2 Castlegar News October 18, 1989 Office Retail Space Street-level air-condjtioned office or small retail space tor rent in Castlegar News building. Includes general of tice, private office, storage area. Landlord will do some redecorating. Fax’ and photocopying service available to tenant Apply at CasNews 197 Columbia Avenue Ask for Burt or Linda Phone 365-7266 Consumer slipping TORONTO (CP) — The consumer slipping off the throne as North’ American may be monarch of the economy And the boom in business spending that carried the economy through the last half of the 1980s appears to be only a beginning Most long-range forecasts for the next decade see business investment as the major source of economic growth in Canada and the United States while the consumer's share of re activity slips during the next 10 years For a number of reasons, “capital emerges as the locomotive of economic spending growth,” says George Vasic, director of economics at DRI Canada. “The consumer grudgingly takes a back seat about Economists may quibble details and timings, but forecasters generally agree with Vasic’s scenario, Among its supporters are the federal Finance Department and two of Vasic’s competitors in the forecasting business — Ernest Stokes, director of Canadian services at WEFA Group, and Michael McCracken, president of Informetrica Ltd, of Ottawa Even consumer analyst John Winter of John Winter Associates, who thinks consumers will show more strength in the first of the decade than Vasic does, predicts business investment will tie carrying the economy by the end of the 1990s. The trend is demographic such as shifts in the cost of capital and more global competition. But Vasic says it’s also “policy-abeued.”” Having spent the 1970s discovering that boosting démand was not enough to cure unemployment, economic policymakers began in the early 1980s to look for ways to raise productivity Governments in most industrialized countries reformed their tax systems to driven mainly by and economic factors income tax rates, their lower personal deregulated economies to promote industrial ef ficiency and privatized government many sectors of businesses. irBC SuperFares. The Freedom of Choice. 3 flights daily* ™ By ROBCARRICK The Canadian Press They're premium credit cards, and generally only those with a family income of at least $40,000 need ap: ply But these so-called gold cards can do more than simply add snob appeal to your wallet, financial experts say Competition for high-rolling credit card customers is stiff these days and gold cards now offer useful perks and services that for many people are worth annual membership fees ranging between $35 and $300. you shouldn't do is get one of these car ds to impress head waiters, ys Gordon Pape, a ‘The thing you shouldn't do get one of these cards to impress head waiters. — Gordon Pape, writer and commentator on personal finance Toronto-based writer and commentator on personal finance {You have to ask yourself, would I byy that stuff (the services) anyway, If the answer is no, then you're throwing your money away You should also look at how much you're going to use the services and whether you're getting them for less than you could otherwise STUDY FEATURES Pape advises studying the features the various car ds offer, then deciding if they're worth the extra cost over standard credit cards Some of the newest features of the premium cards include Usually gives car loss or damage of Insurance for retail purchases dholders coverage against theft, goods for 90 days after they are purchased with the card At American Express. dard and gold cards provide this insurance on almost for example, both its stan any kind of a purchase, made anywhere in the world. Claims must be made within 45 days of loss, theft or damage, and the company reserves the right to replace, repair or give the cash value of the item, says American Express spokesman Wendy Crooker Exclusions animals and plants, she says the cardholder might have to while damage claims right include “‘live’’ purchases such as In cases of theft, produce a police report, require that you present the broken item, Crooker says isn’t exactly as says Zelma Making a claim on the insurance * easy as it might appear Reive, a Toronto-based expert on credit for the Con Association of Canada But they're not asking you for anything unusual ‘Ninety days is a fairly long period for them to cover accidental breakage,”’ she added at first glance,” sumers’ GOLD CARDS They can offer more than snob appeal The- accidental ‘breakage feature isn’t universal among gold cards. For example, American Express and the Royal Bank's Visa Gold offer it, but the Bank of Montreal’s MasterCard does not