Insights

PRESENTED BY MONTE MILLER MARCH 22, 2017

THIS WEEKS INSIGHTS

Beware of scams as tax time approaches! The IRS has put out notices that as this year's tax
deadline approaches, the rate of scams is stepping up. In one scam, thieves posing as taxpayers are
sending emails to tax preparers requesting a last-minute change to their refund destinations. The
request often directs refunds to a prepaid debit card or a different mailing address. The IRS is
Sarcasm is
urging tax preparers to verbally confirm any such requests directly with the taxpayer before
making a change. In another scam, taxpayers are receiving emails allegedly from their tax software
provider or others asking them to update online accounts. As part of the scam, taxpayers are asked
to give up sensitive data such as passwords, Social Security numbers, and bank account or credit the lowest form
card numbers. The IRS urges taxpayers to be on alert and recognize phishing emails, calls or texts
from scammers posing as banks, credit card companies, tax software providers or the IRS. My
advice? If in doubt, assume it's a scam.(Source: Forbes)
Five fast facts about the US penny: of wit, but the
1. The word penny and its variations across Europeincluding the German pfennig and the
Swedish penningoriginally denoted any sort of coin or money, not just a small denomination.
2. Offa, an Anglo-Saxon king, introduced the first English coin known as the penny around 790 A.D.;
it was made entirely of silver. Todays British pennies (called pence when referring to a quantity highest form of
of money) are worth one hundredth of a pound and minted in copper-plated steel.
3. The official term for the American penny is one-cent piece. However, when the U.S. Mint
struck its first one-cent coinsthen the size of todays half-dollars and 100-percent copperin
1793, Americans continued to use the British term out of habit. intelligence.
4. Benjamin Franklin reportedly designed the first American penny in 1787. Known as the Fugio
cent, it bears the image of a sun and sundial above the message Mind Your Business. A chain
with 13 links, each representing one of the original colonies, encircles the motto We Are One on
the reverse.
5. Along with the first U.S. pennys design, the phrase a penny saved is a penny earned has been
-- Oscar Wilde
attributed to Benjamin Franklin. Visitors to the founding fathers grave in Philadelphia traditionally
leave one-cent pieces there for good luck. (Source: History.com)
What is the 'Consumer Price Index - CPI'? The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a
basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food and medical care. It is calculated by taking price changes for each item
in the predetermined basket of goods and averaging them. Changes in the CPI are used to assess price changes associated with the cost of
living; the CPI is one of the most frequently used statistics for identifying periods of inflation or deflation. (Source: Investopedia)

Yosemite National Park

Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern
California is the wonderland that has inspired
generations of adventurers--Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite became a National Park in 1890, and now
hosts over 5 million visitors per year. Made famous in
its early days by the iconic photography of Ansel
Adams, Yosemite boasts such landmarks as El Capitan,
Half Dome, Bridal Veil Falls, and Yosemite Falls. Sitting
beside the Merced River as it meanders through
Yosemite Valley is one of life's great experiences.