Author: Tribune News Service
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Conagra to build new snacking innovation center in Chicago
CHICAGO • The science of snacking might take a bold step forward with Conagra’s announced plans to build a new 40,000-square-foot innovation center across from its Merchandise Mart headquarters in Chicago. Slated to open next year in the former Apparel Center, the state-of-the-art facility will focus exclusively on advances in snacking, where a team of…
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Learn about service opportunities in the Tri-Lakes area at Community Volunteer Fair
If you’re looking to get involved in the Tri-Lakes community, there’s a fair for that. The Community Volunteer Fair will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, at the Tri-Lakes YMCA Family Center, 17250 Jackson Creek Parkway, Monument (80132). The free, open to the public event is being held in the evening so those who…
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Pikes Peak Celtic Festival on tap at Western Museum of Mining and Industry
The Pikes Peak Celtic Festival will draw more than 15,000 to the grounds of Western Museum of Mining and Industry this weekend. The festival brings music, dancing, traditional Highland Games and more. Live music performances each day include Celtic rock bands The McDeviants, Swagger, Seven Nations and Red Hot Chilli Pipers (not to be confused…
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Medically underwritten annuities can boost income for those who qualify
Retirement plans focus on boosting the number of participating workers and the percentage of pay being saved, but few prioritize how employees will actually fare financially once in retirement, a new study shows. The Plan Sponsor Council of America survey of 605 retirement plans found just 31 percent of plans benchmark their success based on…
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Year-end giving doesn’t guarantee getting a tax break
In years past, nearly one-third of all annual donations were made in December, as people made their charitable gifts before the deadline for tax deductions. Yet this year, if you’re more focused on getting back in the form of a tax break come April, you may want to think twice about how many year-end checks…
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Life insurance being squeezed out by other household priorities
Multiple studies have tagged millennials as risk-averse, so why are they shunning life insurance? Just 10 percent of the under-40 generation has enough insurance to cover all of their dependents’ needs in the event of an early death, according to a new study. “Too many members of this generation are starting a family or buying…
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Changes in tax law lead to shifts in giving
Older retirees may save Christmas for charities. Last year, donors gave a record $410 billion to nonprofit causes, according to Giving USA Foundation, in part because taxpayers were bunching contributions ahead of this year’s higher standard income tax deduction, experts say. That led to worries that 2018 might be a down year for philanthropy. The…
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Microsoft keeps its feet on the ground with evolving Surface
In the dim light of a New York event space, a video announcing the newest version of the Microsoft Surface laptop was playing loudly, projected on a huge screen to a crowd of analysts and media. Surface chief Panos Panay was hardly paying attention, instead roaming through the audience, inspecting the various Surface devices being…
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Decisions due soon in Medicare open enrollment
Senior advocates routinely advise Medicare participants to scrutinize their options during the federal health care plan’s open enrollment period, which runs through Dec. 15, but this year the warnings are taking on some added urgency. While Medicare officials highlight reduced premiums among Medicare Advantage plans, a recent audit of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid…
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Whatever happened to the ‘health dividend’?
Retirees are getting the fattest Social Security raise they’ve seen in years, but many are likely to spend it all in one place: their doctor’s office. That’s because the inflation measure used to calculate the cost of living adjustment underrepresents how much seniors must pay for health care, critics charge. So the 2.8 percent increase…