Survival of the fittest. Design Horizons engineers a modern solution to homeowners' greatest threat

LICENSE #0680951

Protect your goodies.

Insurance & Risk Management Services for:

Farm & Business • Home & Auto • Life & Health

www.Dahlmeier.com

Chico

1368 Longfellow Ave 530.342.6421 Oroville

2080 Myers St 530.533.3424 Willows

305 N. Culver Ave. (Lambert Insurance Agency) 530.934.3361

4 Strategies To Reduce Taxes With Investments BY RENEE MICHEL, MBA, AND JOE SWEENEY, CFP® , FINANCIAL ADVISORS AT SWEENEY & MICHEL, LLC

It’s springtime again, which means patio lunches, baseball season, and the IRS knocking at the door. We have yet to meet anyone who enjoys paying taxes. Mark Twain opined, "I shall never use profanity except in discussing house rent and taxes." We understand the feeling—a California couple earning $100k annually would pay over 30% in state and federal taxes before deductions.

Thankfully, there are multiple ways to shelter income from taxation. Below are four common strategies:

IRA Contributions: An individual retirement account (IRA) is a savings account with tax advantages. Individuals can open and fund these accounts up until their tax deadline to take a deduction for 2021. The limit is $6,000 per person per year, or $7,000 if you’re over 50 Years Old.

Workplace Retirement Plans: A company 401(k) or 403(b) allows you to put aside $20,500 in 2022, or $27,000 if you’re over 50. If you’re self-employed, the deductible limits can be even higher. Deferring income from working years into future retirement years can allow you to withdraw that money at potentially lower tax rates.

HSA Plans: High-deductible health plans allow you to open a Health Savings Account, which allows for fully deductible contributions of $3,650 for singles or $7,300 for families. The money can then be withdrawn 100% tax-free if used for qualified medical expenses.

Charitable Donations: You can avoid taxes and support your favorite 501c3 nonprofits with gifts of stock, property, or other appreciated assets. Donors receive a deduction of fair market value, while avoiding paying tax on the unrealized capital gain.

If you’d like to explore these or other tax and investment strategies, give our team a call at 530-487-1777. Remember, everybody’s situation is unique (and this is a magazine column, not advice), so speak with your CPA about your specific tax situation!

Renée Michel, MBA and Joe Sweeney, CFP® | 196 Cohasset Road, Suite 100, Chico CA 95926 (530) 487-1777 | renee@sweeneymichel.com | joe@sweeneymichel.com | www.sweeneymichel.com

This is not tax advice. | Sweeney & Michel, LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. This brochure is solely for informational purposes. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Sweeney & Michel, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. No advice may be rendered by Sweeney & Michel, LLC unless a client service agreement is in place.

Farewell to a dear friend

Though we wanted to write a farewell of our own, we didn't have the words to express the sheer loss the Chico community experienced after hearing of Miyagi Pocock's passing. He was loved by so many, and his memory will never be forgotten. His wife, Elizabeth, and close friend, Nick Land, set pen to paper to commemorate his life and time with all of us.

Miyagi 41, was a dedicated husband, father, brother, son, uncle, and friend to all who knew him. He loved being a dad more than anything in this world. He always gave good advice to the kids, to me, and to his friends and family. He was more than just a husband to me, he was my best friend, my childhood crush, and my soulmate. To his kids, he was a hero, their playmate, and a walking book of jokes and fun. He knew how to bring joy and laughter into any situation. Miyagi loved theater—he was a great actor in his early twenties at Cynthia Merrill in Fresno. He was looking forward to starting a new career in real estate, recently passed the state test, and was waiting on his license. He could do anything he put his mind to. He was very good at adapting to whatever situation he was in, and he made the best of it. I love you Miyagi, and you will be missed by everyone—gone but not forgotten. -Elizabeth Pocock

Miyagi loved the beer industry. He loved beer too, but he loved the beer industry. One thing he always said was, “Keep the assholes out of beer. Beer is meant to be enjoyed, and people in the industry are meant to enjoy each other. You don’t need to compete; it’s just beer.”

Miyagi lived that life everyday. Nothing brought him more joy than talking beer, or learning beer, and he really enjoyed sharing beer with people. When people came into his work at Burgers & Brew and weren’t sure of what beer they wanted, he would get a sparkle in his eye and regale them with his knowledge, opening people up to new beers and new beer experiences. There is a solid beer community in Chico, and Miyagi stood out in that group for sure. From his time serving beer, to the time he spent as a brewer at Sacrament Brewing, and the time he spent posting funny beer related videos on Chico Beer Enthusiasts' page, he was the “beer industry” to a lot of people. He was a beer ninja that was loved by all. He had a way of making anyone that sat at his bar feel like a longtime friend and loved to tell a great tale from a time past. He set the vibe, and it’s our place to keep his vibe going. Cheers Miyagi, we love you! -Nick Land

Miyagi is survived by his wife of 14 years Elizabeth Pocock; his daughter Arya Pocock (15); his 4 sons Miyagi Pocock (14), Haiden Pocock (13), Kymani Pocock (9), and Jude Pocock 6; his parents Miyagi Baker and Sabrina Evans, his brother Sequoia Hughes, his sibling Red, and step-brother Jay Cee Cole; his nieces Anya Harper, Monica Burbano, and Cali Burbano; Grammy Huff, his grandmother; and many other friends and family, including the Chico Beer Enthusiasts family. We will all miss his warmth, humor, and smile dearly.

We will be having a celebration of life in Cohasset at Sorenson’s pond. More info will be given at a later date on the Foodies of Chico and Chico Beer Enthusiasts’ pages on Facebook.