ID theft workshop to examine causes and prevention

When Ron Rehberg talks to people about identity theft, he knows of what he speaks.

Several years ago, Rehberg – who is a certified identity theft consultant specialist – was a victim of medical ID theft. An individual who had been diagnosed with cancer used Rehberg’s medical information, probably to get health insurance. Even though Rehberg was healthy, the medical ID theft compromised his health and medical history. His blood type and other vital information were changed in some records.

In Rehberg’s case, the company he works for – risk consultant Kroll – stepped in and cleaned up the damage. Still, Rehberg reflects that if certain medical records had shown an incorrect blood type and he had been in an accident, the ramifications could have cost him his life.

“Medical ID theft can be fatal,” he says.

Rehberg will be the featured speaker at an educational lunch, Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft, sponsored by Kim Last, CFP®, CLU®, CLTC, president of Kimberley A. Last Financial Services, Inc., and Barbara Traylor Smith, president of Retirement Outfitters, LLC. The lunch is scheduled for noon Tuesday, June 14, in the conference room at 244 N. 7th St. Those who attend should plan to arrive about 15 minutes early to get lunch and get settled before the presentation begins. For more information, call Carolyn at 256-1748.

ID theft is a broad term that includes many types of information theft. They range from medical ID theft, such as Rehberg suffered, to theft of credit card information, to theft of other data used in routine transactions. Rehberg says about 27,000 cases of ID theft happen each day, and people should take steps to protect themselves.

“There is nothing that can prevent it. But there are many things you can do to be careful and cautious,” he says. “The time to pay attention is before it happens, not after.”

Rehberg says it can take nine months or longer for someone to become aware that his or her identity has been stolen. After that, it can take three to five years to clean up the damage, and the recovery effort can require hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.

Since many stolen identities are used for illegal activities, you might not even know your identity has been stolen until a police officer notifies you that you’re wanted.

“Sixty-two percent of people with an ID theft issue end up with a warrant (for their arrest),” Rehberg says.

So what are some common-sense steps you can take to reduce that chance that you’ll be a victim? Don’t put outgoing mail in your mailbox and put the flag up. Outgoing mail can easily be stolen, and much of it contains bank account numbers, credit card information, and other types of information that ID thieves relish. Use a secure outgoing mailbox to send your bills and other mail.

Make sure you burn or shred everything that has identifying information and/or account numbers on it. Try to make it as difficult as possible for ID thieves to learn anything about you through your mail or trash.

“You can’t live in fear. Do what you can, and feel you’re protected the best you can be for all types of ID theft,” Rehberg says.

Rehberg will provide more details and information about ID theft prevention at the educational lunch June 14. Plan to attend.

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Service clubs work hard to provide extras to JUCO baseball teams

When the Central Arizona Vaqueros baseball team comes to town this week for the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series, members of the Grand Junction Downtown Rotary Club will be as busy as the players.

The Downtown Rotary Club is hosting the Vaqueros, which won the Western District title last Saturday to earn a place in the JUCO tournament. And spearheading the Rotary group’s efforts will be Barbara Traylor Smith, president of Retirement Outfitters, LLC, and chair of the club’s JUCO team host committee.

“We are essentially their concierge while they’re here,” says Traylor Smith, who is in her fourth year of serving on the club’s host committee. “There are lots of details that have to be addressed.”

Each of the 10 teams from throughout the country that come to Grand Junction for the tournament has a local service-club host. The hosts play a crucial role in keeping the teams and their fans happy and comfortable during their stay.

The JUCO organizing committee takes care of basic logistics such as booking hotel rooms and practice facilities for the teams. But the hosts provide many of the extras, such as a barbecue for the team and their families.

Because some teams exit the double-elimination tournament as early as Sunday, Traylor Smith says the trick is to schedule the barbecue early. For Central Arizona, the barbecue is Saturday night at Canyon View Park.

“We will feed somewhere between 80 and 100 people,” Traylor Smith says.

Hosts also provide water, Gatorade, and other supplies to teams for practices. Occasionally, hosts run errands for the teams – Traylor Smith says she once had to go back to a team’s hotel and retrieve a player’s forgotten glove. She once took a player to the JUCO doctor for a sinus infection.

The host club also supplies bat boys and bat girls for its team’s games at Suplizio Field, and the club serves as a tour guide for teams and their families. When teams win and remain in the week-long tournament for several days, players and their families often take in some sights around the Grand Valley in their spare time. Such touristy activities can include golf and visits to Colorado National Monument and Grand Mesa.

“Some of these kids have rarely or never seen snow, so we’ve taken them to Grand Mesa to play in the snow,” Traylor Smith says.

The host club also makes sure members of the team get to the annual youth clinic, in which JUCO players and coaches teach baseball basics to local kids.

All in all, the host clubs work to make sure the tournament and Grand Junction are positive, memorable experiences for the players.

“Some of these kids will go on to four-year schools, and some of them will be drafted. But for some of them, it’s their last time in a uniform,” Traylor Smith says.

JUCO is a Grand Junction tradition, and this year’s tournament opens Saturday, May 28, at Suplizio Field at Lincoln Park. For information about the tournament, visit http://www.jucogj.org/.

