Fiscal Fitness Oct'17

Fiscal + Car Buying Blues

Tax Talk Finances By The Book Cash-Savvy Kids

BUSINESS & MONEY: YOUR GUIDE TO ACHIEVING FINANCIAL WELL-BEING

The King Of Chrome Joel Raney talks trucks

Young & Artsy

WE HANDLE CATASTROPHIC INJURY CASES On February 27, 2017, a Marion County Jury returned a

record-breaking $52,000,000 verdict for our clients

who were devastated in a high speed rear-end collision.

Piccin & Glynn is a personal injury and wrongful death law firm with roots in Ocala since 1974. It is recognized as a Preeminent Law Firm with the highest rating for legal abilities, conduct, ethics, reliability and diligence.

John Piccin graduated from Villanova University and The University of Michigan Law School. His daughter, Katherine (Katie) Glynn, graduated from Eckerd College and St. Thomas University School of Law. John and Katie handle all types of crashes— motor vehicle, trucking, motorcycle, bicycle, boating and aircraft. Other practice areas include medical and professional malpractice, product and premises liability, and insurance disputes, particularly insurance company “bad faith.”

If you want lawyers who will passionately work to pursue your legal rights following a tragedy or significant financial loss, give John or Katie a call.

320 NW 3rd Ave., Ocala (352) 351-5446 • (800) 969-5446 • Fax: (352) 351-8057 john@ocalapersonalinjury.law • katie@ocalapersonalinjury.law

www.ocalapersonalinjury.law

Contents

BUSINESS & MONEY: YOUR GUIDE TO ACHIEVING FINANCIAL WELL-BEING PUBLISHER

Kathy Johnson

kathy@healthylivingmagazines.com OFFICE/PRODUCTION MANAGER

Cynthia Brown

art@healthylivingmagazines.com

OCTOBER 2017

ART

04 05 06 08 12 14

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

....... Book It

Jessi Miller

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kristy Taylor

....... Smart Car Buys

PHOTOGRAPHERS EDITORIAL

John Jernigan fotolia.com

...... New Money, Old Tricks

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Karin Fabry-Cushenbery

karin@healthylivingmagazines.com MANAGING EDITOR

Melissa Peterson

melissa@healthylivingmagazines.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR & SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

SALES DIRECTOR OF SALES

Dean Johnson

deanjohnson@healthylivingmagazines.com

Sharon Morgan DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Laurel Gillum

.......... Financial Advice

SALES MANAGER

Cealia Athanason

cealia@ocalastyle.com

..... Built For Business

.......... Taming Your Taxes

Penny Miller • penny@healthylivingmagazines.com Peggy Sue Munday • peggysue@healthylivingmagazines.com Cecilia Sarco • cecilia@ocalastyle.com OCALA PUBLICATIONS, INC.

o: 352.732.0073 › f: 352.732.0226 › 1007 E. Fort King St., Ocala, FL 34471 › healthylivingmagazines.com HEALTHY LIVING MAGAZINES / OCTOBER 2017 / VOL. 1, NO. 4 Published monthly by Ocala Publications, Inc. All contents © 2017 by Ocala Publications Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. For back issues or advertising information, call (352) 732-0073. Return postage must accompany all unsolicited manuscripts and artwork if they are to be returned. Manuscripts are welcomed, but no responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited materials. “Promotional” and “Promotional Feature” denote a paid advertising feature. Publisher is not responsible for claims and content of advertisements.

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and how to avoid the market’s traps. › amazon.com

Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School? 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By by Cary

Siegel › How many of us had a pop quiz on personal money management in high school? Neither did we! Perfect as a graduation gift for high school and college graduates, this book includes eight easy-to-understand lessons focusing on 99 principles that will help any individual’s money management skills. › barnesandnoble.com

Pogue’s Basics: Money: Essential Tips and Shortcuts (That No One Bothers to Tell You) About Beating The System by David Pogue › Tax and

Attention all bookworms, there’s a new genre making headlines: financial planning books. › BY LAUREL GILLUM

Y

es, money management is an important skill to develop. Here are seven financial planning books to help you jump start the habit.

