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A “best practice” benchmark is a response, practice or function that, by peer consensus, has been designated as “best” when interacting with a customer or co-worker. The purpose of a benchmark is to create a …

When Bryan Boesen attended the University of Iowa, he studied information systems and marketing. Information systems require analytical thought, and marketing requires a more subjective mindset. Boesen says working in finance has allowed him to …

Dear Mr. Berko:

I think the president’s proposal to eliminate the tax on dividends is a great idea. It makes sense to me even though I only earn about $200 in dividends each year. It …

Magazine to debut in April

DSM, a quarterly magazine that targets Des Moines residents with discerning tastes, hits the stands April 14. The social magazine, designed to explore “the good life” of the metropolitan area, …

Dear Mr. Berko:

I’m considering investing $4,000 in H&R Block and in Pre-Paid Legal Services because I think both are good long-term growth companies and provide services that continue to grow in need. Taxes and …

How should salespeople be treated? How does your company treat salespeople? How do you want you and your fellow salespeople treated? Are the treatments the same?

I doubt it.

Here are typical salespeople “treatments”:

They …

As college costs continue to soar almost twice as fast as inflation, parents are turning to 529 college savings plans that offer tax-advantaged savings to fund future college and graduate school expenses. John Mason, an …

Jackie Feddersen took a fairytale approach to career satisfaction.

“I worked at a YMCA in Champaign, Ill., and it was a small, independent association,” she said. “When I worked at the YMCA in Milwaukee, it …

When architect Dave Nickolas and Libby Jacobs of Principal Financial Group Inc., deliver the results of a year long study on Principal’s Riverwalk project this week to the Des Moines City Council, their plans be …

Urbandale will become one of the shining stars of e-government this spring when it installs new Web-enabled software that lets residents use the Internet to conduct business that used to require a trip to City …