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Focus Groups Seek Clients’ Views About Financial Products

The first in a series of customer-centered focus groups conducted by Retirement Outfitters and May-Investments was a resounding success.

“It was a lively discussion,” says Barbara Traylor Smith, president of Retirement Outfitters LLC and investment advisor representative for May-Investments. “I believe we got honest, fairly clear feedback.”

More focus groups are planned in future months, and although they all will deal with financial topics, the particular focus of each discussion will vary.

“The idea is we get a group of people together, and we ask for their feedback on a topic,” Barbara says. “The topics will change from meeting to meeting.”

The February focus group centered on fixed indexed annuities. Barbara says clients first were asked for their expectations and assumptions about the annuities. After clients wrote answers to the questions, Barbara presented more information about the investments, and clients were invited to discuss whether the investments would meet the needs and expectations of different investors.

The focus groups help Barbara and Kim Last, financial adviser and owner of Kimberley A. Last Financial Services Inc., discover clients’ beliefs and uncertainties about various financial products. Then, those client concerns can be addressed.

“I want to know ahead of time what my clients’ fears are so I can address them,” Barbara says.
 
Focus group participants will be selected from the firms’ clients or people who have attended educational seminars sponsored by the firms. Participants must be between 55 and 75 years of age and have at least $100,000 of investable assets.

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Cameron Place Offers Fresh Veggies and Connection to the Land

A cold March wind blows into Palisade directly from the snowy slopes of Grand Mesa, chilling the dormant orchards and fields.

But inside a cozy greenhouse east of Palisade, broccoli seeds are sprouting in 80-degree soil, getting a head start on this year’s growing season. In April, the broccoli will be transplanted outdoors. In May, it will be ready for harvest by people who have signed up for a share of the crop grown at the Cameron Place CSA, a farm on the cutting edge of a trend in which some consumers are going back to the land to get much of their food.

“CSA” – the letters that are part of the Cameron Place name – stand for “Community Supported Agriculture.” To Thomas Cameron, a longtime peach grower who started the CSA farm seven years ago, CSA is more than a marketing tactic.

“It’s not just another way to sell farm produce. It’s about a community,” Cameron says. Consumers who buy a share of produce from the farm also pledge to contribute a couple of hours of sweat equity during the season, helping out with the farm chores or administrative tasks of running the operation. As a result, they feel some kinship with one another, a sense of community produced by their involvement with the farm. In addition, they begin to understand the connection between the food they consume and the land where it grows.

Cameron learned about CSA farms while on a trip to Europe, where such operations are scattered throughout the countryside. He came home and tried to find a similar operation in the area – one that grew a variety of herbs, fruit, and vegetables and sold crop shares to people who live nearby – but there were none. So he started his own.

Since then, the Cameron Place has developed a loyal following in the Grand Valley. Its patrons understand the vital connection between food and the land.

“A big reason people become part of our farm is they want to be attached to the land where their food comes from,” says Ben Wilke, the CSA’s garden manager who is in his third year of working at the Cameron Place.

Crops at the Cameron Place are sustainably grown using natural pest control and other low-impact methods of farming. Shares include a variety of crops grown on the farm’s four and one-half acres, including herbs, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, green beans, peppers, cucumbers, broccoli, and melons. The shares are distributed at the farm’s Palisade location and in Grand Junction as the crops mature.
 
The Cameron Place CSA is seeking share buyers for this year’s season. Spring is in the air.  It's time to start thinking about your garden again - and maybe, this year, you'll have someone else to help you raise those fresh vegetables.  Various sizes of shares are available at various prices and this is the time of year to get started. For more information, visit http://www.cameronplacecsa.com/ or call 402-8364.

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Upcoming Workshop on New Estate-Tax Law

At the end of 2010, Congress passed a new law that changed the way inheritance taxes are levied in the United States for the next two years. The changes in those wealth-transfer taxes – which include estate tax, gift tax, generation-skipping tax and income tax that results from capital gain on inherited property – appear to be extremely friendly to taxpayers.

But some dangerous pitfalls exist in this complex new law, and it’s safe to say that it’s a trap for the unwary and a boon for those who are wary enough to plan carefully. A little knowledge can be your salvation.

Estate-planning attorney Steve Gammill has scheduled a workshop about the new law from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the new Fruita Community Center. If you’re interested in attending, please contact May-Investments at 263-5126 for more details.

The workshop will focus on several aspects of the new law. For example, the new law:

• Allows personal representatives of people who died in 2010 to choose between paying estate tax or passing capital gain tax liability on to the kids.

Question: What about those who already chose no estate tax before knowing there would be a choice? What are the real ramifications of the capital gain recognition choices?

• Allows a surviving spouse to utilize the unused portion (if any) of the deceased spouse’s tax exemption.

Question: Does this really mean a large exemption and no need to set it up in planning documents? Does it survive a change in the law lowering the exemption in two years?

• Establishes a $5 million exemption for gift tax.

Question: Should you gift a large amount now in case the exemption is lowered in two years? What happens if you die when lower gift and estate tax exemptions are in place?

