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5 Free Marketing Tools
Improve Your Podcast Marketing Strategy With These 5 Free Tools
04.15.19 | Podcasting | By: Colby Schemm
Digital creative tools in 2019 are incredible. It is an age of endless opportunity. And regardless of whether you're just dreaming about starting a podcast or are recording your fifth season, you need tools to market your podcast. The truth is, to have a successful podcast you not only have to create and record the content for your episodes, but you also have to find ways to market it well and get that content in front of your current and potential listeners.
This is something our team is aware of and a reality that we help podcasters with on a regular basis. Working as a content specialist at Resonate, I use a number of paid programs and services to make that happen. Many people probably think that to effectively market a podcast you need to have expensive programs and pricey platforms to do it well. However, some of my favorite podcast marketing tools are actually free. Here are 5 marketing tools that are totally free, but not cheap.
1. Canva (Graphic Design)
The number one tool that I use for content creation at Resonate is Canva. Canva is a free online graphic design program. This software is amazing, and what's even better is the story behind it. Canva was created by Melanie Perkins when she was just 19 years old. Incidentally, you can hear the story of how she created Canva, this industry-disrupting tool, on the How I Built This Podcast with Guy Raz.
What I Like
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Easily customizable templates
- Simple and clean user interface
- Stay organized with design Folders
While the essential aspects of Canva are available for free, there are also a number of incredibly handy features that require a paid membership.
Here are some of the benefits of having a paid membership at Canva.
2. Headliner (Video Editor)
My second favorite free marketing tool is Headliner, the free video-editing software. Your marketing efforts are all but lost if you are not creating content for social platforms. This is an incredible tool for creating engaging social media content.
There are 4 key tools that Headliner provides.
- Audiograms
- Article-to-video conversion
- Transcriptions
- General Video Editor
All four of these features on Headliner are totally free. The two best features are definitely the audiogram and transcription tools.
The audiogram wizard generates a WAV file that matches your uploaded audio. This is a great way to give your social media audience a taste of your podcast's content in a more engaging way than a simple video.
Headliner's transcription tool, while not the best on the market, is excellent for transcribing short audio clips. I cannot emphasize enough how important embedding transcriptions in your video is right now. And this tool is a great way to make your content that much more engaging, for free! Don't believe me? Influencers like Gary Vee are really trumpeting the power of transcription. Look at Gary's Instagram and see how engaging each post is!
3. Google Alerts (Keyword Monitor)
A major aspect of every marketing and content planner's job is just keeping up with the times. Obviously, this requires that you stay up to date on the latest Twitter beef, Instagram memes, and flourishing Facebook groups in your respective industry. In many ways this can be a full-time job in itself. But in order to keep up with blog posts and longer form mediums, I like to use Google Alerts.
Google Keywords allows you to track specific keywords relevant to your industry and interests. This tool is invaluable to me as I try to keep a pulse on the latest news in the podcasting industry for Resonate's Podcast Pro Weekly. I highly recommend this free marketing tool.
An alternative tool that I have used in the past to curate content is Feedly. There are a number of content curation tools like this that allow you to track keywords and topics, but I have found Google Alerts to be the most effective tool for me.
4. Pocket (Cloud-Based Swipe File)
Following up on the content curation tool Google Alerts, I wanted to highlight this helpful Google Chrome plugin called Pocket. As the name suggests, Pocket is a fast and easy way to store digital content for later.
Every creative needs a swipe file, and Pocket is a wonderful tool to use as a swipe file on Google Chrome (or any browser compatible with Chrome Web Store plugins). It also has an app for Apple and Android and automatically syncs across all platforms.
See an article or video you like? Install the Pocket plugin then just click the arrow at the top right of your browser to save it for later. It's that easy.
5. Social Media Analytics Tools
Analytics tools are becoming increasingly available to individual users. It's critical to study the analytics of your social media in order to target and reach particular KPIs.
On this post, I decided to simply point out these four free analytics tools. Down the road, we hope to write a more in-depth post about the particulars of these analytics tools, and a blog post about podcast hosting platforms analytics tools as well. But for the time being, make sure that you are tapping into the following four free analytics tools from Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram (business accounts only).
Twitter Analytics
YouTube Studio Beta Analytics
Facebook Insights
Instagram Business Accounts Analytics
In addition to these four analytics tools, each podcast hosting platform has its own native analytics tools that draw information from distributors like Apple, Spotify, etc. We will cover analytics tools more in-depth in a future article. Until then, we hope that this brief overview has shown you what tools you have at your disposal to analyze your content's performance and tweak your content strategy.
So there you have it: 5 free marketing tools to improve your podcast marketing strategy right now! Like I already said, we are living in an age of endless opportunity. While you probably knew about a few of these tools, we hope that you find at least one new tool for promoting your podcast. Please let us know if you have any suggestions, questions, or comments.
Want to learn more about Resonate's creative or podcast production services? Schedule a call or email us today!
Related Resources:
- 5 Free Marketing Tools
- Why Colleges & Universities Are Podcasting
- Top 5 Podcast Events 2019
- This American Life Best Episodes
By: Colby Schemm
As a Content Specialist at Resonate Recordings, Colby creates & curates content on social media, & consults with clients to improve their podcast marketing strategies. Colby is from Roanoke, VA & now lives in Louisville, KY.


