Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
Ask Rusty: What Counts for Social Security’s Earnings Limit?
Dear Rusty: I retired on Feb. 1, 2022. I collect a pension from my employer plus a union pension, as well as Social Security, all of which started in February 2022. I am married and I’m 65 years old. I only worked four weeks in 2022 before retiring, but my income ended up being far […]
VIEWPOINT: COVID-19 Legal Check-Up: Where Are We Now?
With the onset of the COVID-19 XBB.1.5 variant, more employees are in need of time off from work this winter to recover from unfortunate illness. Below is a quick update for employers on the current state of COVID-19 paid-leave laws available to employees: NYS COVID Paid Leave: Still in Effect. Enacted in March 2020, NY
VIEWPOINT: Health Care and Cybersecurity CIRCIA’s Potential Effect on Health-Care Entities
Welcome to 2023. As in 2022, we are likely to see continuing escalation of cyber-intrusion threats to health-care entities and their data. Health-care data breach already is far from a trivial matter. According to one expert, there have been more than 4,400 breaches during the span of 2009 to 2021 — involving 500 or more

Avoid cybersecurity risks during tax season
“Tax season is really just another opportunity for the bad guys,” says Michael Polce, CEO of M.A. Polce Consulting in Rome. Businesses need to be proactive all year, but especially during tax season when the scammers ramp up activity. “All the rules still apply,” he says, but awareness should be enhanced this time of year.
VIEWPOINT: This year resolve to improve your cybersecurity
While keeping New Year’s resolutions can prove to be challenging, there is one resolution worth focusing on, and that is improving your organization’s cybersecurity. The new year is a perfect time to clear out the clutter in your company’s digital house and start new habits that will protect your business data and information. Cyberthreats are
Ask Rusty: Will My Work Earnings Affect My SS Benefits?
Dear Rusty: I am presently 67 years of age and am still working full time. I am receiving Medicare coverage, but I have not yet applied for monthly Social Security (SS) payments. I have been told that I can take SS payments even if I am still working. Is that correct? Is there a limit
CEO FOCUS: Reviewing Gov. Hochul’s agenda for New York State
Through [her Jan. 10] State of the State address, Gov. [Kathy] Hochul offered an optimistic vision for New York, while delivering a clear and direct set of proposals to address some of the critical issues currently facing the state. After working together here in Central New York to attract the largest economic-development project in the
VIEWPOINT: Drivers of uncertainty persist into 2023
[Last year was] a volatile one for the economy and the financial markets. The main factors that drove uncertainty in 2022 remain the same as we enter 2023 — the stubbornness of inflation and its effect on the Fed’s interest rate policies, and the looming threat of economic recession and its impact on corporate earnings.
VIEWPOINT: Are Business Non-Compete Clauses a Thing of the Past?
Analyzing the FTC’s new regulation On July 9, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order that, among other things, directed the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) “to curtail the unfair use of non-compete clauses and other clauses or agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility.” Making good on (and, in fact, going significantly beyond) this
Ask Rusty: Can I Get Survivor Benefits While Still Working?
Dear Rusty: I lost my wife several years ago and I qualified for Social Security spousal benefits. Unfortunately, because of my income, I have not been able to take advantage of this benefit. I am currently 64 and still working. I believe I have until the age of 70 to receive this. Is there any
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.