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey › What if

someone told you that you could pay off your accumulated debt in seven easy steps? Better yet, if they promised you financial security for emergencies and retirement? Dave Ramsey, America’s trusted voice on money and business, author and radio host, has put into words a comprehensive plan to help you get out of debt and achieve financial fitness. › daveramsey.com

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healthylivingmagazines.com OCT ’17 Ficsal Fitness

How to Be a Financial Grownup: Proven Advice from High Achievers on How to Live Your Dreams by

Bobbi Rebell and Tony Robbins › The book outlines a complete life plan for some of the biggest personal finance decisions, including managing debt, investing, buying a home and shaping a successful career. A definite mustread. › bobbirebell.com

The Passive Income Myth: How to Create a Stream of Income from Real Estate, Blogging, Stocks and Bonds by

Joseph Hogue, CFA › This book sets the record straight on the right way to make money out of your investments

IRS laws are ever changing. This book answers your most pressing questions to help you maximize your tax savings, specific to you as an individual. › barnesandnoble.com

Dear Debt: A Story about Breaking Up with Debt by

Melanie Lockert › Lockert draws from personal experience—with a touch of humor—to help readers navigate through the debt repayment process, learn to increase their current income and become debt-free. › amazon.com

The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year

by Crystal Paine › Included in this book are effective strategies designed for families of all sizes and income levels to set up a realistic budget.

Paine breaks down these goals into manageable steps you can easily follow on your own. › amazon.com

Sources: smartasset.com, dealnews.com

Book It

to 50 percent in the first three years of ownership. Buying used, you have allowed someone else to take the initial depreciation hit.

Shop financing options.

Smart Car Buys We’ve unveiled the secrets car salesmen don’t want you to know. Time to trade in the old station wagon. › BY LAUREL GILLUM

Timing is everything.

The price of fancy leather comes at a pretty penny. Buying a vehicle at a specific time of year, month, day or even time of day, however, can save you big bucks. Here are the best times to snag a deal: • At the end of the month: If your purchase helps put a manager over his monthly sales quota, he will reap further compensation benefits for his lot. In this case, it would help both you and the manager to make a sale at a lower price, rather than not make one at all.

• When models are on the way out. Toward the end of each year, the dealer not only needs cash for incoming models but needs to free

up space for the newer models as well. New cars often start shipping in the late summer or early fall, making those months prime time to make a deal.

• Black Friday. According to Consumer Reports, car shopping on Black Friday can save you thousands of dollars. Dealers are trying to clear out their inventory by the end of the year and meet quotas by the end of the month.

Focusing on the monthly payment.

Don’t share how much you are willingly to pay toward a car each month with your dealer. Instead, focus on how much you are willingly to pay in total for a new or used car. Take into consideration the interest rate, as well as the length of the loan. A longer loan may allow a car to fit into your budget in the end, but you may wind up overpaying for the car in interest.

Extended warranties.

Simply put, people who buy and trade cars frequently shouldn’t buy an extended warranty. You should consider an extended warranty if you buy a used car or plan to keep your new car for several years.

New vs. used.

The moment a new car rolls off the lot, it has already lost nearly 30 percent of its value. Some cars will depreciate up

Online shopping.

Most dealerships typically have an online operation that lets you negotiate a price and make a deal remotely. This completely eliminates the need for face-to-face negotiation when buying a car.

Ficsal Fitness OCT’17 healthylivingmagazines.com

Sources: nerdwallet.com, huffingtonpost.com

W

hen’s the best time to buy a car? Should you buy that pricy extended warranty?

Find out our top tricks and tips for buying a new car.

Only about 10 percent of car buyers qualify for the zero percent or lowinterest-rate deals automakers offer. If you do qualify, you may be better off taking an automaker’s cash rebate and obtaining financing on your own at a bank or credit union.

5

It all starts with a piggy bank. › BY LAUREL GILLUM

I

n this day and age, financial education has become more valuable than ever. As early as age 3, children start to gain a basic understanding of concepts such as saving and spending money. A study by the University of Cambridge states that by age 7, financial habits begin to develop. How, then, will our children form habits that will ensure them financial success into adulthood? Here are some practical steps you can help your child put into action.

