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Like many people, you may make some New Year's resolutions. Per- haps you've promised yourself you'll visit the gym more often or learn a new language or reconnect with a long-lost friend. All of these are worthy goals, of course, and if you achieve them, you may add new dimen- sions to your life. But if you want to accomplish other major mile- stones you may have envisioned — a new home, college for your kids, a comfort- able retirement and so on — you may need to set some New Year's financial resolutions. What type of financial resolutions should you make? Here are a few ideas to consider: • Contribute as much as you can afford to your 401(k). Take full advan- tage of your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. Your con- tributions are typically tax-deductible, and your earnings grow on a tax- deferred basis. Every time you get a boost in salary, try to increase the amount going into your 401(k), but at the very least, contribute enough to earn the employer's match, if one is offered. In 2010, the contri- bution limit for 401(k) plans is $16,500, or $22,000 if you're age 50 or older, although both these limits may increase if they are indexed for infl ation. • "Max out" on your IRA. Even if you have a 401(k), you're probably still eligi- ble to contribute to an IRA. A traditional IRA grows tax deferred, while a Roth IRA's earnings are tax-free, provided you've had your account at least fi ve years and don't start taking withdrawals until you're age 59. Your ability to contribute to a Roth IRA is based on your income. You can fund your IRA with virtually any type of investment. In 2010, you can put up to $5,000 into your IRA, or $6,000 if you're age 50 or older, although, as was the case with your 401(k), these limits may rise if they're indexed for infl ation. • Rebalance your investments as needed. Over time, your goals and risk tolerance can change. That's why it's a good idea to review and rebalance your portfolio at least once a year, possibly with the help of a professional fi nancial advisor who is familiar with your situa- tion. • Avoid "emotional" investing. Don't make decisions based on emo- tional reactions to what's happening with your investments. For example, just because the price of an investment may have dropped signifi cantly, it doesn't mean you should rush to sell it. Despite the price drop, it may still have good prospects, and it might be an important part of your investment strategy. Consider all fac- tors before making "buy" or "sell" decisions. • Keep suffi cient cash in your portfolio. During the long bear market of 2008 and early 2009, many investors discovered that they lacked enough cash and "cash equiva- lent" vehicles in their portfolios. Of course, you need enough cash on hand to meet unexpected expenses without dipping into long-term invest- ments. But beyond that, the presence of cash and short-term, more liquid investments can help reduce the volatility in a portfolio that may some- times be battered by both the stock and bond mar- kets. These financial resolu- tions, like all types of New Year's resolutions, may not be easy to keep. But if you can stick with them, you may have many happy new years in the future. Tyler Smail is a a financial advisor for Edward Jones, his office is located at 733 Washington St. in Red Bluff. He can be reached at 529-3627 or tyler.smail@edwardjon es.com. Wednesday, January 13, 2010 – Daily News – 5A Commerce business&enterprise 824-3502 • 2126 Solano St., Corning Clark's Drug Store & Clarks Floral Come to us for your prescription needs. We will meet or beat any cash price on prescriptions. Calendar of Events is now available Thanks a million" to all of the individuals and organizations who responded to our earlier pleas for information — the 2010 Calendar of Events for Tehama County is now available at the chamber office. The calendar lists community events in chronological order and includes information regarding dates, locations, brief descriptions and tele- phone contact. The calendar includes events ranging from the very big and spectacular, such as the 4th of July Heritage Days Celebration July 4 to the special interest events such as the 4th Annual Red Bluff National Canoe Races July 31. The calendar lists fishing, hunt- ing, farmers' market and winter sports information under seasonal highlights and telephone numbers for the chamber, the Tehama Dis- trict Fairground, the Red Bluff Community and Senior Center, Lassen Volcanic National Park and highway and road information. Chamber Convention and Visi- tors Chairman Marshall Pike says the Calendar of Events is distributed to all area lodging and RV facilities and is a popular handout throughout the year for local residents as well as visitors and tourists. In addition, the calendar can be viewed online at the chamber's Web site at redbluffchamberofcom- merce.com. Calendar coordinator Heidi Hite says the online calendar is constantly being updated with date changes, new events, etc. *** The Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale, which annu- ally attracts several thousand cattlemen, horsemen and spectators from throughout the western United States will be held Tuesday, Jan. 26 through Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Tehama District Fairground. