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Hello,
Welcome old and new subscribers, alike, to the Magnolia Walker Ezine.
Have you seen HER? This was emailed to me. Please take time to look
and pass this picture on to your friends. We as a nation can bring her
home to her parents.
To All:
We have a store manager (Wal-Mart) from Longs, S C who has a 9 year old daughter that has been missing for 2 weeks. Keep the picture moving on.
With luck on her side she will be found.
I am asking you all, begging you to please forward this email
on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. My 9 year old girl,
Penny Brown, is missing. She has been missing for now two weeks.
It is still not too late. Please help us. If anyone anywhere
knows anything, please contact me at: mailto:zicozicozico@hotmail.com
I am including a picture of her. All prayers are appreciated!!
It only takes 2 seconds to forward this on. If it was your child, !
you would want all the help you could get.
Thank you for your kindness. Hopefully you can help us.
The web site for The Magnolia Walker is being revamped. Hopefully, I will have
the first few pages up by the weekend. As soon as I have them live I will
let you know.
In this issue I have added some more headings to round out the content.
If you have not sent me your ad, please do so.
Janet Bullard
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
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"Many girls like to marry a military man - he can cook, sew,
make the bed, and is in good health...and he's already used
to taking orders."
- - Author Unknown
Whenever you're troubled, don't just go to God and say, 'I have big a problem.'
Go to the problem and say, 'I have a BIG God!'"
Author Unknown ---
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In Today's Issue:
* Quote of the Day
* Top Sponsor Ads
* Business Opportunities
* Article
* Resources
* Tech Tips
* Helping Hand at Home
* Guest Article
* Gardening Tips
* Suggestions and Comments
* Contest
* Ad Code
* Kids Corner
* Ezine Ads
* Subscriber Ads
* Viral Marketing
* Recipies
* Parents Corner
* Pets Corner
* Herb Tips
* Health Tips
* Subscribe/Unsubscribe Instructions
and Legal Stuff
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TOP SPONSOR ADS
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None today
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
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None today
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GUEST ARTICLE: Work-At-Home Schemes: How to Identify the Warning Signs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Work-At-Home Schemes: How to Identify the Warning Signs
By Angela Wu
Home based work scams prey on people's willingness to believe, a desperate hope that an
opportunity will help them to achieve their goal of working from home. When the scammer runs
off with their money, that's not all they steal -- they also steal their dreams.
Although it's hard to tell with absolute certainty which opportunities are scams and which are
legitimate, there are several warning signs that can indicate you should proceed with caution.
These include:
* Claims that you can make absurd amounts of money in a very short time or with very little work.
Success isn't built overnight and it never comes without hard work and even some sacrifices.
* Claims that you don't have to work at all; the "system" is on "auto-pilot" -- "the only thing you
have to do is cash your cheques!" Again, ridiculous.
* You are "guaranteed" to make money. No one can guarantee any such thing; first of all, they
don't know anything about you, your skills, your work ethic, and the many other things that can
affect success. Secondly, not every business opportunity is right for every person, even for legitimate offers.
* You don't need any skills or experience. That's silly; although you don't necessarily need extensive
knowledge up-front to succeed -- after all, many things can be learned -- you have to have both the
ability and the willingness to learn. To illustrate the point, consider that someone without technical
aptitude is unlikely to become a computer programmer.
* There's no contact information, or attempts at contact are ignored. Why are they trying to hide?
Legitimate businesses tend to welcome inquiries and feedback.
* You have to pay a fee just to find out what the oppportunity is about. Information should be
provided to you up-front so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not you
want to pursue the opportunity.
* Lots of hype but very little detail about what you'll actually be selling. People who are proud of the
opportunity being offered should be more than willing to discuss it. Vague details could indicate that the
oppportunity has a bad reputation.
* The opportunity places emphasis on recruiting others for a commission, rather than emphasizing
the sale of a product or service. This may be what's known as a pyramid scheme. Read what the
Federal Trade Commission says about them: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/invest/mlm.htm
* You are told that it's a limited time offer - you MUST join today! If it's a legitimate business,
it will still be around tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. Don't feel pressured to join immediately.
