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WH Cornerstone Investments Newsletter
Working with you to achieve a future that is greater than your past
Greetings!
Year end is an exciting time! The holidays are a
time to celebrate with family and friends. It is a
time for reflection--to measure one’s
accomplishments during the year. We give thanks for
our bounty. We share our good fortune with others. It
is a time to prepare for a New Year! May the joy of
the season be with each and every one of you.
Time to Share. Create a Buzz. We like to
travel by “living like natives”. So we’ve lived on a
houseboat
in Amsterdam, a Parisian apartment
in Montmartre, a cottage overlooking the
Caribbean, and an antique farmhouse in the
Berkshires. How do we find these places? We find
them on the internet. A great resource is CyberRentals.
They connect you to over 22,000 vacation
rentals—villas, condos, cabins, cottages and beach
houses around the world. It can make for a really
unique and fun vacation!
Happy Holidays — Paula and Bill Harris
12 rules for 'regifting' without fear
If you're going to do it (and it's more common than you think), please update the wrapping -- and remove the old gift card.
There are only three reasons you might be reading this:
- You think "regifting" is totally tacky, but you
secretly hope there might be a polite way to get rid
of that hideous scarf your Aunt Edna gave you.
- You're a chronic regifter and you need some new
ideas to get you through the holidays.
- You've never heard of regifting. Really. You're
just curious.
Last chance to do something smart in 2006
These strategies will cut your taxes and prep you for the new year. But you have to act by Dec. 31.
Face it: Time is running out. With just a few weeks
left in 2006, you know you can't shed those 10
pounds, learn to play the piano or accomplish any of
those other New Year's resolutions you made last
January--including the promise to get your finances
in better shape (save more, spend less, yada, yada).
But rather than beat yourself up over what you
should have done these past 11 months, get
productive in the month you have left. Take these
eight steps before Dec. 31 to help lower your taxes
and position your family for a more prosperous 2007.
Six ways to shrink that heating bill
Most of these simple tips require little or no investment and are said to reduce costs significantly.
With winter fast approaching, and the cost of
natural gas and oil still far above historic norms,
here are six basic steps that could save you big on
heating bills.
Complete your success with philanthropy
by Paula Harris, WH Cornerstone Investments
You’re working hard, making good money and yet,
rather than feeling like a total success, you’re a
bit empty inside. There is a way you can feed your
soul – by using your financial resources to
establish a personal charitable giving strategy.
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) offer a way to make
significant charitable gifts over the long term
while allowing you to make a difference in the world.
10 cheap fixes to boost your home's value
Short on cash but ready to renovate? Think new door handles, not new doors, and spiffed-up appliance fronts, not new appliances.
Looking for ways to spruce up your home without
putting yourself in the poorhouse? Whether you're
getting ready to sell your home or want to spiff it
up inexpensively for your own enjoyment, we've got
10 good strategies for you to consider.
Gift cards challenge apparel as No. 1 holiday gift
Consumers are willing to pay for gift cards they can use anywhere, a new survey finds. But fees remain the cards' great drawback.
Americans are preparing for the holiday season --
the busiest spending season of the year -- and they
are expected to spend $457.4 billion, according to
the National Retail Federation. For years, apparel
has been the No. 1 holiday gift. This year, though,
the gift card is going to give that paisley tie or
green sweater a run for the money.
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