• Reunifies the gift and estate tax exemptions.

• Establishes a $5 million exemption for both estate and generation-skipping tax.

• Will expire in two years unless a new law is passed, which would usher in another period of uncertainty for estate planners and their clients.

Question: What happens to your tax plan if it provides for today’s exemptions and you are still alive in two years when the exemptions may be lowered?

Steve Gammill is a Fruita-based estate-planning attorney who teaches nationally to attorneys and other professionals in the estate and business planning field. He has presented on the topics of irrevocable life insurance trusts, business and investment asset protection, marketing, business succession and exit strategies, and disability planning. His practice is limited to estate and wealth strategies planning, including legacy planning, business exit and asset protection planning, and family and business strategic vision planning.
 

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A La Mode – A Sweet and Savory Experience

Spring is in the air, and with that comes the sweet smell of flowers, a gentle rain, and … dessert?

Well, it certainly can include the scent of dessert – all you have to do is make plans to attend Horizon Sunrise Rotary’s A La Mode event on the evening of April 7, 7:30 p.m. , at the Doubletree Hotel. This annual event features chefs from around the Grand Valley, who will roll out their best in a sampling that is sure to delight. I caught up with Claudine Bogart, President of Horizon Sunrise Rotary, to get the scoop on this year’s event, appropriately themed “A Sweet and Savory Experience.”

“We currently have 11 chefs participating, with room for 15,” Claudine explained. In the past, they have facilitated a competition between the chefs, but this year they will have a People’s Choice Award only, keeping it light and fun. The cost per ticket will be just $25 with proceeds going to support five different causes: CASA, Rotary’s Third-Grade Dictionary Program (which provides dictionaries to third-graders throughout the valley), Spellbinders, The Grand Junction Imagination Library, and Medicine Arm in Arm.

Claudine seemed excited about the programs they will be able to support through this, pointing out that it is the first year they have included an international cause (Medicine Arm in Arm). “We are providing a sterilizer for a dental clinic in Swaziland, Africa,” Claudine explained. The sterilizer will make it possible for dentists to see more children in a shorter period of time.

And if the dessert alone isn’t enough to tempt you, the band “In Flux” will provide entertainment – a touch that might be called the cherry on top!

May-Investments is again helping sponsor the 2011 event.  CASA is an incredible organization, and the roots of the A La Mode fundraiser were in helping CASA raise operating funds.  If you would like to learn more about this upcoming event or are interested in purchasing tickets, you may do so online at http://www.alamodegj.com/, or by contacting Claudine Bogart at 270-5898. A special thanks to Claudine for taking the time to share the details of this special evening with us, and for her efforts this year as President of the club.

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Get Fit and Get Healthy

Monica Cullinane is on a mission.

She cites statistics that say more than half of Americans are overweight or obese, and she says that by making a few simple changes in lifestyle and diet, many people could drop their extra weight and live healthier lives.

“Most of the time, (poor health) is the result of diet and sedentary lifestyle,” says Cullinane, a Grand Junction health and nutrition coach who presented a recent program on healthy living to interested clients of May-Investments/Retirement Outfitters. Making small changes in behavior – such as scheduling regular exercise and removing unhealthy foods from your diet – tend to last a long time because small changes are easier to incorporate into your lifestyle.

“Think about your life and how important it is to make little changes,” says Cullinane.

She offers several ways of increasing your energy level. Among those suggestions are reducing or eliminating caffeine, which can cause dehydration and can contribute to fluctuations in blood sugar. Changes in blood sugar lead to fatigue and mood swings.

Cullinane also suggests that adding more dark leafy green vegetables to your diet can increase energy. Green, leafy veggies are rich in nutrients and can help improve circulation and strengthen the immune system, she says.

Cullinane saves special criticism for sugar. Added sugar in foods can go by several names, including high fructose corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, “natural sweeeteners,” and “juice sweetened.” Just check the ingredient list of most foods in the supermarket, and you’ll find at least one of those terms.

“The marketing is very tricky,” she says.

Regardless of its name, added sugar in foods is harmful to human health. It can contribute to diabetes and obesity, increase cholesterol, and cause cardiovascular disease, Cullinane says. Buying sugar-free products isn’t any healthier, since many of them contain chemical sweeteners – such as aspartame – whose effects on health have been questioned.

Cullinane suggests adding more whole grains to your diet. Whole grains do not spike blood-sugar levels, and they can make some great-tasting foods.

“Your life depends on your choices,” she says.

For more information about Cullinane’s nutrition and health coaching services, visit http://http//www.integrativewellnesstoday.com.

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"Relative P/E Investing" April 5 Educational Workshop

Can I teach readers how to buy a stock, in eight paragraphs, really? No. But I can briefly describe what I look for in selecting stocks for our portfolios. It’s not the only way to buy stocks, but it’s what we do.