A word of warning: many people become so jaded after being scammed that they assume *everything*
is a scam. This is an equally nonproductive stance as being too trusting! There are many legitimate
opportunities available... and keep in mind, too, that just because an opportunity doesn't work for *you*,
that does NOT necessarily make it a scam. Each individual's skills, interests, and motivation will determine
how successful he or she is with any business.
Finally, there's no reason why you should feel you "have" to join a prepackaged business opportunity.
You can create your own opportunity by producing and marketing a product or service of your own.
Working from home is certainly an achievable goal. Research each opportunity carefully, work
consistently towards your goal, and you could very well be able to join the ranks of home businesses
in the near future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela is the author of "So You Want to Work from Home!", a practical and informative report
packed with tips and resources on how to begin a work-at-home career. Pick up your copy today at http://homebasedwork.com/report.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RESOURCES
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All of these are fr--, if you are building your own page here is some help.
If you're running Windows 98, you could be bumping
against an 8 gigabyte limit on your hard drive. The problem
is in your BIOS (basic input/output system). It tells Windows
there is an 8GB drive present, even if the drive is much
larger. This situation usually arises when the original
hard drive, which was probably 8GB or less, is replaced.
You can get around this limitation with disk management
software. Try EZ-Drive, which is available from Western
Digital,http://support.wdc.com/download/index.asp.
According to the company, EZ-Drive is part of its Data
Lifeguard v10.0. It is free.Another program that should
work is Ontrack DiskManager, http://www.ontrack.com/diskmanager. It is $64.95 .
You could also check with the BIOS manufacturer for
an update. BIOS changes are done through a process
called "flashing." I don't recommend that you do this unless
you are a skilled technician. Should the update
fail, your computer could be rendered useless.
--------------------------
Thanks for your TIP today, Patsy!
Patsy can be reached at mailto:patsyy777@aol.com
On Windows 98 machines and up, (sorry, this won't work on
Windows 95) you can add an address bar to the gizmo at the
bottom of your screen that has the Start button on it. It's
kind of cool if you want immediate access to a resource on
the web.
Close any open programs so you have a clean taskbar to start
with. This isn't mandatory, but it makes for a less cluttered
example.
First, enlarge the size of your taskbar to about two or three
button sizes in height. That's three times the height of your
Start button. This gives you room to add the address bar. You
can fiddle with the size all you want. If you have a
Stradivarius monitor, it makes fiddling even easier. <groan>
**NOTE: Stradivarius... A kind of violin made by the Italian
craftsman Antonio Stradivari in the late seventeenth and early
eighteenth centuries. Those that still survive are considered
the finest violins in existence. And you thought this newsletter
was just about computers!
Moving on...
Next, right click a blank area of the enlarged toolbar space,
and select 'Toolbars' then click 'Address'. The address bar
will appear on your taskbar.
Move it around by passing your mouse cursor over the vertical
spacer-like gizmos that separate the Address bar from the rest
of the Taskbar. Now, here's how to use it...
To view the contents of your C: drive, just type 'C:' without
the quote marks. Up pops a window. Kind of neat.
To open Windows Explorer, type 'explorer' in the address bar.
Whoosh... there's Windows Explorer! That's neater yet.
To order pizza, type "Pizza Hut" into the address bar... then
listen for a knock at the door. Look! It's the pizza guy!
You didn't know your computer could do that, did you? I didn't
either. Awe... and I wanted pineapple on mine!
To get rid of the address bar, and the pizza guy, right click
a blank area of the Taskbar... go to Toolbars, and click
on 'Address' to remove the checkmark. The address bar is gone.
Oh, one more thing. The upside down triangle button to the
right of the address bar can be clicked for a history of places
you've been to, or typed in there. And you can type web site
addresses there, too. You know, "URLs". "WWWs". That kind of
stuff.
Have fun. Remember, computers are our servants. They're tools.
