CH Chamber September 12

SPECIAL_A M1

M2 Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce

I trust that each of you has enjoyed a relaxing summer and are ready for a productive fall. The Chamber has stayed busy over the summer planning new activities, assisting with new business

grand openings and ribbon cuttings and in preparing for fall events.

There are sev-eral activities already on the schedule for the fall and we are planning more, so

make sure you stay connected and are engaged. Use our website at www.colo-nialheightschamber.com to stay informed and if you desire to be on our email list, email [email protected] make that request. In the next few months, there will be networking opportunities, a legislative event, monthly membership luncheons, a 5k/ 1 mile fun run, and we will be sponsoring a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast for our Colonial Heights City Schools.

Please support as many of our activities as possible. Come and make connections that can benefit your business and that will help us support each other to improve our community.

As always, please contact the Chamber Office if we can be of service in any way to you or your business. We are at your service and are ready to do all we can to be helpful. We also appreciate your ideas for making our Chamber of Com-merce a relevant and productive member of our business community. I look forward to seeing you at an up-coming event or monthly lunch meeting. Thank you for your continued support of the Colonial Heights Chamber of Com-merce.

Sincerely,

Stephen F. PerryPresidentColonial Heights Chamber of Commerce

Letter From theChamber President

Stephen F. Perry

OUR FINAL TRIP IN 2012

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Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce M3

PRESIDENT STEPHEN F. PERRY

1ST VICE PRESIDENT JUDY TYREE

2ND VICE PRESIDENT JOSHUA ATCHLEY

TREASURER RANDI SIMMONS

PAST PRESIDENTPAMELA A. WAITKUS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ROGER M. GREEN

2012 – 2013 BOARD MEMBERS:

MARK WAITKUS All N 1 Services

TAMMY FERGUSON Swift Creek Woman’s Club

RANDY WHELANB&H Lawn Services

RANDI SIMMONS Fort Lee Credit Union

JUDY TYREE Riverside PACEMARK LANDA

Boulevard Flower Gardens at Ruffin Mill

JOSHUA ATCHLEY Navy Federal Credit Union;

STEPHEN F. PERRY Stephen F. Perry, CPA

CHRIS RIGGS Riggs and Company

Investment Management

PAMELA A. WAITKUS Waitkus Counseling Group

MICHAEL COLB MetLife Financial Services

BRIAN RADFORD Southside Regional Medical Center

BETSY STAFFORD Bank of McKenney

PAM COMSTOCK Gilbert C. Martin Co.

RITA FEASENMYEREVB Mortgage

BILL CONNERKudzu Health and Safety

SUSIE BRIDGEMANH&R Block

T.O. RAINEYHill and Rainey Attorneys

TED WILLIAMSColonial Heights Soccer Association

ROGER M. GREEN Chamber of Commerce

2012 – 2013 EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

C. SCOTT DAVIS Mayor

THOMAS MATTIS City Manager

DR. JOSEPH COXSuperintendent of Schools,

Colonial Heights

GEORGE SCHANZENBACHER Director of Planning

JEFF FARIES Chief of Police

A. G. MOOREChief, Fire and EMS

JOY METZGERFort Lee Public Affairs

TODD WILSON Sheriff

HONORARY MEMBERS

CHRIS KOLLMAN

LAMESE K. ESSEY

DR. JAMES B. McNEER

The Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Newsletter was created by the staff of The Progress-Index newspaper in partnership with the Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce. This publication may not be reproduced in full or part without the express written consent of Times-Shamrock Communications and The Progress-Index. www.progress-index.com Phone: (804) 732-3456 • Fax: (804) 861-9452

2012 - 2013 Officers of the Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce

Enjoy The Benefits of Becoming A New Member of the Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce• FREE 3X5 Your First Advertisement in The Progress Index Or The Colonial Voice as a new member– 732-3456

• 50% Discount On Your First Advertise-ment With News - Patriot & Hopewell News as a new member- 458-8511

• Promote your business with Chamber-Master, an inter-active website designed to grow members’ bottom line, always available.

