|
The recession and holiday gift-giving season
are both here. The articles in this
newsletter focus on ways you can celebrate
while conserving -- or cautiously using -- your
valuable dollars.
We're especially happy to recommend three
holiday gifts
that we think are better than any
electronics, clothes, or fancy nice-to-have
goodies.
| Should You Realize Your Losses This Year? |
 |
Your stocks have gone down in value. Should
you sell them before December 31st to use the
loss to offset other 2008 income?
Should you make capital expenses for your
business now, or wait until after January 1st?
The right decision can save you thousands of
tax dollars. The wrong one....
There is no universal answer on whether you
are better off accelerating or delaying
losses and expenses or, on the upside, gains
and income. The best course of action depends
on your
specific financial situation and your
projections for 2009.
|
| Give a Flu Shot to Keep Grandma Healthy |
|
Influenza
causes 36,000 deaths in the United States
every year. Many of the deaths are in
older people and some of them had a flu shot
that just didn't protect them
completely.
Before you visit Grandma for the
holidays, give yourself and the
rest of the family flu shots.
"If most people in a group are vaccinated
against a disease, even the people who aren't
vaccinated [effectively] are much less likely
to get it," explains Fox news.
"[Vaccines] protect the people around you
from getting sick. It's a phenomenon called
'herd
immunity.' If most people in a group are
vaccinated against a disease, even the people
who aren't vaccinated are much less likely to
get it."
Give your family flu shots before you see
your older relatives.
|
Your Neighbors are Hungry.
You Can Help. |
|
Skipping dinner. Eating less - or eating less
well. Giving up food in order to pay rent.
This is what 150,000 people in San Francisco
face every day.
The San Francisco Food Bank is the critical
link between food and people. They provide food
to over 132,000 people every year through
600+ community food programs.
Hunger impacts people in all walks of life.
They reach them all - from working families to
senior citizens. With your help, they will
distribute
over 33 million pounds of food this year to
meet an ever-growing need in our community.
|
| Every Dog Deserves a Happy Ending |
|
The tragic truth is that every day, dogs in
good health with wonderful personalities are
euthanized. Why? They're older. And because
they're older, they're not considered adoptable.
San Francisco's Muttville's mission is to
change the way the world thinks about and
treats older dogs and to create better lives
for them through rescue, foster and hospice.
They reach out to senior and special needs
rescue dogs; find suitable homes for those
dogs that are adoptable; and offer end of
life care for those that are not.
|
|
Should You Give a Gift Card? |
|
|
|
Gift cards were the rage last year. They let the
college student or hard-to-buy-for friend
choose their own present. How quick and
efficient!
But, what happens to the gift card if the
store goes bankrupt? In California, if the
store stays open in bankruptcy, a new state
law says it has to honor gift cards bought
before it went broke. However, the law does
not apply if store goes out of business and
closes. And, the state's
consumer affairs website warns, "No court
has ruled on the effectiveness of this law."
It's possible that gift-card holders will
have to stand in line in bankruptcy court
with other unsecured creditors. You may receive
all, part, or nothing from the court.
This year, old fashioned gift-giving -- with
lots of "it's the thought that
counts" personal shopping -- may be the
smartest gift.
Geoffrey Kulik
Director
|
|
