• Skip Hop’s line of Versa diaper bags lets you carry everything you need. The bags are BPA-free, PVC-free and phthalate-free, so all your items stay clean while on-the-go. Other features include eleven pockets, water-resistant linings and even an expandable center. Shop online at www.skiphop.com.

• Pacifiers are handy for keeping your baby calm and content, and it helps to know that the ones you use, along with related accessories, are completely non-toxic. For something fun and safe, take a look at Haba’s Teddy Pacifier Chain. Your baby will love the bright colors and smiling teddy bear, and you’ll love that it’s made with natural, water-based, non-toxic lacquers. Learn more at www.oompa.com.

• While Safety 1^st offers a variety of great childcare products, their Nature Next line is getting positive reviews in particular. The Nature Next Booster Seat is made from 50 percent bio-plastic, a new generation of plastics developed from renewable plant resources. In addition, the factory that makes the booster seat is a zero landfill facility that reuses more than 99 percent of its plastic manufacturing waste. See more Nature Next products at www.safety1st.com

• Due to recent concern over the chemicals in plastic bottles, Lifefactory has created a line of glass baby bottles. All bottles are covered with a colorful silicone sleeve for easy gripping, and both components are 100 percent free of known toxins including BPA, phthalates, polycarbonates and PVC. The sleeves are made with medical-grade silicone and do not contain any plastic or latex. Check out all the colors and styles at www.lifefactory.com.

1. Assess your skills. According to business broker Andrew R. Cagnetta, “You should select the niche in which you are an expert and can handle really well. An operating business doesn’t give you the power to make big changes, because it can [affect] current customers and its reputation in the market; hence you should be ready to adjust with the current lifestyle of the business.”

2. Consider hiring a business broker. Entrepreneur.com notes that for a commission, brokers can help you through the entire process. Your broker should be able to help you pinpoint your interests, prescreen potential businesses, negotiate a sale and assist with complex paperwork (for items like licenses and permits).

3. Compile a thorough checklist of materials to assess. This list should include furniture, fixtures, equipment, contracts, legal documents, tax returns for the past five years, financial statements for the past five years, sales records, a complete list of liabilities, debt disclosure, marketing strategies and insurance records, among others.

4. Ask yourself key questions. Businessweek.com recommends asking the following important questions before making any final decisions:

• Will I enjoy running the business six months or six years from now?
• Do I have the finances to buy the business and keep it operational?
• Why is the owner selling?
• What do customers say about the business?

5. Consider getting help from a real estate agent. The experts at Businesssales.com point out that a real estate agent often has the inside scoop: “If a business has been in the same location and is showing a profit they can usually tell you why. It may be because they have a local clientele or some other reason that it does well. By the same token they can tell you if a location has had a steady string of businesses in it. This could mean that the location isn’t favorable to traffic or the building itself could be the cause.”

Brenden McDaniel, owner of Action Organizing Services, took some time to answer a few organizational questions that were submitted to us in the week leading up to our sixth-annual Community Shredding Day.

How long should I keep my bank statements?

I save bank statements for one calendar year at most. When tax returns have been filed, the tax year bank statements get shredded.

What items do I need to shred?

Destroy all sensitive information including junk mail and paperwork that includes:

How long do I need to keep tax statements?

So keep in mind that even though your return is filed, you always need to keep copies of your returns and you should hold on to your supporting documents for at least six years.

Do I need to worry about my child’s identity being stolen?

Though youngsters seem like unlikely victims, identity thieves consider children easy targets. Their squeaky-clean credit histories make them appealing to criminals who want to open new credit accounts. And because children don’t normally review their credit reports, identity thieves can hide criminal behavior for years. Some children learn they have years-old collection debts when they apply for their first credit card, automobile loan, or student loan.

Is it better to pay my bills online or by mail?

With Online Banking you can manage all of your accounts — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s secure access to your money anytime, anywhere. Paying Bills online takes longer for the payment to be received and the mail could be tampered with but that usually doesn’t happen. So all in all both are safer but paying online is faster and much more convenient.

Is it safe to use my smart phone for online banking?

Most mobile banking apps don’t actually store your bank details directly on your phone, but instead access it from a secure data center. This means your mobile phone will never hold your personal bank information. So all in all, yes.

How long do I keep my insurance policies?

Keep policies that you renew each year, such as those for your home, apartment, or car, until you get new policies, and then shred the old ones.

What is the best way to store important papers?

Items such as passports, birth certificates and insurance policies should be kept in a fire proof safe. Consider using a safety deposit box at North shore Bank.

How long do I keep receipts?

That depends on what kind of receipt or statement. Items that are tax related should be kept for 7 years for personal and 10 for business. If the item is out of warranty and there is no tax related info let it go now.