• Chamber Newsletter - Submit brief Introduction article In addition, you may insert e-flyers periodically and/or notices about your business - At No Cost – Reser-vations Required

• Membership Directory & Relocation Guide (2 free listings)

• Business Of The Month Opportunities

• City Maps

• Discount Program – (Discounted Services and Products offered by fellow Chamber Members)

• Link To The Chamber Website

• Lobbying For The Best Interest Of Members

• Mailing Labels (One Set At No Cost)

• Monthly Meetings (3rd Tuesdays 11:30 + luncheon) Except July & December

• Numerous Networking Opportunities

• Prepaid Legal Services Program

• Referrals

• Ribbon Cuttings

• Seminars and programs of interest to promote business growth

• Special Group Rates Through Cham-berSolutions for an array of benefits for business and business owners.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL 804.526.5872

Partners in Business and Education 201 Temple Avenue – Suite E – Colonial

Heights, Virginia 23834 Email: [email protected]

On the Web: www.colonial-heights.com


Securing mortgage approval and satisfy-ing credit underwriting guidelines are not the difficulties plaguing mortgage consum-ers. It’s in meeting the rigorous documenta-tion requirements that most people fall flat. The fix is simple. Just scan, photocopy, fax, and deliver every aspect of your financial life. Then, shortly before closing, check every-

thing again. Borrowers who enter the mortgage approval process ready to battle their chosen mortgage lender will come out with a night-mare story to tell. As the process, require-ments, and guidelines

are the same for everybody, your mindset is the game-changer. Accepting the redundant documentation necessary for lender approval will make everyone’s life easier. Remember when your parents occasion-ally issued directives that you naturally thought were superfluous, and when asked why I needed to do whatever it was they wanted you to do, the answer was often: “Be-cause I said so”. and you would usually com-ply. This is exactly what consumers should do during the mortgage approval process. When your lender requests what seems to be over-documentation and you wonder why you need it, accept the simple edict – “because I said so.” You will find the mortgage approval process much less frustrating. So, what’s the perfect loan? Well, it’s one that (a) pays back the lender and (b) pays back the lender on time. Underwriting the perfect loan is not the goal that mortgage lenders aspire to today. The real goal is the perfect loan file. Mortgage lenders have suffered stagger-ing losses and gone out of business because of the dreaded loan repurchase. As mort-gage delinquencies increased, FannieMae and FreddieMac began to audit mortgage loans they had purchased and discovered substandard and fraudulent underwriting practices that violated representations and warranties made, stating these were high quality loans. Fannie and Freddie began forcing the originating lenders of these “bad” loans to buy them back. So a small corre-spondent mortgage lender is forced to buy back a single mortgage loan in the amount of $250,000. This becomes a $250,000 loss to a small mortgage business for a single loan, because it will never be repaid.

It doesn’t take many of these bad loan buybacks to close the doors on many small mortgage operations. The lending houses suffered billions of dollars of losses repur-chasing loans from Fannie and Freddie, and began to do the same thing for loans they had purchased from smaller originators. The small and medium sized mortgage originators that survived created underwrit-ing guidelines and procedures to eliminate the threat of future loan repurchase losses. The answer? The perfect loan file. It’s no longer necessary to have excellent credit, a big down payment and stable em-ployment with income sufficient to support your debt service to guarantee your loan ap-proval. However, you must have a borrower profile that meets the credit underwriting guidelines for the loan you are requesting. And, more importantly, you have to be able to hard-copy-guideline-document your profile. Every nook and cranny of your financial life has to be corroborated, double- and triple-checked, and reviewed again before closing. This way, if the originating lender has created a loan file that is exactly consistent with published underwriting guidelines and has documented while adhering to those guide-lines, the chances are that your loan will not be subject to repurchase. Borrowers also need to prepare for pro-cessing and underwriting. Processors and underwriters are the people trained and charged with gathering (processors), all of your required-for-approval financial docu-ments, and then approving (underwriters), your loan. You can assume these people are well trained and very experienced, as they are tasked with assembling and approving a high-quality-these-people-will-pay-us-back loan file. But just how do they go about that? The process begins with the loan origina-tor (a.k.a loan officer, mortgage consultant, mortgage adviser, etc.) – tasked to match the qualifications of a particular mortgage deal to the appropriate underwriting guidelines. It is the loan officers’s job to determine if a loan scenario is approvable and to gather the documentation to support that deter-mination. It is here, at the beginning of the approval process, where the deal is made or broken. The rest of the approval process is just papering the file. The loan officer determines whether the information provided by the borrower can be validated and documented. This is simple, since most mortgages are approved