Play store.

Role play is a great way to introduce the concepts of trading money for things. Label a few household items

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healthylivingmagazines.com OCT ’17 Ficsal Fitness

with prices, and proceed to check-out.

One can play the part of the cashier, while the other is a paying customer.

Playing with real coins can help your child familiarize themselves with the different values of the coins.

Earn it.

This teaching tool is a great way to introduce budgeting, trade-offs and critical thinking skills related to money.

Sit down with your child and help them break down where their money goes. For example, 70 percent of the allowance could go to savings, while 30 percent is allocated to spending.

If your child knows they only have 30 percent of their allowance left to spend

Save it.

Teach your kids the importance of money well spent. An example might be school lunch. If your child wishes to purchase extra items beyond the basic lunch, then he or she can pay for it themselves. Otherwise, a healthy home lunch will be provided for free. This will help your kids to be thoughtful before spending money on just anything.

Spend it.

Beware of sticker prices. When the time has come for your child to make their first big purchase, make sure they are aware of the extra costs associated that aren’t listed on the price tag. For items like a new phone or a car, remind them how much monthly data plans, insurance and/or repairs will cost them. For younger kids who are looking to purchase a new toy, don’t forget to tell them about sales tax!

Sources: tonyrobbins.com, timeinc.net

New Money, Old Tricks

leisurely, they will learn to budget in order to save and purchase the things they really want. How much allowance is your call!

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Ficsal Fitness OCT’17 healthylivingmagazines.com

7

Built for

Business Joel Raney followed his passion and built Raney’s Inc. from the ground up.

BY CEALIA ATHANASON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN JERNIGAN

From Startup To Success

Almost eight years ago, Raney’s Inc. was forming without anyone knowing.

Mark Raney, the owner of Raney’s Truck Center, hired his nephew, Jacob Chak, to sell some of his old inventory.

Jacob began listing the parts online and watched them sell quickly.

Mark’s son, Joel, had started taking classes at the University of South Florida to earn his master’s degree after having no immediate success in his job hunt due to the market recession. He previously graduated with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Always being close to his family, Joel came home to visit Jacob one day and found out what he was up to.

“It just had that start-up feel to it. And my passion has always been business and working with people and building something,” Joel says. “I liked engineering because it was challenging, but I was much more passionate about business, and this gave me an opportunity to get a little bit involved.”

Shortly after, Joel found himself driving back and forth from Tampa to Ocala between classes and dealing with customers, while Jacob handled the data management part of the job.

Business was slow, and Joel realized his full involvement could mean the difference between failure and success for the young company. He had to make a decision, and he finally dropped out of his master’s program to fully invest in this new business venture.

“I don’t think I ever really saw how much it could be. It just kept growing and growing,” Joel says.

Meanwhile, Joel’s dad was their biggest supporter. He had a small space available that Jacob and Joel leased from him to set up shop. Mark shared his knowledge and experience from running Raney’s Truck Center with the two young men, helping them with operations and their first few hires.

Jacob and Joel began planning to turn the business into its own company in 2011, and Joel remembers one specific customer steering them in the right direction. His name was Eddie Cruz, and he was looking for parts that neither

“My passion has always been business and working with people and building something.”

Ficsal Fitness OCT’17 healthylivingmagazines.com

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The fun and flexible workplace philosophy at Raney’s Inc. was inspired by Zappos’ founder Tony Hsieh’s book Delivering Happiness.

Joel nor Mark carried. As Joel searched for the parts, he realized they could expand. Because they were running an online business, it wouldn’t be difficult to bring in parts from more suppliers.

“That’s when we really shifted to our own identity and figured out the path we wanted to go [down],” Joel says. “Eddie Cruz kind of took us there.”

Raney’s Inc. became official in 2012—just a year and a half after clearing out Mark’s overstocked items.

Joel explains that his dad’s business involves everything needed to keep semi-trucks running, offering a service center, more than 20 repair bays, mechanics and the parts necessary to keep the trucks running smoothly.