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 26 with the sifting and grading of all calving ease and range ready bulls, and concludes on Saturday with a Buckin' Best Bullriding event, which begins at 7 p.m. at the Pauline Davis Pavilion. Highlights of the five-day event include: Jan. 26 - sifting and grad- ing of all breeds of halter bulls - 7:30 a.m.; opening of Trade Show - noon, working of stock dogs - 1 p.m. - buyers and consignors dinner - 7 p.m.; Jan. 28: Geldings and Mules - 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., Cowhorse Clinic - 6 p.m.; Jan. 29: Roping and Cutting of Geldings and Mules - 8 a.m., Cattlewomen luncheon - 11 a.m., Working of stock dogs - noon.; Sale of stock dogs - 2:30 p.m., Sale of geldings and mules - 5 p.m.; Janu. 30 - Sale of all bulls - 9:30 a.m., Bull Riding Challenge - 7 p.m. Traditionally, the event features 450-500 haltered and range-ready bulls, 125-150 geldings, 20-30 stock dogs, 5-10 mules and 1,000 replace- ment heifers. The Red Bluff Bull Sale office is at the Tehama District Fairground — in the Red Bluff Round-Up office and museum building. For event details, contact the Bull Sale office at 527-2045 or at www.red- bluffbullsale.com. *** Chamber members are urged to take advantage of an extremely visi- ble and highly effective advertising medium - the Chamber's Electronic Message Center, more commonly referred to as our Reader Board, on South Main Street in front of the Chamber office. For additional information and rates contact the Chamber office at 527-6220. ——— The We Mean Business column is prepared and submitted by the Red Bluff-Tehama County Chamber of Commerce. Insurance agency in the spotlight • New Member – The Corning Chamber is happy to welcome new member Tehama Pulse of Red Bluff. Call 727-8744. • Business Spotlight –Andy Houghton Insurance Agency is our business of the week. The business is at 900 Jackson St. in Red Bluff and the phone num- ber is 527-1833. It is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are five employees to serve you. Andy Houghton Insurance deals with auto, health, home life, farm, commercial insurance and bonds. It has been a member of the Corning Cham- ber of Commerce four years. "We treat people like we would like to be treat- ed," Houghton said. "We have Rosie, who is our Spanish speaking agent, to serve our large Hispan- ic clientele. We do not charge brokers fees. We encourage our clients to pay in our office or online." Houghton has been married to Bobbie for 45 years. They have two children, Anson Wm. Houghton and Charlene Day, two grandchildren, Cody Houghton Marshall who is the firm's newest agent, and Brandi Bluel, a student at Butte College. When asked what his plans are for the future, Andy replied, "Agency expansion in Corning and increase growth." • Corning in the Evening – Thursday, Jan. 14, the first chamber monthly event for 2010 will be held here at the chamber office, 1110 Solano St., hosted by Angela Polanco of Premier Designs. Bring your business card for a chance to win a door prize. Refreshments will be served. • Installation Dinner – The invitations and reser- vations for the Annual Chamber Installation Dinner have been sent in the mail and we hope that you plan to attend. The dinner is open to the public, so if you would like to attend you may call the office at 824-5550 or stop by and pick up a reservation. The dinner is $22.50 per person and will be pre- pared by Lin Lima of Dream Themes and Schemes. You will have a choice of tri-tip, teriyaki mushroom chicken breast or pork tenderloin with gravy. The evening will include award presentations, entertain- ment and raffle. The chamber would like you to come and help celebrate the beginning of a new year and witness the installation of the new officers of the Corning Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The new members of the board are Glen Nixon of US Bank, Mary Garcia of Spring Mountain Apart- ments, Ronda Haywood of H&R Block, Jodie Hughes of Corning Furniture & Gifts and Jocelyn Olander of J.C. Olander, Attorney at Law. The new officers are Barbara Landavazo of US Bank - pres- ident, Linda Tousey of Bell Carter – past president, Willie Smith of Corning Christian Assistance – president elect, and Terry Barbo of Butte Commu- nity Bank – treasurer. • Sexual Harassment Prevention – 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 28 at 724 Main St. in Red Bluff, the Business One stop, a division of the Job Training Center will conduct training for managers and supervisors. AB 1825 requires California Employ- ers with 50 or more employees to provide two hours of training and education to all supervisory employ- ees every two years. If you have any questions or would like to register, please call 529-7000. The cost is $49 per person. Space is limited. ——— This column is prepared and submitted by the Corning Chamber of Commerce. Time to make New Year's financial resolutions Tyler Smail Biz news? Business news may be submitted to clerk@redbluff- dailynews.com. Include name and phone. Digital pic- tures should be attached as .jpg files. Info is avail- able at 527-2151.