by automated underwriting engines such as Desktop Underwriter, and the automated approval generates a list of the documents needed to paper the loan file. An under-writer can, at this stage, request additional supporting documentation evidence at their discretion, as not all circumstances neatly fit into the prescribed underwriting box. If the loan officer creates a loan file with accurate information, then secures the documentation resulting from the automated underwriting findings, the loan will close uneventfully. There will be lots of questions as this is a critical phase of the process. You’ll need to disclose everything. Expect to answer ques-tions on what you do for a living, how long you’ve been employed in your current field, and what your salary is. If there is a co-borrower, they will have to answer the same questions. Every dollar in checking, savings, invest-ments and retirement accounts, also known as assets to close, as well as gifts from relatives and non-profit grants, has to be documented. Essentially everything appear-ing on a borrower’s asset-radar-screen has to be documented and explained. It all comes down to your proof. If the lender asks for a specific document, give them exactly what they are asking for, not what “should be OK,” – because it won’t be. This is where the approval process tends to go off the rails, when the lender asks for spe-cific documentation and the borrower sup-plies something else. Here, too, is where both sides get frustrated. So if the lender asks for a bank statement and there are 5 pages for that bank statement, send them all 5 pages, and not just the summary. If you send them the summary page and they ask again, don’t complain that the lender keeps asking for the same thing when you never sent it in the first place. This may sound elementary, but the vast majority of mortgage approval process woes stem from scenarios just like this. The reason the mortgage approval pro-cess is now so rigorous is simple. Avoiding defaults and loan buybacks has become the primary goal of mortgage lenders. Higher standards are reducing loan defaults, which should mean fewer foreclosures in the future. So when your lender requests specific docu-ments from you, give it them just “because they said so.”

Rita C. FeasenmyerSr. Loan Officer NMLS#207305

EVB Mortgage

Rita C. Feasenmyer

The Perfect Loan File

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M4 Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce M5M4 Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce M5

(804) 520-5009 3505 Boulevard, Colonial Heights

FAMILY DENTIST / TEETH WHITENING / COSMETIC PROCEDURES

DR. TONYA PARRIS-WILKINS, DDS

SPECIAL_A M5


Dr. Shell, Dr. Pond, and the team at Southside Orthodontics have more than 225 years of combined experience in the orthodontic field. Some members of the

team have been with their office for over 30 years. Parents are often pleased to bring their children and see faces they remember from when they were treated there as a child. Even with this stability, ev-eryone on their team is

dedicated to continuing education and train-ing to remain at the forefront of orthodontic care. Always friendly and caring, their team of professionals strives to make every patient feel comfortable and informed throughout treatment. Dr. Shell and Dr. Pond are both natives of Southside Virginia. They have completed the rigorous examination series necessary to become Board Certified Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics, a distinction beyond the basic requirements for orthodontists, or to perform orthodontic treatment. Both are active members of the

World Federation of Orthodontists, Ameri-can Association of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, Southern Association of Orthodontists, Virginia Association of Orthodontists, Virginia Dental Association, and Southside Dental Society. In addition to providing comprehensive therapy with modern clear and metal fixed brackets, both doctors are certified to treat with Invis-align and have been trained to use the most sophisticated techniques in this growing treatment method. Dr. Shell and Dr. Pond share similar philosophies of practice and patient care, and work together to put pa-tients’ needs first in order to achieve efficient and comprehensive treatment. Both doctors are fully committed to delivering the highest quality of orthodontic care for aesthetic and functional excellence.