We are their masters. Unless of course you run a business using
a computer, like I do. Then it's just plain CRAZY because the
blame thing really DOES control my life!
**** How many times have you rolled off more plastic wrap than you need?
How many times have you pulled out more plastic wrap than you needed
because it bunched up on you, or worse yet, part of it remained on the tube and
you had to waste a bunch to get it evenly aligned again? You have two choices.
You can buy the more expensive variety (which tends not to do that)....or you can
buy the less expensive brand, and keep it in the refrigerator.
**** Save your POWER!!
One of the biggest mistakes people make in
wasting money is that they allow their clothes to stay in the dryer too long.
This wastes electricity and is also harmful to many fibers in clothing.
Clothes made of 100% cotton dry with less wrinkles if they are just hung
to dry when wet. Synthetic fabrics are sensitive to over drying, which
weakens the fibers. Knits shrink from overheating.
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GUEST ARTICLE: Thirteen Easy Ways to Reduce your Food Budget
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Thirteen Easy Ways to Reduce your Food Budget
By Monica Resinger
When trying to cut expenses, food is a great place to start
because there are so many opportunities to save. One way to
watch your savings pile up and be able to use it for a
goal, such as a vacation, down payment on a home or paying
off debt, is to put the cash you saved from any purchase
into an envelope or a jar until you get enough to make a
bank savings deposit. Make a strict rule to not use the
money for anything else but your goal. Here are thirteeen
easy ways to reduce your food budget that will help you
achieve this:
1. If you don't want to stop going out to eat, check your
local newspaper, the back of grocery receipts and junk mail
flyers for restaurant coupons. A lot of restaurants offer
"buy 1 meal get 1 free" on certain days of the week. If you
want to cut back even more, cut back on the number of times
you go out in a month or week.
2. Shop grocery outlets. Every major city has them. Ours is
called *The Canned Food Warehouse*. Not every item in the
store is a deal; you have to know normal food prices to
compare, but when you do find a deal, it is usually a great
one. You will find enough of these deals to make your trip
worth it.
3. Be sure to comparison shop. Look at the sale tag on the
items shelf and see how much per pound, ounce or whatever
the item is sold as. Compare that to the other products to
determine which is the best deal.
4. Always check the weekly grocery ads for the good sales.
If there is a really good deal on something, be sure to buy
it in multiples. This will save you from paying full price
later.
5. Use coupons for food products. I have found the best way
to use them is combined with a sale. Most of the time, if
you use a coupon without combining it with a sale, you will
still be paying more than other brands, so be sure to watch
for this.
6. Always use your leftovers. This saves a tremendous amount
of money and time by extending your shopping trips. If you
need ideas for using leftovers, check out *The Leftover
Recipe E-book* that includes over 100 ideas and recipes for
leftovers here: http://homemakersjournal.com/leftovers.htm
7. Grow as much produce as you can to eat fresh and/or
preserve for later. To save as much money as possible,
start plants from seed. This can really add up quick and
you will know how your food was grown rather than wondering
what chemicals may have been applied to the plants of the
produce you purchase. If you purchase organic produce to
relieve this worry, it can be quite expensive.
8. Stop buying junk food, sodas and prepared food. These are
not only expensive, but unhealthy, therefore a waste of
your hard-earned dollars.
9. Always shop with a grocery list and stick to it so you
don't buy unnecessary or expensive items.
10. Never shop hungry! Have you ever gone grocery shopping
hungry? I have and I wanted to buy everything in sight
because everything looked delicious! I didn't buy
everything in sight, but, I did increase our grocery bill
that day! Also, because I was hungry, I didn't feel like
shopping or making decisions so this added to the problem.
11. About Kids. It is good training for kids, if they are
old enough, to comparison shop; I usually ask mine to go
get the cheapest ketchup, or whatever is nearby so I can
still see them, so they get hands-on experience (you'll
need to supervise this in the beginning, then later you'll
be able to trust they are making the right decisions). Kids
have a tendency to ask for things in the store; the best
way to handle this is to let them get something within a set
price limit and keep this limit each time you go shopping.