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subset: commoncrawl


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For much of this fall, as in falls past, a Friday night crowd comes out for the weekly football game and likely witnesses the star running back getting rattled by a hard tackle. The coach faces a decision: keep the player in the game and risk serious head injury or pull him and face the wrath of the player, the team and the crowd. What the coach needs is a way to accurately assess the player's status – right now.
This scenario is being played out at sports fields around the world. How do we make objective decisions about a player's health in the heat of competition?
The problem intrigues UC Davis physician Khizer Khaderi. A neuro-ophthalmologist, Khaderi is applying his expertise in the eye-brain connection to investigate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Whether the result of a car accident, explosion, skiing or a tackle, TBI can affect vision, memory and even mental health.
Imperfect solutions
Khaderi and colleagues are developing a system that will take the guesswork out of assessing an on-field concussion, an early form of TBI.
It would replace a system of neurocognitive tests that many teams use now. In these tests, a player is asked a number of questions, of which answers are compared to baseline results recorded earlier. However, with players' strong incentive to stay in the game, some have learned to circumvent the system.
"One of the problems with the neurocognitive approach is that it's very subjective," says Khaderi, an assistant professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and head of the Sports Vision Lab. "Players will intentionally do poorly on the baseline test, so if they do get injured, it won't look as severe."
Khaderi's solution focuses on the eyes. A third of the brain is devoted to the visual system, making the eyes an ideal window on brain health. Several biometric tests exist but Khaderi's team has found that relying on three established biometric tests greatly increases the chances of accurately assessing TBI risk on the field in real time.
Eyes, pupils and brain waves
Using eye movements to assess TBI has advantages. For example, researchers have measured how long the eye takes to move from a central to peripheral focus. This would be the motion a driver would make when shifting attention from the road to a child crossing it. This motion takes less than seven-tenths of a second for a healthy person, but much longer for those who've experienced a brain injury.
The opposite motion is also informative. In the same scenario, the driver could make the decision to look away from the child stepping into the road.
"The natural reaction is to look at the child," says Khaderi, "but instead you look away. This involves cognition, so it's a good measure of executive function."
Pupil function can also measure an injury's severity. A coach could use a flashlight to assess dilation, but background light can skew results. To combat this, Khaderi has adopted a psychological method called the International Affective Picture System, which uses pictures to make the pupil respond.
The third metric measures brain waves. When they're awake, people generally have a higher ratio of fast alpha waves to slow theta waves. However, that ratio is reversed after a brain injury. High theta waves indicate a dreamy state of mind.
Moving forward
Khaderi plans to bring these tools to playing fields everywhere. Fortunately, much of this technology is being used for other purposes and can be repurposed for TBI detection.
"Our goal is to create a platform that integrates commercially available eye tracking hardware and EEG (brain wave) systems," says Khaderi.
The group has found a development partner and is working with the UC Davis athletic department to set up clinical trials. The ultimate goal is to create a system that could be accessed through a tablet computer or other device.
"These injuries don't just strike kids who are playing sports, but anyone who leads an active life," says Khaderi. "Our brains are precious and we need to do all we can to protect them."


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Postdoctoral position in Analytical Chemistry
A postdoctoral position will be available in the research team of Dr. Binnian Wei, in the Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. This position will support the studies on assessing the exposures to and risks from harmful and potential harmful chemicals in tobacco and marijuana smoke. The position is a two-year position with potential extension. This position will support developing and validating analytical methods for the analysis of small molecules in various matrices; preparing and analyzing samples following established QC/QA rules; organizing, managing and analyzing data, conducting exposure and risk assessments using statistical and simulation models and preparing manuscripts and presenting at academic conferences.
Applicants should have a doctoral degree in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, exposure sciences or other relevant disciplines. Backgrounds relevant to environmental health, and/or environmental epidemiology are plus. The applicants should have rich experience in chemical and analytical laboratory; have demonstrated advanced knowledge, experience and skills in developing and validating ultrahigh pressure liquid/or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based methods for the analysis of small molecules; have demonstrated high level of proficiency using analytical software, including Analyst and MultiQuant; and demonstrated experience in conducting routine laboratory tasks, data management and analysis independently. Knowledge of statistical analysis using SAS, SPSS, JMP, SPSS, or R is plus.
Please send a brief statement of interest, CV, contact information for 3 references, and at least 2 sample articles (first author articles in the last 3 years that addressed scientific questions in analytical chemical, exposure sciences, and/or environmental health/epidemiology) to Dr. Binnian Wei, at firstname.lastname@example.com. Applications review will continue until the position is filled.