Dr. Shell attended Virginia Tech for his undergraduate educa-tion and Virginia Com-monwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry to obtain his dental degree. Dr.

Shell completed his orthodontic residency at the University of Iowa. Dr. Shell received the American Association of Orthodontists Award for Exceptional Interest in Devel-opment of the Ora-Facial Complex from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is an alumni member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon dental honor society, from which he received the William S. Kramer Award of Excellence. Dr. Shell is also a Scholar of the Hinman Dental Society, and he received the Alpha Omega International Dental Frater-nity Award upon completion of his dental degree at Virginia Commonwealth Univer-sity. Dr. Shell resides in the Enon area with his wife Toni and daughter Raegann. He has volunteered on dental Missions of Mercy and has been an organizer for the United Way and Special Olympics. Dr. Shell has served three committee terms with the Virginia Dental Association and with the accredita-tion team at Virginia Commonwealth Uni-versity’s Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry. He enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, sporting events, and spending time with family and friends. Dr. Pond received his undergraduate edu-cation from Richard Bland College and the

College of William and Mary before earning his dental degree at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry. After practicing den-tistry for one year, Dr. Pond then returned to Virginia Commonwealth University to complete his orthodontic education. He is a Fellow of the International College of Den-tists and the American College of Dentists, and is a member of the Medical College of Virginia Foundation for Education and Research. He is also a past president of the Virginia Association of Orthodontists and the MCV Orthodontic Foundation. Dr. Pond has fulfilled his life-long dream of becoming an orthodontist. He gives back to the community through his involvement in education and other areas, and has been a member and past president of the Lion’s Club for over 35 years. In addition, he has served as the president of the Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Pond has two children and two grandchildren. He and his wife Cindy reside in Colonial Heights. He enjoys spending time with family, friends, and attending car shows.

Dr. Pond

Dr. Shell

Southside Orthodontics have more than 225 years of combined experience


e


Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Businesses of the Month July through September 2012

JulyBruster’s

Ice Cream

SeptemberSouthside

Orthodontics

AugustSarek Autowerkes -

Ralf Sarek


Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Businesses of the Month July through September 2012

Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Making Connections

Odyssey Hospice of Colonial Heights and their employees led a very successful

food drive to benefit the patrons of the Colonial Heights Food Pantry. Odyssey Hospice secured donations from their

own employees and other local business-es and collected a total of 1101 pounds of

food. GREAT WORK!

Tom Bandy, owner of Bandyworks, Judy Tyree, Marketing Director of Riverside PACE, Stephanie Stables, Branch Man-ager from VCB Colonial Heights , and Joe Croce, Executive Director of the Southside Virginia Association of Realtors

at the first Chamber Coffee, Comaradarieand Conversation meeting at the Chamber Office. Come meet other Chamber

members on Monday mornings at the Chamber Office in Co-lonial Heights. Call Roger Green for details at 804 526 5872

or email [email protected]

PARTICIPANTS IN OURFACE TO FACE MEETING

ODYSSEY HOSPICEFOOD DRIVE

SHAMPOOCHES RIBBON CUTTINGShampooches is a full service dog salon in the Dunlop Village Shopping Center

in Colonial Heights.


