NW Resorts Offer Off-Season Rates

Fall is a great time to explore some of our states beautiful resort properties for a substantial discount. Summer is over but we can still get nice days and with fewer tourists you can appreciate these resorts without the big crowds. • Suncadia Resort – This time of year enjoy their walking trails, winery, drives to Salmon La Sac and explore historic Roslyn. • Semiahmoo Resort – This time of year walk the beaches, build a raging fire, on a nice day rent a boat, or day trip to Vancouver BC. • Sun Mountain Lodge – The fall colors will be amazing right now! Drive the North Cascade HWY before it closes for the winter. • Quinault Beach Resort – Ocean Shores is a nice place to be even if it rains. Enjoy a long walk or take a drive on the beach. • Bandon Dunes Golf Resort – Top golf resort in the nation. This time of year the winds usually slow down a little. I been there in the fall several times. There is not a bad time to be at Bandon!

College Savings Errors to Avoid

Saving for your kids’ college education can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Learning the best ways to save can help you avoid costly mistakes – and increase your yield. Mistake #1 – Choosing a plain old savings account When you’re concerned about losing money on an investment, a standard savings account might feel safer. The interest on that account, however, won’t even keep up with inflation, let alone the rapidly rising cost of college.  The Fix – If an aggressive investment isn’t right for you, at least choose a 529 plan, specifically designed for college expenses. Money in a 529 plan grows tax-free until your child uses it to pay for school. And if you’re lucky enough to get lots of grants and scholarships, you can transfer a 529 to another child. Mistake #2 – Believing savings count against you Some parents choose not to save for their children to go to college because they (erroneously) believe a robust savings will hinder their ability to get financial aid.  The Fix – The truth is that it’s primarily what you’re earning – not saving – that colleges take into consideration when granting financial aid, so save away. Mistake #3 – Setting and forgetting it Everyone’s financial situation changes over time, as do tax laws and investment options. But too many people set up savings plans once and never revisit them.  The Fix – It’s important to review your investments on a regular basis, and that’s especially true if your goals are in the shorter term. College investments that get more conservative over time are preferable, as they reduce risk as the child gets closer to college age.

What You Should Know About Child Identity Theft

Guess who are the next victims of identity theft – children! It’s hard to believe but criminals are searching for dormant social security numbers (SSN) online and selling them to people (strangers or even their family members) who use them to establish phony credit. Victims may not know it’s happened until they are older and apply for financial aid or try to open a line of credit. While you can’t prevent identity theft, you can take steps to limit the opportunities for it to happen. Here’s what you can do and look for:  Safeguard your child’s SSN and only give it out on a “need to know” basis. School sports teams and doctors’ offices do not have to have the number. Be cautious about disclosing place and date of birth details, particularly online (cybercriminals can find SSNs based on that information). Teach your kids not to give out personal information, especially on social networks (have them use nick names or code names when filling out online profiles).  Watch for red flags like these: • You receive checks, pre-approved credit card offers or bank statements in your child’s name. Note: the pre-approved credit card offer may just be a marketing tool sent by an affiliate of your bank because you opened a college fund for your child. • You get calls from collection agencies. • Your teen is denied a driver’s license because another person has a license with that SSN. The imposter may even have accumulated tickets or citations in the child’s name  If you suspect anything, call Social Security and ask if any income has been reported with your child’s number. You can see if there’s a credit report for your child, but don’t do so unless you have a strong indication of theft (ordering a report unnecessarily opens the door to thieves). For more information, see sites such as www.idtheftcenter.org.

How do I know if my home is underinsured?

The Insurance Information Institute recommends the following: • It’s a good idea to insure your home for the cost of rebuilding it. Check your homeowners’ policy to see the maximum amount your insurance company would pay if it had to be rebuilt. • Find out what it would cost to rebuild your home. Your insurance agent can calculate rebuilding costs for you or you can hire an appraiser (call or email me for references). Make sure your insurance agent knows about all improvements you’ve made, such as a deck or larger kitchen. • Make sure the value of your policy is keeping up with increases in local building costs. Many policies include an inflation guard; if yours doesn’t, consider purchasing one. • Find out if you have a “replacement cost” policy for your house. If you own an older home, you may have a “modified replacement cost” policy. • For the contents of your home – find out whether you have “replacement cost” or “actual cash value” insurance. • Check the limits on certain personal possessions, such as jewelry. Consider buying an “endorsement” to insure valuables separately. If you have any questions, or need capable and trustworthy representation, please call me at 206-226-0565.