We are looking for “undervalued” stocks – but who isn’t? For us, a stock’s intrinsic value is based on its demonstrated earnings power. We are likely to miss high potential companies that aren’t projected to make money anytime soon, but have the potential to be great. My boys and I stopped by the Tesla Motors gallery in Boulder when it opened in 2009. Tesla makes beautiful cars with exciting technology. It might be a wonderful investment. However, to pick a stock, first I want to be able to put a number on its intrinsic value. Without current earnings, it is tough for this analyst to place a value on the business. To me, current earnings power is one thing that separates the speculative bets from more conservative investments.

Contrarian investors tend to buy stocks with low absolute Price/Earning ratios. I cut my teeth in a contrarian shop. In today’s market, for example, Merck sells at about 8-times its projected earnings power. The inverse of the P/E ratio is the Earnings Yield. For Merck, it’s nearly 12.5%, quite a bit higher than what banks are paying depositors. Merck only pays out a portion of its earnings to stockholders in a dividend. The annual dividend yield is 4.7%, still better than a bank account, but well below the company’s earnings yield.

In the late-1990’s I converted from a deep value contratian to “Relative P/E” investing. Instead of being limited only to stocks with the absolute lowest P/E ratios, relative P/E investors value a stock relative to where it normally trades. This takes a bit of research to determine what the normal P/E ratio is for a particular stock or industry, but it opens the portfolio up to faster growing stocks. A technology company that normally sells at 20-times earnings but is now selling at only 10-times earnings might be a much better bargain than a slow-growing utility company that is currently priced at a lower absolute P/E ratio of 9, but has a normal P/E ratio of 10-times.

A return to a normal P/E ratio takes time, of course. How long it takes is a key variable. An untimely stock might take five years to right itself and return to a more normal valuation. Stocks that are more timely might already be in the process of being revalued back to a more normal level. The quicker the stocks return to normal, the higher the investors’ rate of return. So after comparing the intrinsic value of a company (based on its normal P/E ratio) to the current price in order to estimate appreciation potential, investors should estimate how quickly stocks can reach target in order to calculate the annualized estimated rate of appreciation on each potential investment.

Finally, dividend yields do matter. Merck pays investors waiting for the stock to go up 4.7% per year. Tesla owners earn nothing. For each of the stocks in our portfolio, and for a set of potential purchase candidates that sit on our “watch list,” we have calculated the total expected return, which is the estimated annual capital appreciation plus the current dividend yield.

After that, portfolio construction takes on much more of a macroeconomic feel. Which industries have strong economic fundamentals and are likely to be timely investments? How much diversification outside of the U.S. stock market makes sense. Should investors reduce portfolio risk by putting bonds or cash into what is normally an all-stock portfolio? These asset allocation decisions are crucial, but once the macro characteristics of the portfolio have been determined, stock selection mostly boils down to picking the stocks in each sector that have the highest expected return.
 
The best thing about having a discipline (almost any discipline!) is that it reduces the impact that emotions play in investing. Interviewing management creates emotional bonds. Falling in love with cool products can lead to disaster. I love Boston Market restaurants, and have ever since I started taking my fiancé to them for a cheap date in the early -1990’s. My devoted patronage didn’t stop the company from going bankrupt, however. But having a quantitative basis for buying a company, establishing a target price, calculating expected return, determining timeliness, and buying, selling or holding an investment takes out some of the emotion and can lead to better portfolio performance. 
 
On April 5, May-Investments will host a workshop on "Relative P/E Investing" at our offices.  Starting at noon, lunch will be served and Doug will spend the next 60 minutes talking about the stocks in the Timely & Undervalued individual stock portfolio, and how they were identified by the relative P/E methodology for inclusion in the portfolio.  Workshop attendees might want to bring a company of their own if they want to see the method applied to a stock of particular interest. 
 
Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Calling all photographers! Photos sought for May-Investments calendar

Calling all photographers – amateur, expert, passive, obsessive or otherwise noted. The team at May-Investments is launching a new project for 2012 – our very own, custom photo calendar. Many of our clients travel to fascinating places, so we thought it would be fun to showcase a collection of their photographs in a 2012 calendar. With that in mind, we are calling on all of you to take pictures during your 2011 vacations (wherever they might be), then submit your favorites to us so that we can consider them for publication in our calendar.

Photos should be submitted digitally (in a .jpg or other standard photo format) to Lisa@GJStocks.com. We are looking primarily for photos of scenery and sites (not of people), unless the people are naturally part of the scene (i.e., a street scene in a busy city). If we select your photo, we will contact you for permission to include it in our special 2012 calendar.

We think this will be a fun way to celebrate our clients and friends and the places that are important to them. Thanking you in advance for your participation – we look forward to seeing the world through your eyes!

 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Enstrom's: Not Just For Christmas

Mention Enstrom Candies, and almond toffee and Christmas might spring to mind.

That’s fine, but the folks at Enstrom’s stay quite busy this time of year, too. While toffee is king at Christmas, chocolate truffles and other unique candy creations rule for Valentine’s Day and Easter.

“Valentine’s Day and Easter are our fun times because we get into the creative,” says Jamee Simons, whose grandfather, Chet Enstrom, founded the company and perfected the recipe for the world-famous almond toffee it sells. Today, Jamee and her husband, Doug Simons, own and operate the company, which is headquartered in Grand Junction.