Raney’s Inc., however, is all about customizing semi-trucks.

“These guys spend all day every day driving across the country in these rigs.

So, we sell all the products that make it look good, that will keep them on the road as far as collision—bumpers,

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hoods, headlights. And then, driver comfort’s big,” Joel says. “That’s the passion of our company and our customers—tricking out their trucks, making them look as unique and cool as they can.”

Raney’s Inc. sells mattresses, Bluetooth headsets, apparel, steering wheels and, overall, chrome everything.

They work with manufacturers on customizing parts, and they work with drivers who show their trucks, as well.

Working At Raney’s

Joel credits his dad for believing in him and supporting his business as it’s grown.

“He helped steer us,” says Joel.

“He’s a visionary, so he always saw and believed how big we could get.”

Mark supported them for the first two years, and even though they run similar businesses, they’re not competitors.

Rather, they support one another.

Raney’s Inc. now serves customers

worldwide, with more than 100 different suppliers and a team of more than 50.

Raney’s Truck Center is a locally based company with an 80-mile radius of service and a smaller list of suppliers.

Although Raney’s Truck Center is not an online retailer, it welcomes trucks onsite for servicing, parts and repairs. Joel and his dad are able to refer customers to each other based on their needs.

The fun and flexible workplace philosophy at Raney’s Inc. was inspired

by Zappos’ founder Tony Hsieh’s book Delivering Happiness. Joel looks for passion and family spirit in all of his team members in order to run a productive business that truly cares about its customers. For Joel, it’s all about providing a great customer experience and maintaining a family environment.

Because Raney’s is all about ‘chroming out your truck,’ employees are lovingly called “chromozonians.”

Raney’s Inc. maintains flexibility and

work-life balance, taking each team member’s life into account. They keep things fun with frequent events and activities, too. Recently, chromies celebrated National #Selfie Day and Pina Colada Day (virgin, of course), and they love breaking out the costumes when they can.

“We want people to come here and know that we don’t just care about their production; we care about them as a person,” Joel says.

Inside the 125,000-square-foot warehouse that Raney’s Inc. calls home, meeting rooms, departments, inventory storage and the break room have been remodeled and redesigned with a modern, functional look. Exposed rafters and black, white, red and gray colors stay constant throughout the building, and construction on their new retail store is almost done, with a goal to open it early next year.

Perhaps the most exciting area is the large break room, complete with a professional kitchen, indoor park-like play area for visiting children and lounge area for chromies. There’s also a wheel for team members to spin when they’ve met goals or accomplished something extraordinary. Dinner, movie tickets and a paid day off are among the prizes.

“I would say [it’s most important] that everyone’s happy. I can come to work, and I see everyone sitting down together, talking, having a good time, laughing, enjoying what they do,” Joel says. “I don’t ever want to have a company where people are just there going through the motions. We want people to know here they’re making a difference, they’re impacting people’s lives, they’re helping our community, they’re helping each other. That’s definitely what’s important to me.”

A Day In The Life

‘What’s a day like for you?’ might be the question Joel dreads most.

“Oh no, that question. I just never know how to answer that question,” he laughs. “It changes so much every day.”

At the end of a 15-minute tour around the building, Joel scrolls down his phone’s lock screen, revealing an endless stream of notifications. Phone calls, emails, messages—for him, they

never stop. He deals with each department, overseeing every aspect of the business, every day. He’s clearly passionate about what he does, and seeing his team excited to come to work makes the stress, time demands and sense of responsibility to support his work family all worth it.

To other aspiring entrepreneurs, Joel suggests only doing something they’re truly passionate about.

“I would say they also need to understand just how much work it is,” Joel says. “They have to understand they have to be in it for the long haul.”

Now 29 years old, Joel doesn’t work the endless hours that he worked at the very beginning, although he is always available to his staff and customers. It’s a tough balance, but, when he does have free time, he enjoys spending it with his almost-2-year-old son, Carson, and his wife, Jenni, who is famous at Raney’s Inc. for her baked goods.

If Joel could do it all over again: “I don’t think I would change anything because it’s all been a learning experience,” he says.

