Looking for a job or need resume help? The library is the place to find resources and people to assist with your job-search needs.

Our membership with the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative allows you free access, with your library card, to Brainfuse JobNow! a 24-7 electronic resource.

Feature include:

●Live, anytime, anywhere job assistance, including up-to-date nationwide and local job-search engines, professional resume critique and proven interview techniques.

Experience a personalized career center seamlessly integrated with advanced virtual technology to help job seekers of diverse backgrounds and needs.

●JobNow: Live job coaching, real-time interview practice, a full-service resume lab, and 24-7 access to local job resources.

●Adult Learning Center: Access a library of rich adult learning content (GED) and live, professional assistance in resume and cover letter writing, U.S. citizenship preparation and an MS Office Essential Skills Series.

●Personalized eLearning Tools: My File Sharing, My Session Replay, My Tutoring Archive and My Tests Archive.

●24-Hour Writing Lab: Submit essays and other forms of writing for constructive feedback.

●Homework Send Question: Submit homework questions for expert guidance.

●Live Assistance: Interact with live tutors in math, science, reading, writing and history, along with GED and college placement tests.

●Skills Building: Choose your topic to receive real-time help.

●Foreign Language Center /Spanish-Speaking Support

Brainfuse JobNow! is available under our electronic resources link at cityofcrestview.org/178/Library or through readokaloosa.org.

Questions or comments? Visit us at 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview, call 682-4432 or email me, mgarcia@okaloosa.lib.fl.us. 

Marie Heath is the Crestview Public Library's director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HEATH: Job resources, resume help available in Crestview

Will you ever receive a sizable inheritance? You can’t plan on it. But if you do get one, you can plan on using it to help achieve some of your key financial goals.

Once you get word of an inheritance, what steps should you take?

Above all, don’t rush to act. If you are in the midst of the grieving process, it’s hard to make good decisions about money.

Consequently, you may want to consider “parking” your inheritance temporarily in a liquid vehicle, such as a cash or cash alternative investment. Don’t fret if your inheritance isn’t growing much for a few months — you’ll have time to put it to work later.

After you’ve parked your money and some time has passed, you can think about what to do with your inheritance.

Here are a few ideas:

Get rid of debts. Use your inheritance to pay off as many debts as you can, especially those consumer loans that are not tax-deductible and that carry high interest rates.

Establish an emergency fund. This fund should contain six to 12 months’ worth of living expenses. Without it, you may be forced to dip into your investments to pay for unexpected costs, such as an expensive car repair or a hefty medical bill.

Review and adjust your financial strategies. If your inheritance is large enough, it may be a “game changer” in terms of how you pursue your financial strategies.

For example, you may now be able to speed up your timetable toward retirement, if that’s what you want. Or you may be able to pay more of your children’s college education, thus freeing up more funds for your own retirement savings.

In fact, by investing your inheritance in certain ways, you can influence many desired outcomes that you’ve identified in your overall financial strategy.

Your financial adviser can help you make those moves that are most appropriate for your individual needs.

Plan for taxes. Unless you are “inheriting” your spouse’s assets, you may be subject to some type of taxes when you receive an inheritance.

Some types of inheritance, such as proceeds from a life insurance policy, are tax-free. On the other hand, if you inherit a non-spousal 401(k) plan and are forced to take the money as a lump sum, which is likely because most 401(k) providers would prefer to remove the account from their books, your inheritance will be subject to federal, state and local income taxes.

However, thanks to recent tax law changes, as a non-spouse beneficiary you can now transfer an inherited 401(k) to an IRA, which allows you to avoid immediately paying taxes on your inheritance. You’ll still be required to take annual withdrawals, which are taxable, but the amount will be based on your life expectancy, so you can spread out your tax burden.

To make sure you’re making the right moves with an inherited 401(k), consult with your tax adviser.

You may get only one inheritance in your life — so do whatever you can to make the most of it.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SHANKLIN: What should you do with an inheritance?

The first day of the new school year is a few short weeks away; all you have left to do is back-to-school shopping.

No problem, right?

But then you take a look at that long list of school supplies and realize all your kid needs is … everything!

Heading to the store with a long list of school supplies can hit a wallet hard.

Here are tips to avoid spending beyond your budget:

●Take inventory of supplies you have. Items like unfilled notebooks and used pencils can be used the next year. There may be no need to buy new supplies.

●Check with the teacher to see if any items are not needed until later in the school year. You may be able to put off that purchase until you have a chance to save.

●Shop on the tax-free weekend to save on paying sales tax. This year, Florida’s tax-free day is the weekend of Aug. 5.

●For back-to-school clothes, arrange a clothing swap party with other parents. Trade clothes your child has outgrown for clothes from another growing youngster.

●Teach your child to save by setting a budget; they will learn how to compare prices, use coupons and shop for-sale items.

Want to take another step to saving money? Visit Okaloosasaves.org to pledge to save.

Throughout July, children can still make a deposit to a new or existing bank account, at participating financial partners, and complete an entry form for the Okaloosa Saves Teach a Child to Save campaign. Participants will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 deposit. Visit Okaloosasaves.org for additional details.

For more tips or help saving money, feel free to contact me at the extension office, 689-5850 or jbreslawski@ufl.edu, and check out www.okaloosasaves.org to take the America Saves Pledge and also follow Okaloosa Saves on Facebook and Twitter. 

Jill Breslawski is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BRESLAWSKI: Here are 5 tips to save money on school supplies