Page 2 October 17, 2013 Looking Up Finance Juno Spacecraft Slingshots Past Reevaluate Your Benefits Needs Earth En Route to Jupiter During Open Enrollment By Bob Eklund “While we are primarily using Earth as a By Jason Alderman for eligible out-of-pocket expenses On Oct. 9, NASA’s Jupiter-bound Juno means to get us to Jupiter, the flight team If you’re among the 170 million on a pre-tax basis; that is, before spacecraft made a quick pass by Earth to get a is also going to check and calibrate Juno’s Americans who receive health federal, state and Social Security gravity boost and slingshot the probe towards science instruments,” Bolton said. “As another insurance through an employer- taxes are deducted from your its destination. The time of closest approach bonus, Juno is approaching the Earth from provided plan, you’ll probably paycheck. This reduces your taxable was 12:21 p.m. PDT, when Juno passed about deep space, from the Sun-lit side. Juno receive your 2014 open enrollment income and therefore, your taxes. 350 miles over South Africa. will take never-before-seen images of the materials shortly. Although it’s You can use a healthcare FSA As the largest planet in our solar system, Earth-Moon system, giving us a chance to a pain to wade through all that to pay for IRS-allowed medical Jupiter grabbed most of the mass leftover after see what we look like from Mars or Jupiter. information, simply opting for your expenses not covered by your the Sun formed. Dr. Scott Bolton of Southwest We plan to release a movie of this unique current coverage could be a costly medical, dental or vision plans. Research Institute is the Juno principal perspective of the Earth-Moon system shortly mistake. Here’s why: Check IRS Publication 502 for allowable investigator, leading an international science after the flyby.” Health insurance has undergone major expenses. Dependent care FSAs let you use team seeking to answer some fundamental Juno will arrive at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. changes since the 2010 Affordable Care Act pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible expenses questions about the gas giant, and in turn, Once in orbit around Jupiter, the spacecraft was passed, including the elimination of annual related to care for your child, spouse, parent about the processes that led to the formation will circle the planet 33 times, from pole to and lifetime coverage limits and preexisting or other dependent incapable of self-care. of our solar system. Jupiter is in the outer pole, and use its collection of nine science solar system, about five times as far away instruments to probe beneath the gas giant’s “Although it’s a pain to wade through all that information, from the Sun as Earth. obscuring cloud cover. Juno’s science team simply opting for your current coverage could be a costly mistake.” “Juno is a large, massive spacecraft,” Bolton will learn about Jupiter’s origins, structure, said. The spacecraft has three large solar panels, atmosphere and magnetosphere, and look for conditions exclusions, expanded free preventive Here’s how FSAs work: Say you earn measuring nine-by-29 feet, and a titanium vault a potential planetary core. care and allowing children up to age 26 to $42,000 a year. If you contribute $1,000 to to protect sensitive electronics from the harsh SwRI also provided two science instruments remain on parents’ plans. a health care FSA and $3,000 for dependent environment around Jupiter. “Even a large for the mission--the Ultraviolet Spectrograph In response, many employers have altered care, your taxable income would be reduced rocket couldn’t provide enough propulsion (UVS) and the Jovian Auroral Distributions their benefit plans. Plus, if your family or to $38,000. Your resulting net income, after to get us all the way to Jupiter,” he added, Experiment (JADE). UVS will image and income situations have changed since last taxes, would be roughly $1,600 more than “so we are flying by the Earth for a gravity- measure the Jovian aurora’s ultraviolet year, your current plans may no longer be if you had paid for those expenses on an assist that will provide about 70 percent of emissions. JADE will measure the auroral the best match. And, if your employer offers after-tax basis. the initial boost provided by the Atlas V 551 electron and ion populations along the planet’s flexible spending accounts and you’re not Remember these FSA restrictions: rocket. The gravity assist essentially provides magnetic field lines and determine which participating, you’re leaving a valuable tax • Employee contributions are limited to as much propulsion as second rocket launch.” particle populations create the Jovian aurora. break on the table. $2,500 a year for health care FSAs and $5,000 The Juno spacecraft was launched toward Named for the mythological wife of the Here’s what to look for when reviewing for dependent