| Summer reading list Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you have to forget about finances Michael DOLLARS AND SENSE USE THE non-financial days of summer to catch up on those vital yct often over- looked routine financial chores. Some good places to start include: &@ Updating (or drawing up) a list of what your dependents (or other survivors) should do when you die. If you are likely to be the sur- viving individual, show this reminder to the person who should make this list. Many financial institutions (especially trust and life insurance companies) offer a free booklet to help you compile information like the location of the safe-deposit box and key, advisers and family members to contact following death, funeral arrangements, employve benefits (especially those from a former employer), insurance policies, investments and debts, @ Update or take photos or a video of all home possessions (not just the valuables). It took me just over an hour to make a videc of every room. My wife Mandy opened cupboards and drawers so 1 could shaw the contents, We recorded comments on the origin and value of unusual items, then put the cassette in our safe-deposit box. & No time to read all the money books on the market today? Here’s a sampling so you can buy (or bor- row from the library) those that appeal. The easiest introduction to mutual funds I've seen is the amusingly written ond illustrated Mutual Funds with Ben Wicks. You can get a [ree copy from any National Trust branch, even if you aren’t a customer (there's no prod- uct promotion). Warwick/Firefly has published a new edition of Strategic Personal Investing, by Jerry White ($15.95), to update his 21 financial threats of the 1990s and the vari- ous financial planning responses to consider. 66 Once you have time to smell the flowers, invest ina living plant, whether it’s a full garden box on an apartment bal- cony or some indoor vegetation... 99 The Profit-Taker Breakthrough, by Don Abrams ($28.95 from the author, 1-800- 694-3343), focuses on the stock market but also touches other investments. Barron's Guide to Making investment Decisions, by Douglas Scase & John Prestbo (Prentice- Whistler market opens WHISTLER HAS established its own farmers’ market open for:’ business every Sunday until Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wizard Walk, at the foot of Blackcomb Mountain. The small traditional market offers B.C.-grown seasonal pro- duce. herbs, free-range eggs, flow- ers and street performers. —" It is being coordinated by the Upper Village Merchants Associa- tion with a grant from Employment Canada to cover the costs of staffing and equipment. For more information on becoming a vendor at the Whistler Farmers’ Market, contact Marika Koenig at 938-7369 or Bernard Casavant at 938-2004. Hall, $17.95), also deals mostly with the stock market [ts clear style and helpful chapter sum: maries make it worth considering, despite its U.S. flavor, if you are serious about interna- tional investing, The Dow Jones Guide to the World Stock Market (Prentice-Hall, $39.95) provides murket overviews and key compa- ny information for 20 countries — including interesting comments about Canada. Into computers? The Canadian Association of Financial Planners 1994 PFP Software Reviews, by Donald Pooley ($25 from CAFP, 510-60 St. Clair Ave, East, Toronto M4T 1N5), is aimed at whose who provide personal financial planning but is also use- ful for serious do-it-yourselfers. Pooley includes a review of per- sonal income tax programs and a section on designing your own financial planning software. You can read the story or sim- ply refer to the list of 150 simple ways to cut costs (including saving tax) and invest better in Financial Freedom Without S«crifice, by Talbot Stevens ($14.99 from the author at 789 Monsarrat Ave., London, Ontario NSY 4¥3). To put all this money manage- ment in perspective, read The Joy of NOT Working, by Ernie Zelinski ($16.95 from the author, 10518-68 Ave., Edmonton T6H 2B 1), to help you focus on what really matters: your quality of life. Once you have time to smell the flowers, invest ia a living plant, whether it's a full garden box on an apartment balcony or some indoor vegetation, with the help of Practical Guide ta Gardening in Canada (Reades‘s Digest, $9.95). Have Your Home and Your Money Too, by P.J. Wade (Wiley, $16.95) looks at reverse mortgages and other ways to draw an income from the value of your horne, as well as alternatives. On related topics, The SUCCESSFUL MONEY STRATEGIES SEMINAR Designed for ail individuals and couples who want to make maximum use of every before- tax and after-tax dollar, no mat- ter how much you have or earn. SATURDAY, AUGUST 20/94 9:30 am - 3:30 pm Avaion Hotel - Marine Room $59.00 / registrant & guest sponsored by the Regal Capital Group Canadian Divorce Dec ‘isions Workbook, by Payne, Payne, Engel & Gould (McGraw-Hill, $26.95), helps you plan clearly during an emotionally difficult time. The new edition of A Care- Giver's Guide, by Jill Watt (Self- Counsel, $11.95), does the same when you are caring personally and financially for an aging parent or chronically iff refative. Most of 60-Minute Estate Planner, by Saudy Kraemer (Prentice-Hall, $22.95), is American but it has an interesting list of 55 offbeat, funny and inspi- rational inheritance ideas. Mike Grenby is a North Shore- based colummnise and independent financial adviser who works with individuats;.he will answer your questions in this column as space allows — write to him c/o 2444 Haywood Ave., West Vancouver, BC. V7V IYI. TET RATE COMCARE? CANADIAN BONDS AN EXCEPTIONAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY Minimum $10,000 Cail for your FREE REPORT |* Tara MacFarlane 661-7719 , MIDLAND WALWYN BLUE CHIP THINKING™ Subject to change and avaltability. | ist Time Offered! 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