Tag Archives: Advice Columns

Choosing the Correct Paint For Your Project

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Everyone knows that interior painting in the winter usually means days of leaving a window cracked to ventilate the space, dry the paint and eliminate the odor. Now there is a paint that will speed of the time of the project and eliminate these hassles.

Benjamin Moore, the leader in top quality environmentally beneficial paints, has two products that are ideal non- allergenic paints. Aura™, a latex paint with color lock technology, has waterborne colorants and a built-in primer. The biggest benefit of using Aura™ is that it has virtually no odor or irritating volatile compounds to pollute the air, which makes this an all around ideal performer for every room in the house. When the speed of the completion of the job is paramount this paint is preferred as it dries quickly and allows recoating in an hour. The walls will be completely dry in four hours and the paint surface can be scrubbed without removing any color. This is a wonderful benefit in hallways and children’s rooms. Painters love the ease of application and coverage (one coat will hide the deepest color without bleed through) and the ability to clean up with just soap and water. Aura™ is available in a variety of finishes (matte to satin) for both interior and exterior applications and is available in the entire palette of the Benjamin Moore colors on request. Other brands of paint have more water and a lower concentration of colorants, so they will not cover as well, the colors won’t be true and the walls won’t hold up to scrubbing.

For hospitals, spas, schools, bathrooms and assisted living facilities, Benjamin Moore Eco Spec Silver™ paint is the best choice. The elemental silver is an anti-microbial additive that extends the life of the paint by controlling the deterioration caused by mold and mildew. It doesn’t have any VOC’S (volatile organic compounds) and can also be cleaned up with soap and water.

To view photos of room settings using these paints and get inspired for your project, go to my website: www.jeancaryinteriors.com and click on the Color Consultations page.

— Jean Cary, Jean Cary Interiors

Disaster Preparedness Tips for February

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This month’s focus is on the Big Turn-Off: knowing where your utility boxes are and how to shut them off in case of an emergency.


UTILITY SHUT-OFFS

LOCATE YOUR GAS AND WATER SHUTOFF VALVES AND THE ELECTRIC FUSE BOX. The gas and water shutoffs are usually outside and the fuse box will be in the garage or inside a closet.

KNOW HOW TO TURN OFF THE GAS AND WATER. In general, the water shutoff will be a round handle like the handle for the garden hose.. Turn it clockwise to turn the water supply for the house off. The gas valve will require a wrench. A quarter turn will close it off. Note that the water and/or gas valves may be housed in a cool dark place frequented by spiders and other nasties, so WEAR HEAVY GLOVES when working in those spaces.

IF YOU CANNOT LOCATE YOUR UTILITY SHUTOFFS OR DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TURN THEM OFF, contact your homeowner’s association if you have one.

DO NOT TURN OFF THE GAS UTILITY UNLESS YOU SMELL GAS OR HAVE REASONS TO SUSPECT A LINE IS BROKEN. Once the gas is turned off, you will need to contact PG&E to turn it back on and that could take several days.

KEEP A WRENCH ENCLOSED IN A PLASTIC BAG NEXT TO THE GAS VALVE. As the valve tends to freeze over time, a longer wrench will give you a better chance of closing it off.

TOOLS AND CLOTHING

KEEP A PAIR OF STURDY (heavy rubber soled) SHOES BESIDE YOUR BED. Quakes can occur at night and most of us sleep barefoot! Include a warm sweater/jacket, rain gear (vinyl parka), heavy gloves and a change or clothes for each household member in your quake supplies.

INCLUDE A CROWBAR, PICK, HAMMER, ROPE AND LOTS OF FLASHLIGHTS in your list of tools and hardware to have on hand. Keep flashlights everywhere – each room and vehicle. Also, have at least one battery operated radio near by. Check the batteries in flashlights and radios often. Keep extra batteries on hand at all times.

INVOLVE ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS IN QUAKE PREPARATION!

