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TUESDAY,
OCTOBER 7, 2003
Chris Kinnas
Investment Advice
How should you
take money from
retirement plan?
Sooner or later, the day
arrives when you face a dif
ficult question: How should
you take the money from
your 401(k) or other tax
deferred retirement
account? Assuming you are
retiring, and not going to
another job, you have sever
al options - so you’ll want to
plan ahead to make the
right decision.
Let’s look at your choices:
• Take money as a lump
sum - It’s tempting to take
a large stash of cash - but
such a move may actually
rob you of wealth. If you
take all your money at once,
you’ll lose the benefit of tax
deferred earnings growth,
which will be important if
you spend two or three
decades in retirement. Also,
if you take your money at
one time, you’ll face a big
income tax hit the year of
the withdrawal. (However,
depending on when you
were born, you may be able
to lower your tax bill by
using a special formula that
allows you to treat your
lump sum, from a tax stand
point, as if it were paid out
over 10 years.)
• Roll over money into
IRA - If you choose to roll
your 401(k) into a “tradi
tional” IRA, you’ll gain
some key benefits. First,
you’ll avoid immediate
income taxes. Second, your
earnings continue to grow
on a tax-deferred basis. And
third, you’ll be able to place
your 401(k) funds in virtu
ally any investment you
choose - stocks, bonds,
mutual funds, etc. Plus, you
won’t have to start taking
withdrawals until you reach
70 1/2. IRAs provide you
the most flexibility in plan
ning how you withdraw
your money during your
retirement, and how your
beneficiaries can withdraw
it after you’re gone.
• Receive lifetime income
stream - Your former
employer may allow you to
set up a lifetime payout
option with your 401(k)
funds. Depending on the
specifics of your employers
plan, these payout options
can provide you - and even
your spouse - with a lifetime
income stream. At first
glance, this income may
look attractive, but it has
some drawbacks.
Specifically, your payments
will stay the same over the
years - so they will lose
value to inflation. Also, once
you move your 401(k)
money into this payout
option, you can no longer
get at your principal,
because you’ve converted it
to income. This could be a
problem if you ever face an
unexpected need for a large
sum.
• Take periodic distribu
tions - If you like the way
your money is invested in
your 401(k), but you still
need to get at it before you
turn
70 1/2, you can arrange to
take monthly or quarterly
distributions, assuming
your employer permits this.
From year to year, you may
be allowed to change the
amount you withdraw, but
you will have to plan these
distributions carefully - so
they’ll last.
See KINNAS, page 7A
New gym opens in WR
Article and photos by
Heather Fasciocco
WARNER ROBINS
Formerly known as
“Talisha’s Tumblers,” the
A+ Gymnastics & Cheer
Academy recently opened a
new 9,000-square-foot facili
ty for potential gymnasts
and cheerleaders.
Owner Talisha Alligood, a
staff of six instructors and
an office manager promote a
safe environment as well as
offering top-of-the-line
equipment for gymnastic
instruction.
Under the guidance of
highly qualified coaches,
any female student from 18
months to 18 years old, or
male student from 18
months to five years are eli
gible to join the selection of
programs designed to build
self-confidence within a pos
itive environment alongside
their peers.
“All of our instructors are
able to teach each classes
A-l- has to offer,” she said.
“They are well-trained and
educated in their field of
study.”
Gymnasts are given a
competitive gymnastics pro
gram through A+.
Compared to the previous
1,800-square-foot facility,
A+ now has enough room
for three distinct practice
areas throughout the gym.
“Gymnastics creates con
fidence,” Alligood said of her
program. “Students in these
programs develop skills of
strength, balance and coor
dination.”
The facility is also sup
plied with brand new equip
ment including a tumbling
track, spring floor, balance
beam and uneven bars.
Middle and high school
students involved in their
school’s cheerleading squad
may look for a non-school
gymnastics program to par-
aII;
A+ Gymnastics & Cheer Academy Instructor Kristie Kelly
assists Alex Saunders in the Girls Recreational (5- to 13-
years-old), which concentrates on beginning and inter
mediate tumbling and gymnastics skills. Placement in
these classes is based on skill level.
Business
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♦
A+ preschool class teaches body awareness, and builds
strength and flexibility. Basic tumbling skills and tech
niques are also taught this class for girls and boys ages
3 to 4 years.
ticipate in. The A+ Cheer
Academy offers a variation
of strength building tech
niques and team building
methods that incorporate
listening and creative think
ing skills for these students.
The business will also
sponsor their first competi
tive team. In order for any
student to compete the facil
ity must be accredited under
the USA Gymnastics
Member Club guidelines.
A+ has also been a member
of the Warner Robins Area
Chamber of Commerce since
2001.
“The competitive team
has six outstanding mem
bers,” Alligood said. “This is
TALISHA ALLIGOOD
their first year and as of now
they are training six hours a
week with many hours on
the weekends. They show
great potential.”
Over 300 students are
enrolled, Alligood said, and
students can register for
classes on a monthly basis
or be placed on a waiting
list.