Enstrom’s offers a variety of Valentine’s Day goodies, including toffee gift baskets and a variety of chocolates. Chocolate collections vary in size from three-piece packages up to an 8 1/4-pound satin red heart, filled with assorted chocolates. The retail stores offer a large array of truffles, as well as cream caramels, mint meltaways, mini-turtles, and cherry cordials. Candies and gifts also are available online at http://www.enstrom.com/.

The type of customer who shops at Enstrom’s varies somewhat by holiday, says Doug Simons. For example, more men show up in the retail stores around Valentine’s Day, looking for special gifts for the ladies in their lives. And many of those men don’t show up until the last minute.

“Valentine’s is a more male-oriented holiday, which makes Valentine’s even more last-minute because us guys are notoriously late shoppers,” he says.

A special product that Enstrom’s offers for Valentine’s Day is made-to-order chocolate-covered strawberries. Customers order the strawberries ahead of time for pick-up between Feb. 10 and 14, and the strawberries have been popular items for several years, say Jamee and Doug.

Although Enstrom’s tailors its assortment of candy to different holidays, it still serves a loyal core of customers through its Colorado retail locations.

“If you’re an Enstrom’s aficionado, you probably rely on us for all those holidays,” Doug says.

Enstrom’s is observing its 50th anniversary this year and to celebrate, the company plans a day-long repeat of its successful promotion from last fall. On the Saturday after Valentine’s Day (Feb. 19, also known as Lions Club Carnival Day in Grand Junction), Enstrom’s will offer 50-cent coffee, 50-cent ice cream scoops, and 50-cent toffee bars at its retail locations.

So even if you don’t get Enstrom’s for Valentine’s Day, you’ll still have a chance to indulge.

Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Is Your Opinion Worth $25?

Retirement Outfitters, LLC (Barbara Traylor Smith's company) conducts a variety of different educational workshops about investment and financial topics in the local community. With the recent changes in the economy, we want to keep these workshops current and useful for our potential clients.

In doing so, we are looking to conduct focus groups to gather feedback from people who are planning for retirement, or are already enjoying that season of life. We ask for an hour of time and will be offering a $25 gift card for the hour and feedback. We even provide a light lunch!

The focus groups help us understand what consumers perceptions are of different financial products, current understanding and beliefs about the products, and if their understanding or beliefs change after a short presentation. We ask for written and verbal feedback during the hour. All of this allows us to focus our time and resources in the areas that are relevant to our clients.

If you would like to see if you qualify for our focus group, feel free to call Donnie Alexander at 256-1748 for information. Focus Groups are held at Retirement Outfitters (and May-Investments) office and space is limited to 10 participants so we can get input from everyone.  The next event is February 24 at 12:00 p.m. 

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Valentine's Day Suggestions

If the early bird gets the worm, then surely the early cupid gets the table and the chance to make magic happen! It might be hard to believe, but Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and now is the time to get your reservations in for a special night out. If you are looking for the perfect atmosphere to take your special someone to, we have some great suggestions…

An Old Favorite:

Sometimes it’s the familiar that warms our hearts. If familiar is what you’re looking for, you’ll be happy to know that an old favorite, Pantuso’s Ristorante & Lounge, has reopened at the Clarion Inn. Owner Chris Blackburn said that they will definitely be offering some ‘specials for two’ that evening, “probably including a bottle of wine.” If you haven’t been back since they re-opened, Valentine’s Day might be the perfect excuse to renew an old love affair with Pantuso’s, Grand Junction’s original Italian Restaurant. For more information, call Pantuso’s at 970-255-0000.

Something Different:

If you are looking for something different, then Mesa State College’s 1st annual Renaissance Feast might be your ticket. This brand new event is costume optional and will take place on February 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the new Mesa State College Ballroom. This four course feast comes to you complete with a royal court and entertainment by MSC Music Students. Even better, your $75 ticket supports the MSC Scholarship Fund – so you can’t go wrong. In the words of Dana Nunn, Mesa State College Spokesperson, “it will be a very nice event to help celebrate, and certainly for a good cause too.” If you would like more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Doug May, who wears a second hat as president of the Mesa State College Foundation – 970-263-5126.

The Heart of Wine Country:
 
If you are looking for a great ‘get away’ without leaving town, the Wine Country Inn offers the perfect solution. Not only will they feature specials (and special desserts) in the restaurant that night, they are also offering two great packages for those choosing to stay over. The ‘Sweet and Simple’ package is priced at $150 a night and includes an overnight stay for two in a standard king room, truffles, a bottle of wine, logo glasses, and a wine opener. The ‘Passion in Palisade’ includes all the above plus a ‘rose petal’ turn-down, votive candles, and Eros products, for a package price of $200 a night. Packages can be booked for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or even Monday of that week. These packages did sell out last year, so if you are interested, get your reservations in today by calling the Wine Country Inn at 970-464-5777, or toll free at 1-888-855-8330. 
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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January 18, 2011 - Save the Date

Mark January 18, 2011 on your calendars for the 2011 May-Investments annual Economic Forecast luncheon.  We've outgrown Bookcliff Country Club and have moved this year's lunch to the Doubletree Hotel.  We hope to see you, between 11:45am and noon, and we look forward to getting back out the door no later than 1:30pm.

