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MONEY MATTERS: IRA beneficiaries an important decision

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When you establish a Roth IRA you're generally required to complete a beneficiary designation form with your custodian or trustee.
The beneficiary (or beneficiaries) you name will receive the remaining funds in your Roth IRA after you die. Although choosing a beneficiary may seem straightforward, there are actually several tax and non-tax points to consider and the beneficiary decisions you make now may have significant consequences in the future.

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS: Lesson in conservation taught by young child

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It was in the northern woods of our great state of Michigan about a decade ago.
My son Jacob and I were doing a little fall turkey hunting. At this point, Jacob was 6 years old.
My children have hunted and fished with me from about the time they no longer needed diapers. Every father knows how well dads and diapers get along.
During these formative years there were many lessons both my children and I learned. This was one of those times in which I learned the lesson from the child.

TRAVEL TALK: Jamaica a versatile travel destination

Some of you may have cruised into the Jamaican ports of Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. Or you may have flown into Montego Bay and transferred to your island resort destination such as Negril.
Each of these destination cities offers unique vacation possibilities and beautiful white sand beaches.
The Jamaicans are wonderful people with a rich heritage.

Tyler Gargala's picture

KITCHEN CONNECTION: Seasoned skewers give added flavor to kabobs

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Does a grilled Thai chicken recipe sound delicious? You bet.
And these shish kabobs taste as good as they sound.
The skewers are cool because they are seasoned and they flavor what ever you put on them. What’s even better is that these skewers are available at the Holland Farmers Market.
You might be thinking, “Tyler, the kid who loves creating and cooking all things Italian, came up with a Thai recipe? Well that’s as rare as finding a shark in Lake Michigan.”

CHANGING GEARS - Bicycle ride winds through Zeeland before going east

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Jim Hayden
The Paw Paw Foot Bridge on the west side of Zeeland is 10 years old. The winding path between the bridge and Main Avenue is nice to look at but be careful riding around the tight curves.

 

TRAVEL TALK: Eastern seaboard a cruising option

In Michigan we are blessed with four seasons.
My two favorite are spring, when once again we see color back in the trees, and flowers and we get to mow the grass, and my other favorite is fall.
Even though I know fall is followed by snow, I love the changing of the colors.
If you like the beautiful fall colors then perhaps a Canada and New England cruise would be something for you to look into.
Sailing the Atlantic along the Eastern Seaboard can be as short as seven days and as long as 21.

Tyler Gargala's picture

KITCHEN CONNECTION: Pueblo chicken tacos pack an unexpected punch

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Finally, a good taco recipe. And one with a kick, too.
But beware, if you think that you have avoided the spice, think again.
It sneaks up on you.
I would recommend eating it in a corn tortilla with sour cream, onions, avocado and lime juice. If that isn’t enough you could try some Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce. That would give it a twist.
Although you usually wouldn’t use a Jamaican sauce on a Southwestern dish, it is surprisingly good.
This is a delightfully easy recipe to make for company.
I hope you enjoy my chicken taco recipe

TRAVEL TALK: New Zealand a different type of "Down Under" adventure

As summer nears its half-way point, New Zealand looks forward to welcoming its spring and summer, so if you would like to extend your summer in a wonderful destination, consider a trip to the Southern Hemisphere.
My journey to New Zealand began with a stopover in Hawaii for a few days to enjoy the sights and sounds of Waikiki Beach.  Then we boarded a flight at midnight and traveled to Auckland, New Zealand, the “City of Sails.” Auckland is a cosmopolitan city on the North Island of New Zealand.

Tyler Gargala's picture

KITCHEN CONNECTION: Zucchini bread an odd complement to coffee

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Zucchini bread.
Yuck, that sounds disgusting.
Well, to be quite frank, that is exactly what I thought when my mom first made it. And to be quite frank again, it is not disgusting.
So, I made this recipe again and decided to share it with you and the coffee stand.
This recipe actually complements coffee quite well, even though the zucchini and the rich, bittersweet coffee seem to be a bas combination.
Despite what many believed, including me, this bread actually came through.
Enjoy.

Chocolate
Zucchini Bread
Ingredients:
3 eggs

MONEY MATTERS: Diversity important in asset allocation

One of the many important decisions for your investment portfolio is that regarding asset allocation.
Asset allocation is an approach in which you spread investments over different asset categories, such as equities, cash like investments, bonds, real estate, foreign securities, and possibly even precious metals and collectibles.

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