All Posts in "The Senior Scene"

Presidential primary ends March 12

Washington voters will help pick the major political party nominees for president in March.

The state’s presidential primary asks participating voters to mark and sign party declarations on their ballot return envelopes, as part of state law that sets the process for how the Democrat and Republican parties pick their candidates and who gets on the ballot for the general election this November. The primary has special conditions unlike regular elections in Washington. More information about the process is available at sos.wa.gov/elections, the website of the Washington secretary of state’s elections department, which administers statewide elections.

For the Democrats, names on the ballot are President Joe Biden and Dean Phillips. Marianne Williamson also appears but has suspended her campaign.

Republican candidates are Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, plus three who have suspended their campaigns or dropped out of the race–Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy.

March 12, the official election day, is the last date that voters can cast ballots by mailing them or depositing them in official ballot boxes in their counties. County election offices mailed ballots on Feb. 23 to registered voters.

For a list of ballot boxes or other local information, voters can contact the Pierce County election department at elections@piercecountywa.gov and 253-798-8683 and the King County election department at elections@kingcounty.gov and 206-296-8683.

The Senior Scene by — February 28, 2024 in Everything Else
Fun ways to help grandkids learn about saving money

By Maya Corbic

There’s a seven-letter word weighing heavy on most families right now—savings. And with good reason. According to a Bankrate study, 56% of Americans wouldn’t be able to pay for an emergency expense of $1,000 or more from their savings account. People tend to think of saving as a daunting and headache-inducing process, but it can be fun and rewarding with the right system in place that works for your family.

Below, with a focus on fun challenges to do with grandchildren, are feasible and interactive ways to save and grow your family’s wealth together while also learning valuable financial skills:

Save the Extras: It’s all about the little things when it comes to saving. For instance, put the money you saved when you get a discount at a store directly into your savings account or save the money you would have otherwise spent (i.e. borrowed sports gear for youth sports vs. buying new). And if you are lucky to land a raise at work, move your pay raise into savings as you are already used to living on your old income.

The 365-Day Nickle Challenge: This challenge can result in saving $3,339.75 in one year and it only involves nickels! The challenge goes as so, on Day 1, you transfer 5 cents into your savings account. Day 2, transfer 5 cents plus another 5 cents or nickel to your savings account. Day 3, transfer 10 cents plus another 5 cents or nickel to your savings account. Repeat the process until the last day of the year and you’ll be looking at a nice extra chunk of change.

Weekly Savings Challenge: This challenge is similar to the nickel challenge, but with dollars. Starting on Monday, save $1. Then on Tuesday, save $2. This process continues until you get to Sunday and save $7. You will save $1,456 in one year with this easy method.

100 Envelope Challenge: Start by grabbing 100 envelopes, which you can find at most dollar stores, and write a number from 1-100 on each one. Then, shuffle the envelopes and put them into a bag/container. For the next 100 days, daily draw an envelope from the bag. The number written on the selected envelope will instruct you how much money to put into that envelope. For example, if you draw the number 20, you place $20 into that envelope. By the end of the 100 days, you will save $5,050.

45-Day Challenge: This challenge will have you counting backwards! On Day 1, transfer $45 into your savings account. Day 2, transfer $44 and day 3 transfer $43, repeat the process until you hit 45 days. By the end of the challenge, you can save $1,035 in one year.

52-Week Money Challenge: Begin the challenge by saving $1 in week 1. Week 2, save $2 and so on. In week 52, the last week of the year, save $52. This will result in saving $1,378 by the end of the year!

Maya Corbic is a CPA and the author of “From Piggy Banks to Stocks: The Ultimate Guide for Young Investors.”

The Senior Scene by — February 22, 2024 in Personal Finance/Consumers

Pierce County landowners found out last month what they owe this year in property taxes. And some older homeowners may find it easier to pay.

Property tax statements were mailed the week of Feb. 12 by the county assessor to 175,000 owners of residential and commercial land and buildings in Pierce County. For homes whose tax is paid through a mortgage escrow account, the statements went to a bank or mortgage company. Along with first-half payments being due April 30, the bottom line for all is that real estate values were almost level compared to the previous year, and the average property tax rate increased to $10.10 per thousand dollars value, which, by further comparison, is 37 cents higher than it was ln 2013. 

Any “significant” tax increases affect owners whose property is “in areas where voters approved new levies,” Assessor-Treasurer Mike Lonergan said. “This year, we see moderate increases in the Gig Harbor peninsula, Fircrest, and Key Peninsula.”

He said the largest decrease was 10 percent in Fife due to the end of a school bond, followed by smaller reductions in Spanaway, Eatonville, Puyallup, South Hill and Steilacoom. 

Effective this year, homeowners older than 61, and those who are fully disabled at any age, may qualify for a property tax reduction if their household gross income is under $64,000. The previous income limit in Pierce County was $45,708. Lonergan said the “big increase” in allowable income “will allow thousands more taxpayers to qualify for a partial tax exemption.” Information on applying for the reduction is available from the assessor-treasurer at piercecountywa.gov/atr and 253-798-6111.

Annual property taxes are determined by multiplying property value (in thousands of dollars) by the combined rate of all taxing districts where the property is located. Unless there is a vote of the people, most taxing districts are limited to receiving 101 percent of the previous year’s property tax revenue, plus any taxes resulting from new construction in their area.  

The state and local levies for schools make up 58 percent of all property taxes in Pierce County. The cities and county (including the road district) account for about 19 percent, followed by fire districts at about 12 percent. The total tax bill countywide is $1.93 billion this year, and as in past years, the revenue will pay for city and county governments, fire districts, emergency medical service, parks, Pierce County libraries, roads, Port of Tacoma, Sound Transit, and flood control. 

The second half of tax payments are due Oct. 31.

The Senior Scene by — February 22, 2024 in News
A pin of honor

U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland (at right in photo) hosted a pinning ceremony for Vietnam War-era military veterans. During the event Oct. 16 at Lacey City Hall, veterans or their surviving family members received honorary lapel pins in recognition of their service. “As a member of Congress and as the daughter of a veteran, it’s my deepest honor to recognize veterans and their families for their extraordinary sacrifice,” Strickland said.  “I know firsthand that military families and veterans deserve our utmost respect.” Pinning ceremonies are part of an ongoing national effort to honor all Vietnam veterans who served from during the period of Nov. 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975. Strickland, who represents the 10th congressional District that includes parts of Pierce and Thurston counties, said the honor can be requested by contacting her office at Strickland.house.gov or 360-459-8544.

The Senior Scene by — February 14, 2024 in News