This year's invitations are being sent primarily to clients and readers of the monthly eMag, so please encourage friends to sign up for the eMag distribution list so they don't miss out.

We have a lot to announce on the 18th.  Hope to see you there!
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Planning for the Transfer of Your Personal Possessions and Why It’s Important

Grandma is in the nursing home and her house is being sold. Is now the right time to divide up her belongings, or should we wait and simply store everything?

There are five children in the family and each of them wore the same hand-knit sweater. When mom passes, who should get that?

Estate planning is a valuable and necessary process in our modern times, and like most, you probably have given careful, even deliberate consideration to how you want your largest assets to be passed on; but have you given the same deliberate thought to how you want your smaller, non-titled assets to be handed down? We’d like to argue that, from an emotional standpoint, planning for the transfer of your personal, non-titled possessions could be just as important.

Let’s take a moment to define what we mean by non-titled personal assets. These are your personal possessions that do not require legal title and might include such items as jewelry, tools, photographs, hand-made items, clothing, family heirlooms, clocks, furniture, and more. For the purposes of this article, we are concerned with items whose primary value is sentimental, not monetary. Items of large monetary value probably are better addressed in a traditional will.

Planning for the transfer of these assets may not seem like top priority, but most attorneys who specialize in estate planning say that the smaller non-titled items often cause some of the biggest problems when settling estates. There are a number of reasons for this; divorce, second marriages, blended families, large families, sentimental attachments to items, the age of potential heirs, interest level among heirs, the strength of your relationships, and overall family dynamics are all challenges that serve to complicate the process. Because these assets tend to be highly personal by nature, the emotional stakes surrounding the division of these assets can be high, and a lack of planning will only compound problems. In short, a lack of planning can lead to some serious sour grapes among potential heirs.

Another danger posed by a lack of planning is the loss of information associated with your personal items. Because the value of many personal belongings lies in the sentimental, and not the monetary value of the item, preservation of the stories, origin, family history, and meaning associated with these possessions is vital. This information easily can get lost if you don’t take purposeful steps to preserve it.

Additionally, advanced planning is the only way you can be sure that your wishes will be met, and it lets you control when those wishes are carried out (i.e., you may choose to give with warm hands or you may prefer to wait until your estate is divided).

We firmly believe that the peace of mind that comes from ensuring the orderly and meaningful transfer of your most treasured belongings is invaluable at any age, and we encourage our clients to do advanced planning. However, knowing how to plan for this process can be confusing and complicated, and that, coupled with the fact that it is a highly personal process, can cause us to drag our proverbial feet.

We are here to help! If you are interested in learning more about the steps involved in the planning process or would like our assistance with the process, be sure to attend our upcoming workshop on the subject, to be held January 11, 2011, from noon until 1 p.m. We also have a number of resources that we can recommend on the subject. Anyone interested can phone our Retirement Concierge, Lisa Mauser, at 263-5126 or contact her via e-mail at http://www.blogger.com/Lisa@GJStocks.com.

 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Storyteller from Mesa County Spellbinders entertains Mesa Valley Vision students

A storyteller from Mesa County Spellbinders entertained approximately 25 students from the Mesa Valley Vision Program Dec. 3 at Grand Valley Books, 350 Main St. in downtown Grand Junction.

Mesa County Spellbinders, which started in 2002, is an organization of trained volunteers who tell stories to elementary-school children, captivating young listeners by using animated and entertaining storytelling styles. Mesa County Spellbinders is sponsored by the Grand Junction Horizon Sunrise Rotary Club, and proceeds from the sale of Spellbinders CDs help pay for Spellbinders training.

Each student at the event received a copy of the Spellbinders CD, an early Christmas present courtesy of May-Investments, sponsor of the storytelling session.

Storyteller Ruthmary Allison told captivating tales and played an autoharp to lead students in several songs. One of the stories she told, “The Gunniwolf,” can be heard on the Spellbinders CD.

Spellbinders CDs available at several Grand Junction locations

The Spellbinders CD, which contains many of the storytellers’ popular tales, lets kids and adults enjoy the stories at home, whenever they want. Spellbinders CDs make great holiday gifts or stocking-stuffers, and the CDs are available at several locations in Grand Junction, including: Enstrom’s, 701 Colorado Ave.; Heirlooms for Hospice, 635 Main St.; The Frame Depot, 529 Bogart Lane; and Grand Valley Books, 350 Main St.

The storytelling event at Grand Valley Books involved students from the Mesa Valley Vision Program, an accredited K-12 public school that supports home and community-based learning in Mesa County.  (Image above courtesy of Mesa County Valley School District 51.)

 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Almost everything you ever wanted to know about Election Day 2010

Just in case you haven’t noticed, an election is coming up Nov. 2, 2010.

If you’re a registered voter in Mesa County, you have three options for casting your ballot – mail-in ballot, early voting, or voting on Election Day. Three options, but you can only vote once. This isn’t Chicago.

