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9 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,M arch 21,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca You're very good at your job and yet you're about to be laid off. That's the un- fortunate reality of job se- curity - or the lack of it - in today's up and down econo- my. Fortunately, a layoff doesn't have to be total doom and gloom - if you're ready for it. Here are five effective ways to prepare yourself emotionally and financially for a layoff. 1. Get your finances in order Your layoff may be short or long but it's pru- dent to plan for the long haul by determining the minimum amount of mon- ey you need each month to cover basic costs for food, housing, debt payments and so on. Identify and cut, or at least trim, nonessen- tial costs. Find out how much you could receive in employ- ment insurance benefits and other government pro- grams such as those that provide funding for re- training programs. Figure out how much you'll need to withdraw from your savings or other sources to fund any re- maining expenses. Then set a realistic budget and, when the time comes, stick to it. 2. Save in an emergency fund Whether you've been working for a year or a de- cade, you should build an emergency fund that will cover at least six months of your essential expenses should you be laid off. 3. Stay the course with your investments If you have a well-conceived fi- nancial plan that may in- clude RRSPs, TFSAs, mu- tual funds and other in- vestments, stay with it. Do not go chasing the latest in- vestment craze by cashing in your investments and speculating on big returns from the latest "hot" stock. You're much more likely to lose your money than to hit a wildly speculative jack- pot. 4. Know your employee benefits Find out about any company unemploy- ment benefits you may be entitled to and if your em- ployer-sponsored health/ medical coverage and/or life insurance will end or continue for a period after your layoff. Consider con- verting these to individual coverage. Find out what your pension plan options are. You may also be owed for unused vacation time, project completion bonus- es or other accrued finan- cial benefits - so check. If you are offered a sev- erance package, don't be shy about negotiating for a better one. If you aren't of- fered a severance package, try for one, you may have an entitlement under pro- vincial employment stan- dards legislation. 5. Update your resume You're happy and fulfilled by your job but because you never know, keep your resume up-to-date and stay on the lookout for new op- portunities. Networking is also important whether you're employed or laid off - opportunities can come from anyone or anywhere. Getting laid off is stress- ful but by taking the right steps you'll ease your mind and your transition. In fact, being laid off may give you the time you need to take stock of your life and aim for something new and exciting. You can ease your finan- cial stress during a layoff (and afterward) by talking to your professional advis- er about the best financial plan for your situation as it is today and as it will be to- morrow - no matter what tomorrow may bring. This column is provided by McEachnie Group Pri- vate Wealth Management. Contact Russ McEachnie, CFP, CPCA, CDFA, RRC at 519-886-2360 ext. 6241 or russell.mceachnie@igpri- vatewealth.com. PREPARING FOR LAYOFFS OPINION RUSS MCEACHNIE OFFERS FIVE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PREPARE YOURSELF EMOTIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY FOR A LAYOFF RUSS MCEACHNIE Column I'm fascinated by the art of creating fine craft beer. That's why I was excited this past week to check out KW's newest craft brewery, Counterpoint Brewing Co., located at 935 Frederick St. A dream eight years in the making, friends Graeme Kobayashi and Rich Hrytzak celebrated Counterpoint's grand opening last month with a lineup that went right out the door - serving a selec- tion of robust porters, hop- py and rustic rye pale ales, and deliciously fruity and funky sour beers. "With sour beers, there's a range of how sour they can be, from a pleasing lit- tle tartness to a lemon juice mouth-puckering acidity," said Hrytzak. "Sour beer, it's the same process that you make yo- gurt by, but you add lacto- bacillus and you incubate it and nurture it." I love sour beers and was hoping to try their Oat Gose Rodeo, a sour wheat ale brewed with Indian co- riander and sea salt, but they were fresh out and in the process of brewing a dry hopped raw Vienna sour with citra. "With our gose, its only slightly on the sour side, so it's a great introductory sour beer, but still complex enough that anybody who enjoys complex beers will enjoy it," said Kobayashi. I'm a spice junkie and appreciate smoky porters, so I was blown away by their Con Fuoco: a strong dark ale with undertones of roasted grains and cof- fee, with a wave of fiery ha- banero peppers. I also took home a growler of their Du- et 2, a pale ale brimming with hop-driven notes of citrus and one of the most aromatic and crisply re- freshing beers I've ever tasted. "We carefully choose our tap list so it speaks to different people and a bunch of different flavours and traditions," said Hryt- zak. "I think you need to have a bold IPA (India pale ale) with plenty of hops and plenty of haze on the menu, that's kind of expected, along with a pale ale with something more approach- able but hop-forward. So, those are two beers we'll probably always have on tap." Kobayashi said that Counterpoint plans to bring a constantly rotating selection of beers on tap and in bottles, using only the highest-quality ingre- dients. "Our fermenters are so small and we sell it so quickly, that we're con- stantly making a new batch," he said, standing by a barrel in their spacious, sunlit brewery. Hrytzak added, "I'm a restless beer drinker, so I'm curious about other fla- vours and hops and malts and other formulations. The variety is what excites me and I think it's what excites a lot of our customers." If you're looking to pique both your interest and your palate, I recom- mend Counterpoint Brew- ing Co. to anyone who en- joys exploring, savouring and discovering something new in the world of craft beers. Marshall Ward is a freelance writer and artist. Email is welcome at mar- shall_ward@hotmail.com. PALE ALES, PORTERS AND SOUR BEERS GRAB A PINT AT COUNTERPOINT BREWING CO., RECOMMENDS MARSHALL WARD Rich Hrytzak, left, and Graeme Kobayashi, right, of Counterpoint Brewing Co. Marshall Ward photo MARSHALL WARD Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA People of Waterloo have to finally say 'Stop!' to crazy bike lane projects suggest- ed by the under 1 per cent of the community that actual- ly use them. Creating a traffic nightmare on Uni- versity Avenue, as well as Columbia and King streets is the most ridiculous idea to date. How are emergency ve- hicles, city and GO buses, taxis, Uber cars, expected to operate on those roads with one lane availability? These vehicles respond to the communities everyday needs and move a thousand students and commuters every day. How many mem- bers of this community will benefit from these lanes? Less than 1 per cent. It's funny too that when a proposal was put forward to council to reduce Uni- versity Avenue West in front of Laurier, to single lanes, put up a cross over walkway coffee shop and make the university prop- erty facade more street friendly, it was was sound- ly rejected by staff and council. This trial has no more chance of success than stopping the St. Patrick's Day Party on Ezra Avenue. Commuters and cyclists have to learn to share the road I agree, but forcing change that supports the few to the detriment of the many causes a resentment that will just exasperated the problem. Please rethink and look more to building on the trail system as bike-friend- ly and leave the road for the vehicles. The good people of Wa- terloo are not abandoning their cars for bikes no mat- ter how many lanes are built. Move on, please, to is- sues that will better the serve all the good citizens of Waterloo. CHRIS COLLINS WATERLOO BIKE LANE TRIAL IN WATERLOO, HONESTLY?