If your kids are younger, you may want to consider leaving
them at home with a friend or relative; younger kids can
tire and get difficult in the store spoiling your frugal
efforts.
12. Shop at the store's off-peak hours when you will be less
rushed and can make better decisions.
13. Check out the *Fantastic Frugal Grocery Tips* E-book to
learn even more ways of reducing your food budget. Among
the many frugal grocery tips, you'll learn about freeze and
stock foods, saving in rural areas, how to make a price
book and more! Click here for more information: http://homemakersjournal.com/frugalgrocerytips.htm
Apply these tips to your life and I guarantee you'll see results!
About the Author: Monica Resinger is a loving wife and doting mother of two who
enjoys gardening, painting, dancing and homemaking. She edits and publishes
the e-zine The Homemaker's Journal, a free e-zine published Monday through
Friday, that features a useful homemaking tip and scrumptious recipe of the day;
if you'd like to subscribe, just send a blank e-mail to: mailto:HomemakersJournal-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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GARDENING: Picking Posies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Picking Posies
by Cheryl Rice
We have no control over the weather and very limited control
over the soil in our gardens. It can take several years to
change the quality of the dirt in your beds.
You do have complete control over the plants you choose to
grow. When folk's begin gardening, they often select plants
based on the bloom. Is it pretty? Do I like the color? They are
important qualities but there are other considerations
as well.
For instance, Colorado garden author and lecturer, Lauren
Springer likes to point out; too few of us give much thought
to the place of origin of our plants. What are the implications
of their origins for mulching, placement and
other cultural considerations?
Many of Lauren's plants grow in a xeriscape, a landscape that
requires little water. She's chosen plants that are
from rocky Mediterranean environments. Consequently, she's
added lots of gravel or rock to her beds. They tend to like
alkaline soil.
Providing too much organic material for these plants, plants
that evolved for thousands of years without benefit of
constant organic stimulation, would not be welcome. They would
not appreciate organic mulches at all. In fact, they
might even die from such attention.
It is easy to believe every plant would thrive with lots of
fertilizer and organic material but it is just not true.
One of the considerations important to take into account is the
pH factor of the soil. (This can be determined with a
simple test.)
Back to chemistry basics. . . The term pH refers to the acidity
or alkalinity of soil. If you live in an area that
gets lots of rainfall (like I do), acid soils predominate.
Areas that usually get little rainfall are more likely to
have soil toward the alkaline side.
Scientists have assigned a numerical range of 1.0 to 14.0 to
describe soil pH. Neutral soil measures at 7.0. The majority
of perennials do best in a neutral to slightly acid soil,
between 5.5 and 6.5.
The problem with soils with pH levels that are too high or too
low is they bind the nutrients thus depriving your
plants of needed nutrition.
The traditional approach to altering your soil (to reflect the
pH of their native habitat) is to add lime or limestone
to acidic soils. An application of lime will last for about
three years and should not be applied at the same time as
fertilizers since they can neutralize each other. Vegetables,
by the way, like soil to be more alkaline than
flowers do.
The solution for too alkaline a soil is to add organic
material. Sawdust is a frequent choice.
You can get a good idea of your soil condition from the USDA
Extension Office near you.
That's all for now. Good luck and great gardening.
-----
Cheryl is a Master Gardener who volunteers with the Lake County
(Ohio) Extension office of Ohio State University. She won a
Cleveland Press Club award last year for her feature and column
writing.
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SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subject: People over 30.........should be dead
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who
were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's, or even maybe the early 70's probably
shouldn't have survived. Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored
lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or
cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention
the risks we took hitchhiking.)
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.Riding in
the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We
drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar
in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually
died from this. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and
then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into
the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back
when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones.
Unthinkable. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games
at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell
phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms. We had friends! We went
outside and found them. We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would
really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame
but us. Remember accidents? We had fights and punched each other and got black
and blue and learned to get over it. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls,
and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell
or just walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to
learn to deal with disappointment.
Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back
to repeat the same grade. Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided
with the law. Imagine that! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and
problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation
and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to
deal with it all.
And you're one of them! Congratulations.
Please pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before lawyers
and government regulated our lives, for our own good... Kind of makes you want to run
through the house with scissors, doesn't it!
This was sent in by Teresa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONTEST INFORMATION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is the word: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A? The last letter is given for you. (9 letters)
Here are your clues: Ruins of ?, Cypress ?, Hero of ?, Chief of ?, Prisoner of ?, ?'s Revenge
The question mark is placed in the word usage spot. Have fun.
Animal Planet
Discovery Channel has developed a site just for all you animal
lovers out there. If you need information or just want to surf
for fun, then this is the place to spend hours. http://www.animal.discovery.com
AOL Knows Kids http://www.aol.com/netfind/kids
AOL protects kids. This site only searches web pages which are safe for kids.
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"Build your own List" Here's how and why
Building Your List: an Interactive Tutorial
You've heard how important it is to build a list for your online
business activities. But how? What should you focus on?
It's a subject that can get pretty in-depth, but most of the people
who try to teach you about it forget the basics. Like WHY you should
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PARENT'S CORNER: Avoiding Fee Pitfalls as College Savings Climb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avoiding Fee Pitfalls as College Savings Climb
LYNN O'SHAUGHNESSY
IN a short time, the state-sponsored 529 savings plan has become
one of the nation's most popular ways to invest for college. About
$30 billion is now spread among more than three million accounts,
and the flood of cash is rising exponentially.
The tax benefits have been a powerful lure. Contributions to 529
plans named for the section of the tax code that established them
in 1996 are sheltered from federal income taxes, and no taxes are
owed when the money is withdrawn for college expenses. Some states,
like New York, also provide tax breaks. But those incentives might
be blinding some parents to a major drawback of many of the plans:
high fees.
The costs for starting and maintaining an account in some state
plans can easily offset some of these tax savings, not to mention
part of the returns, said Ilene Malitz, who is president of the
financial planning firm IB Malitz & Associates, which has
offices in Milford, Pa., and Naples, Fla. "I look at them and
think, `Are people out of their minds? Why would they put their
money in them?' " Ms. Malitz, who is also a former Georgetown
University finance professor, said of the expensive plans.
Determining total costs, however, can be a challenge because fee
structures vary by state, and often by investment choices within
a state plan. For example, there may be initial enrollment fees,
annual maintenance fees, plan management fees and fees for the
underlying investments. Those who invest in a 529 through brokers
may also have to pay commissions, which now run as high as 5.75
percent in many states.
State-sponsored 529 savings programs allow residents to invest
directly in one of their own state plans without paying a
commission, and in some cases out-of-state residents can do the
same. But many people seem to be bypassing the more moderately
priced state plans, investing instead in plans offered through
brokers, industry experts say. "People are afraid to make choices
by themselves," said Jamie Canup, a partner at the law firm of
McGuireWoods in Richmond, Va., which advises states on 529 plans.
According to the Financial Research Corporation in Boston, 68
percent of the cash Americans funneled into 529 plans in 2002
passed through commissioned brokers and financial planners,
compared with only 20 percent in 2000.
More states have been embracing broker-sold savings plans, partly
because of pressure from the financial industry, which wants to
participate more in this growing area. But some state officials
say that it has become necessary. "We are not financial advisers,"
said Diana Cantor, the executive director of the Virginia College
Savings Plan and chairwoman of the College Savings Plans Network,
which is an affiliate of the National Association of State
Treasurers. "We have to tell people, `We can't give you financial
and tax advice.' "
In February 2002, Virginia rolled out a 529 plan offering a
standard commission of 5.75 percent, which at the time was above
the prevailing rate of 3 to 3.5 percent for state plans. To stay
competitive in the financial industry, many other state plans
raised their commission rates as well, including those in Ohio,
Rhode Island, Alaska and North Carolina.
