Local Opinion Editorials

Everyone has bills to pay and that’s the only reason I can think of to explain some of the movies that have come out lately with a stellar cast but little creativity or emotional resonance. After a spate of big streaming misses, it has been refreshing . . . 

Are you concerned about debt? It’s important to recognize this, but, at the same time, you may have more ways of gaining control of your debt situation than you had realized.

To begin with, not all debts are bad — after all, your mortgage provides . . . 

Dear Editor,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed Private racetrack in our community. While some may see this as an opportunity for entertainment and economic growth, the long-term negative consequences far outweigh any short-term . . . 

Great actors can sometimes make stale writing still feel exciting, as exemplified in The Gorge and Running Point. Meanwhile, Sara Bareilles’s songwriting elevates an already great film in Waitress: The Musical.

In The Gorge two highly-skilled snipers . . . 

Your Social Security benefits can be an important part of your retirement income, but when should you start collecting them? It’s a big decision, so you’ll want to consider your options carefully.

Essentially, you’ll need to decide whether you’re . . . 

Once you and your spouse retire, you’ll have some decisions to make — decisions that could affect your quality of life in your retirement years. What are these choices?

Here a few of the most important ones:

• How much should you withdraw from your retirement accounts? By the time you retire, you may have contributed for decades to an IRA and a 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan. But once you retire, you’ll probably need to draw on these accounts to help pay your living expenses. Consequently, both of you will need to be sure that you don’t withdraw so much each year that you risk running out of money later in your retirement. One common guideline is to aim for an annual withdrawal rate of 4%, but everyone’s situation is different based on age, pre-retirement income, lifestyle, health, travel plans and other factors. (Once you turn 73, or 75 if you were born in 1960 or later, you will have to take certain amounts, based on your age and account balance, from your traditional IRA and traditional 401(k) each year.)
• When should you take Social Security? The answer to this question depends on many factors, such as your age and other sources of income. You can take Social Security as early as age 62, but your monthly payments will typically be bigger if you wait until your full retirement age, which will be age 67 if you were born in 1960 or later. And if you can afford to wait even longer, your payments will “max out” when you reach age 70. Your decision on when to take Social Security can affect your spouse — and vice versa. If the lower-earning spouse claims Social Security before their full retirement age — again, age 67 — their own retirement benefit and any potential spousal benefit will be reduced. (Spousal benefits are given to the lower-earning spouse if their full retirement benefit is less than half the other spouse’s full retirement benefit.)
• Should you downsize? If you live in a big home and your children are grown, you may find it economical to downsize. Of course, this is also an emotional decision, but you may find that you can save money by moving into a smaller home.
• Where should you live? Some states are far more expensive to live in than others. You’ll want to weigh your decision carefully, considering the cost of housing, food, income and real estate taxes, transportation and health care in whatever state you choose.
• Have you finished your estate plans? If not, now is the time. You’ll want to work with your legal professional to create whatever documents are needed — a will, living trust, power of attorney — to help ensure your assets go where you want them to go, and that your financial and health care choices will be protected if you become physically or mentally incapacitated.

Of course, many of these same issues will . . . 

The other day, I asked my daughter to rank the fictional bears. Corduroy topped her list, followed closely by Paddington and Winnie the Pooh. Then, we saw the latest Paddington movie in the theater, and it did not help the loveable bear take the top . . . 

Sometimes movies that feel familiar provide a comforting sort of fun and other times they set us up for unexpected twists. The new movie Back in Action deploys all the usual action-comedy tropes but still feels like a blockbuster. Meanwhile, A Different . . . 

After working for decades, you may have been looking forward to retiring. But what if you decide to “reverse” your retirement?

You could rejoin the workforce for any number of reasons. You might need the added income to help pay for your living . . . 

This week, I watched two films that very differently explore trauma and themes about people’s inhumanity toward each other. Your Monster turns Beauty and the Beast into a tale of suppressed rage whereas A Real Pain explores mental health and intergenerational . . . 

Most of us probably don’t enjoy preparing our taxes, but there’s often a reward at the end — a tax refund. If you get a refund this year, how can you make the best use of it?