— Mike Mancusi

—  Mike Mancusi

A (re)Balancing Act

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Buy low, sell high – the most common tenet of the investment world. Sounds very basic but how does one do this in the absence of a crystal ball? Well, there is one technique – rebalance your portfolio. Not only this lends you a discipline that leads to buying low and selling high, it also ensures that your portfolio reflects your investment goals and your risk profile.

Let us take a simple example of this. Say on Jan 1, 2010, your target asset allocation was 30% fixed income and 70% equity and you had $100,000 to invest. You decided to implement your portfolio using ETFs AGG, a bond ETF that represents the total United States investment-grade bond market and SPY, another ETF, which represents S&P 500 Index. However, by the middle of Jan 2011, AGG had gained ~2.7% whereas SPY had gained ~13.50%. This resulted in your portfolio being 28.00% in AGG and 72.00% in SPY. So what do you do? You sell the extra 2% in SPY and buy AGG with that cash. Now your portfolio is back to its target of 30% in fixed income and 70% in equity. And in the process, you have taken the gains that SPY rise had given and bought AGG which had performed less spectacularly than equities.

So, why rebalance now? The bounce in stocks in 2010 and drop in bond prices in last few months would have definitely had its impact on most of the portfolios. Also, there are still a number of investors who are in cash. This can be a good opportunity to decide how you would like to deploy and invest that cash. There is no perfect time to rebalance but once a year is a good frequency for most investors. This gives them a discipline and an opportunity to review their asset allocation. An asset allocation reflects each investor’s personal financial situation, their investment goals and their risk profile among other things. As time passes, we should make time to review whether our asset allocation still represents our current personal and financial situation correctly. A time allocated for rebalancing can give a framework in which to make this decision. It is almost like setting the clock in spring and fall. Make this a habit and you will be glad you did it.

— Lavina Nagar

— Lavina is a financial planner and founder of Maya Advisors, Inc. She can be reached on 650.704.3074 or 

Disclaimer: This article is for information-purposes only, and may not apply to your unique situation. Nothing in this should be interpreted to be a recommendation to anyone to purchase, sell or hold any security or product. It does not replace a lawyer, accountant, financial planner, or other professional advice.

Pain in the Drain

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Redwood City and the Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group (a committee of Bay Area Clean Water Agencies) are putting the word out that during the holidays, you can help avoid drain and sewage backups in the home – do NOT put cooking oil or grease down the drain, and you’ll Avoid Pain in the Drain!

Cooking fats, oil, and grease will block drains and sewers, causing backups and possibly costly drain cleaning. So don’t put them down the drain! Prevent raw sewage backups into your home, your streets, and the Bay.

Did you know you can recycle large quantities of turkey fryer oil and cooking grease? To find a recycle location go to www.baywise.org.

Here are tips for properly handling your cooking oil and fat and grease during the holidays – and year ‘round:

  • Never pour fats, oil, or grease down drains, even if you have a garbage disposal.
  • Pour cooking oil and grease into a sealable container with an absorbent such as paper garbage and discard with your other garbage.
  • Recycle large amounts of grease or cooking oil (including from deep fryers) at Bay Area grease recycling locations (see www.baywise.org).
  • Use food strainers in kitchen sinks to catch food particles and scrape leftover food waste into the garbage or compost container instead of the garbage disposal.

Thanks for helping to Avoid Pain in the Drain!

Disaster Preparedness Tips for January

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WATER: Following a disaster our water supply could be shut off. Are you prepared?

YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE GALLON PER PERSON PER DAY, MINIMUM. FEMA RECOMMENDS A THREE DAY SUPPLY.

Make sure water is stored in the proper containers, away from sunlight and contaminates, and in as spill-proof a location as possible. Use opaque, not clear, containers. Store on the floor, not on a shelf

YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET WATER FROM THE TOILET TANK. (only if not treated chemically – blue tank water, “2000 Flushes”, etc.).

You may need to filter for glass particles or purify when water is obtained from those sources. DO NOT DEPEND ON THIS WATER SOURCE! Never use water from the toilet bowl and do not use from the tank if toilet has been flushed after the quake (broken sewer lines may have contaminated the water).