The A+ four classes con
sist of a parent child class
(18 months to 3 years), Boys
& Girls Preschool (3 to 4
years), Girls Recreational (5
to 13 years) or the Tumble
Cheer Class (placement
based on skill level).
They gym also has a sec
ond story, which provides
guests with the option of
watching their student
progress throughout their
gymnastics or cheer class.
All classes are consistent
with the Houston County
school schedule.
A pro shop is available for
students offering a variety
of leotards, T-shirts, and
gym shorts.
An addition to business,
Alligood said youth mem
bers and non-members alike
can reserve the A+ party
room for a birthday celebra
tion on any open Saturday.
The package includes a
room with a kitchen, one
hour of gym time and one
half hour for cake and pres
ents. The birthday person
can invite a maximum of 15
of their friends to enjoy the
day.
Those interested in regis
tering for any of the four
classes or to learn more
about reserving the party
room can contact the facility
between the hours of 3-8
p.m. at (478) 923-9233 or
visit the facility at 1902-D
Elberta Road behind Apple
Enterprises.
A+ Gymnastics & Cheer
Academy is located at
1902-D Elberta Road in
Warner Robins.
Managing your use
of time - part 1
A reader last week
raised a question about
my assertion that none of
us manages time. I wrote
that we only have the
capability to manage our
selves. His question:
“How can I manage
myself so I do what I need
to do?”
I’m not sure I can offer
much hope, since I don’t
manage myself very well.
We can at least look at
some relevant concepts.
What’s “the thought”
and what’s “the
action?” I remind my
clients that everything is
created twice - first men
tally and then physically.
Initially, we think (recog
nize the opportunity, gen
erate options, and choose
the preferred option).
Then we act (gather and
organize the resources to
bring about outcomes).
Whew! No wonder it takes
so long to get anything
done!
Actions may lag
thoughts by a long
time! Many people gener
ate more ideas than they
are able to execute. Watch
out! It’s easy for a good
idea to generate problems
for you. With the best of
intentions, you tell some
one that you are going to
do something. Now they
have an expectation. Still,
you have every intention
to transform that thought
into its second creation in
physical form.
But if something else
comes along (and some
thing else is always com
ing along), you may never
complete that second cre
ation. You will have disap
pointed someone, who
sees the situation as you
having made a promise
you didn’t keep.
The fact that the mental
creation and the physical
creation are two different
things has been the down
fall of many of us!
Thoughts just keep
on coming! Active people
have active minds. The
more we come up with
ideas, the more ideas we
come up with - lots of
mental creations. And if
we don’t write each idea
down, we are likely to for
get it. So, we make lists.
An organized “to do
list” is not the action.
Many people have real-
BUSINESSPEOPLE
Shetty joins Vista Care
Dinakara B. Shetty, M.D.,
primary care and internal
medicine physician with
Houston Primary Care Inc.,
was recently named a med
ical director for Vista Care.
Dr. Shetty, who has offices
in Fort Valley and Warner
Robins, graduated with hon
ors in medicine, pathology
and pharmacology from the
University of Mysore, India.
He is the former chief of
staff of the Peach Regional
Medical Center, where he
also served on the Hospital
Authority, and the Intensive
Care and Pharmacy
Therapeutics committees.
In his new role with
Vista Care, Dr. Shetty will
join medical directors Dr.
Ralph Austin and Dr. Harry
Linkous in providing over
sight and direction to the
clinical team, whole work-
F. Dennis Hooper
Serving the Lord I
-and His people- I?
with gladness.
Personal Coach and Collaborator
Consulting in the areas of
personal and leadership development.
Hooper and Friends, Inc. |
(478) 988-0237
PAGE 6A
M 7 |
Dennis Hooper
even greater things
dhoopcr2@juno.com
ized that keeping
reminder notes in sepa
rate places doesn’t work
very well. Progress occurs
when we settle on a single
place to capture all our
ideas. Some people use a
plain piece of paper.
Others use a planner or
calendar of some sort.
Many have chosen to use
an electronic planner.
An aside. I doubt I will
ever convert to an elec
tronic planner. I become
too frustrated when tech
nology fails. Further, I
have too many things on
paper that would be diffi
cult to transfer to an elec
tronic format. And even if
they can be stored elec
tronically, I don’t believe
I’d be able to access and
use them as easily as I can
with them on paper.
Prioritizing is the
key! So what happens
when you have a list of “to
do” items all assembled in
one place? Well, you prior
itize them and decide
which one you’re going to
do first. (Of course, while
you are prioritizing, your
brain is thinking of more
“to do” items. I sometimes
prefer not to work on my
planner, just because I
know it will generate
more items on my “to do”
list!)
There’s just too
much! There’s mire
material than can be cov
ered in a single cdumn!
But can you appreciate
the symbolism here? I
can’t get it all done this
week! (I’m doing my best
to relate to my readers -
many of you can’t accom
plish everything you’ve
got to do this week,
either!) Come back next
week for part 2!
ssssss m
SHETTY
ing closely with patients’
attending physicians to
develop individualized plans
of care.
Vista Care is a provider of
hospice services with pro
grams in 40 communities in
14 states. The Macon office
serves patients throughout
Middle Georgia.