Temperatures have started to cool now and it is a great time to start thinking about working on that lawn. Most are us are still using cool season grasses such as fescues and these are best sown in the fall. This year particularly due to the heat and heavy rains early in the season we have seen a vast explosion of crabgrass

and nasty weeds such as spurge and black medic. There is no need to worry about chemically control-ling these weeds at this time. The best bet is a good thatching and aerationto make

sure seed can make good contact with the soil. Choose a seed that is a blend that is formulated for this area. There are several out there and I would recommend a blend we put together simply call Boulevard Pre-mium Blend or another called TLC Blend which both contain top varieties which are included on the Virginia Tech recom-mended list. You will need to use 4 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. on over seeding and 6 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. for bare ground. The second most important step to be successful is fertilization. Fescues only feed in the fall of the year and this is what it takes to build a good strong root system. Three feedings, once a month during Sept.,

October, and November. You always want to use a good slow release fertilizer such as Glenview Fall Feed. This product is far superior to Scott’s in my opinion and a better priced product to boot. Stay away from the old 10-10-10 product as this is not only quick release but can add to the contamination of the Chesapeake Bay. The last application of Fertilizer should contain weed control and is very important that this step not be left out. This will prevent most of your weed problems that come out in the spring. If you would prefer to spray for weeds then a product like Weedfree Zone would be your product of choice. This product works well during cooler temperatures. Liming is typically done in the fall and winter months as well. Only a good soil test can tell you how much lime you really need. I always encourage having this done at least once every few years, money well spent. If you need to apply lime keep it two weeks away from any fertilizer applica-tion. If your soil test calls for lots of lime remember to never apply more than 40 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. at any one time. If you follow these few simple steps you can have the lawn that your neighbors will be envi-ous of. Enjoy the Garden!

Mark Landa Boulevard Flower Gardens at Ruffin Mill

Mark Landa

Temperatures have started to cool now Fall Lawn Care


I am asked often...what are the most critical ingredients to successful invest-ing? Engrained in my memory, there are 10 key ingredients. Years ago, I was an

Advisor with Edward Jones Investments who put this recipe in writing, for which I give complete credit to the content of this article. It was called the Rules of the Road. It has been these basic principles that have helped me successfully guide clients through some the troubling times of the last decade.

Rule #1: Develop a StrategyExperienced travelers will tell you that get-ting there is half the fun. If you don’t know where you’re headed, any road will take you there. Wandering aimlessly without a destination can cost you time and money. The same can be said for investing.

Rule #2: Stick with QualityOf all the factors to consider when invest-ing, quality is one of the most important. It’s also one of the most often overlooked.

Rule # 3: DiversifyNo single investment performs well under all conditions. If a large portion of your portfolio is concentrated in one type of investment and bad news causes its value to drop unexpectedly, your long-term financial security may be in jeopardy.

Rule # 4: Invest for the Long Term

Despite legends of vast fortunes made on one or two trades, most successful individual investors make their money over time. I believe the most consistently successful strategy for building long-term financial security is to own a well-diver-sified, quality portfolio – and plan to own those investments for the long term.

Rule #5: Address Mistakes QuicklyWhen a fisherman thinks he’s in the right spot, it’s tough to get him to move, even when there’s nothing biting. Some inves-tors are the same way. At Riggs & Compa-ny, we’re known for our long-term invest-ment strategy, but no strategy is foolproof. Over a lifetime of investing, mistakes are bound to happen. The best way to avoid making them worse is to review your portfolio at least annually. Remember, “buy and hold” doesn’t mean “buy and ignore.”

Rule #6: Understand Risk, and Take Steps to Help Reduce ItEvery investment carries some form of risk. The amount of risk you take can often go hand in hand with the potential return an investment offers. It’s important to understand investing risks and take steps to help reduce them.

Rule #7: It’s Not Just What You Make, It’s What You KeepHow your investments are taxed can be an important consideration, but taxes shouldn’t drive your long-term invest-ment decisions. While you shouldn’t be blinded by taxes, opportunities are often

available to reduce your overall tax bill by holding investments longer or by funding tax-advantaged accounts, such as IRAs, 529 college savings plans and 401(k)s, and owning tax-free municipal bonds.

Rule #8: Quality Stocks Have Historically Outperformed Quality BondsYour investments need to keep up with inflation to help ensure that you can main-tain your standard of living as prices rise. Equities – that is, stocks and the mutual funds that own them, rather than bonds – may be able to help you keep pace.