care. Jupiter from Kennedy Space Center on Aug. god Jupiter, who used her special powers your benefit options: • Health care and dependent care 5, 2011. The rocket provided Juno enough to discover the secrets Jupiter was hiding Carefully compare all costs and features of contributions are not interchangeable. speed to reach the asteroid belt, at which behind cloud cover, the Juno spacecraft the different plans offered and note how your • Estimate planned expenses carefully point the Sun’s gravity pulled it back toward will probe the mysteries beneath Jupiter’s existing coverage may be changing next year. because you must forfeit unused account the inner solar system. The Earth flyby gravity surface to understand its structure and history. Common changes include: Dropped or replaced balances. Some employers offer a grace period assist increases the spacecraft’s speed relative Jupiter’s giant mass has preserved its original medical plans, increased monthly premiums, of up to 2 1/2 months after the end of the to the Sun from 78,000 miles (126,000 composition, perhaps providing a “Rosetta deductibles and co-payment amounts, revised plan year to incur expenses, but that’s not kilometers) per hour to 87,000 miles (140,000 Stone” to explain more about the rest of the drug formularies, favored doctors or hospitals mandatory, so check your company’s policy. kilometers) per hour. solar system as well. • withdrawing from a plan’s preferred provider • Outside of open enrollment, you can only network and changes to the number of make mid-year FSA changes after a major life allowed visits for specialty care (acupuncture, or family status change (marriage, divorce, chiropractic, physical therapy, etc.). death of a spouse, birth or adoption, etc.) If offered, healthcare and dependent care If one occurs mid-year, re-jigger your FSAs flexible spending accounts (FSAs) can accordingly for maximum savings. significantly offset the financial impact of • You must re-enroll in FSAs each year – medical and dependent care by letting you pay amounts don’t carry over from year to year. • Community Briefs L.A. COUNTY VOTERS HAVE back of the official sample ballot. Registered UNTIL OCT. 29 TO REQUEST voters can also apply in person at the RR/ VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT CC’s main office: 12400 Imperial Hwy., 3rd The Los Angeles County Registrar- floor, Room 3002, Norwalk, Calif. Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean Logan L.A. County residents who applied for a reminds L.A. County voters to request a vote-by-mail ballot can check the status of vote-by-mail ballot by Tuesday, Oct. 29 their ballot online. More Mobile for the Nov. 5, 2013 Local and Municipal The mission of the Registrar-Recorder/ Fly through tra;c with the help of Metro’s free mobile app. With bus and rail routes, schedules Consolidated Elections. County Clerk is to serve Los Angeles County and real-time arrival information, the app puts all the resources you need to go Metro in the The RR/CC began mailing approximately by providing essential records management palm of your hand. Download the app for iPhone at the Apple App Store and for Android at 500,000 vote-by-mail ballots to voters today. and election services in a fair, accessible and Google Play. Requesting a vote-by-mail ballot is easy transparent manner. For more information, More Progress on the I-405 and can be done online or by using the visit www.lavote.net. • Metro crews continue construction along the I-405 as the Sepulveda Pass Improvement Project gets closer to completion. The new Wilshire Bl o=-ramp scheduled to be>nished later in the year will have 280% more vehicle capacity, and the new Sunset Bl o=-ramp will have 60% more capacity. More information on construction schedules and detours atmetro.net/405. Get Metro Service Alerts on Twitter Metro service information is available instantaneously on Twitter at@metroLAalerts. Get up-to- the-minute event detour updates, maintenance notices or holiday schedule reminders. Be the >rst to know by followingtwitter.com/metroLAalerts. Catch Metro at Taste of Soul Metro will feature information on transportation jobs and in-the-works projects at the Taste of Soul Festival on Saturday, October 19. Swing by Metro’s exhibit during the family friendly event featuring food, music and all things soul. More information on the event attasteofsoulla.org. Upgrades Coming to Metro Blue Line Metro is committing more than $190 million over the next two years to rehabilitate and modernize the nearly 25-year-old Metro Blue Line, one of the most heavily-used light rail systems in the nation. In addition, Metro is considering the purchase of 69 new rail cars for the line at a cost of $262 million. 2013 lacmta © 14-0601ps_sby-ie-14-004 metro.net @metrolosangeles facebook.com/losangelesmetro
Lawndale 10_17_13
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