In the News...

Looking forward, there are major concerns about the impact that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) will have on the United States of America. One concern in particular is the large expansion in access to care. This is projected to congest the market. There have also been significant increases in rates and premiums across the nation for health insurance with record high premiums increasing sometimes as high as 90 percent.

The government has offered two options for families: either sign up for Obamacare or seek out private health insurance coverage options. However, the ACA subsidies are available only to people with incomes below $46,000 for an individual or $62,000 for a husband and wife.

Bear in mind, if you are not eligible for the ACA subsidies, by law every American is required to purchase insurance before April 1st or pay a fine. The open enrollment period to purchase health insurance coverage for 2014 through the Health Insurance Marketplace currently runs until March 31, 2014. The fine for noncompliance will affect 2015 taxes by forcing households to pay either $95 or 1% of their taxable income, whichever is greater.

With that said, we encourage Americans who are considering signing up for Obamacare to thoroughly research the topic. Levels of coverage under Obamacare may or may not be similar to what many have been accustomed to in the past. For example, the act states it provides preventative health care, but also recommends people be aware that plans can have an annual dollar limit and a lifetime dollar limit on spending for health care services not considered essential. We hope Americans will bear this in mind when seeking out health care subsidies in this pivotal moment of our history.

Puppy Prize Winner, 1949

Store manager Ernie Gallup presents Dorothy Carr with the Cocker Spaniel puppy she won at Clair's Market on W. Holly Street. Yes, there was a time when an in-store promotion for dog food made local news. Jack's photo of the event is a classic.

Who doesn't love a trip down memory lane?! Multop Financial is very pleased to present a wonderful new set of historical images, taken from the Whatcom Museum's collection of Jack Carver's work. We invite you to stop by, grab a coffee and stroll our hallways as you are entertained by our second showing of archival photos; a snap shot of Bellingham and Whatcom County's history. Our first exhibition was such a hit, we invite our clients and guests to carve out a few extra minutes when you visit our office so that you may enjoy a dozen more poignant moments as seen through the camera lens of Jack Carver.

Mr. Carver was the staff photographer for The Bellingham Herald from October 1945 to August 1981. During much of his long career he was the Herald's only photographer. Though the newspaper routinely credited his photos to an anonymous "Herald Staff," area residents knew who Jack Carver was. He seemed to be at every community event, however momentous or modest, with that large camera he lugged around. There was always a deadline, so Jack needed to work fast. He had to quickly assess a situation and determine how to take a picture that fit the story. And there is indeed a story behind each of Jack's pictures.

Added up, Jack Carver's legacy is more than 50,000 high-resolution images, now housed in the Whatcom Museum's Photo Archives, documenting nearly forty years of local history.  We extend a very special thank you to Jeff Jewel of the Whatcom Museum for helping us select yet another delightful show. If you are interested in learning more about the resources offered by the Whatcom Museum, feel free to talk to Melanie Multop. She has served on Whatcom Museum's Foundation Board of Directors since 2007.