LEARN MORE › raneys.com

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Financial Advice L

etting someone take the reins when it comes to your finances can be hard. You must be able to trust this professional and willing to consider the advice they give you. Look for these star qualities when hiring a financial planner to assist you with your funds.

A financial advisor who contacts you first should immediately be red-flagged.

A great financial planner should not have to look for work; you will find them. Once you find a potential match, make it a point to visit the advisor’s office. Are they organized? Do they appear to be busy? Is the staff helpful and friendly?

Only after an advisor knows a considerable amount of information regarding your life should they offer you any advice. A good advisor will ask you these basic questions first: How is your health? Are you in debt? Will

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you inherit money someday? Are you saving for your children’s education?

An advisor should be a certified financial planner, or CFP, professional.

To earn a CFP license is a two-year certification process, with continuing education requirements. Get someone who knows their stuff!

Your potential advisor should inform you what he or she expects to be paid upfront. You should never be expected to write a check out to an individual’s name—instead, make out all checks to a brokerage, an insurance company or another financial services firm.

If face-to-face advising is not in your budget, you might want to consider an alternative investment. Online-only financial advising startups, like Personal Capital, LearnVest and FutureAdvisor, are gaining popularity. LearnVest’s business model uses certified financial planners to guide you, and other companies, such as FutureAdvisor, provide investing advice generated by computer algorithms.

Regardless of the method you choose to start your investment, it’s comforting to know your money is being cared for properly. For more leads, check the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA). These planners are fee-only, meaning they accept no commissions at all and pledge to act in their clients’ best interests.

Sources: forbes.com, money.usnews.com

Whether your bank account displays a sixfigure balance or a deficit, financial advisors are professionals who are specifically commissioned to help clients handle their money in a proper manner. › BY LAUREL GILLUM

Hurricane Season is in full effect. Are you aware of the tax breaks you are entitled to if the area you live in qualifies under an area designated by FEMA? The IRS offers tax relief to affected taxpayers (individuals and businesses) in any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is part of a coordinated federal response to the damage caused by severe storms and flooding and is based on local damage assessments.

The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in a federally declared disaster area. As such, taxpayers do need to contact the IRS to get this relief. In addition, the IRS will work with any taxpayer who lives outside the disaster area but whose records necessary to meet a deadline occurring during the postponement period are located in an affected area. Taxpayers qualifying for relief who live outside the disaster area should contact the IRS at (866) 562-5227.

Additionally, individuals and businesses who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can choose to claim them on either the return for the year the loss occurred (in this instance, the 2017 return normally filed next year) or the return for the prior year (2016). Please contact our office with specifics regarding extension deadlines, and stay safe this hurricane season!

Hema Rupnarain, CPA, P.A. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

The Villages Office 13940 N. US Hwy 441, Suite 206 The Villages, FL 32139

352.255.3795

Ocala Office 1306 East Silver Springs Blvd.

Ocala, FL 34470

352.351.9880

Email: info@hemacpa.com Website: www.hemacpa.com

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Taming Your Taxes If it’s not the kids, the spouse or the to-do lists that make you regret becoming an adult— surely tax season has you second-guessing the whole growing up bit. › BY LAUREL GILLUM

W

hether this tax year is looking up for you or you are more than ready to start anew, you may still have time to turn your mood around and save a bundle on your taxes. April 15, no doubt, is one of the most important tax days of the year.

December 29, however, is another date to remember. It’s the last business day of 2017, and it’s the deadline to reduce what you owe on taxes, thus improving your return. Who knows, maybe a vacation isn’t that far out of reach after all?

How does knowing that tax planning is a year-round gig make taxes a less daunting feat? Although it may be true

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that tax strategies take time and effort to be fully effective, they do work—and prove to be very rewarding. Here are a few steps you can take before the end of the year to lower your 2017 tax bill.

Defer your income.

