“Weekend Edition” Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 28-30, 2014 Page 5The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado

Lori M. HoffmanFinancial Advisor

134 W. Main St. Suite 31Trinidad, CO 81082

719-846-6301

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This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local EdwardJones Financial Advisor.

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Share Your “Bounty” with Your Loved Ones

It’s almost Thanksgiving, a holiday that once celebrated the harvest season. Although many of us today may not be directly connected to agriculture, we still gather on Thanksgiving with our loved ones to share whatever “bounty” we may have. But this practice doesn’t have to begin and end with food. Why not incorporate the spirit of sharing into your overall financial strategy?

Here are a few suggestions for doing just that:

• Make financial gifts. You could give shares of stock to your loved ones, or perhaps give them money to help fund their IRAs. (They must have earned income, however, to be eligible to contribute to an IRA.) You can give up to $14,000 per year, per recipient. If you are married, you and your spouse can each give up to the $14,000 yearly limit. • Invest in your children’s future. To help your children meet the high costs of higher education, you might want to invest in a college savings vehicle. One option to consider is a 529 plan. When you contribute to a 529 plan, your earnings are subject to tax-free growth potential and distributions are free of federal taxes, provided they are used for qualified higher education expenses. (Keep in mind, though, that Section 529 plan distributions not used for these qualified expenses may be subject to income tax and a 10% penalty.) Furthermore, if you invest in your home state’s 529 plan, you may receive state tax incentives. Tax issues for 529 plans can be complex, though, so you’ll need to consult with your tax advisor about your situation. Another benefit of 529 plans:

You control the assets right up to the point at which they are actually used. So, if you have been putting away money for a particular child (or grandchild) and he or she decides against college, you can easily switch to another beneficiary. • Review your insurance policies. If something were to happen to you, is your life insurance sufficient to take care of your family? In other words, would there be enough money available to pay off your mortgage, send your children to college and help your surviving spouse meet at least some of his or her retirement expenses? A financial professional can help you determine if your life insurance is sufficient for your needs. • Consider involving your family with your estate plans. To help ensure your wishes get carried out the way you intended, consider keeping family members informed of your estate strategy, which could involve your will, living trust, power of attorney and other legal documents. And don’t forget to keep your beneficiary designations up to date on your retirement accounts and your life insurance policy. So if you’ve gone through changes in your family situation, such as a divorce or remarriage, work with your professional team, including your financial advisor and your tax and legal advisors, to make ensure your investment strategy aligns with your estate goals.

Once the turkey is eaten and the football games have ended, Thanksgiving will draw to a close. But consider these strategies sharing your “bounty” with your loved ones all year long — and throughout your lifetime.

SportSTRINIDAD STATE SOCCER

Trojans place 3rd at National TournamentBy Mike SalbatoCorrespondentThe Chronicle-News

The magical 2014 soccer season came to an end on a beautiful Arizona evening this past Saturday at the 2014 National Tour-nament. The Trojan squad hoisted a third place trophy to the cheers of their families and fans following the Trojans loss to even-tual champion Tyler Junior College in the semifinal round. The sentimental moment elicited some tears, more smiles and an overall feeling of accomplishment from a group of young men who worked extremely hard for the past four months to get to that moment.

Trinidad State played three games at the tournament with the first two coming in group play. They were matched in a group with the Hill College Rebels from Hillsboro, Texas and the Illinois Central Cougars from East Peoria, Illinois. TSJC was lucky to have Tuesday off so they were able to get a look at their competition as Hill upset Illi-nois 2-1.

On Wednesday the Trojans had their shot at the Rebels. Hill College played a tough defensive game were able to transi-tion into an early goal. The 1-0 lead held

until the 72nd minute when Josue Lujan fed Julian Padilla in the box. Padilla’s shot tied it up, and despite the Trojans taking 37 attempts throughout the match; it would be the only shot to find the net. Each team earned a point for the tie setting the Trojans up with a chance to advance if they could

beat the Cougars by two goals.On Thursday afternoon TSJC got on

the board in the opening minutes when Ricardo Zacarias made a run just outside the box and was taken down from behind. He drilled the ensuing free kick low past the wall and into the net to put Trinidad up 1-0. Wesley Padgett would then give the Trojans the goal they desperately needed late in the first half when he broke free in the middle of the pitch. The Cougar keeper deflected Padgett’s initial shot but the Tro-jan freshman responded quickly planting the rebound into the net for the 2-0 lead. Shawn Rusk put it out of reach late when he received a picture perfect assist from Zacarias and pushed it past the keeper for the 3-0 win. Trojan keeper Christian Rico helped TSJC earn their fourth shutout of the playoffs with a pair of excellent saves. The victory gave the Trojans four points in the group and the three-goal margin gave them the tiebreaker. They moved on to the semifinals on Saturday.

On Saturday the Trojans found them-selves facing not just Tyler JC, but in the first half they also had the wind and sun right in their faces. The combination of a fe-rocious Tyler attack and the elements were too much as the Trojans surrendered three

first half goals. In the second half the tables were turned and Zacarias wasted no time getting the Trojans a goal. He took an as-sist from Alan Garcia Pena and chipped a shot over the keeper to get the Trojans on the board. Trinidad continued the assault on the Apache goal but were unable to find

the net again. The Trojans then gave up a pair of goals on a penalty kick and a short-handed goal for the 5-1 finish.

Besides the third place trophy the Tro-jans brought home another award. Sopho-more Oscar Rivero was selected to the All-Tournament team. It was a well-deserved honor for the Trojan captain as he played a great tournament, showing non-stop hustle in all three matches.

Following the match Coach Aaron Mill-er addressed the large group of supporters that gathered around the team, “I am very proud of this team” he praised, “they put in a tremendous amount of work this season and accomplished more than anyone ex-pected. They can hold their heads up high with what they accomplished. I want to thank everyone who supported us though all of the long miles of travel, coming to games and cheering us on. I know many of you had never heard of Trinidad before we contacted you and I want to thank you for sending your sons to TSJC. We received great support all season long, thank you!”

The Trojans ended the year with a 20-3-2 record. They are the Region IX Champi-ons, the West District runner-ups and Na-tional Semifinalists. They received praise for their play on the field and behavior off of it wherever they went. This team trav-eled nearly 12,000 miles this season. Doing homework in hotels and on the bus was business as usual for the Trojans. Many of these young men will be moving on to play at the next level, but none will forget the family bond that was formed on this path to National Gold.

HOLY TRINITY ACADEMYCHRISTMAS BAZAAR

Saturday, December 6, 2014Sebastiani Gym 208 N. Animas St. • Trinidad

HTA Concession Stand & Bake SaleVendor Booths

Jewelry* Christmas Cra� s* Gi� s* Calendars* Crocheted Items* Candles* Rawleigh Products* Aprons* Towels* Pot Holders* Bows* Cinch Sacks* Scarves* Felt Animals* Photo Art* Christmas Clothes*

Jamberry* Christian Jewelry* Breads* Vollara Products* Afghans* Jams & Jellies* Bread Boards* Toys* Wood Craft s & Carvings*

Entertainment and Much More!

Come Enjoy Fun & Fellowship for the Day!Call 719-846-4522 for more information

Sebastiani Gym 208 N. Animas St. • TrinidadKathryn

Beich Candy

Bars

9 a.m.to

3 p.m.

Photos by Mike Salbato / The Chronicle-NewsThe Trojan Soccer Team coaches and players pose with the 3rd Place 2014 Men’s Soccer Division ITrophy they won at the National Tournament in Arizona last week.