Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/431927
Foranyonewish- ing to study human nature, my mailbag would make an in- teresting research center. I get tons of mail. But rather than arriving in a steady flow it comes in waves. I've given up trying to predict which subjects will prompt re- sponses from my readers. Take the recent col- umn on the inherent dan- gers associated with debit cards because of a rela- tively weak law that regu- lates them as opposed to the much stronger law that protects users of credit cards. It was, in my hum- ble opinion, empowering information wor- thy of some mea- sure of positive re- sponse. Or at least a few angry chal- lenges from loyal debit card users. Surprisingly, re- sponses to that column were nearly non-existent. A few days later I in- cluded in the weekly of- fering of reader-submit- ted tips what I found to be a clever, albeit not exactly earth-shattering, tip hav- ing to do with lemon wa- ter. ("When dining in a restaurant and the waiter brings you water with lemon, give those slices a little squeeze, add a bit of sugar to taste and you'll have a tasty free lem- onade.") Oh, my. Angry emails and letters poured into my computer and of- fice. The most heated re- sponses came from serv- ers who insist this dread- ful practice cheats them out of a bigger tip be- cause patrons fail to order a high-priced drink with their meal. One letter be- rated customers who dare to order "just a salad and water, please," and then proceed to drop in a slice of lemon and packet of sugar. I read stories, opin- ion pieces and criticisms by the score. I took a lot of heat because of that lemon tip, which, quite frankly, I find surprising. The way I see it, at most restaurants the lemon and water are complimentary, the sugar is sitting there for my use along with salt and pepper. So what's the big deal? I'll admit that at the worst this practice might lean toward being a bit tacky. But dishonest? Unethical? Abhorrent? I just don't see it. I would be remiss if I did not report as well the subjects that bring loads of encouraging and heart- felt notes. Thankfully, this kind of mail surge occurs more often than those that are negative. And while I am fairly hooked on the convenience and speed of email, the beau- tifully handwritten notes and cards I get every day — those prepared with so much love and care — are the pieces of mail that speak to me the most beautifully. Now and then I'll get a message from a reader who turns out to be an old college friend, a cousin from faraway Alaska, or yet another person who shares my somewhat com- mon name. I even got a letter from a long-lost rel- ative of Charlie Lester who was the subject of a past food column (Char- lie is the fellow who came up with Turkey Pot Roast) asking that I put her in touch with him. I did, and a reunion followed. I've decided to be grate- ful that I cannot predict my readers' responses. It keeps me on my toes and makes mail time quite in- teresting, if not entertain- ing. Keep those cards and letters coming. MaryHuntisthefounder of www.DebtProofLiving. com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@eve- rydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cy- press, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Reader mail both unpredictable and enjoyable Individual Retirement Accounts are an important way to save for retirement. If you have an IRA or may open one soon, there are some key year-end rules that you should know. Here are the top four re- minders on IRAs from the IRS: Knowthelimits You can contribute up to a maximum of $5,500 ($6,500 if you are age 50 or older) to a traditional or Roth IRA. If you file a joint return, you and your spouse can each contribute to an IRA even if only one of you has taxable compensation. In some cases, you may need to reduce your deduction for traditional IRA contri- butions. This rule applies if you or your spouse has a retire- ment plan at work and your income is above a certain level. You have until April 15, 2015, to make an IRA contribution for 2014. Avoid excess contributions If you contribute more than the IRA limits for 2014, you are subject to a six percent tax on the ex- cess amount. The tax ap- plies each year that the ex- cess amounts remain in your account. You can avoid the tax if you withdraw the excess amounts from your account by the due date of your 2014 tax return (in- cluding extensions). Take required distributions If you're at least age 70½, you must take a required minimum distribution, or RMD, from your traditional IRA. You are not required to take a RMD from your Roth IRA. You normally must take your RMD by Dec. 31, 2014. That deadline is April 1, 2015, if you turned 70½ in 2014. If you have more than one traditional IRA, you fig- ure the RMD separately for each IRA. However, you can withdraw the total amount from one or more of them. If you don't take your RMD on time you face a 50 per- cent excise tax on the RMD amount you failed to take out. Claim the saver's credit The formal name of the saver's credit is the retire- ment savings contributions credit. You may qualify for this credit if you contrib- ute to an IRA or retirement plan. The saver's credit can increase your refund or re- duce the tax you owe. The maximum credit is $1,000, or $2,000 for married cou- ples. The credit you receive is often much less, due in part because of the deduc- tions and other credits you may claim. TAX TIP Top four year-end IRA reminders Mary Hunt Over the weekend about a dozen members of The Presbyterian Church of Red Bluff gathered at Oak Hill cemetery. On Saturday they found and marked the graves of 200 members of the church, going back to 1864. On Sunday they placed luminaries on every grave. This was their way of hon- oring those who went be- fore them to pass down the faith they cherish and give them the church they love. Church members place luminaries at graves of past members PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH COURTESYPHOTO Members of The Presbyterian Church of Red Bluff at Oak Hill Cemetery. You're there for Mom. We're here for you. Connect with experts and other caregivers aarp.org/caregiving 1.877.333.5885 As a major winter storm prepares to hit California, Cal Fire is reminding resi- dents to take steps to heat their homes safely. The cooler weather and rain means that many will need to turn on home heat- ing sources to keep warm indoors. Cal Fire is encouraging everyone to be safe with heating their homes, as this is the time of year fire departments across the nation see an increase in home fires due to danger- ous heating equipment or unsafe practices. Improper use or poorly maintained heating equip- ment is one of the leading causes of home fires and home fire deaths across the country. Half of home heating equipment fires are re- ported during the months of December, January and February. "Home fires caused by negligent use of heating equipment are easily preventable," said State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. "Taking the time to check your heating equip- ment and maintaining it correctly could make the difference in protecting your home, but most im- portantly your life. If the heat is provided using fos- sil fuels, there should be a working carbon monox- ide alarm to help alert res- idents if a malfunction in their heating equipment occurs. And as always, make sure you have work- ing smoke alarms through- out the home." With just these few sim- ple safety steps, you can prevent most heating-re- lated fires from happening: Every home should have a working carbon monox- ide (CO) alarm to avoid the risk of CO poisoning Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equip- ment, like the furnace, fire- place, wood stove or porta- ble space heater. Have a three-foot "kid- free zone" around open fires and space heaters. Never use your oven to heat your home. Have a qualified profes- sional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment accord- ing to the local codes and manufacturer's instruc- tions. Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional. Remember to turn por- table heaters off when leav- ing the room or going to bed. For more information on safe home heating visit the CAL FIRE website at www. fire.ca.gov. CAL FIRE Ho me h ea ti ng c an b e da ng er ou s du ri ng s to rm Call 877-4DAD411 or visit www.fatherhood.gov be a dad today. Take time to Gaumer's Since 1967 ThisChristmas Show her how much she means to you Mon.-Fri, 9am-5pm, *Saturday hours in December • Follow us on Facebook www.gaumers.com 78 Belle Mill Road, Red Bluff, CA (530) 527-6166 • Jewelry • Museum • Lapidary www.tehamaestatesretirement.com FALLCOUPONSPECIAL LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, December 11, 2014 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4