Income is taxed in the year it is received. The strategy you’ll want to remember though is: Why pay tax today if you can pay it tomorrow instead? If you work as an employee, it may be beyond your control to postpone wage and salary income. You may, however, be able to defer a yearend bonus into next year. Whether you are employed or self-employed, you can

also defer income by taking capital gains in 2018 instead of in 2017. Of course, by using this method you will want to be fairly certain that you will be in the same or a lower tax bracket next year. If not, you could be hit with a bigger tax bill next year if additional income could push you into a higher tax bracket.

Last-minute tax deductions.

Just as you might want to defer income into next year, you may want to accelerate deductions this year. There are various ways to do this, and all will lower your tax bill. Contributing to charity is one way to get a deduction.

You can boost the tax benefits of the donation by contributing appreciated stock or property rather than cash.

If you have owned the asset for more than one year, your tax benefit is doubled. Avoid paying capital gains tax on the built-up appreciation by deducting the property’s market value on the date of the gift. Charitable deductions are limited to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income.

Loss harvesting is when you sell investments, such as stocks and mutual funds, to realize losses. Afterward, you can use those losses to offset any taxable gains you have realized during the year. Losses offset gains dollar for dollar. If your losses outweigh your gains, you can use up to $3,000 of excess loss to wipe out your gains. If

you have more than $3,000 in excess loss, it can be carried over to the next year. You can carry over losses year after year, as long as you do taxes.

Retirement accounts.

Often, employers match contributions with company-sponsored 401(k) plans. Your goal is to try to increase your 401(k) contributions so that you are putting in the maximum amount of money allowed. If you cannot contribute that much money at once, try to contribute at least the amount that will be matched by employer contributions. If you are self-employed, the retirement plan of choice is a Keogh plan. These plans must be established

by December 31. Contributions may still be made until the tax filing deadline for your 2017 return.

Contributing to charity is one way to get a deduction.

Check IRA distributions.

By April 1, following the year you turn 70.5 years old, you must start making regular minimum distributions from your traditional IRA. Failing to take enough out leads to consequence, including a 50 percent excise or “sin tax” on the amount you should have withdrawn based on your age, your life expectancy and the amount in the account at the beginning of the year.

After that, annual withdrawals must be made by December 31 to avoid the penalty.

Flex spending.

A flex spending account is a benefit plan that allows employees to determine an amount to be set aside from each paycheck for uses such as child care or medical bills. This money avoids both income and Social Security taxes. On the other hand, you decide at the beginning of the year how much money to contribute, so if you don’t use it all by the end of the year, you lose the money.

Ficsal Fitness OCT’17 healthylivingmagazines.com

Sources: turbotax.intuit.com, fidelity.com

Loss harvesting.

If you have more than $3,000 in excess loss, it can be carried over to the next year.

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

When Is The Best Time To Purchase?

T his is a question I am often asked. The answer can be a little tricky, though. Every car buyer has different cycles for purchasing vehicles. There are those who have to own the newest technology, style and models. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who choose to purchase a new vehicle once their old one no longer works. Most people purchase a new vehicle somewhere in between. There are a couple ways to figure out when the best time to buy is.

New vehicles come with a “bumperto-bumper” and a “powertrain” warranty. Cost of ownership means the total amount that is spent while driving the vehicle. Gas, oil changes, repairs and monthly payments are all added together to create your cost of ownership. When you own a vehicle that falls under some kind of warranty, your cost of ownership is going to be minimal. For that reason, most people like owning a car that’s under warranty. If you’re one of those people, you may want to consider trading in your vehicle just before the warranty runs out. This allows consumers to avoid spending a lot of money on repairs or replacements, including tires, brakes and batteries.

People who keep a vehicle for an extended period of time may not want or need to purchase a vehicle every

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healthylivingmagazines.com OCT ’17 Ficsal Fitness

Scott Reece, General Manager

People who keep a vehicle for an extended period of time may not want or need to purchase a vehicle every few years.

A buyer has to consider when the cost of ownership outweighs the value of the vehicle. few years. A buyer has to consider when the cost of ownership outweighs the value of the vehicle. If your vehicle needs thousands of dollars worth of repairs to keep it up and running, it may be time to trade it in. This is especially true when the vehicle isn’t worth much more than a couple thousand dollars.

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