Jill on Money: More year-end financial planning tips

 

By Jill Schlesinger

Tribune Content Agency

Last week, I outlined some financial planning tips that varied somewhat from year-end advice in past years, due to changes that likely in the tax code going forward. They included things like accelerating and bunching itemized deductions, using highly appreciated securities for charitable contributions, paying state and local taxes as soon as possible but holding off prepaying mortgages, and selling winners in taxable accounts.

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PET WORLD: Choosing the right pet for a child

  By Marc Morrone

Tribune Content Agency
 
 Q: My grandchildren are now 10 and 8-years-old, and I want to get them some kind of pet so that they will learn a bit of responsibility. The landlord will not allow dogs or cats, but said they could get any pet that stays in a cage. So we were thinking of a bird or rodent and wondered what you suggest. Their parents both work so it would have to be something with low maintenance. – Fran Williams, Arlington, Va.

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Fatherhood Project: Parenting Advice: Marcus Brown

 When you spend time with your children, you usually have better results as a parent.  Marcus Brown says that parents have a challenging position but it is rewarding too.

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MSU receives $2M grant from Mott Foundation to improve future for Flint students

 

EAST LANSING, MI —  Michigan State University’s Office of K-12 Outreach will continue to help improve educational opportunities for students in the city of Flint, thanks to a $2.1 million grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

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Are death row cases plagued with racial bias?

 EAST LANSING, MI —     Defendants charged with murder in North Carolina from 1990 to 2009 were more than twice as likely to receive the death penalty if the victims were white, Michigan State University researchers have found.

 

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My Perspective: The Death of Fidel

By Ramze Suliman

 
The best way to get to know a person, a country or even a dictatorship is to come in without any preconceived notions. It sounds much easier than it is.
 

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Excuse me, are you listening? 15-25

 Dear Readers,

 
I am so happy that 2016 is coming to an end.  I have been looking through gardening books and collecting information for my 2017 garden.  I know it may not be everyone’s aspiration to grow their own food but I enjoy it.  Even if I do not complete all of my goals, I love creating lists and information about growing my own food.
 

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Buyer Beware: Tips for Safe Online Shopping

 

Presented by Sara Frank-Hepfer, CFP®, AAMS®
 
Looking for power tools? A vintage Chanel purse? A living-room sofa? Millions of shoppers are bypassing brick-and-mortar stores, as well as their respective websites, in favor of purchasing such items from individual online sellers. For many people, sites like Craigslist and eBay offer a chance to save on everyday items and luxury products, both new and used—all from the comfort of their own homes. 

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