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PAGE 8 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12. Pat Arbuckle Chronicle Statff Most of what we learn about the world around us comes through the media. The Waterloo Public Interest Group (WPIRG) in a joint venture with the Global Community Centre is attempting to help people in the community develop more critical thinking skills through a series of seminars entitled Reading Between the Lines. The series, which began this fall, was developed as a result of requests by students and individuals in the community for information on how accurately the media covers world events, said Alison Stirling, who is in charge of organizing educational programs for WPIRG . "*WPIRG was looking at ways people could develop critical thinking skills arfiPapply it to the information they receive day to day through the media," explained Stirling. We are not being so critical that we are saying don‘t read the news but in what you are receiving. question what you receive and whether it is the whole picture,"" she added. What resulted was an eightâ€"part series based on the book Between the Lines â€" How to detect bias and propaganda in the news. The book‘s author Eleanor Maclean launched the series Oct. 5 with an examination of the news as a major source of information for the public. The remaining three sessions featured speakâ€" ers who focused on three main concerns in regard to media coverage: how the media portrays world events, corporate ownership of the media and the packaging or style and presentation of the news. "The speakers were very diverse in what they were offering,"‘ she said and she added that each of the presentations prompted a lively discusâ€" sion ffom the average of 60 people who attended _ WPIRG has been pleased with the results so far, according to Stirling. > S It makes good sense to enter retirement wellâ€"prepared. Some of the decisions you‘ll make when you retire are irrevocable. If you‘ve planned ahead,. you‘ll likely make good decisions. Here is a check list of steps relating to your financial affairs that you should consider taking as you approach and enter retireâ€" ment: â€" PRIOR PREPARATION e Obtain full details from your employer on his retirement policies, continuation of benefits, pension income options, etc. e Review your life insurance program. You might want to change your existing coverage or replace any group life coverâ€" age that you lose on retirement. e Check your RRSP‘s and other savings vehicles. Do they mature at the right time? If some are of a speculative nature, should they be switched to something more secure? ;Prepart a budget for your first full year of retirement. Does income cover exâ€" penses? If not, you‘ll need to make changes. e If you‘re planning to retire outside Canada, be sure to get good tax advice. SIX MONTHS BEFORE 65TH BIRTHDAY e Apply for Old Age Security e Upâ€"date your budget for your first year of retirement. ONE MONTH BEFORE 65TH BIRTHDAY 4* & Apply for Canada Pension ONE MONTH BEFORE RETIREMENT e Again discuss retirement benefits and options with your employer. Make your choices carefully. Don‘t hesitate to get independent advice. Question media to determine bias e Obtain a copy of your birth certificate if you don‘t have one. e If you haven‘t been using spousal RRSP‘s and interestâ€"free loans to your spouse to split income and reduce current and future taxes,. consider starting now. e To ensure that you‘ll receive your correct Canada Pension benefits, confirm vour pensionable earnings through the CPP office. BOB COPLAND Even if you‘ve passed the end of the year in which you turned 71, you may make and deduct contributions to the RRSP9of a spouse who has not yet reached that point. But bear in mind that the same income cannot be used to support both a transfer and a regular conâ€" tribution. e If you must convert your RRSP‘s to income, choose carefully from the options available â€" life annuities, term certain annuities and Registered Retirement Inâ€" come Funds. Shop around for the best deal. e Obtain details, instructions and forms pertaining to any health plans which have been paid by your employer but which must now be paid direct. Apply at once. oN e5TH BIRTHDAY e Apply for three weeks "retirement pay‘"‘ from the Unemployment Insurance Comâ€" mission, if qualified, whether continuing to work or not. oN RETIREMENT e Make or review your Wills. e Start quarterly income tax instalments if necessary. Instalments are not required if tax is deducted at source from 75% of your net income or if your estimated Federal tax is $400 or less. e Don‘t create any more taxable income than necessary. As an inflation 3dge. keep a good portion of yo assets in vehicles which defer tax (e.g)} RRSP‘s) or offer favorable tax treatment (e.g. a good stock fund). Income from Canada Pension, Old Age Security, your Company Pension plan and a retiring allowance may be transferred to your RRSP (not your spouse‘s) to reduce your taxable income. In addition, you may be able to make regular contributions to your sbpouse‘s RRSP to provide future income splitting. _ ener. each session Bob Copland is a chartered accountant and personal financial planning consultant with Executive Compensation Consultants, Kitchâ€" The series had originally been tailored for students but organizers found that participants in the sessions represented an interesting crossâ€"section of the community. Next week .. "There were a number of students and faculty but more community people than we had anticipated,"" she said. And although organizers feel that they achieved their objectives in the first part of the series, plans are underway to change the format of the next four sessions due to start Tuesday, Jan. 18. The changes have been instituted, explained Stirling as the result of a survey among those who participated in the first half of the series and who requested a greater opportunity for audience participation. The second set of sessions are described by Stirling as ‘"more lowâ€"key, not having bigâ€"name speakers but still offering an opportunity to learn." 4 In an effort to gain access to local resources, the group plans to approach representatives from the local media, women‘s groups, the ethnic community and the Kâ€"W District Labor Council to share ideas on how to work effectively with the media. Stirling feels that the series would be particularly valuable for anyone "who is interested in what is happening in the world around them, in their community and the world." The first session entitled Clear Thinking will be held Jan. 18 in the Faculty lounge in Hagey Hall and will allow participants to plan the rest of the series according to their particular areas of interest. We are hoping that (with increased audience participation), people will be able to gain the kinds of skills we were discussing in the first series," she said. * Your money c222222.... 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