If I lose my spouse, how long do I keep related paperwork?

The same as your tax information seven years or until the estate is settled.

Do I need to shred photos?

Only if you are worried about what is on them. Perhaps you can recycle old family photos by passing them along to family members who may be interested in having them.

Highlights from Brenden’s Shredding Day Seminars

Here are takeaways from our recent de-clutter seminar with Brenden McDaniel:

• Why keep an item if you’re not using it.
• We might keep things because of emotional attachment, but don’t use those items.
• You can rent shredding bins to use at your home, which saves on time and your own equipment.
• If you need a copy of a cancelled check, you can get one at your bank.  Better to let things go that you no longer truly need.
• Use a dehumidifier in your basement to reduce humidity and damage to stored items.
• Use a paper towel roll to use as a spyglass to focus on an area of your home to clean. Make it fun!
• Take cleaning and organizing in smaller doses.
• Try to put like items together. This will help you as a starting point.
• The desired result is storing things where you can find them.
• Don’t blame yourself or anyone else. Accept the situation and start.
• The situation didn’t happen in one day & it will take time and patience to fix.
• Categorizing: Best friends, acquaintances, and strangers.  What possessions would you consider to be your “best friends”?
• If you’re going to start with your closet, don’t try to tackle it at once.
• Hint: Try putting clothes in the closet backwards.  When you wear it, put it in ‘”regularly”.
• If you work better in the morning, then schedule your organization then. Do what works for you.
• Think “Star Trek” and find a “Neutral Zone”. Be patient.
• If you’re going to get rid of something, get rid of it. Don’t second guess yourself.
• Reward yourself! Believe it or not, even organizing can be fun and rewarding!
• Backsliding. Don’t beat yourself up, just keep working on it and the project will go well.
• Give old magazines to others, nursing homes, dentist office, etc. Remember to remove your home address.
• Store and discount cards can cause clutter. Most stores can look up your account with a phone number so you can leave the cards at home. Apps are available too.
• If you have something that you collect and you see & enjoy it, that’s great. If it’s hindering your life, time to let it go.
• Instead of taking on one large project, break it down into sections.
• Save the humidity-absorbing packets from shoe boxes and use them again to help preserve stored items.
• Think outside the box about how to deal with unwanted items.
• The worst thing, when it comes to clutter, is valuing your things more than your time. You can’t get time back.
• Be non-judgmental when working with someone else on an organizing project. Be patient!
• When you open a drawer or a closet and smell cedar, it helps on a psychological level.

Additional information:

• North Shore Bank Presents Brenden McDaniel’s Clear Out the Clutter seminar (Pt. 1) – Video
• North Shore Bank Presents Brenden McDaniel’s Clear Out the Clutter seminar (Pt. 2)  – Video
• North Shore Bank’s Community Shredding Day 2012 – Photos

At a time when sales of other consumer goods and electronics are lagging, smartphones are enjoying record growth. According to IDC.com, smartphone sales around the world are expected to grow 25 percent, from 472 million people in 2011 to 630 million people in 2012.

• Check savings and account balances
• See what checks have cleared
• Receive and set up text alerts to notify you when a specific account activity has occurred
• View loan balances and make payments
• Manage credit card accounts
• Transfer funds between internal and external accounts
• Scan check images for deposits 

• Budgeting. Wondering if you can afford that new outfit or trip? You can download applications that track your expenses and budgets for you. You can even take pictures of receipts with your smartphone. Think of how much easier that could make things at tax time.
• Shopping comparisons. Going grocery shopping? You can take advantage of apps that make it easy for you to compare prices of various brands to determine the best value.
• Income tax applications. Need assistance with your taxes? You can download apps designed to provide helpful tips and information to complete your taxes.
• Account tracking. See all your account balances, including your banking and individual credit card accounts, in one place. You can even consolidate your retirement accounts as well.

For more information on smart ways to manage your money by phone, stop by or give us a call. We’d be happy to help you stay in touch with your money.

Smartphones, laptops and tablets are taking over. In a world centered around technology, it can still be intimidating to determine how to transition to paperless banking.

More and more people are opting to stop receiving paper bank statements each month for a variety of reasons — to help the environment, reduce clutter, save time and more.

Additionally, more people are choosing to pay bills through online, mobile and electronic transfers.

What exactly are the benefits of paperless banking? First of all, if your house (or family) is prone to clutter, it will save you from mysterious paper piles building up. It also helps the environment, protects you from identity theft caused by lost or stolen mail and makes paying your bills almost instant. Saving electronic statements doesn’t take up any physical space and can be stored in very large quantities on a computer, flash drive or CD-ROM.

Read this complete post on the Brookfield Patch.