Of course, the answer depends somewhat on the size of your refund. Last . . . 

Happy New Year, Waynedale. I’m back to report on what I have watched since Christmas: a gripping sci-fi series, the Die Hard wannabe, and new biopics.
First, I caught up on Severance on Apple TV+ before the second season. Created by Dan Ericson . . . 

Once you retire, you’ll likely need to draw on a variety of financial sources — and one of the most important ones may be your 401(k). And for 2025, you can put even more money into your plan than ever.

You can invest in your 401(k) in one of two . . . 

Allen County is a good place to find a job, to work, to build a career, to have success, and to enjoy life.

Allen County has several hospitals with some of the best treatments for cancer, heart disease, rehabilitation, and other health issues. Parkview, . . . 

When we talk about water issues in Indiana, you might think we’re concerned with water quality rather than quantity. Indiana is surrounded by an abundance of waterways, including rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and a good portion of the state has strong . . . 

Are you changing jobs soon? If so, you’ll obviously be interested in your new salary — but you’ll also want to look at other financial considerations.

Here are some of the most important ones:

• 401(k) — If you had a 401(k) plan through your previous employer, you’ll need to decide what to do with it once you’ve joined a new employer. You could just cash it out, but you’d pay taxes and possible penalties. You could leave your 401(k) with your previous employer, if allowed, and if you have been happy with your plan’s performance. Or you could move your 401(k) into your new employer’s plan, which might be a good choice if the new plan has lower fees and attractive investment options. You’d also want to ask whether the new employer offers matching contributions. Finally, you could roll over your old 401(k) into a traditional IRA, which would give you more investment choices.
• HSA/FSA — If your new employer offers a health savings account (HSA) as part of a high-deductible health plan, you may want to take advantage of it. Your contributions are made with pre-tax dollars, your earnings generally grow tax deferred, and your withdrawals are tax free, as long as they’re used for qualified medical expenses. Plus, you can carry unused funds through retirement, when you can still use them for qualified medical expenses. Your employer might also offer a flexible spending account (FSA), which can pay for a variety of health care costs, such as deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. Generally, if you’re contributing to an HSA, you can’t fund an FSA in the same year, except for a limited purpose FSA.
• Waiting period for health benefits — You’ll want to ask your new employer if there’s a waiting eligibility period to enroll in its benefits plan — health insurance, dental, vision, and so on. If so, you may need to get COBRA coverage for a few months to stay in your old plan, unless you can be added to a spouse’s plan. When you go on your new employer’s health care plan, make sure you know what it covers. Depending on your situation, you might want to add supplemental health insurance.
• Life insurance — When you leave a job, your employer-sponsored life insurance will end, unless you have the option to convert your group term life policy into an individual permanent cash value policy. So, you’ll want to be sure your new employer offers at least the same insurance coverage as your old one. But you should also determine whether the group policy offered by your employer is sufficient for your needs. Depending on several factors, such as your income, spouse’s income and family size, you may need to supplement your employer’s policy with an individual term life insurance policy.
• Other benefits — Review your new employer’s benefits package carefully to see what’s available. Many employers offer tuition reimbursement for their employees, and some even provide college planning assistance for employees’ children. For example, your employer might offer matching contributions to a tax-advantaged 529 education saving plan, which can be used for college, some K-12 expenses and some trade/vocational school programs.

Changing jobs can provide you with an opportunity to . . . 

I took my knitting to the movie theater, which tells you two things. I can knit in the dark. And I think two hours and forty minutes is an awfully long runtime. Despite being in show choir the year Wicked debuted on Broadway, I was not more familiar . . . 

