TOP DRAWER INK NEWSLETTER

 

Here's the latest issue of Top Drawer Ink, the newsletter written by author HL Carpenter that's chock full of humor and common sense information.

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May 3, 2008
Volume 6, Number 9
ISSN 1554-6330

In this issue:

1. Carpenter Country
2. Top Drawer Article
3. Top Drawer Tips
4. Top Drawer Satire

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CARPENTER COUNTRY
What's Happening in Our Neck of the Human Experience

 

Over the years Carpenter Country has been home to a lot of animals. But the short one’s favorite story is about a gray and white tabby who nearly outwitted her.

It happened on the morning he had an appointment at the cat hospital to be neutered.

As departure time approached, Max was nowhere to be found. His usual hideout - behind the living room drapes - was empty. A check of his other haunts turned up no sign of him either.

When the hands on the clock stood at ten and she still hadn’t found him, she phoned the animal hospital. “It’s okay,” the vet said. “Some cats are very perceptive. Bring him in whenever he turns up.”

The short one continued to search. After she’d covered the entire house, filled and rattled his food dish, called, cajoled and yelled, and still found nothing, she knew it was time to try a different strategy.

Letting out a weary breath, she sat down on the sofa and said loudly, “Looks like Max missed his doctor’s appointment.”

Two minutes later her AWOL feline sauntered into the room and rubbed against her legs. To this day, she swears he was grinning like the Cheshire cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Before he could figure out what was really going on, she scooped him up, gave him a fond pat on the head, put him into his carrier and headed out the door.

To outwit a smart cat you sometimes have to be just a little bit devious.

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TOP DRAWER ARTICLE

Totten Trusts
by
HL Carpenter

 

Do you want to gift a special grandchild of legal age with an inheritance that’s not part of your will? How about bequeathing a lump sum to a favorite sibling? Maybe you’ve been thinking of putting money into a savings account for your executor to use for expenses after you’re gone.

In any of these situations, a Totten Trust might fit your plan.

Read the entire article here

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TOP DRAWER TIPS
Topics and Tidbits

 

Tip: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), a governmental agency established in 1933, insures the cash you have on deposit in certain banks and savings associations. Different categories of legal ownership are separately insured, so you may have more than the standard $100,000 of coverage, depending on the types of accounts you own. Categories include single accounts, joint accounts, some retirement accounts and revocable trust accounts, including Totten Trusts.

Glossary Term: Revocable. In general, ‘revocable’ means you can change your mind. When you establish a revocable trust, you retain the power to change or cancel (revoke) the trust during your lifetime. In tax jargon, revocable trusts are also called grantor trusts. A Totten Trust, while not established under a formal agreement, has some of the characteristics of a revocable trust.

Financial Horoscope: May is host to Frog Jumping Day (the 13th), but understanding the value of having your finances in order doesn’t require a huge leap. Jumping through hoops isn’t necessary either, nor is a hop into a lake. All you have to do to keep your lily pad green is get started.

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TOP DRAWER SATIRE

Stock in The Future
by
HL Carpenter

 

The Future, once touted as a bright, exciting investment with a great outlook, has lost its luster. In trading on the New York Exchange yesterday, the stock price of the company hit an all-time market low.

Read the rest here