YOU MAY ALSO USE CANNED OR “BOXED” JUICES AND THE LIQUID FROM CANNED GOODS AS AN ALTERNATE SOURCE FOR VARIATION.

YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET WATER FROM YOUR WATER PIPES. Turn off the water supply to your house. Open the faucets of your second story bath. Then open a downstairs faucet with a collecting pail beneath it.

USE MELTED ICE FROM THE FREEZER. it’s another small but usable source..

COLLECT RAIN WATER IN CLEAN CONTAINERS AFTER A QUAKE. Dirty containers can be lined with clean plastic bags, when needed.

CONSERVE, CONSERVE, CONSERVE! Use water only for drinking, washing hands and cooking after the quake.

BUY A WATER FILTRATIONIPURIFYING SYSTEM AND/OR TABLETS. You can find out about these at most full-line camping supply retailers (REI, Redwood Trading Post…)

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

  • DON’T FORGET FOOD AND WATER FOR PETS. Pets may consume large quantities of water when under stress, so make sure you’ve included water supplies for them. Keeping an extra bag of dry food will take care of the pet’s short term nutritional needs and is easy to store for most pets.
  • MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER!! There is a good chance that more than a three day supply will be needed if freeway overpasses collapse, blocking access roads, or if neighbors are not prepared or their supply is destroyed.
  • KEEP BACKPACKS AROUND TO CARRY FOOD IN, should we need to hike out of the area.

—  Mike Mancusi

Athi Sarvatra Varjayet

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No, this is not a tongue-twister. Or maybe it is, but not the normal kind. Ancient language of Sanskrit, despite its phonetic cleanliness can be a tongue-twisting language, with its combinations of half sounds and compound words. It holds a place in the history of mankind equivalent to Greek and Latin. It lets us peep in the past and see a bygone era of poetry and drama, science and technology, philosophy and religion that transcends time and space. And one of its little gems that have stood all tests of time is “Athi Sarvatra Varjayet” – excess of anything is bad.

This time of the year particularly brings this sage advice to the forefront. As the year starts on a fresh page, it provides a sane perspective to portfolio planning. Concentrated portfolios are a sign of excess – excess of greed or fear or inertia. I know of someone who once had an unrealized gain of over seven million. Only to see it dwindle down to a low hundred thousand after the dot-com bust. The culprit? Not greed, not fear, just inertia. And this is still a happy story. As many in the valley will tell you, not all such stories have a happy ending. And yet, most common issue we see with most of the portfolios that we come across is the concentration – concentration in one security, and equally common, concentration in one sector. And you can guess the sector. It is either technology or bio-tech. One of the portfolios I have seen could have been more easily managed by selling all its holdings and buying a simple index fund or ETF on Nasdaq; giving an added advantage of avoiding the illusion of being diversified!

On the other hand, you will also come across innumerable stories of people who have made fortunes by finding and concentrating on a single idea. It does work and works pretty well when all the stars are aligned. But a single misalignment can be a recipe for failure. For prudent investors with life goals and aspirations, concentrated portfolio is not the recommended approach. Life is not judged by bragging rights; it is judged by achieving your goals on your terms and within your timeframe.

May the New Year bring you and your loved ones good health, cheer and peace!

— Lavina Nagar

— Lavina is a financial planner and founder of Maya Advisors, Inc. She can be reached on 650.704.3074 or 

Disclaimer: This article is for information-purposes only, and may not apply to your unique situation. Nothing in this should be interpreted to be a recommendation to anyone to purchase, sell or hold any security or product. It does not replace a lawyer, accountant, financial planner, or other professional advice.

Four Steps to Organize Any Space

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After the excesses of the holiday season, you’re not alone if you feel that January is a good time to refresh your surroundings. Along with health and fitness, getting organized is high on many people’s lists.   Try using these 4 steps on one well-defined space:

1. Pause. Think about how you use the space, what’s working well, and what’s driving you nuts.  It’s not hard to figure out that your closet should hold clothes, shoes and accessories, but in a living space, activities can vary.  For example, you might use your kitchen for homework and bill-paying, as well as cooking and food storage.  This is important information because, wherever possible, keeping belongings where you use them will make life easier and tidier.