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The Spireites prepare for Saturday's game at Harrogate Town, looking to extend their six-match unbeaten run.
Despite being disappointed with his team's performance at Sutton United in midweek, Martin Allen was pleased to maintain their improved run of results.
He said: "We've managed over the last five weeks to turn things around. I think we're moving in the right direction, slowly.
"It's not going to be a click of my fingers to change all this round, but I think everybody could say there's progress being made.
"We're starting to get a bit of identity and we will start to add other bits and pieces as we work our way through. First things first, we need to make ourselves hard to beat and difficult to play against before we can add extra bits."
Jonathan Smith followed up his stoppage-time equaliser in last Saturday's game against Wrexham with another late leveller on Tuesday night and the manager praised his contribution.
Martin said: "He's a good player. He hadn't been playing at his previous club so I knew it was going to take him a bit of time to get up to first-team speed. He's looking fitter and he's looking faster."
Commenting on Harrogate, Martin paid tribute to the job done by his opposite number, Simon Weaver, saying: "He has got some good players. They're well-organised and well-drilled."


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If you are worried about your drinking, or that of your friends or family, experts will be on hand to help next week.
For Alcohol Awareness Week, staff from charity Turning Point will be at the Brunel Shopping Centre in Swindon Town centre on Thursday November 14.
The pop-up stall will be at the Emery shopping centre in Chippenham on Tuesday 12, and The Shires in Trowbridge on Wednesday 13.
They will be showing people how much they are really drinking using glasses with unit measures and advising on how to get help.
They will also give suggestions about how to broach the tricky subject of somebody else's excessive drinking.
Senior engagement at prevention worker Alex Cattelona said: "It's important to recognise in Wiltshire that many of us are causing problems for ourselves and others. We don't want to stop anyone having fun, but for many the fun has stopped and we want to help them get that fun back by helping them through problems with alcohol."


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@font-face is an established staple in the diet of almost half the web. According to the HTTP Archive, 57% of websites make a request for at least one custom web font, and the page weight of these fonts is only growing.
In this talk, we'll discuss why current implementations of @font-face are actually harmful to the performance and integrity of content on the web. Hiding the fallback text while the font is loading means the content will be unreadable until the font loads. Some browsers have implemented a three-second timeout on font requests; but one performance survey has stated that 57% of users abandon a site if it's not usable in three seconds.
High latency cellular networks and use of multiple fonts can mean disjointed repaints and reflows, which can cause serious damage to the fidelity of your content. These problems are exacerbated when @font-face is used for both content fonts and icon fonts, which need to be handled differently.
But there is hope. The CSS Font Loading API is currently expanding its browser support base and can be used today with polyfills. Or embed your font files as data URIs in an asynchronously-loaded stylesheet. Another exciting proposal is the CSS font-rendering property.
We can use these approaches to make small changes to how these fonts load to mitigate drawbacks and make the web work better for everyone.
Zach Leatherman is a front end engineer with Filament Group. He has given talks at Smashing Conference, Velocity, CSSConf, and the White House. He also herds NebraskaJS (a JavaScript meetup) and its eponymously named NebraskaJS Conference. He previously held the title of user interface architect for Union Pacific Railroad.
Tech insight, analysis, and research
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Planning a Winter Wonderland theme wedding? Great! It is a fabulous and festive theme for a wedding in the cold winter months. A Winter Wonderland wedding needs equally fabulous attire for the bridal party; here is a guide to the most spectacular outfits for everyone from the bride on down.
The hallmarks of a Winter Wonderland wedding are icy sparkle and plenty of shimmer. This is a very fun idea to capture in a bridal gown. Look for a lustrous white silk gown, rather than one in ivory or champagne. Choose a style that has a grand presence, such as a very full ballgown with a box pleated skirt. Then think about the details. Silver embroidery and crystal beadwork are a must! Heavy embellishments will not look like "too much" for this fantasy style wedding. Ornate architectural designs make for gorgeous embroidered motifs. Or select a feminine vine pattern. Avoid anything that is too summery, like embroidery in the form of daisies.
If you prefer a lace gown, this can also be made to work beautifully with your Winter Wonderland theme. A silver lace would make an exquisite and unforgettable accent on a white silk gown. Or choose an all over lace bridal gown, such as a fine Calais lace, that is beaded with hundred of twinkling crystals that will sparkle as you walk down the aisle. Even your veil can feature crystal accents.
No wedding gown is complete without the perfect finishing touches. A sparkling headpiece is great for a Winter Wonderland bride. Choose a tiara, a double headband, a festive comb, or a set of hairpins. Crystals and rhinestones can be mixed with tiny pearls for the perfect icy snowflake look. In fact, you can even get hairpins or other jewelry that is made in the shape of a snowflake. A snowflake pendant is a fantastic gift idea for your bridesmaids. You will want plenty of other twinkling touches, too, such as stacks of Swarovski crystal bracelets, chandelier earrings, and a fabulous crystal necklace.