Leavenworth Oktoberfest

Leavenworth is a fun anytime of the year but consider making plans for a trip right now. Best Oktoberfest this side of Munich! They have 4 main venues with live music, family friendly entertainment and of course beer. Don’t miss the Keg Tapping Ceremony every Saturday at 1:00 as the Mayor leads a procession of German musicians, decorated horse drawn wagons, and villagers carrying American and German flags. There are lots of vendor booths with handmade crafts and unique Oktoberfest souvenirs. This is a very busy time of year so consider taking a bus or staying the night. Hotels in Wenatchee are offering shuttles into Leavenworth so you have an option to save a few dollars on lodging. Enjoy the crowds and soak in some culture and of course drink some good beer

Seattle Area Pumpkin Patches

It is time to plan your family outings to local Pumpkin Patches. I love seeing all of the pictures on Facebook!  Carpinito Bros. Pumpkin Patch 27508 W Valley Hwy. Kent – 253-854-5692  Mosby Farms Pumpkin Patch 12754 SE Green Valley Rd. Auburn 253-939-7666  Serres Farm Pumpkin Patch 20306 NE 50th St. Redmond – 425-868-3017  Stocker Farms Pumpkin Patch 8705 Marsh Rd. Snohomish – 360-568-7391  Carleton Farms Pumpkin Patch 630 Sunnyside Blvd SE Lake Stevens - 425-334-2297

Easy Ways To Add Curb Appeal

The first impression of your house is from the street. If you want to sell or just add some new style, try these ideas: Focus on your front door with a new color, updated light fixtures and easy-to-read house numbers. For more charm, add window flower boxes or shutters around the windows. Learn to build a window box on YouTube.com. Clean out the clutter, and trim the overgrown bushes and trees (this also makes your home safer). For quick color, add container gardens. You can buy them pre-planted. Add lighting accents to trees or to illuminate the pathway (another safety feature). You can go solar to eliminate wires. Pressure-wash the exterior. If it doesn’t look better, consider new paint or siding. Don’t forget the garage door. Repair it, paint it or replace it to make your house look like new.

Consumer ALERT: Unwanted Medication Dangers

There’s a danger lurking out there that most of us don’t even know about — and it’s drugs in our groundwater. Dumping unused medications down the toilet is causing dangerous traces of medications in water samples from 30 states, according to authorities for the U.S. Geological Survey. Putting them in the trash is the better place to dispose of unwanted medications. Consider dropping off old / unused medications at your local pharmacy. Please do your part to protect our environment.

Eat These Superfish

Salmon is great for you but here are other fish that may also help your heart:  Rainbow trout – a 3 oz serving has 20 grams of protein and almost 1,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids.  Catfish – provides 100% of the daily requirement for vitamin B12.  Mackerel – one of best sources of vitamin D (good for bone health).  Pollock – a serving provides 73% of the daily requirement of selenium, which may lower your risk of diabetes.

How To Find More Free Time

Where does the time go? Even if you work a normal schedule and get a full night’s sleep, you still have about 50 free hours during the week – but most people say they still can’t find free time for hobbies and passions. Take these steps to find more time for YOU: 1. Map your current time use. First track how you use your time. Keep a log for a week or two to get a good representation of how you spend your time now. Try the app Chronos for Android and iPhone for an easy-to-use and comprehensive time log. 2. Create a list of things you really want to do. Try to come up with a list of 50-75 things. Make some of them easy one-day things (visit a museum) that you can quickly accomplish and others things you tend to put off (practicing guitar). 3. Cut out unnecessary time-wasters and replace with something from your list. Cut out the time spent watching TV, surfing the internet, or attending too many functions. Start a new schedule and prioritize things that make you happy instead of time-wasters.

How To Make Your Neighborhood A Safer Place

Whether you’ve just moved in or you’ve been living in your home for years, you want your neighborhood to be safe from crime for you and your family. Take these actions to make it even safer.  Safety is a team effort, so get to know your neighbors. Who works during the day? Who has kids? Who is retired? Maintain a list of home/cell/work numbers so you can call each other if you see something suspicious. For example, some thieves pose as movers. If you see someone at your neighbor’s house putting flat screen TVs and computers in a truck, don’t assume it’s a legitimate activity. Call your neighbors to check, especially if they aren’t home.  Work with your police or sheriff’s office to launch a Neighborhood Watch Program. It unites law enforcement and citizens to reduce residential crime. To find an existing program or learn how to start one of your own, go to www.nnw.org.  Improve your neighborhood lighting. If you don’t have adequate street lighting, join with your neighbors in turning on your outside lights every night. An effective and inexpensive idea is to place sensor-activated lighting around the outside of your home, especially entry doors and garages ($20 – $80 at Home Depot or Amazon).  Talk to your neighbors about home security systems. Visit a site such as www.safewise.com for information on a variety of systems. You can get basic ADT monitoring, for example, for $37 a month plus $99 for installation. Some insurance providers offer a discount if you purchase a complete security system. The site also offers an excellent Home Security Checklist (click on Learn and Home Security Resources).