2. Sort. Take everything in the room and sort it into categories.  In the kitchen, you might collect all dry food items together and all glassware somewhere else.  Pick categories which are meaningful to you.  For example, a keen cookie-maker might group baking supplies, while in the closet, an avid athlete would gather sports clothing together.

Once similar items are in a single location, you’ll easily see how much excess you own. Whether it’s 6 damaged umbrellas or 47 white T-shirts, sorting is always extremely revealing and makes the next part much easier.

3. De-clutter. Do you love it, do you use it, or are you obliged to keep it for legal reasons?  Generally speaking, things should pass this test, or they may not belong in your life. Broken items, clothes which don’t fit and magazines you’ll never read, do not deserve house-space, especially in our costly Bay Area homes.  A good de-cluttering session is not only beneficial for you, but non-profits will be thrilled to receive your cast-offs.

4. Reward the items you love, use, and need with new locations. The things you use regularly deserve the best, most convenient storage spots. Once you’ve figured out roughly where something should go, you might now decide to invest in appropriate containers.  Just be sure to complete step 3, before spending money on new boxes and baskets for things you don’t need!

Try to look creatively at your space, and make good use of vertical areas like walls and backs of doors. Don’t be afraid to store items where they might not conventionally belong:  if you love to play guitar in the dining room, make a spot there for your sheet music.

***

Remember, getting organized is an ongoing process and no home or office is ever completely calm and chaos-free.  However, by shedding stuff you don’t need and allocating prime locations for vital belongings, you should find life runs just a little more smoothly.

— Pauline Wiles,
— Redwood Shores resident and owner,
— The English Organizer

Tax Tips

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(The following subject matter may require a more comprehensive discussion with your tax advisor than this summary can provide.)

Small Business Jobs Act Brings Tax Benefits

The House passed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (H.R. 5297).

California does not conform to any of the provisions in the Act. For now, here is a list of the provisions included in the Act:

  • ¤179 expanded: For tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011, expense limit is increased to $500,000 and phase-out threshold increased to $2 million;
  • ¤179 for (some) real estate: For tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011, taxpayers can elect to treat certain real estate as ¤179-eligible. Qualifying real estate includes:
    • Qualified leasehold improvements;
    • Qualified restaurant property; and
    • Qualified retail improvement property.
  • Bonus depreciation extended: Available for property purchased through December 31, 2010;
  • Luxury auto depreciation increased: As a result of the extension of bonus depreciation, first-year depreciation of automobiles is bumped up $8,000;
  • Deduction for start-up expenditures increased: Under IRC ¤195, increased from $5,000 to $10,000 for taxable years beginning in 2010 (only);
  • Exclusion for small business stock: For purchases made after the date of enactment and before January 1, 2011, the exclusion for small business stock under IRC ¤1202 is increased to 100%;
  • Five-year carryback for general business credits: Effective for credits determined in the taxpayer’s first taxable year beginning after December 31, 2009 (one year only), the carryback period for an “eligible small business” is increased from one to five years. In addition, the credit is not subject to the AMT limitation;
  • Built-in gain period shortened to five years: For taxable years beginning in 2011 (only), the recognition period for the BIG tax is shortened to five years;
  • Deduction for health insurance for SECA purposes: For 2010 (only), the deduction for self-employed health insurance is also a deduction for purposes of the SE tax;
  • Cell phones removed from listed property: Permanent and effective for tax years ending after 2009;
  • Information reporting required for rental property: Effective for payments made after December 31, 2010, rental real estate is treated as a trade or business for information reporting purposes. IRS to prescribe de minimis exceptions;
  • Higher information return penalties: Penalties under IRC ¤6721 are substantially increased beginning in 2011;
  • ¤457 plans can include Roth accounts: For tax years beginning after December 31, 2010; and
  • Rollovers from elective deferral plans to in-plan Roth accounts allowed: Effective on the date of enactment. Will allow a two-year deferral (2011 and 2012) for rollovers done in 2010.