As we enter the holiday season, your life may well become busier. Still, you might want to take the time to consider some financial moves before we turn the calendar to 2025.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Review your investment portfolio. As you look at your portfolio, ask these questions: Has its performance met my expectations this year? Does it still reflect my goals, risk tolerance and time horizon? Do I need to rebalance? You might find that working with a financial professional can help you answer these and other questions you may have about your investments.
• Add to your 401(k) and HSA. If you can afford it, and your employer allows it, consider putting more money into your 401(k) before the year ends — including “catch-up” contributions if you’re 50 or older. You might also want to add to your health savings account (HSA) by the tax-filing deadline in April.
• Use your FSA dollars. Unlike an HSA, a flexible spending account (FSA) works on a “use-it-or-lose-it” basis, meaning you lose any unspent funds at the end of the year. So, if you still have funds left in your account, try to use them up in 2024. (Employers may grant a 2½ month extension, so check with your human resources area to see if this is the case where you work.)
• Contribute to a 529 plan. If you haven’t opened a 529 education savings plan for your children, think about doing so this year. With a 529 plan, your earnings can grow tax deferred, and your withdrawals are federally tax free when used for qualified education expenses — tuition, fees, books and so on. And if you invest in your own state’s 529 plan, you might be able to deduct your contributions from your state income tax or receive a state tax credit.
• Build your emergency fund. It’s generally a good idea to keep up to six months’ worth of living expenses in an emergency fund, with the money held in a liquid, low-risk account. Without such a fund in place, you might be forced to dip into your retirement funds to pay for short-term needs, such as a major car or home repair.
• Review your estate plans. If you’ve experienced any changes in your family situation this year, such as marriage, remarriage or the birth of a child, you may want to update your estate-planning documents to reflect your new situation. It’s also important to look at the beneficiary designations on your investment accounts, retirement plans, IRAs and insurance policies, as these designations can sometimes even supersede the instructions you’ve left in your will. And if you haven’t started estate planning, there’s no time like the present.
• Take your RMDs. If you’re 73 or older, you will likely need to take withdrawals — called required minimum distributions, or RMDs — from some of your retirement accounts, such as your traditional IRA. If you don’t take these withdrawals each year, you could be subject to penalties.

These aren’t the only moves you can make, but . . . 

“Be of good cheer” … “it’s the hap-happiest season of all” …”and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near,” continues the beloved 1963 holiday classic originally performed by Andy Williams. But the lyrics are not necessarily . . . 

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first ‘Community Voices’ section! In the last edition of The Waynedale News, we asked “What are you most grateful for this year?”

Here is what readers said:

“I am most grateful for the love of . . . 

Years ago, in a class about food in literature, I first saw the 1992 film Like Water for Chocolate and was charmed by the magical realism in the story of a young woman who can cook her feelings into the food she prepares. Max has revived the story . . . 

As we enter the annual season of giving, you might be thinking of charities you wish to support. But you also might be wondering how to gain some tax benefits from your gifts.

It used to be pretty straightforward: You wrote a check to a charity and . . . 

Woman of the Hour draws inspiration from the real-life crimes of Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game in 1978, during his murder spree. Anna Kendrick plays Sheryl, an aspiring actress who gets an easy gig appearing . . . 

The individual retirement account (IRA) is celebrating its golden anniversary. Created in 1974, this savings vehicle has helped millions of people build resources for retirement. And in 1997, the Roth IRA was introduced. But which IRA is right for . . . 

The time has come again my annual roundup of what new horrors are streaming. I want to say that I dutifully paced myself over months, but really, I engaged in a horror binge, making my October very spooky indeed. Still, this is not an exhaustive list, . . . 

We all hope to enjoy long, healthy lives, retaining the ability to think clearly and make our own decisions. But life doesn’t always work out that way — which is why you need to prepare for a potential incapacity that could affect your independence . . . 

When I saw that Max was producing a new adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, I was excited. Although the novel has been on my Kindle for years, I never got around to reading it, or to watching any of the previous adaptations. I knew it was . . . 

Like most of us, you may someday want to enjoy a comfortable retirement. Your ability to achieve this goal will depend on how much you save — but it also matters how much you spend.

And saving and spending are certainly related: The more you can reduce . . . 

If you are looking for a show that bridges a late summer feeling into spooky season, The Perfect Couple on Netflix may fit the bill. The limited series takes place over a long holiday weekend but has a cold-blooded murder at its core.

In the story, . . . 

Investing involves risk — and so does not investing. You should know how both these types of risk can affect your ability to reach your financial goals.

Let’s start with the risks associated with investing. There’s not a single investment risk . . .