North Carolina Newspapers

5A STRICTLY BUSINESS/The Charlotte Post Thursday, April 10, 1997 Graham named JCSU assistant VP Bonds should be By Herbert L. White THE CHAELOTTE POST Bob N. Graham, PhD. has been appointed assistant vice .president for Student 'Affairs/Dean of Students at 'Johnson C. Smith University. ^ Graham, a 1962 JCSU gradu- jate, was hired last July to serve as director of the Upward Boimd programs at Johnson C. Smith. 1 Before coming to JCSU, Graham served as an assistant .professor of education. Broker 'for the Developmental School Program and as an Area Coordinator for tVinthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. jPrior to his work at Winthrop University, Graham served as assistant principal and assosiate _ principal at West Mecklenburg High School. Graham will supervise Upward Bound, the university’s health services and will serve as the administrative liaison for the Greek Council /Pan Hellenic Coundl. He wfll serve as advisor and coordinator for Panhellenic activities, ombudsman for stu dents and win serve as the chair person for 'Who’s 'Who Among Students In American Universities and Colleges at Smith. Graham, formerly of North Wilkesboro, served several capacities during his tenure with Wilkes County Schools, including teacher and counselor. He now lives in Charlotte with his wife Jean, also a former Wilkes County retired educator and a Smith graduate. based on quabty Continued from page 7A corporate bonds are not listed in newspapers, so for the best price, invest in them only through a trusted broker. Buying individual bonds Select a variety of maturities, some short, some intermediate and perhaps a few long-term. This is called laddering. Remember that the longer the term of the bond, the higher the risk on that bond. Don't go beyond a 15 year maturity. Emphasize quality rather than chasing yields. Don't buy any municipal or corporate bonds with lower than “invest ment grade” ratings by Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s, two com panies that rate bonds. While chasing yields is a sin, shopping for yields is a virtue. When shopping for yield, compare the after-tax yields of alternative investments. Charles Ross is host of the nationally syndicated radio pro gram, “Your Personal Finance.” Johnson C. Smith University assistant vice president i Affairs Bob Graham (ieft) virith Treva Norman, assistant' dent of student affairs/ assistant to the president. Don’t be an April 15 tax fool Continued from page 7A Get tax smart Don’t expect that starting a business will automatically enti tle you to a tax break. One tax payer set up a business that, unfortunately, lost money. The taxpayer tried to claim deduc tions for a home office, self- employed health insurance pre miums, and an IRA contribu tion. These deductions were all denied because he did not have the required self-employment or earned income from the busi ness. Charles E. King, TC Memo 1996-231 If you have any questions regarding qualified deductions, the North Carolina Association of CPAs recom mends that you get them answered before you complete and mail your tax return. That’s your best defense against becoming an April fool this tax season. "Where Changed Philosophies Lead To Changed Behavior" Creative Interchange Cl • Diversity Facilitating • Motivational Sf>eaking • Self-esteem Building for Youth & Adults • Wellness • African, African American History Lectures • Rites of Passage Training Ahmad Daniels, M.Ed Educator & Facilitator 1321 Enderly Road • Charlotte, NC 28208 • (704) 393-5474 Use real estate as inflation hedge By Omar Dillard SPECIAL TO THE POST Monopoly, that ever-popular board game, is all about making money in real estate. The object is to obtain more property and oney than your opponent. You this by smart investing. Of course, actual real estate ^vesting is no game, but 'vestors can make money in ^al estate. Real estate invest- ents offer current income, the otential for rising future icome and price appreciation. . Traditionally, investors MViewed real estate as a hedge against inflation. As prices rise, rents go up and property values increase. Even with the relative ly low inflation of the past few hyears, rents have risen at annu- Oal rates of 4 percent to 7 per- d/cent. "Merger joins 2 But challenges accompany tra ditional real estate ownership as well. Property must be main tained and good tenants located. In addition, liquidity is an issue. At times it could take months, or even years to sell real estate. There is, however, another way to invest in real estate that offers growth and liquidity with out the landlord headaches. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) offer the investment benefits of well-selected real estate with liquidity. Operated like mutual funds, REITs are companies that own various real estate investments instead of stocks and bonds. The REITs own and manage the properties. REITs are considered growth- and-income stocks and are trad ed on the New York Stock Exchange or other major securi ties exchanges. Income earned from REITs is passed on to shareholders as dividends. In fact, according to a recent report on the REIT industry, REIT div idends have grovm 5 percent on average over the last five years. REITs usually specialize in a particular type of property. Apartment complexes, office buildings, shopping centers and health-care facflities are some of the most popular types of prop erty. Different kinds of proper ties offer different income return, price appreciation and risk, so it is important to research the various REITs before investing. 'Vacancy rates, economic changes within a property’s area and the retail environment can all affect a REIT’s performance. The advantage of REITs over tradi tional real estate is that REIT investors own a diversified real estate portfolio with the liquidi ty of publicly traded stock. In addition, REITs enjoy a tax advantage: They pay no income taxes at the corporate level as long as the REIT pays out 95 percent of its taxable.net income in dividends. This means investors avoid a double tax on investment returns. With stocks, corporations pay taxes on profits, and shareholders pay taxes on dividends. Since REITs pay no corporate taxes, the same profits aren’t taxed twice. While REITs may require more analysis than more tradi tional investments, they can be a smart choice for investors looking for growth and income with increased diversification. Talk to an investment represen tative who understands REITs to find out if this option is for you. Omar Dillard is an investment representative at Edward Jones investments in Charlotte. ^OUCH, INC, A Motivational Training Consultant Service ■providing workshops for: • home* school • workplace* church • community Senior Consultant, Glenda Horton Manning New .6316 Montieth Drive • 561-3731 or 596-6036 Address . Fax 596-6276 'Touching Tomorrow Today" Ad Last! A Certified MBE Company That Can Handle Your Office Needs! • Copy Paper • Computer Pajicr • Toner Ink Cartridges, Etc.... And We Deliver Call or Fax Today! (704) 522-9411 * Fax (704) 522-9413 8227‘E Avrowridge Blvd. CharlottCy NC 28273 • Don Black, Pres. BUSINESS BANKING SERVICES Keep up with more of the world. Subscribe to $os:t at 376-0496. papers Continued from page 8A said. “The quickest and safest "‘way for both of us to get bigger “is to come together.” ■ Pitt said the Triangle publica- “tion will not only mean better service to advertisers, but also increase the ability of Consolidated Media to provide ■^hews coverage of the state capi tal. “If you are serious about pub- ‘‘lishing a newspaper, you have to be concerned that a lot of things that happen in Raleigh affect the Afiican American communi ty in Winston-Salem and ’’Charlotte and across the state,” ' iRtt said. “Much that affects the 'African American commimity is not being put forward in an “feffective manner in our newspa- ■'pers sometimes because we don’t ■'have a presence there.” 3£ Having black-owned publica tions in three urban regions would provide better news ser vice to African Americans in those regions. The publications will provide information of statewide significance and inter est, he said. ,r. Each publication, operating .^,?eparately, would have access to , jhe other major regional centers. Raleigh and Durham already nave black newspapers, the biweekly Carobnian in Raleigh ^and the weekly Carolina Times ^in Durham. jl" Johnson and Pitt agreed that rponsoUdated Media can compete those cities with a stronger .project, backed by The Post and the Chronicle. WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY Babcock Graduate School o/Management CHARLOTTE MBA PROGRAM Wake Forest University offers an evening MBA program in Charlotte designed for experienced professionals. Join us for an Information Session Thursday evening, April 24 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (Formal renarks begin at 6:00 p.m.) One Morrocroft Centre 6805 Morrison Blvd., Suite 150 Information on our weekend executive program in Winston-Salem will also be available. 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