Rule #9: Focus on What You Can ControlInvestors know the hazards that occasion-ally face our world: war, soaring oil prices, geopolitical turmoil, economic uncertainty and market fluctuation. As an investor, you can’t control these things. That’s the bad news. The good news is you don’t have to.Investment predictions are not the key to success; instead we believe the key is bas-ing your decisions on investment princi-

ples, the most important of which are the:• Quality of the investments you own • Diversification of your portfolio • Holding period by your investments

Rule #10: Review Your Strategy RegularlyGiven the ups and downs that accompany a lifetime of investing, it’s not too surpris-ing that even long-term investors occa-sionally lose their sense of direction. That’s when an investment plan is especially valuable. The most successful investors we have known are those who have thought carefully about their long-term financial goals, and have then developed a strategy to achieve them.

Christopher B. Riggs, AAMSLPL Financial AdvisorRiggs & Company Investment

Management311 East Washington StreetPetersburg, VA 23803(804) 863-0601

Chris Riggs

Rules of the Road

Y Y OUR Y OUR Y W OUR W OUR ISHES W ISHES W A RE A RE A O UR M UR M UR AIN M AIN M C ONCERN ONCERN

Funeral Home • CrematoryPre Arrangements • Pet Services

Proud Proud Pr To Have Served The Community For Over 60 YearsYearsYe

1952 - 2012 2033 Boulevard

Colonial Heights 3935 S. Crater Road

Petersburg

(804) 526-3400 www.ealvinsmall.com www.ealvinsmall.com

Browse the latest listings in print every Friday and get your foot in the door first.

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To subscribe, call 490-0055 or visit us online.

A Comprehensive Tri-Cities Area Real Estate Guide Every Friday


10/01 - Meet The Candidates – Candidates Forum – Senior Center 7:00 p.m.

10/02 - Community Night Out

10/15 - Ribbon Cutting at EyeMart Express 1078 Temple Avenue Colonial Heights 2:00 p.m.

10/16 - Membership Luncheon and Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. CHHS Technical Center

11/06 - Teacher Appreciation Breakfast CHHS Cafeteria 8:00 a.m.

11/20 - Membership Luncheon and Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. Location TBA

11/22 - Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run 9:00 a.m.

12/4 - Colonial Heights Christmas Parade

12/18 - Chamber Christmas Open House 1:00 – 4:00 Chamber Office

1/15/13 - Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. CHHS Technical Center

2/9/13 - Colonial Heights Has Talent 7:00 p.m. CHHS Auditorium

2/19/13 - Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. Picadilly Restaurant

3/21/13 - Annual Dinner 5:45 Lee Club – Fort Lee, Virginia

4/16/13 - Membership Luncheon and Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. Location TBA

5/11-12/2013 - Fort Clifton Festival

5/21/13 - Membership Luncheon and Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. CHHS Technical Center

5/30/13 - Chamber of Commerce Reverse Raffle

6/18/13 - Membership Luncheon and Board Meeting 11:30 a.m Location TBA

CALL ROGER GREEN 804 526 5872 OR EMAIL [email protected] for information.

Updates Regional Collaboration on Leadership Program

2013 – 2014 Directory and Visitor Guide – January 2013 Sales – June 2013 Publication

Sponsorship Solicitation Form with Annual Dues Renewal

Annual Dinner, Fun Run, Talent Show, Teacher Breakfast

Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Calendar


Summer vacation season is over and schools are back in session with the new routine. This is a good time for organiz-ing your tax records. Devoting some time mid-year to putting

your tax-related documents in order will make preparing your tax return easier when the filing season arrives which will be here before you know it. Here are some things the IRS wants individuals and small business owners to know about recordkeeping.• What to keep – Individuals. In most cases, keep records that support items on your tax return for at least three years after that tax return has been filed. Examples include bills, credit card and other receipts, invoices, mileage logs, canceled, imaged or substitute checks or other proof of payment and any other records to support