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text: The Edwin Group of Journals is an India based consultation firm whose purpose is to share and actively leverage resources to enhance the achievement of their respective missions. We promote, facilitate and support the development of academicians, researchers and our other fellow professional to get accolades for their research and other academic works and contribution they have and are giving to the society. Edwin Group of Journals are an international double-blind peer-reviewed, refereed and Indexed journals, published in English and Hindi for scholars, practitioners, and students. The Group is welcoming original Research Articles, Book Reviews, Commentaries, Reviewed Articles, Technical Notes, Snippets, Case Studies, Books, Theses and Dissertations relevant to the Journal.


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- Worship & Music
- Visit Us
- What's On
- History
- Functions & Celebrations
- Safeguarding
- Support Us
- Contact
- Shop
One of the jewels in Hexham Abbey's crown, the magnificent Phelps Organ, plays a central role in the life of the Abbey.
The Summer Series runs weekly from 3rd August until 7th September 2019 and features highly acclaimed recitalists and some wonderfully varied repertoire.
Shaun Turnbull from Blackburn Cathedral will be performing on Saturday 24th August 2019 at 6pm.
This is a free event with a retiring collection.


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Our school values your input. We are inviting parents and guardians to participate in a survey to support student achievement and well-being. The surveys provide the Board and our school with valuable information about how you feel about the school environment and your child's education. Results from the survey will be used to identify areas to be addressed, monitor progress and plan strategies to support students.
The questionnaire will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is available online and in paper format. Please complete the survey between May 20 and June 2 using one of the following methods:
• Online (English only) at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SchoolClimateParent2014, or
• Paper copies are available in English, Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese. Please contact the school office to request paper questionnaires. If you choose to complete the survey on paper, please return it to the school in the envelope provided.
The information you provide will be anonymous and individual responses will be kept strictly confidential. Individuals will not be identified in any reports resulting from this survey. We appreciate your participation in this voluntary survey. If you have any questions, please contact the school.
Your thoughts and insights will help further our vision as we work together to promote student achievement and well-being.


