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4A Daily News – Wednesday, August 17, 2011 Commerce business The Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce would like to thank all of those who participat- ed in the Customer Satisfaction Survey. This has been the second consec- utive year that the chamber has sent out a survey to its members in regards to feedback to allow the Chamber of Commerce to serve its community better. Out of more than 400 chamber members we received a response from 68 of those mem- bers. This number is down from last year, however the overall responses do show an improvement in many areas of the chamber's value to the community. Compared to the previous year, members feel the value they get Grand opening Peggy's Gift and Thrift, 711 Fourth St., in Corning is holding a grand opening 6-10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20. Owned by Michelle Tedrick and Sander Anderson, the store has antiques, collectibles, gifts and thrift. It is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday's event will have live music, barbecue, raffle and more. Everyone is welcome to attend. All proceeds from raffle ticket sales go to the Tehama County Victim Witness Program. For more information call 824-0800. Branch honored for service Edward Jones Financial Advisor Susie Mustaine and Branch Office Administrator Teresa White in Red Bluff recently were ranked within the top 25 percent of the coun- try for excellence in client service at Edward Jones. This honor was based upon the results of a survey in which random clients were asked to rank the service they received from the staffs of their local Edward Jones branch offices. The survey identified Mustaine and White as pro- viding some of the most exemplary client service within the firm. "We are particularly honored by this award as it is one & from their membership in the cham- ber compared to the annual mem- bership dues is well worth it. There was also a significant increase in the feeling of relevancy of the chamber to their business. We also had improvement in our members feeling the cham- ber is performing well in "creating a strong local economy." Other areas that we saw higher marks were in the chamber "representing the interest of business with government" and recommend- ing a friend to join the Chamber of Commerce. There was an encouraging differ- ence from last year in regards to the economy. In 2010 the majority of members surveyed said the econo- my had "gotten worse," this year BUSINESS BRIEFS bestowed upon us by our clients," Mustaine said. Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Owners attend convention Dianna Stephens and Doug Stephens, owners of Servpro of North Shasta, Trinity and Greater Tehama counties, recently attended Servpro's 42nd Annual National Conven- tion, held at the Renaissance Grand Hotel in St. Louis, June 25-29. While at the convention, franchisees, including Doug, heard from keynote speakers such as Victoria Labalme and Bob Garner. They attended sessions with leaders in the insurance industry and more than 50 workshops on topics ranging from developing industry trends to marketing to local communities. "I know I join my colleagues when I say that we all walked away with added knowledge about the company's initiatives for the upcoming year, and about the industry as a whole," said Dianna. "I'm excited to use what I have learned for my business that serves the local community." For more information about Servpro of North Shasta, Trinity and Greater Tehama counties, send an e-mail to sp9908@att.net. Stay-at-home spouses deserve retirement plan Contrary to popular belief, retire- ment planning is not just for employed wage earners. Spouses who forgo a paycheck to stay at home need a financial safety net just as much as their working counter- parts. Planning for the financial secu- rity of a nonworking spouse can help ensure there is replacement income if circumstances change. Here are some potential strategies for you to consider. Realize that Social Security is only a partial solution. Even if a stay-at-home spouse never generated much income over the years, Social Security can provide a measure of financial assistance at retirement age. Generally, these benefits will be equal to half of the benefit paid to the working spouse, and if the wage earner should die, a surviving spouse may receive even higher survivor benefits (in lieu of the spousal bene- fit). Yet government-supplied bene- fits typically are not sufficient to cover all of the costs of living during retirement and must be supplement- ed by additional income. For this rea- son, it's important to start saving — sooner, rather than later. Funding an IRA. IRAs can be a good choice for retirement savings because they may offer valuable tax advantages. The spousal IRA was created specifically for non-wage earners who rely on spousal support. The method of saving with a spousal IRA will depend on whether the income earner in your family is eligi- ble for an employer-sponsored retire- ment plan. Essentially, an income earner can make deductible contributions (up to an annual limit per IRS rules) to a spousal IRA if he or she is not eligi- ble to contribute to an employer- sponsored retirement plan. However, if the working spouse is eligible for plan participa- tion, there are income lim- itations that affect the deductibility of spousal IRA contributions. In this situation, a nonworking spouse may only deduct contributions when the couple's modified adjust- ed gross income (AGI) is under $169,000. (Deductibility is phased out at $179,000). The IRS allows a assets and therefore has some finan- cial protection in case the relation- ship changes or the working spouse dies. Alan working spouse to con- tribute to a Roth IRA on behalf of a nonworking spouse, with similar income guide- lines as a traditional IRA. It's also possible to make contributions to a traditional IRA on behalf of a non- working spouse and then convert the savings to a Roth IRA to allow for tax-free withdrawals at retirement age. Talk to your tax advisor about the short- and long-term tax conse- quences of a conversion strategy. Gifting. The IRS gets flack for a lot of things, but they can't be faulted for their spousal gift policy. Married couples can give freely to one anoth- er without gift tax consequences. The only caveat is that they must both be U.S. citizens. So if the wage earner wishes to create a more equitable dis- tribution of assets, he or she is free to do so. As an alternative to making outright gifts to your spouse, you may also choose to hold assets in joint tenancy. With joint tenancy, the nonworking spouse shares in the Foley Hiring the non-working spouse. Working spouses who are business owners may want to consider hiring the nonworking spouse to realize certain financial