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We are a group of men and women who are committed to community service. Since 1947, our club has donated labor and financial support to worthy causes in our local area. Examples include building the “Kiwanis Building” at Burton Park in the 1950′s, construction of the Senior Center patio cover in the 1980′s, donations to build a baseball field at Highlands Park, and a Youth Center in Burton Park. We also provide countless college scholarships and we sponsor many children’s sports teams. Supporting the youth and citizens of our community is our mission. To learn more about the club and meet the members that help make our community a better place, please contact Phil Abrams, Membership Chair, at pmabrams@pacbell.net or 650.592.6026.

(ARA) – If you’re an adult American, chances are you’re in debt. What would happen to that debt if you should die unexpectedly? It’s not likely your debtors would write it off. It’s far more likely they’ll pursue your estate or surviving spouse to recoup the debt. And money taken from your estate is money taken from your survivors – be they a spouse, children, parents or even siblings.

“If you have debt that will survive you, you need life insurance to protect loved ones left behind,” says Scott Luchesi, president of Garden State Life Insurance. “In today’s economic climate, where debt is more prevalent than at any other time in our history, life insurance is a must for virtually every debt-carrying adult.”

Life insurance is no longer a families-only financial planning tool. Increasingly savvy young, single professionals are also opting for life insurance as a way to ensure that their student loans, credit card debt, car loans and other debts won’t diminish the estate they may leave behind to parents, siblings or other survivors. Families also continue to rely on life insurance to replace the deceased’s income, pay off mortgages and provide for children’s education.

Stiff competition in the insurance industry has created a new crop of affordable, exam-free term products, like Garden State’s BudgetGard. These are continuing to grow in popularity as more consumers realize that term life provides the best coverage value for their money, and is more convenient and less intrusive than applying for a life insurance policy that requires a medical exam.

“With term life, you purchase a policy with affordable monthly premiums for a specific term,” says Luchesi. “If you die during that term, your beneficiary receives the full policy value, just as they would with a whole life policy. The advantage to you is that the premiums are generally far lower for term than with other types of policies, and you can use that savings in premium to apply more money towards reducing your debt more quickly or saving for your future.”

With BudgetGard term life, you won’t need to take a health exam and your premium is guaranteed not to increase for the level premium period you choose – one, seven, 15 or even 20 years.

To obtain a fast, free quote for term life insurance, visit www.budgetgard.com.

Ed Everett, City Manager, City of Redwood City

City Council, City of Redwood City

Department of Public Works Services, City of Redwood City

Community Development Services, City of Redwood City

Department of Parks Recreation & Community Services, City of Redwood City

Redwood City Police department

Redwood City Fire Department

Environmental Health, San Mateo County Health Department

Agriculture Commissioner, San Mateo County

WIC Farmers™ Market Nutrition Program

(ARA) – Reverse mortgages are a hot topic in the market and Congress right now, as both seniors and the government try to manage the financial difficulties resulting from the dismal state of the economy. In fact, the government reports a 13.9 percent increase in reverse mortgage applications this year over last year.

Anyone interested in a reverse mortgage needs to do proper research and find qualified professionals to work with, such as a trusted lender, broker and/or realtor. This becomes increasingly important as the market for these kinds of mortgages grows and more lenders and mortgage professionals enter the market to take advantage of the demand.

A reverse mortgage enables older homeowners (age 62 and older) to convert the equity in their home into ready cash, without having to sell the home or take on a new monthly mortgage payment. Loan proceeds can be taken as a lump sum, a line of credit, a fixed monthly payment, or a hybrid of these. The amount of money one can borrow depends on the homeowner’s age, the appraised value of the home, the current interest rate and the mortgage limits set by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), among other factors.

Some key components of reverse mortgages:

• The home is the primary residence.
• Homeowners must pay off any existing mortgages with the proceeds from the reverse mortgage.
• The loan comes due when the homeowner sells the house, moves or passes away (or with couples, when the last remaining spouse passes away). Thus, the home will not be left free and clear for heirs. Heirs must repay the loan if they wish to keep the home.
• Unlike a home equity line of credit, there is no monthly payment on a reverse mortgage and, unlike traditional loans, reverse mortgages don’t have minimum-income requirements. A reverse mortgage pays the homeowner, and is available regardless of current income or credit score.
• Reverse mortgages typically have closing costs (fees) higher than those associated with a traditional second mortgage or home equity line of credit. These fees are highly regulated by HUD and there are maximum fee limits that all reverse mortgage lenders and brokers must adhere to.
• Reverse mortgages also require that you maintain the home and pay property taxes.

Reverse mortgages can provide useful options for some, but it’s important to keep in mind that the upfront costs associated with a reverse mortgage may make other options (such as a home equity loan, no-interest home repair loans, grants offered by the county government or a local non-profit, or a tax deferral program for individuals having problems paying property taxes) less expensive.

You can review and compare options for reverse mortgages through a free, no-obligation quote from Bills.com.

I have been going through a lot of this with my own Mother… Please take care, this is not for everyone…

God Bless, Nancy