Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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The COVID-19 pandemic has unsettled the country’s employment picture for months and will likely continue to do so for a while. However, the nature and terminology of this disruption varies greatly among individuals – some have seen their jobs disappear, others have been “furloughed” and still others have been offered an early retirement. If you’re in this final group – those either offered, or feeling forced to accept, an early retirement, how should you respond? Try to look at your situation holistically, rather than strictly in a short-term...
A generation or so ago, people didn’t just retire from work – many of them also withdrew from a whole range of social and communal activities. But now, it’s different: The large Baby Boom cohort, and no doubt future ones, are insisting on an active lifestyle and continued involvement in their communities and world. So, what should you know about this “new retirement”? And how can you prepare for it? For starters, consider what it means to be a retiree today. The 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study has identifie...
Sidney — Agri-Plastics, A Group of Companies, announced the acquisition of the marketing rights and designated territory of Superior Mat and Comfort Inc. A family-owned company since 1999, Superior Mat and Comfort Inc., offers customized quality rubber solutions for dairy producers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Superior Mat and Comfort Inc. will now be a part of Agri-Comfort, a division of Agri-Plastics. The founder of Superior Mat and Comfort Inc, Martin Folkema, is joining the A...
Build your reputation right and customers will find you. That is the experience of Nick Eddy and his new shop Outlaw Motorsports. Several years ago, Eddy had a business called “Nick’s Small Engine Repair.” After a time he got away from small engines, but never really left the mechanical way of viewing things. That just comes naturally, he and his wife Diadra say. He has had a wrench in his hand most of his life. “I’ve been wrenching on motor sports since I was 12,” he says. His newest vent...
Sometimes in life opportunity presents itself when following an unexpected path. That is part of the history with a new company in Cheyenne County. Ken Sawyer was a cabinet builder in the Denver area. He and his family then moved to South Dakota where he set homes and continued custom woodworking. In 2013, they decided it was time for a change and his wife accepted a position at Sidney Regional Medical Center. Ken, meanwhile, accepted a position at Cabela’s. Three years and an injury later, S...
Lincoln, Nebraska — Nebraska’s leading economic indicator rose in June, according to the most recent report from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The leading indicator rose 1.72 percent during the month. Increases in both May and June followed a sharp decline in March and April. “The June increase confirms that the Nebraska economy is steadily recovering from the shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said economist Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research at the university. The recovery of the Nebraska economy is broad-...
It’s unfortunate, but true: During this period of economic uncertainty, one of the busiest “industries” has been financial scamming. But it goes on even during normal times, too, so you’ll want to know what to look for, and how to defend yourself. For starters, just how widespread is financial fraud? Consider this: In 2019, more than 3.2 million fraud cases were reported to the Federal Trade Commission, with identity theft being the most common type of fraud, accounting for about one-fif...
Throughout much of your working life, you contribute to your 401(k), IRA and other investment accounts to help ensure a comfortable retirement. However, once you do retire, you’ll need to shift your focus somewhat from building these investments to using them – in other words, you’ll have to start withdrawing from your portfolio to meet the costs of living. How can you be sure you’re not taking out so much that you risk outliving your resources? First of all, you need to establish a proper...
There’s an old saying that if you want to know someone, share a table with them. Saul Rodriguez and Rosa Gonzalez have the welcome mat out for their local of Tacos La Laguna. The family business is named after the hometown of Saul’s father who lived in Laguna, Mexico. They trace their family histories from the north and the south areas of Mexico. The result is the potential for meals that are spicy, and have the herbs known in southern Mexico. Prior to opening Tacos La Laguna, Rosa worked at...
Over the past few months, just about everyone has felt the loss of some type of freedom, whether it’s being able to travel, engage in social gatherings or participate in other activities we previously took for granted. Still, as we prepare to observe Independence Day, it’s comforting to realize all the freedoms we still have in this country. And taking the right steps can also help you achieve your financial independence. Here are some moves to consider: • Build an emergency fund. It’s a good...
The recent market volatility has affected just about everybody’s financial and investment situations – so, if you were planning to retire soon, will it still be possible? Of course, the answer depends somewhat on your employment situation. With so many people’s jobs being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, your retirement plans may also have been thrown into confusion. But assuming your employment is still stable, what adjustments in your financial and investment strategies might you need to make for your retirement? Here are a few areas...
The home should be a sanctuary, a place of shelter. For many, the home office is a way of doing business outside of the office, a place where the home is managed and official work of the home is done. It is also a trendy place to do the work of your employer. The challenge however, is what to do when the home environment offers as many distractions as benefits. That is where Kurt and Sarah Kaiser came up with the idea of shared space, a building where various enterprises can each have office...
Like everyone, you want to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle when you retire. But a successful retirement doesn’t just happen – it requires a lot of planning. And that’s why it’s a good idea to draw up a “pre-retiree checklist.” Such a checklist might look like this: __Twenty years before retirement: Try to estimate a “price tag” for your retirement, incorporating a variety of factors – where you might live, how much you might travel, what activities you’ll pursue, and so on. Then, assess if your retirement savings are on track to help you meet you...