deductions or credits claimed. You should typically keep records relating to property at least three years after you’ve sold or oth-erwise disposed of the property. Examples include a home purchase or improvement, stocks and other investments, Individual Retirement Account transactions and rental property records.• What to keep – Small Business Owners.Typically, keep all your employment tax records for at least four years after the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later. Also, keep records documenting gross receipts, proof of purchases, expenses and assets. Examples include cash register tapes, bank deposit slips, receipt books, purchase and sales invoices, credit card charges and sales slips, Forms 1099-MISC, canceled checks, account statements, petty cash slips and real estate closing state-ments. Electronic records can include databases, saved files, e-mails, instant mes-sages, faxes and voice messages.• How to keep them - Although the IRS

generally does not require you to keep your records in any special manner, having a designated place for tax documents and receipts is a good idea. It will make prepar-ing your return easier, and it may also remind you of relevant transactions. Good recordkeeping will also help you prepare a response if you receive an IRS notice or need to substantiate items on your return if you are selected for an audit. For more information on recordkeeping for individuals, check out Chapter 1, “Filing Information,“ in IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax. Find small business recordkeeping information in IRS Publica-tion 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records. Both publications are available at IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676). Also available are new video and audio files explaining recordkeeping requirements in detail, located on our IRS video portal at www.irsvideos.gov.

Organizing Tax Records Now Can Help You Later

Stephen F. Perry

James RuffaJacobs Financial Group10108 Krause Road, Sutie 201Chesterfield, VA 23832804 768 0541 FAX: 804 768 [email protected]

Minnieland Academy400 E. Westover AvenueColonial Heights, VA 23834804 380 4128 FAX: 804 323 [email protected]

Dunn Right Properties, LLC 1214 Boulevard Colonial Heights, VA 23834 Telephone: [email protected]

Jen Care Neighborhood Medical Centers524 Southpark BoulevardColonial Heights, VA 23834804 874 [email protected]

Bon Secours Richmond Health System7229 Forest Ave. Suite 112Richmond, VA 23226804 281 [email protected]

The Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce Welcomes those recently joining our Chamber. Remember – it is Good Business

to Do Business wih Chamber Members!

Welcome New Members


Prepared by MetLife Delivered courtesy of

Michael J. Colb, MetLife

Like many people, you probably made a New YearsResolution that this is the year you will get healthier – perhaps by losing weight, eating better, stopping smoking or

adding some regular exercise into your life. But did you include financial wellness in your fitness plan? Did you know that in addition to keep-ing you awake at night, financial stress and worry can also actually make you sick? Studies have shown that people dealing with financial stress are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, severe depression, back pain, headaches, diges-tive problems, and heart attacks; situations that can keep you off work, at the doctors and add to financial pressures. In addition, having financial worries on your mind can affect your job performance – distracting your focus and preventing you from doing your best. Given the recession and the sluggish economic recovery it is not surprising that more of us than ever are concerned about our financial security, whether because of declining home values, mounting credit card debt, saving for college and retire-ment or simply meeting everyday house-hold expenses. A MetLife study found that 43% percent of employees say they have trouble paying bills and 71% worry about having enough money to make ends meet. So achieving good general health means not only working on your physical health but also on your financial health. Here are some steps you can take to improve your financial wellness:

Step 1, Get Started Reviewing financial matters can seem overwhelming, and given the pressure and pace of modern life, it is all too easy to put off tackling the job –especially if you

suspect that you are not going to like what you find. How do you get started? In the same way doctors often recommend hav-ing a physical checkup before you begin an exercise program, so doing an assessment of your financial vital signs is the first step on the road to financial wellness. And if need be, seek out a financial professional to help you. Only you can decide what’s important to you - whether it is saving for college, paying down debt, or buying a home, and of course preparing for retirement. Hav-ing clear goals will help you gauge your progress and clarify the necessary choices and priorities to achieving them. Putting these goals on paper may also encourage you to stay on track.

