Mortgage Rates Near 40 Year Lows

Recent financial events have created some of the lowest mortgage rates we have seen in years. Professional Alliance member, Conrad Wouters relayed to us on June 1, 2010 that he had access to a conforming 30 year fixed rate of 4.75%, and a Five Year ARM rate was just 3.75% both with zero points.

Click here for more information.

RockCandy Favorite Recipes: Blackened Halibut with Remoulade

In this dish the mild, sweet taste of halibut is enboldened by a cajun seasoning and balanced wonderfully with a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce. Bon Appetit!

Click here for recipe.

The Big Short

There are not many books I read about the securities industry where the majority of you would every make it through the first chapter, but Michael Lewis’ new book, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, is as exciting as it is educational. The book chronicles the lives of a few individuals who saw the housing crash coming and made huge bets against subprime loans.


Mr. Lewis’ first best seller, Liar’s Poker covered a period of time back in the 80s when creative securitization of bonds emerged. The bond world is so surreal, yet Lewis was able to colorfully introduce the reader to the Darwinian world of the bond market and accurately conveys the real world of the institutional bond market no mater how unbelievable it might seem. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

Residential Real Estate Short Sales

You may know of someone having to deal with a mortgage that is in excess of the value of their home and needs to sell. Chuck Reiling, a local realtor, has written an excellent summary on the basic options available to individuals in that situation. Please feel free to contact him if you would like more in-depth information.
Click here to read the full article.

Health-Care Reform: High-Income Individuals Face New Medicare-Related Taxes in 2013

These new taxes target high-income individuals and families. While details and clarifications will become available between now and 2013.

Click here to find out what you need to know.

Professional Alliance member Victoria Trigg, owner of AMICK TRIGG LLC provides tax advice and tax return preparation for individuals and Neil Larson, owner of Edwin Lane Financial Services LLC provides tax, financial and business planning to high net worth individuals and the closely held businesses they control. Both of these skilled professionals keep our planning team up-to-date on pertinent tax issues and have helped many of you in the past.

Health-Care Reform: Considerations for Seniors

The enactment of the new health-care reform legislation contains some provisions that directly affect our nation’s older population.

Click here for more information.

Medicare, medical supplemental insurance are complicated and are getting even more so with the new health-care reform. We are pleased that we can turn to our Professional Alliance member, David Johnson, co-owner of Lehmann Wood Johnson, Inc. for insight into this complicated world. David has worked with many of our clients helping them understand their medical supplemental insurance and long-term care insurance options.

Candy’s Mom, Fran Sweesy, honored as 2010 Zontian of the Year!

The Yakima Valley Zonta Club recognized Fran Sweesy as the 2010 Zontian of the Year. Fran was presented with a plaque and a yellow Zonta rose is being planted at the Arboretum Rose Garden in her honor. Zonta District 8 also recently recognized her 35-year length of service. Fran has been an active member of Zonta since her membership began, serving in various positions of leadership including club President and twice as Area Director. She is credited with recruiting 20 to 25 new members over the years of

her membership.

Fran is known in the Yakima area as a passionate rose gardener, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Arboretum Rose Garden through both her membership in the Lower Naches Garden Club and Zonta. She was the office administrator for The Casey Family program for 18 years before retiring.