Mail-in ballot

To vote by mail-in ballot in a general election, you’ll need to fill out an application form supplied by the Elections Division of the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder’s office. Submit the completed application to the Elections Division, and they’ll send you a ballot in the mail. After completing the ballot, you can either mail it back to the elections office (be sure to put it in the mail several days ahead of the election or it might not get there in time to be counted) or drop it off in person before 7 p.m. on Nov. 2.

You can find an application for a mail-in ballot at http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/vote/mib_application_eng_clr.pdf

Early voting

However, it’s getting late enough in the election season that if you try to vote by mail-in ballot this year, you might run out of time before all the paperwork is processed. A better option for casting your ballot early is to visit one of Mesa County’s early-voting centers. Beginning Monday, Oct. 18, Mesa County will set up voting machines at five sites throughout the county where you can cast your ballot. Hours at the vote centers are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting will be available through Friday, Oct. 29.

For a list of early voting centers in Mesa County, visit http://recorder.mesacounty.us/earlyvotecenters.aspx

Election Day

Finally, if you’re tied to tradition, you can cast your ballot between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, at any one of the 21 voting locations set up throughout Mesa County. For a list of the voting locations, visit http://recorder.mesacounty.us/votecenters.aspx

Sample Ballot

Just like when you were back in school, it pays to study before an exam. You can find a sample copy of the Mesa County ballot at http://recorder.mesacounty.us/mcweb/clerk%20and%20recorder/elections/SAMPLEBALLOT2010Web.pdf. The process of voting on Election Day will go more quickly and smoothly if voters decide in advance how they want to cast their ballots on all the candidates and ballot questions.

And there will be plenty of questions on the ballot. The Blue Book, which the state of Colorado publishes before each election, contains thorough summaries of all statewide ballot questions, as well as arguments for and against each one. You can find a link to an online version of the Blue Book at http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CGA-LegislativeCouncil/CLC/1200536134742

As a voter, you’ll also be asked whether to retain several judges. The Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation’s job is to assemble panels of attorneys and others who are familiar with various judges and ask them to evaluate judges’ performance. Those performance reviews are then posted online so voters can read them before Election Day. Links to the reviews of all judges who are standing for retention this year can be found at http://www.coloradojudicialperformance.gov/retentionlist.cfm/year/2010

For more information about this year’s election, visit the Mesa County Elections Department website at http://recorder.mesacounty.us/elections.aspx

Mesa Land Trust to celebrate 30 years of open-space protection

For 30 years, the Mesa Land Trust has worked to protect important agricultural and natural areas in Mesa County.

Today, the trust holds conservation easements on more than 50,000 acres of land, preserving the properties for wildlife, agriculture, and the enjoyment of future generations.

The trust is celebrating three decades of accomplishments with an open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at the trust’s office, 1006 Main St. in Grand Junction. The open house, sponsored by May-Investments, is open to land trust members, conservation landowners, volunteers, trust partners, and friends of the organization. Appetizers and beverages will be served, and those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP to 263-5443 or info@mesalandtrust.org.

Conservation easements protect selected lands for wildlife habitat, open space, or agriculture, and easements also can produce wealth for property owners. Landowners wishing to protect their property from future development can basically give up development and subdivision rights in exchange for federal and state tax benefits, says Ilana Moir, land protection for the trust. Traditional uses such as agriculture can continue on the property, but it can never be subdivided or developed.

“A conservation easement limits development potential on the land, and it goes with the property in perpetuity,” Moir says.

At a time when real estate prices are down and property sales are slow, owners of land that has conservation potential can use conservation easements to monetize their land holdings, Moir says.

The federal government allows property owners to take a tax deduction for the value of conservation easements, and the deduction can be used for five years, Moir says. In addition, Colorado offers a state tax credit for conservation easements. Landowners who have significant income can use the state tax credit to reduce their tax burden, or they can sell their state tax credits to others. The sale of tax credits can generate significant cash for the landowner.  “The tax credits generally have sold at 80 cents on the dollar,” Moir says.

Several brokers operate in Colorado who match landowners wishing to sell conservation easement tax credits with prospective buyers. Landowners also can sell their tax credits directly to another party, Moir says.

After a conservation easement is created, it is held by a land trust. Mesa Land Trust holds more than 130 easements totaling more than 50,000 acres and maintains a fund to defend and administer easements well into the future, Moir says.

Mesa Land Trust is governed by a 17-person board whose members all live in Mesa County. The trust seeks conservation easements on properties that have special characteristics that make them good wildlife habitat, agricultural land, or open space. Properties range from orchards in the Palisade area to large ranches on Glade Park.

“We recognize that development is going to happen, but we believe there are places worth protecting,” Moir says. The conservation easement program lets valuable properties be protected and preserved for future generations while generating financial benefits to today’s landowners.

For more information about Mesa Land Trust, visit http://www.mesalandtrust.org.

Upcoming events - August 12 thru September 14, 2010

● Thursday, Aug. 12 – May-Investments Economic Update at Home Loan Community Room, 4th and Rood in Grand Junction, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Doug May will present a more “technical” version of his economic update to an audience of clients, do-it-yourself investors, and local professionals. A light lunch will be available. Please RSVP as soon as possible with the number attending to Barbara, 970-256-1748 or barbara@gjretire.com.

