Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 6, 2016

13

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, February 6, 2016 


FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


HOLIDAY BONUSES & 
TAX REFUNDS: WHERE 
TO PUT THEM FOR 

MAX RETURN

Did you get a holiday bonus from your employer? Or 
maybe you have a tax refund coming. If so, do you 
have any of it left, have you already got it spent in your 
mind, or are you thoughtfully considering how you 
can best utilize this surprise resource? Annual bonus 
payments and tax refunds are nice windfalls, which 
can be used to create more stability in your life. While 
it is fun to treat such income as “mad money” to be 
spent on frivolous endeavors, it may be more effective 
to use it to create more for your long run. 

The Best Uses

Paying down a home mortgage is one of the best uses 
of extra cash. The less principal on which interest is 
calculated, the more money you will keep for yourself 
in the long run. Another benefit to making a principal 
payment is that if it brings the remaining principal to 
less than 80% of the appraised value of your home, 
then private mortgage insurance can be dropped, 
saving you even more money.

 Contributing to a retirement account is another 
excellent use of extra money, if your employer matches 
your contribution. If not, you might even consider the 
possibility of investing your bonus or tax refund into 
starting your own side business. 

Other Good Uses

Home improvement needs are common for most 
home owners. Keeping up the condition and value 
of your home are important long term goals. Letting 
things go too long typically increases the ultimate cost 
of repairs. Dealing with them early can pay dividends.

Another good use of bonus funds is to invest in an 
estate plan if you don’t have one already. Over 50% of 
Americans between ages 55 and 64 don’t have a will. 
And 69% of parents have never named legal guardians 
for their kids. Of the 31% who have, most have made 
one of 6 common mistakes that means their kids are at 
risk. Are you part of this group? 

 Dying without a will, let alone a comprehensive 
estate plan (and a Kids Protection Plan® if you have 
minor children), creates complications for your heirs 
and can leave your family in Court and/or conflict. 
While you may not relish the idea of investing your 
bonus or tax refund in an estate plan, the cost to you 
now would be much less than the cost to your loved 
one’s later. 

 If you are thinking about using your tax refund 
or holiday bonus to protect your family, contact us 
and ask for the tax refund/holiday bonus special that 
includes a Family Estate Planning Session + analysis of 
the best use of the funds for your current situation, as 
our gift to you, if you are one of the next 5 to call and 
request it.

Dedicated to your family’s wealth, health, and 
happiness,

 

 

 A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a 
mission to help parents protect what they love most. 
His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra 
Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment to sit down 
and talk about ensuring a legacy of love and financial 
security for your family by calling 626.587.3058 or visit 
www.GarlettLaw.com for more information.

STAYING IN TOUCH WITH CURRENT CUSTOMERS

Many businesses don’t have a plan to stay in touch 
with their current customers and loyal fans. This is a 
big mistake! You want to be first in your customers 
mind when they need your product or service. 

 Hands down, email marketing is the most 
effective way to stay top of mind and drive repeat 
business. 

 But, some people think that email marketing 
is sending large group emails from their Gmail 
account! If your business is doing that, you might 
be violating the law. It’s important to use an email 
service provider for group emails. There are several 
reason why we like Constant Contact for this service: 

 They offer unlimited customer support. You can 
pick up the phone and actually talk to someone who 
works at Constant Contact who will help you build a 
campaign, manage your contacts and trouble shoot.

 You can schedule posts to Facebook, LinkedIn, 
and Twitter with Constant Contact.

 They provide the tools you need to comply with 
the law. 

 It’s affordable for small businesses and non-
profits. Plans start at $20 per month.

 Constant Contact offers education for small 
business by providing live seminars, video tutorials, 
local workshops and webinars.

 They have mobile responsive templates that look 
great on the desktop and on smart phones.

 They have Mobile Apps to help you manage 
your account when you are on the go. You can view 
open rates, manage your list, upload photos and 
even create an email campaign all from your smart 
phone! 

 They offer a free trial so you can see if it’s a good fit 
for your business www.emailtrial.com.

 About MJ: MJ and her brother David own 
HUTdogs, a creative services and digital marketing 
business. “Like” them on Facebook for trending 
news in social media, internet marketing and other 
helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.

 Sign up for their upcoming workshops at: www.
hutdogs.com/workshops/schedule 


PET OF THE WEEK: GATSBY: ANIMAL ID #A4912933


Gatsby is a good boy who deserves a great home. 
Gatsby (A4912933) is a trusting 2-year-old tricolor 
(black-tan-white) male Tibetan Spaniel / Long-
Haired Chihuahua mix who was found in Baldwin 
Park on January 20th and brought to the Baldwin 
Park Animal Care Center with his brother, Gavin 
[A4912934]. Weighing 6 lbs, Gatsby is a sensitive 
dog who is scared in the shelter (which is completely 
understandable—the shelter is a frightening place 
for a little pup). He savored being held by our 
volunteers, and appreciated attention and petting. 
Because he is sensitive, Gatsby is recommended for 
households with teenagers and adults only. With 
some basic training and time to decompress in a 
calm environment, Gatsby should flourish into a 
more confident dog. Gentle and loving, Gatsby has 
what it takes to become a wonderful pet, and will blossom in a patient home. To watch a video of Gatsby 
and Gavin, please visit the following link: https://youtu.be/0GXjuLP-fD8

 To meet Gatsby in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-962-3577). He is currently available now. For any inquiries 
about Gatsby, please reference his animal ID number: A4912933. The shelter is open seven days a 
week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake shelter 
with a great need for adoptions. For more information about Gatsby or the adoption process, contact 
United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha at Samantha@hope4animals.
org. 

To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin Park Shelter, as well as 
the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.
unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/shelter-support-program/. 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com