NEW LISTING IN WESTERVILLE!

JUST LISTED!

~3919 Chickadee Ct.~

MUCH LOVED ONE-STORY HOME…nestled onto an ~1/4 acre mature treed, cul-de-sac lot!  Updated  A/C, water heater, roof, carpet, flooring, interior paint, garage door & more!  Vaulted & fully applianced, eat-in Kitchen.  Giant Great Room has gas fireplace, skylights & walks out to private rear yard with patio and yard building.  1^st Floor Master Suite has 2 walk-in closets & Private Bath.  Partially finished lower level has Recreation/Theatre Room.   Make this one a Must see! 3 BR’s & 2 Baths. Westerville Schools. Over 1,800 SF on 2 finished levels! Only $147,900! Call DeLena today!

NEW LISTING IN MARION!!

JUST LISTED!!

~725 King Ave, Marion, OH 43302~

 

 

CHARMING TWO-STORY HOME…on huge corner lot!  Kitchen features granite countertops, breakfast bar, & opens to Great Room.  Master Suite with remodeled attached Bath and private balcony. Hardwood floors, loads of built-ins, Screened Porch, Patio, window seats, updated electrical system, JD Basement Systems, brick driveway and sidewalk, mature treed lot, and beautiful landscaping in well-established Vernon Heights neighborhood! 4 BR’s & 2.5 Baths, Nearly 2,500 SF! Marion Schools. Only $249,700. Call DeLena today!

 

 

NEW LISTING IN WESTERVILLE!

JUST LISTED!

4838 St Medan Drive

CAREFREE LIVING AT ITS BEST… & The quality you would expect!!  Custom Built, R&H free standing Ranch Condo/Patio home in a gated community with pool, clubhouse, 2 parks & fitness facility! Hardwood floors everywhere!  Very Open floor plan with ~2,100SF and a full Basement (ready to finish). Den/3^rd Bedroom with cabinets.  Spacious Kitchen/Dining area has wrap around 42” maple cabinets, granite counters and walks out to a custom paver patio with stone walls. 1^st Floor Master Suite with tray ceiling, sitting area & whirlpool bath.  Ready to move right into!! 3 BR’s & 2 Baths. Olentangy Schools. Only $349,900! Call DeLena today!

Summer jobs: stepping stones to something bigger

(BPT) - As millions of high school students prepare to head back to the classroom in just a few weeks, many may reflect on their summer jobs serving tables, operating cash registers, tracking inventory and assisting customers.



To most, those summer jobs were solely for the purpose of having a little extra cash, or maybe to build a college resume. But students should consider the long-term knowledge gained in such a short span of time. These hourly positions often provide the building blocks for something bigger to come in the future: a career.



The restaurant industry hires hundreds of thousands of seasonal employees every summer, including high school students getting their first taste of the working world. One-half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point during their lives and one out of three adults got their first job experience in a restaurant, according to the National Restaurant Association.



But can summer jobs in restaurants lead to bigger and better things? Research shows that nine out of 10 salaried restaurant employees started in hourly positions, and 80 percent of restaurant owners began their industry careers as hourly workers. Nearly all restaurant employees say the industry is a good place to get a first job and learn basic working skills.



Even if you didn't have a summer job in a restaurant, it's still a hot spot for career opportunities. The restaurant industry is posting stronger job growth than the overall economy, with employment now totaling more than 13 million. Eighty-eight percent of restaurant employees say restaurants often provide the opportunity to start at the bottom and move up to management.



And it's going to keep getting better. The National Restaurant Association projects that restaurant and foodservice outlets will add 1.3 million new positions.



It's no wonder training for a career in this growing industry is on the rise. Nearly every state in the U.S. - 47 in total - now implements ProStart, a two-year program that brings the industry and the classroom together to give 95,000 high school students across 1,700 schools nationwide a platform to discover new interests and talents, while opening doors to fulfilling culinary and restaurant management careers. ProStart is just one of the programs offered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), which is committed to ensuring it supports the development of a highly-trained and professional talent pool through scholarships and educational programs. The Foundation has granted $15 million in scholarships to students and educators, giving them a jumpstart on successful careers.



In addition to the ample employment opportunities the restaurant industry provides, its employee base is incredibly diverse, consisting of people from various backgrounds, speaking many languages and with different skill sets. Eighty-one percent of restaurant employees say the industry is a place where people of all backgrounds and experience can open their own business.



Millennials make up a large percentage of today's workforce and this group tends to gravitate toward organizations that do good for others. In fact, Jim Lewis, CEO of the National Society of High School Students, recently told Forbes that Millennials are responding to companies that focus on helping others and want the sense that they are giving back to the community.



And restaurants are certainly part of that trend. In fact, more than nine in 10 restaurants are involved in community service. The NRAEF, in partnership with American Express, has presented the annual Restaurant Neighbor Award to celebrate this outstanding charitable service performed by restaurant operators. It's companies like these that will continue to attract Millennials as they seek out career opportunities with socially responsible companies.



As summer comes to a close and students return to school, they can feel confident in saying they not only spent their summer making some extra spending money in a restaurant, but also had the opportunity to build a foundation for a bright, fulfilling career.

Protecting your paycheck - for today and tomorrow

That can happen in two ways, according to Sandy Botcher, vice president of disability income insurance at Northwestern Mutual. "When a family loses its usual source of income due to a disability, sometimes the only alternative is to dip into retirement savings to cover normal household expenses," she says. "And even if you don't have to take money out of savings to replace income, the other consequence of a disability is that it decreases your potential to contribute to your retirement plan."



Botcher adds that from the moment you start working until the day you retire, your ability to earn an income is your most important financial asset.



Consider this example: A $60,000 annual salary results in $2.4 million earned over a 40-year career, and that doesn't take into account inflation, salary increases, or the long-term growth potential of money invested in retirement saving vehicles along the way. If a disability prevents the individual from earning this income, or requires him to access a portion of what's already been saved (often with a tax penalty), it can have devastating impact on retirement dreams.



Recent research demonstrates the need to prepare for the unexpected. Over the past three years, 22 percent of Americans had dipped into retirement savings and 22 percent had stopped or reduced their savings contributions, according to Northwestern Mutual's 2013 Planning and Progress Study. More than half of those surveyed say unexpected expenses are to blame. Yet 23 percent of respondents say they want to be more cautious with their money, and feel they have a lot of catching up to do.



"The Great Recession has reminded us that we cannot afford to lose our incomes," says Botcher. "But we also need to remember that our chances of losing our incomes are determined by more than just our employers' viability or our career success."



In the minds of consumers, few things seem more unexpected than a disability. Yet the Social Security Administration reports that about one in four 20 year olds today will become disabled before retirement.



One way to prepare for the possibility of being unable to work is disability income (DI) insurance, designed to help pay living expenses, maintain lifestyle needs and preserve assets accumulated for retirement and other purposes. Many employees think that coverage they get through their employer's group disability policy is enough. They should think again.



Group DI typically has a cap at 60 percent of salary; other forms of compensation like bonuses or commissions may not be covered. In addition, the benefits are taxable. So, if earning less than two-thirds of one's current salary would make it difficult to make ends meet as well as work toward goals like continuing to fund retirement, it's important that another option be considered to bridge the gap.



That option is an individual DI insurance policy. Premiums for individual DI policies are paid after taxes, so the benefits are not taxed, and the policies are portable.



"We can't forget that the source of a retirement program is the ability to work. Having individual disability income insurance is a way to address one of the key risks to achieving your retirement goals," Botcher says.