● Tuesday, Aug. 17 – Roth Conversion Seminar at May-Investments, 244 N. 7th St., 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Barbara Traylor Smith, investment advisor at May-Investments and president of Retirement Outfitters, will explore the potential benefits of converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA and discuss some of the issues to consider. Please RSVP as soon as possible with the number attending to Barbara, 970-256-1748 or barbara@gjretire.com.

● Tuesdays, beginning Aug. 24 – An 8-part workshop series based on the book Retire Right: 8 Scientifically Proven Traits You Need for a Happy, Fulfilling Retirement by Frederick T. Fraunfelder, M.D., and James H. Gilbaugh Jr., M.D. Workshops are scheduled from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at May-Investments, 244 N. 7th St. The first workshop on Aug. 24 will cover planning – not just financial planning, but planning for all aspects of life. The workshop on Aug. 31 will discuss the importance of keeping a strong positive attitude in retirement. The Sept. 7 workshop will discuss strategies for dealing with change. On Sept. 14, the workshop will look at the importance of maintaining close, meaningful friendships and social connections in retirement. More workshops based on Retire Right are planned throughout September and October. For more information or to RSVP, contact Barbara at 970-256-1748 or barbara@gjretire.com.

● Thursday, Sept. 16 – Stonewall Jackson speaks to May-Investments clients at an invitation-only Client Appreciation Event at Cross Orchards, 3073 F Road in Grand Junction. The evening begins at 5 p.m., with the performance scheduled for 6 p.m.

● Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18 – Two Rivers Chautauqua at Cross Orchards, 3073 F Road in Grand Junction. The two-day series of historical portrayals and discussions will focus on the American Civil War, and historical figures to be portrayed include William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Tubman, Robert E. Lee, and Abraham Lincoln. For more information about Two Rivers Chautauqua, visit http://www.museumofwesternco.com/programs-and-events/chautauqua/2010-two-rivers-chautauqua/

● Thursdays through Sept. 16 – Downtown Grand Junction Farmers Market on Main Street. Vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables, along with crafts and other items, line Main Street each Thursday evening beginning at 5 p.m. Information: http://www.downtowngj.org/farmersmarket.cfm

● Sundays through Oct. 24 – Palisade Sunday Market in downtown Palisade from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Palisade produce is available. Arts and crafts vendors also will be there, and musicians will perform. Information: http://www.townofpalisade.org/farmers_mkt.html

● Saturdays through October – Fruita Farmers Market at Civic Center Park, corner of Peach and Aspen, in downtown Fruita from 8 a.m. to noon. Produce and arts and crafts are available. Information: http://www.fruitafarmersmarket.com/

● Sept. 16-19 – Colorado Mountain Winefest in Palisade. A variety of events for wine and food connoisseurs will take place in and around Palisade, capped off by the Saturday in the Park event Sept. 18. That’s where many of Colorado’s wineries offer samples of their best wines with the hope that tasters will buy a few bottles – or even a few cases – of their favorites. Information: http://www.coloradowinefest.com/ .  Invite friends from outside the region for a visit, combining Winefest and Chautauqua for an unforgetable Grand Valley weekend!
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Stonewall Jackson to entertain May-Investments clients

A slice of Civil War history will come to life exclusively for May-Investments clients and friends on Thursday, Sept. 16, when Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson visits Cross Orchards Historic Site.

Jackson will be portrayed by actor Doug Mishler, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Mishler will be in Grand Junction to participate in the Two Rivers Chautauqua, an annual event featuring actors who portray famous historical personalities. May-Investments clients might remember Mishler as the actor who performed as Theodore Roosevelt a couple of years ago.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Stonewall Jackson was a highly regarded Confederate general, and military historians consider him to have been an excellent battlefield tactician, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson). He was instrumental in many Confederate victories over Union troops during the Civil War. He died of pneumonia in 1863, barely a week after being accidentally shot by Confederate troops while he was returning to his camp one evening.

Mishler’s portrayal of Stonewall Jackson will take place Sept. 16 at the Cross Orchards barn, 3073 F Road in Grand Junction. A social hour, with wine and beer and light snacks, is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Mishler’s performance is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. After the performance, Mishler will answer audience questions about Jackson in character and out of character.

The Stonewall Jackson event is a May-Investments client appreciation event open by invitation only, and invited clients are encouraged to bring friends.

Mishler also will perform during Two Rivers Chautauqua, a two-day series of historical portrayals and discussions focusing on the American Civil War. The Chautauqua is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18, at Cross Orchards. Mishler will play abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, who made waves in his day by calling for full and immediate freedom for all slaves, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lloyd_Garrison). Many other abolitionists at the time favored a more gradual end to slavery.

Other historical figures to be portrayed during this year’s Two Rivers Chautauqua are Harriet Tubman, Robert E. Lee, and Abraham Lincoln.

For more information about Two Rivers Chautauqua, visit http://www.museumofwesternco.com/programs-and-events/chautauqua/2010-two-rivers-chautauqua/ 
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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