serve as a bodyguard, you can rest assured that your bodyguard will research and understand any threat that may arise â€" and help you to avoid being in a situation in which you are threatened. Other articles by this author »
About David Almeida
David Almeida is a licensed private investigator with a degree in criminal justice. He is affiliated with the National Association of Investigative Specialists and the Licensed Private Detective's Association of Massachusetts. For more information visit http://www.baystatedetective.com Related
And here is another random article you might be interested in... Easily-Missed Tax Deductions that Every Realtor and Entrepreneur Should KnowYear-end Tax Planning Deserves Year-around Consideration The reason so many IRS deductions go unclaimed - business owners don't know about them. Or they don't know about them early enough in the year to collect necessary information as they go along. As a person running your own operation, tax consequences need to influence how you conduct business, day in and day out. Where to spend - or not. How to structure transactions. When to act. How much you must pay in income taxes can easily determine whether your operation turns out to be profitable for the whole year. You're entitled to claim every expense and write-off the law allows. That's money in your pocket. As you read on, take a bow for those you're already doing. And resolve to benefit from others that fit your situation (which now won't pass you by). There's still time to include these tax-saving deductions for your 2005 Federal tax return. Section 179 Property - Personal Property Write-off Receive an up-front write-off of up to $20,000 for personal property purchased for use in the business. That covers computers, printers, office furniture, fixtures, etc. It's no longer necessary to depreciate the cost over the asset's useful life, since you can expense the entire purchase price the year the asset is acquired. Notice that this deduction cannot be used for personal property like appliances and furniture in residential rental property, however. But it would apply for such equipment in commercial rentals. Travel Expenses The Internal Revenue Code defines travel expenses as the "ordinary and necessary" expenses incurred while traveling away from home for your business, profession or job. They include transportation, baggage, meals, lodging, laundry, telephone calls, tips. Travel expenses do not include expenses for entertainment or meals (below). Regulations require that business travel expenses be substantiated by evidence like diaries, logs, receipts, paid bills and expense reports. You must separately report each expense for transportation, lodging and meals. Indicate the date you left and returned for each trip, and the number of days away spent on business. Note down your destination and the business reason for the trip, or what business benefit you expected to gain. Entertainment Expenses The IRS restricts your ability to write off the cost of meals and entertainment. Unlike other expenses, only 50% of what you actually spend can be deducted as business expense. In my experience, Realtors too frequently under-claim entertainment expenses they're entitled to take. Avoid the risk of scrutiny by keeping certain information for each deduction: - Date and time There are several areas where the 50% reduction does not apply. So break those figures out and write them off 100%. - Transportation to and from an event Home Office Deduction You may write off the portion of your home used regularly as the office of your business. Deduct a percentage of the utilities, repairs, maintenance and depreciation. The tricky part - that area must be use exclusively for business purposes. And you cannot also have another off-site office where you conduct business. This topic is so important for Realtors (and widely misunderstood), that I'll devote a future article to this. Put Family Members on the Payroll Hire family members to work for the business. Pay them for the work done at the rate you'd pay someone else to do it. Minor children, your spouse, grandma, etc, can help with necessary tasks - answer the phone, cleaning and maintenance, record keeping, distributing flyers, performing computer tasks, etc. Keep detailed records of their tasks and hours. And the person does have to do the work. The numerous advantages of involving family members in the business go way beyond saving taxes. And since they really earned it, the "kiddie tax rules" do not apply. Get in the Habit of Finding Legitimate Deductions Taxes won't go away. But by claiming every deduction you're entitled to, you can cut them down to size. © 2006, Chris Bird Other articles by this author »
About Chris Bird
Chris Bird Conducts 150 seminars a year for Real Estate and Financial professionals Wealth building, financial planning, residential rentals, tax strategies, accounting Certified Financial Planner (CFP) IRS Enrolled Agent Chris@ChrisBirdSeminars.com. Related
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