The annual price tag for state plans can differ significantly,
according to Morningstar, which tracks fees and returns. Many of
these plans have several investment options, and fees will vary
based on which funds or investment options are chosen. Among
those on the low end of the fee scale are the College Savings
Iowa plan, which uses Vanguard funds and has an annual fee of
0.65 percent, and Nevada's Vanguard 529 Plan, which has an annual
fee ranging from 0.65 percent to 0.85 percent. Neither charges a
commission. At the other end is Wyoming's College Achievement Plan.
Morningstar calculated that a resident investing directly in a
portfolio in the Wyoming plan divided equally among stock and bond
funds would pay annual expenses of 2.21 percent. If a parent used
a broker, the annual charge would rise to 2.71 percent.
OME parents may not understand how much high annual costs can
seriously erode returns, which were already hurt by the stock
market's decline over the last few years. Suppose, for instance,
that a couple opened a Wyoming account through a broker with $500
and then contributed $150 monthly for 18 years. If the plan
generated an annual return of 8 percent, the portfolio would grow
to $54,545. If the couple had invested the same amount in the
Iowa plan, assuming the same performance, the college fund would
have reached $67,193 a difference of $12,648.There are some
families that do pay attention to expenses. Cost was a big
consideration for Jane and Ted Reedy of Pleasanton, Calif., who
have invested in California's 529 program, which uses TIAA-CREF
funds, for their children Jack, 10, and Kate, who is 15 months
old. With exercised stock option money, Ms. Reedy, 43, a medical
device consultant, last year moved about $30,000 into the
children's plans. In addition to the plans' low price tag of 0.8
percent, the couple said, they based their choice on the sound
financial reputation of TIAA-CREF.The Reedys said they rejected
a 529 plan that was offered through Ms. Reedy's former employer,
the Thoratec Corporation in Pleasanton, because of the fees.
"When I looked at the literature, I noticed that the costs were
huge," Ms. Reedy said. "They were so ridiculously high, they stuck
out." So what should be considered reasonable costs? Langdon Healy,
an analyst at Morningstar, said a 529 plan that is divided among
stocks and bonds is reasonably priced if the yearly expense ratio
remains below 1 percent. A plan charging more than 1.25 percent is
considered expensive, he said. Mr. Healy noted that the states
using Vanguard or TIAA-CREF funds, like New York, California,
Oklahoma and Nevada, offer low prices. (Both California and New
York, however, are considering adding adviser-based 529 plans.)
The college savings movement started with the aim of keeping
things simple. The first-generation were prepaid plans, intro-
duced in the 1980's, that didn't require participants to make any
investment decisions. The prepaid plans were guaranteed to
increase in value at the same rate as college tuition. But these
plans began looking stodgy in the bull market. Parents decided
the place to park their children's education savings was in
stocks.Initially, 529 plans focused on age-based portfolios,
which would grow more conservative in investment choices the
closer a child came to college age. A parent only needed to fill
in a child's birthday and the plan would automatically select
the appropriate asset mix. But parents and brokers began
clamoring for more options, particularly the ability to invest
in funds that they could mix and match. They got what they
wanted: today, according to Morningstar's calculations, nearly
2,500 investing options exist within the nation's 529 savings
plans. With so many choices, some industry observers say, it's
only natural that parents have turned to financial professionals
for advice. "You can't devalue what an adviser brings to the
table," said Whitney Dow, director of educational savings
research at Financial Research. "It is a complex universe of
products." Plus, he said, "you have to be aware of unique state
tax deductions, as well as penalties with certain plans.
"Philip Johnson, a financial planner in Clifton Park, N.Y., said
focusing solely on cost and avoiding the use of an adviser won't
always be a wise move, especially with plans evolving so quickly.
"Expenses are part of the picture, but they are not the only
issue in picking a plan," Mr. Johnson said. "I think performance
and flexibility are also important."He acknowledged that some
people may not really need a financial adviser, but added, "There
isn't much in auto mechanics and plumbing that people couldn't do
if they were willing, but many people aren't willing."