Step 2, Get Smart When people make poor financial choices it’s often because they don’t have the knowledge and information to make better ones; nearly one in two employees report that they do not currently consult with anyone regarding personal financial matters. Getting to your goals is going to need a strategy; and most of us benefit from some help with this. As a starting point, you may want to turn to your place of work as one of the access points to financial education and guidance. Many employers now make financial education available to employees on a variety of topics ranging from basic financial literacy to retirement planning. This can take the form of seminars that you can attend at work, or online webi-nars that you can conveniently access on your own time, as well as online tools and calculators that can help you make smarter personal financial decisions. If you are looking for more face-to-face professional guidance and advice, you may want to seek out a financial professional to answer your questions and help you through the process of getting your finan-cial house in order. Organizations like the Financial Planning Association, Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., and LIMRA, to name a few, can help. You

may also want to seek recommendations from colleagues, friends and family.

Step 3, Get Saving Not tomorrow, not when you hit some magic milestone, but now. This is job one! Even if the amount that you will need to save for putting your kids through college or your retirement income seems insur-mountable, don’t let yourself think there is no point in even trying. Instead, in the same way that physical health involves building a healthy body with regular exercise, so financial wellness requires a commitment to a regular savings habit. Having a savings plan does not mean hoping there will be something left at the end of the month to put away. If you are like most people that will be much less than you need. Instead make saving easy and automatic by having a regular amount deducted by your employer from each paycheck and put into a savings program before you can spend it. You won’t miss what you don’t see and will be surprised how even a small amount saved from each paycheck can turn into a healthy financial cushion. If you receive a raise, or find yourself with a little more free money such as when a car loan gets paid off, consider increasing your savings amount before you increase your spending levels. It goes without saying that you should be making the most of any tax free sav-ings opportunities available through your workplace. Many employers offer to match a portion of your savings. Not taking advantage of these programs is like turning your back on FREE money.

Step 4. Get Protected Most working Americans rely on their income to cover essential living expenses for themselves and their dependents. But have you thought about what would hap-pen if that income is interrupted by a long-term illness or injury or even premature death? Many workers say that they are very concerned about these possibilities, and

yet many have not taken steps to protect themselves or their families against these risks. Don’t assume that your medical insurance or Government disability pro-grams will fill the gap. Reduce unnecessary anxiety. Make it part of your financial check-up to calculate how much life insurance and disability in-come protection coverage you would need to replace your income. Do you currently have enough coverage to maintain your or your family’s lifestyle? Compare the relatively small outlay for income protection insurance, with the potential financial and emotional costs of NOT having coverage. Take advantage of your workplace benefits, and if additional protection is needed, consider supple-menting this coverage with an individual policy obtained on your own. No one likes to think of these unpleas-ant subjects but knowing your loved ones will be taken care of if anything happens to you or your ability to earn a paycheck will put you on the path to peace of mind. Rewiring bad habits is not easy and takes repeated reinforcement – as every-one who has ever tried to give up smoking or lose weight can attest! But working on your financial fitness by taking the above steps can have a big payoff in reduced stress and improved general health. Add fi-nancial wellness to your health goals today.

AP-AOL Health Poll- Debt Stress: The Toll Owing Money Takes on the Body, 20089th Annual MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends9th Annual MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends49th Annual MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends

This article appears courtesy of Michael J. Colb. Mike is a Registered Representative offering securities, including variable products through MetLife Securi-ties, Inc.(MSI) (member FINRA/SIPC), New York, NY 10166. Insurance and annuities issued by Metro-politan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), New York, NY 10166. MSI and MLIC are MetLife companies. He focuses on meeting the individual insurance and financial services needs of people in and around the Colonial Heights area. You can reach Mike at the of-Colonial Heights area. You can reach Mike at the of-Colonial Heights area. You can reach Mike at the office at 110-C Norfolk Ave, Colonial Heights, VA 23834 (804) 526-6384.

Michael J. Colb

Is Financial Stress Making You Sick? Is Financial Stress Making You Sick?

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