Car rental insurance: “This feature allows you to waive the rental company’s collision ard damage in surance, which can-cost you $10 to $42 a-day,"-says-Fim Wallace, the Royal Bank’s manager of cardholder set vices in Montreal “We give you exactly the same coverage as the ren tal operator.” However, Pape advises checking the, insurance policy on your own car. Often, your policy extends collision protection to rental cars, he says Reive tells of a co-worker who last year got an American Express card specifically for the collision in surance and saved more than the cost of the year's membership fee “I said what have you used the card for this year? The answer was nothing.” STRONGSUIT Travel Benefits: This is the strong suit for all premium cards and generally includes such features as commission-free travellers cheques, emergency cash and card replacement, and insurance for accidental death or dismemberment while on vacation American Express, which pioneered this type of offers even holders of its basic card 24-hour travel and emergency assistance almost anywhere in the service, ‘Up until recently, you might say American Express had a stranglehold on upscale customers.’ — Tim Wallace, Royal Bank's manager of cardholder services world. The customers medical referrals and information on everything from visas to weather reports The Royal's’ Visa “Gold similar travel benefits, and emergency health insurance ‘equivalent to deluxe Blue Cross,’* Wallace says. Reive says the main catch with these services is that to be eligible for them, you usually have to have charged your fare to your credit card Another important choosing between premium cards are the annual fees. company will give gi offers factor to consider when The Bank of Montreal’s premium MasterCard costs $35 a year, but offers far fewer features than the Royal’s Visa Gold, at $95 per year, or the basic American Express card, at $95 annually, the gold card at $80, or the $300-per-year platinum card, which provides a higher level of travel benefits and insurance. Remember, also, that most premium cards have minimum income requirements. The Bank of Montreal MasterCard gold is $40,000 and the Royal Bank Visa Gold is $45,000. American Express has no specific limit Skeena Socreds polled TERRACE (CP) Social Credit asks what the Socred’s chances are of major communities. are 650-750 October 18, 1989 Castlégar News cs Four g ions of Kabatotfs got in Crescent Valley. Clockwise Fe top left are Kenneth Kabatoff, his father William, son Kenneth and grandfather William. CWL installs new members The October meeting of the Catholic Women’s League again new members — Jerry-Lynn Woods, Vera Raponi, Flynn conducted by Kay Margaret Nagel The CWL has undertaken a petition, “Women for Life, throughout Canada to protect the life of the unborn in the upcoming legislation in parliament. This petition was circulated at the meeting for mem bers who had not already signed it The CWL will again be ‘providing refreshments for the City of Castlegar ceremony for new citizens to be held at nstalled four City Hall on Oct. 27 The annual bazaar and tea took place at the Legion Hall Oct. 14 Thanks were extended for the raffle donations to Kay Harrold, Catherine Stadler and Cedilia Freitas. Winners of the raffle were Kentty MacDonald, fir st prize, June Archambault, second, and Helga Skibinski, third Rose Meyer and Irene The installation ceremony was McGauley and President Doreen Moore extended a thank you to all the hard. working CWL tributed so much to the success of the bazaar sincere members who con Grand chief at meeting Kootenay: Temple No. 37 Pythian Sisters held its first meeting of the month on Oct, 12 with 33 sisters and two brothers in attendance Prior to the meeting ‘no host’* supper was held at the Fireside lhn with Doris Dimock, grand chief of the Grand Jurisdiction of British Colum bia, as special guest. MEC Susan Bysroft presided .over the routine meeting with Dimock making her of ficial visit Visiting MECs Helen Orenchuk, Trail Temple No. 3, Eva ° Barrett, Rosevale Temple No. 38, Fruitvale and Phyllis Woodward, Maple Leaf Tem. ple No. 4, Rossland, were introduced and welcomed PDDGCs Kae Andreashuk, Jean Jones and Joan Marks all of Kootenay Temple No. 37, and Velia McLim of Trail Temple No. introduced and welcomed. DDGC Fran Hender son of Twin Temple No. 33, Salmo, was introduced and given public grand honors. Manager Lil Neumann Grand Press Correspondent 3, were escorted Susan Bycroft to the altar where she was given public grand honors. Dimock was escorted to the altar by Neumann where she was given grand honors and welcomed She was then escorted to the right of Bycroft where she was presented with a