— B.L. Pang EA
B.L. can be reached at (650) 593 7522 or emailed at

The Therapist’s Corner

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We all know the feeling: you wake up, feel sluggish and have trouble getting ready to tackle the day. You’d rather just stay in bed, don’t really want to interact much with others and don’t have the energy you usually have. Basically, you feel kind of “blah.” Even so, you pull yourself together, go to work and have a decent enough day. The next day you’re back to your old self, and those other feelings are just a memory. While it’s an uncomfortable way to feel, in clinical terms it really isn’t depression. It’s normal to feel that way on occasion.

Given that the holiday season is upon us, it seemed like the right time to write an article on the subject of depression. This is a time of year many people look forward to with both excitement and trepidation. It’s also a time when some may experience heightened states of feeling depressed. There are several forms of depression to consider, such as that which occurs in the context of bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depression), and dysthymia, which is a less severe, though fairly chronic condition that generally waxes and wanes for years. Additionally, post-partum depression is one that occurs in some women following childbirth, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has its onset during the winter months when there is less natural sunlight.

Major depression, however, is probably the form most people think of when the term depression is used. The diagnosis is not made unless someone experiences five or more of the following symptoms for at least a two week period: depressed mood, sleep and appetite disturbance, poor concentration, inability to derive pleasure, low energy, agitation, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of death/suicide. Typically, major depression will also have an impact on important areas of functioning, such as with work and relationships. This is by no means a rare condition. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults and is the leading cause of disability for people ages 15-44.

So what can you do if you or a loved one suffers from depression? The combination of anti-depressant medication and psychotherapy is generally the best approach. There are, however, many forms of each, and so a good place to start may be to consult with your primary physician as they generally have a lot of experience with depression.

One final note about thoughts of suicide: always take them seriously. When someone is feeling such hopelessness and despair it’s not unusual for suicidal thoughts to surface. It is at those times that loved ones have to intervene. Taking the person to their physician or to an emergency room may be necessary and even calling the police is an option if you believe there is imminent risk and the individual is not cooperating in seeking help. While it’s often an uncomfortable topic to discuss openly, the consequences of not doing so can be much, much worse.

— Scott M. Granet

Scott  Granet, LCSW is a long-time resident of Redwood Shores, and is director of the OCD-BDD Clinic of Northern California in Redwood City. He would like to hear your suggestions for future columns, and can be reached at 650-599-3325 or .

Fire Safety for the Holidays

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You may know that the holidays are a time of increased risk of home fires – some holiday activities including cooking, Christmas trees, candle usage, and use of holiday decorations, are among the leading causes of home fires. Here are a few key fire-safety tips from the Redwood City Fire Department:

Kitchen safety:

  • Stay in the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food. Most cooking fires involve the stovetop, so keep anything that can catch fire away from it, and turn off the stove when you leave the kitchen, even if it’s for a short period of time. If you’re simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.

Candles:

  • Consider using flameless candles, which look and smell like real candles. However, if you do use traditional candles, keep them at least 12” away from anything that can burn, and remember to blow them out when you leave the room or go to bed. Use candle holders that are sturdy, won’t tip over and are placed on uncluttered surfaces. Avoid using candles in the bedroom.

Trees:

  • If you have an artificial tree, be sure it’s labeled, certified or identified by the manufacturer as fire-retardant.
  • If you choose a fresh tree, make sure the green needles don’t fall off when touched; before placing it in the stand, cut 1-2” from the base of the trunk. Add water to the tree stand, and be sure to water it daily.
  • Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit, and is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles and heat vents or lights.
  • Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory, and make sure you know whether they are designed for indoor or outdoor use.
  • Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords, or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini-string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.
  • Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
  • Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving the home or going to bed.
  • After Christmas, remove the tree from your home. Dried-out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside the home.
  • Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

Additional information on home fire safety for the holidays is available from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website, located at www.nfpa.org/holiday . More information on how to make your home “fire-safe” can be obtained by contacting the Redwood City Fire Department at 650-780-7400 or visiting www.redwoodcity.org/fire .