advantages. As an employ- ee, the spouse may qualify for the business's retirement plan—if one exists. In addi- tion, the spouse may gener- ate income that can be put toward saving for the future. Evaluate insurance cov- erage. Many families realize the importance of insuring a working spouse to provide ongoing income in the event of injury, illness or death. But nonwork- ing spouses often make important contributions (such as childcare) to running the household that would be expensive to replicate in their absence. Evaluate your insurance levels to ensure adequate coverage for unexpected events in the lives or health of both spouses. Make retirement planning — for both of you — a priority. Life is unpredictable, which is all the more reason to build and grow a retirement nest egg that will be sufficient for both of you, regardless of who brings home the bacon. Talk to your finan- cial advisor to explore your options. __ Alan Foley is a financial advisor and business financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial, 2150 Main St., Ste. 8, and can be reached at 528- 1328. D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Your "Local" Daily Newspaper Since 1885 To Subscribe Call Today! 527-2151 FAX 527-3719 DAILY NEWS — PO BOX 220 545 DIAMOND AVE. RED BLUFF CA 96080 Website: redbluffdailynews.com enterprise Customer Satisfaction Survey the majority said it has "somewhat improved." The feedback the Chamber of Commerce receives from these sur- veys is very valuable. It helps the chamber to provide responsive and relevant services to its members and community. Without your input we would not know what services you value the most and what areas you would like to see change or improvement. Your Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce continues to strive to offer you the best ser- vices possible. You can view the entire survey results on our website at www.redbluffchamber.com. Dave Gowan is the CEO of the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at 527-6220. 2 join chamber • New Members - The Corning Chamber of Commerce welcomes these new members: J Van Photography, 1120 Solano Street in Corning. Phone (530)824-5448, and Liquor Cabinet #1, 2185 Solano Street in Corning. Phone (530) 824-4321. • Business Spotlight – The Coffee Club Bistro is located at 1313 Solano St. It is locally owned by Robin and Tina Henson and operated by their sons Christopher and Michael and daughter-in-law Larissa. The Coffee Club was original- ly opened at this location over fifteen years ago before mov- ing to the transportation center in 1998. There Robin con- tinued to serve Corning with delicious fresh baked pastries, bread, and lunches for three more years before closing shop to pursue other ministry and service opportunities. Now, The Coffee Club Bistro is back again, this time with a new generation of Henson's behind the counter along with the same great menu and taste. The Coffee Club Bistro is open Monday through Friday, from 6am to 3pm, and Saturdays and evenings coming soon, serving delicious fresh baked pastries, breakfast sand- wiches, and a variety of lunch items along with tasty drinks from our Espresso Bar. Come sit by the fountain or lounge on the sofa enjoying your favorite beverage in their warm and relaxing atmosphere. Call in orders can be made to 824-1600. • Grand Opening – Peggy's Gift & Thrift, 711 Fourth Street in Corning will be having their Grand Opening Sat- urday, Aug. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m. There will be live music, BBQ, raffle and lots of fun. Fourth Street will be closed for the event. All proceeds from the raffle ticket sales will go to the Tehama County Victim Witness Program. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information call (530) 824- 0800. • Java Lanes Grand Opening- Java Lanes will be cele- brating its Grand Opening Saturday, from 4 – 7 p.m. at 2075 Solano Street. You are invited to come celebrate with them with free bowling for everyone, plus an additional free game for a later date. There will be complimentary popcorn, lemonade, and iced tea. All quests will be entered in a free raffle. Prizes include bowling, shirts, gift certificates, Cos- mic Bowling Group Package, a Birthday Party Package and more. You may also enjoy samples from the Pocket Café located inside Java Lanes. • Olive Festival Parade and Bed Races – You still have time to get your entries in for the Olive Festival Parade and Bed Races, Friday, Aug. 26. If you didn't receive one you may stop by the chamber office and pick one up at 110 Solano St. • Sponsor Books are ready and being distributed this week. Thank you to all those who sponsored the Olive Fes- tival and those who took out ads in the book. We appreciate all the support. ——— This column is prepared and submitted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce. Internet immaturity can stain your brand By DIANE STAFFORD McClatchy Newspapers Clean up your digital dirt. How many times have workers and job hunters been told that? How often can we still find a trail of embarrassing party pictures and rude or politically insensitive comments posted on people's Facebook pages? Social media, as everyone knows, makes the personal public. You may not be able to monitor or control everything that creates your online image, but you should try. Job recruiters Google your name. They look for you on Facebook. They check out your LinkedIn profile and read what others say about you. They research Internet user groups and join discussions. I'm repeatedly surprised by job hunters who bristle at this "intrusion" into their lives. They just don't get it. The truth is that there's relatively little privacy in cyber- space. Surely it's no longer news that workers have been fired for posting photos or comments that don't fit with employ- ers' ideas of what their employees should be. And is anyone really surprised that job applicants have been jettisoned as candidates because of image killers as simple as having stupid email addresses? Sadly, my inbox still gets mail from job hunters with addresses like "luvbabe." Why do you think they don't get responses from hirers? There are many savvy, well-informed job hunters who are doing everything right. They don't deserve criticism for a faulty Internet technique. But for those workers and wannabe workers who haven't been paying attention, let me emphasize this: Employer surveys repeatedly say that talent is hard to find and good jobs are going unfilled. There is a job market mismatch between available jobs and the skills or experience of many applicants. Workers need to do everything in their power to present a polished, professional image online. That won't land them a job or job security, but it will help keep them in the mix for consideration. 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