NOT everyone, however, thinks that commissioned advisers provide
valuable, much less unbiased, advice. "I don't believe there is a
good understanding at all of 529 plans among many brokers," said
John C. Heywood, a Vanguard principal who is in charge of the
firm's education markets group. Mr. Heywood said many parents can
make a wise choice after devoting an hour or so on their own to
research. "We don't believe that people, who spend a little time
or effort, need a broker to make the right decision."
In the spirit of do-it-yourself investing, Vanguard distributes a
free booklet, "Vanguard PlainTalk Guide: Saving for College." It
can be viewed online at http://www.vanguard.com or ordered by calling
(800) 716-4078. Those who have questions about the best way to
prepare for college costs, including 529 plans and Coverdell
Education Savings Accounts, can call Vanguard's Education Resource
Center at (866) 734-4524. You don't have to be a Vanguard customer.
The Web site http://www.Savingforcollege.com keeps track of all the state
plans and even rates them through a "five cap" system. The site
recently began comparing the performance of a plan's underlying
funds with investment benchmarks, with fees reflected in the index.
Joseph F. Hurley, a certified public accountant from Pittsford,
N.Y., who runs the site, said that in most cases fees would not
significantly influence a plan's rating. "As an investor, I don't
care what the cost is as long as I get the best returns," he said.
"When you pay for anything, whether it's professional services or
something in a store, you want quality."But Mr. Hurley's
proprietary scoring methodology has triggered some grumbling among
529 providers. "I don't think the expense ratio is factored
heavily enough in the equation," said Timothy Lane, vice president
for tuition financing at TIAA-CREF. "You don't know what performance
will be, but you know expense ratios are predictable."Morningstar
also devotes an area of its Web site http://www.morningstar.com) to
college savings and has stockpiled several articles on selecting
529 plans.
The free service can be accessed on the site by clicking
on "college savings" in the "investing centers" area. Morningstar
provides data on each savings plan and itemizes costs, including
the yearly expense ratio and loads, as well as management,
maintenance and enrollment fees. Morningstar refrains from grading
individual plans, but it does provide what percentage of funds in
a specific plan has earned either four- or five-star ratings. As
the 529 market matures, some industry insiders predict that prices
will eventually drop. "If you are running a high-cost program, you
will have to look at ways to offer it at a better rate to stay
competitive," said Ms. Cantor, of the Virginia College Savings Plan.
"If managers aren't performing, there will be new seating at the
dinner table."
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PET CORNER
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How to Recognize a Venomous Snake
by: Dr. Dawn Ruben
Pit vipers, like this copperhead, have broad triangular heads and curved fangs.
Ever since the Garden of Eden, people have had a love/hate relationship with
snakes. Many consider them to be creepy, slimy, slithery creatures whose only
purpose is to terrorize people. Those in the know realize that snakes are not slimy,
come is a variety of beautiful colors and play an important and crucial role in
maintaining our wildlife.
Despite what you may think, the vast majority of snakes in the United States are
not venomous. In fact, there are only a few species of venomous snakes indigenous
to the United States and are divided into the Crotalidae family or Elapidae family.
Better known as "pit vipers," the Crotalidae are the most common, comprised of
rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins. The Elapidae family includes cobras
and the coral snake, the only species occurring naturally in the United States. The
southwestern United States has the privilege of being the area with the most
venomous snakes.
If you happen upon a snake, how can you tell if it is venomous or not? Venomous
snakes tend to have certain characteristics that distinguish them from non-venomous
snakes. Knowing the difference can help determine if the snake your pet is "playing"
with is venomous.
Pit Vipers
Members of the pit viper family, rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins,
have broad triangular heads. Non-venomous snakes have narrow rounded heads.
Pit vipers have elliptical shaped pupils. Non-venomous snakes typically have more rounded pupils.
Pit vipers have prominent curving fangs. Non-venomous snakes tend to have many small teeth.
Pit vipers have a deep pit located between the nostril and the eye, thus the term “pit viper.”