On our farm we sampled five fields for biological activity this fall. We waited to sample the fields until the middle of September. The reason we waited was to get some rain so we could get our probe in the ground. We also figured moisture may increase the amount of biological activity. The fields we sampled were wheat stubble from this year’s wheat harvest and field pea stubble from this year’s field pea harvest. We also sampled a field of dry land corn and a field of cover crops that was planted where we weren’t able to plant dry land corn...
Have you given much thought to collecting Social Security? The answer probably depends on how old you are — but whatever your age, you’ll want to consider the best way of incorporating Social Security benefits into your retirement income strategy. Of course, if you have several decades to go until you retire, you might be wondering if Social Security will even be there for you at all. The basic issue is that the Social Security system is experiencing a sharply declining worker-to-beneficiary ratio. In plain English, this means that fewer wor...
Now that another year is ending, it’s a good time to take stock of where you are on your journey toward financial security. Of course, you could find many different “measuring sticks” to assess your progress, but you can certainly gain considerable information just by asking yourself some basic questions. Here are a few to consider: • How close am I to my retirement goals? Your comprehensive investment strategy should include a reasonably good estimate of how much money you will eventually need to sustain the retirement lifestyle you’ve...
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Since Florida’s mortgage crisis began about six years ago, banks have agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle allegations that they wrongfully foreclosed on thousands of homeowners. Prosecutors have charged loan servicers with filing fraudulent documents on behalf of banks. But the law firms and lawyers that homeowners and judges contend took part in those same practices? Some critics are accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Florida Bar of not going after them hard enough. More than two years after wrongdoing by...
Summer isn’t here yet, but it’s getting close. And for many people, the arrival of summer means it’s time for swimming at the local pool or lake. If you’re just a casual swimmer, you probably don’t have to adjust your diet before jumping in. But that’s not the case with competitive swimmers, who must constantly watch what they eat and drink, particularly in the days and hours preceding their races. While you may not ever have to concern yourself with your 400-meter individual medley “splits,” you can learn a lot from swimmers’ consumption patte...
LONDON (AP) — Britain has given the slip to the Triple Dip. The U.K. dodged a third recession after official figures showed the economy grew 0.3 percent in the first quarter compared with the previous three months — a better-than-expected result that offered a bit of breathing space to a government facing criticism for its tough austerity policies. The figure released Thursday by the Office for National Statistics was above analyst forecasts for 0.1 percent growth and allowed the country to avoid a so-called “Triple Dip” — a third recession...
On Arbor Day, which we celebrate this week, people across the country plant trees. Of course, trees provide us with many benefits, including beauty, fruit and oxygen, as well as protection against land erosion. But the act of planting and nurturing trees can also guide our behavior in other areas of life — such as investing. First of all, consider the vision and patience exhibited by tree growers when they plant their saplings. As an investor, you, too, need this type of perseverance and long-term outlook. When you invest, you should be focused...
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Several labor unions say more than $400,000 in contributions by Walmart Stores Inc. since 2010 helped bring about the creation of an unusual taxpayer-paid subsidy last month to help employers offset a higher minimum wage in New York. Senate Republicans, who had long opposed an increase in the minimum wage along with some business groups, called the unions’ claim “complete and utter nonsense.” Republicans senators never had any conversation with Walmart on the issue, spokesman Scott Reif said. In March, the Legisla...
Next week, we observe Earth Day. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day has grown into an international movement whose goal is to raise awareness of the need to take action to sustain a healthy, sustainable environment. You can do your part through recycling and other measures, but you can also apply some of the lessons of Earth Day to your financial situation — and, in particular, to your approach to investing. Give these ideas some thought: • Make the most of your existing resources. One of the most valuable lessons of Earth Day deals with the n...
Life is full of ups and downs — and the financial markets are no different. As an investor, you’re no doubt happy to see the “ups” — but the “downs” can seem like a real downer. Isn’t there any way to help smooth out the volatility in your investment portfolio? First of all, to cope with volatility, it’s helpful to know what causes it — and there can be many causes. Computers that make trades in milliseconds, based on mathematical models, are sometimes blamed for intraday volatility, but large price swings can also occur following the release o...
You probably aren’t too worried about it, but April is Stress Awareness Month. Each year, the Health Resource Network sponsors this “month” to inform people about the dangers of stress and to share successful coping strategies. Obviously, it’s important to reduce stress in all walks of life — including your investment activities. How can you cut down on the various stresses associated with investing? Here are a few possible “stress-busters”: • Know your risk tolerance. If you’re constantly worrying about the value of your investments, your...
If you own a business, you may well follow a “do it now” philosophy – which is, of course, necessary to keep things running smoothly. Still, you also need to think about tomorrow – which means you’ll want to take action on your own retirement and business succession plans. Fortunately, you’ve got some attractive options in these areas. For example, you could choose a retirement plan that offers at least two key advantages: potential tax-deferred earnings and a wide array of investment options. Plus, some retirement plans allow you to make tax...