Non-venomous snakes do not have this pit.
Coral Snakes
Coral snakes are known for their distinctive color pattern of red, black and yellow.
This pattern determines if the snake you are observing is a venomous coral snake or a
harmless species.
Coral snakes have a yellow band on both sides of a red band and a black band between
yellow bands. This means the color pattern is: yellow – red – yellow – black – yellow – red,
and so on. Non-venomous similarly colored snakes have the red band next to a black band.
A simple saying to help you remember is, “red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, venom lack.”
Whether the snake is venomous or not, leave him alone. Snakes are not on this earth as
entertainment for people; they are responsible for keeping the rodent and vermin
populations in check. They live their lives quietly and try to stay hidden and away from people,
so when you encroach upon their territory, give them the respect they deserve.
There is much truth to the statement that snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them.
If you come upon a snake, stand still and let him scurry away. Moving, swatting or throwing
things at the snake may be taken as a threat and the snake may have no alternative but to
fight back. If left to their own devices, snakes usually scurry away and hide.
Related Articles:
You may find more pet articles at: http://www.petplace.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HERB TIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe of the Season
from The Healing Kitchen
The recipes in The Healing Herbs Cookbook are organized by season because herbs,
vegetables and fruits grow according to their own natural rhythm. There is a response
within us to the ebb and flow of the seasons and if we listen to it our diet will reflect
our changing needs in symmetry with our environment.
Eating seasonally means choosing fruits, vegetables and herbs when they are at their
peak in our own gardens or at local farms. It means waiting for local strawberries and
asparagus in the spring, planning and meals around tomatoes and peppers in the fall
and foregoing them in winter. And it means thinking about the effects of mass-produced
foods grown with extremely toxic chemicals and harmful methods with every trip to the supermarket.
Baked Potatoes with Caramalized Onions and Leek
Preheat oven to 400* F (200* C)
Large baking pan, lightly greased
2 large Vidalia or Spanish onions, cut into 8 wedges
1 large leek, white and tender green parts, cut into 2" pieces
8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and pricked
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1. In a large bowl, combine onions, leek, garlic, vinegar, oil and thyme. If desired,
season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread on prepared baking pan.
2. Add whole potatoes to pan. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring onions
occasionally. Reduce heat to 375* F (190* C), roast for another 25 to 35 minutes or
until onions are golden and potatoes are soft.
3. Remove from oven; split potatoes in half. Divide onions and spoon onto baked
potato halves; sprinkle each with 1 tbsp Romano cheese. Serve warm.
Coming Next: Festive Punch Recipes from the Healing Kitchen
Pat Crocker is a culinary herbalist and professional home economist. She has written and
lectured about herbs and health issues for more than 25 years. The Smoothies Bible is
her fourth cookbook. Visit her website at: http://www.riversongherbals.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HEALTH TIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Build Muscle and Shed Fat without Exercise!
Eat hot peppers, or take capsules containing capsaicin from
chili peppers. They safely increase energy levels and remove
fat molecules.
Take 5 grams of creatine four times a day for seven days,
then reduce the dose to five grams a day. You must also increase
your water intake. Creatine is one of the essential components
related to the creation of energy necessary for muscle
contraction.
(Excerpt from "Alternatives" magaine, author Dr. David Williams)
Health Tip of the Week
by Dr. Earl Mindell
Is it true that spaghetti sauce can reduce your risk of cancer?
Tomato-based products contain the powerful antioxidant, lycopene.
Research shows that increasing dietary lycopene levels may be a
significant protector against cancer. Studies in the Journal of
the National Cancer Institute, December, 2002, report that high
levels of lycopene are particularly effective in protecting
against cancers of the digestive tract, esophagus, and prostate
cancer.
I recommend that six to seven servings of tomato-based products
per week will increase levels of antioxidants and protect against
various forms of cancer.
-----
Visit http://keith.freelife.com to learn more about how Dr. Earl
Mindell can help you get into the best shape of your life.
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Until Tuesday, have a safe and pleasent weekend.
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