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I once told the mother of a new student who was obviously a big achiever that music is not about achievement but about one's heart and one's soul. What does that mean?
It means that music is about paying attention in the way that attentiveness is the center of a thoughtful life. Being aware; caring about the aliveness of every sound, every reaction.
The student in question is thoroughly involved with music still, after more than twenty-five years.
Last night I heard Mozart's Piano Concerto in G in an unbelievably great performance by Piotr Anderszewski, whose aliveness in every tone, every possible connotation of every tone is as fresh as one imagines Mozart's to have been.
I told him afterward that that is the greatness of his playing: he plays one sound at a time with complete openness and honesty. "Of course," he replied.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
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Call To Order:
Mayor Jim Pearman called the meeting to order at 6:07 pm in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 9611 SE 36th Street, Mercer Island, Washington.
Roll Call:
Councilmembers Bruce Bassett, Mike Cero, Mike Grady, Dan Grausz, Steve Litzow, Deputy Mayor El Jahncke and Mayor Jim Pearman were present.
Study Session:
(1) AB 4519 2010-2016 Capital Improvement Program Kick-Off
Finance Director Chip Corder and Deputy Finance Director Francie Lake presented the preliminary Capital Improvement Program (CIP) revenue forecast and key policy issues for initial Council direction, as follows:
· CIP project presentation (first by project category, then by project status);
· CIP revenue forecast (including REET, motor vehicle fuel tax, and utility rates);
· 2009 year-end, available (i.e. neither reserved nor committed) fund balances;
· 2011-2012 CIP funding summary by fund;
· CIP-related results of the 2010 biennial citizen survey; and
· Other significant issues: CIP related budget policies, CIP administrative overhead costs, South Fire Station re-construction, Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) revenue distribution, and prioritization of non-utility projects.
The Study Session adjourned at 6:57 pm. The Regular Meeting reconvened at 7:05 pm.
Peter Donaldson, 3635 88th Ave SE: Spoke about Portlands bicycle plan as they are the most sustainable city in America and Seattle area as second most sustainable city in America. He would like to see all of the information that was taken out of the draft plan put back in. He trusts the Council to make good decisions on the final plan.
Greg Lipton, 9301 SE 46th Street: Most concerned about safety. He is a bicycle commuter. Believes there is an illegal situation that is dangerous at Homestead Park, which is creating liability for the City. Would like to see an educational section in the bicycle plan to address safety concerns, including bicycle lighting
Dan Sommerfield, 7612 SE 34th Street: Advocates for the original plan. He would like to see the things that were removed from the plan inserted back before final plan is adopted. He is disappointed that all the bicycle lanes and sharrows have been removed from the plan. He believes the lanes are especially need on SE 40th Street.
Jim Eanes, 2930 76th Ave SE: Shocked that the bicycle lanes have been removed from the draft plan, he would like the sharrows and bicycle lanes should be put back into the plan. Bike lanes should be put wherever there is enough room and sharrows should be put in where there is not enough room for bike lanes. He believes this is the least expensive and most effective ways to address safety.
Maria Stepanov, 7612 SE 34th Street: The Mercerdale neighborhood has formed a committee to improve neighborhood safety. She has safety concerns for the 50 children in her neighborhood, especially at the intersection of SE 34th Street and 78th Avenue SE. Cars speed down 78th regularly and she believes the City is risking a big lawsuit by not addressing this intersection. She wants to see a 4-way stop put in at this intersection since there is a lot of activity in the area due to the location of the Thrift Shop and Mercerdale Park.
Andy Voss, 8403 SE 46th Street: He and his family are regular bicyclists on the Island. He believes that most people on the Island dont ride bikes because of safety concerns. East and West Mercer Ways are very dangerous right now, particularly for children. He would like to see bicycle lanes and sharrows re-introduced to the plan to address safety issues, especially on East and West Mercer Way. He believes the configurations on SE 40th have gotten worse for bike riders since the improvements have been put in place.
Cliff Chrils, 6050 94th Ave SE: Wants to see the bicycle lanes and sharrows put back into the plan. Last week while riding his bike, he was almost hit by a truck. This is not the first time that he has seen this happen on the Mercer Ways due to the lack of a shoulder and/or bike lanes. He applauds Councils attempts to make improvements on the Mercer Ways over the past couple of years and hope that effort continues.
Bert Loosmore, 4639 Forrest Ave SE: Would like his 4 ½ year old son be able to walk and bike safely to and from school in the future. Wants to know why the sharrows have been removed from the plan. He would like to see Council consider the use of smaller sharrows and/or eliminating directional chevrons. Sharrows create safety for both bicyclists and pedestrians. He believes the sharrows are less expensive than signage. Please put the sharrows and bike lanes back into the plan.
Lucia Pirzio-Biroli, 4212 West Mercer Way: spoke about her daughter almost being hit by a car while riding her bicycle to school today. She would like to see bicycle lanes and sharrows inserted back into the plan and that the plan should address safety of children.
Bruce Zunser, 2843 61st Ave SE: Avid recreational bike rider and occasional bike commuter. He asked that the sharrows and bike lanes be put back into the plan.
Tom Hildebrandt, 6880 West Mercer Way:Rides his bike to work every day. He is concerned about the narrowing of Island Crest Way at Merrimount since it leaves little room for cyclists. He wants the Council to make clear to staff that a lined shoulder is appropriate in a final plan. He cited a University of Texas study that shows it is safer for both motorists and cyclists when there is a lined shoulder along the roadways.
Lynn Thomas, 7360 Island Crest Way: Her husband commutes daily by bicycle and currently, there is not a safe way to bike on either West Mercer Way or on Island Crest Way. She would be very disappointed if Council did not adopt a plan that created a safer environment for families to ride their bikes. She biked with family to the Farmers Market this past summer, which she found very dangerous. She asked the Council to reconsider adding sharrows and bicycle lanes back into the plan.
Lynn Johnston, 4048 90th Ave SE: Is disappointed about the things that were removed from the draft Plan. She asked the Council to consider taking out the red lines in the current plan and add back sharrows and bike lanes. She would like safe bike riding to be adequately addressed, since the future will have light rail and more bus riding.
(2) It was moved by Councilmember Grady; seconded by Councilmember Bassett to:
Adopt the Regular Meeting Minutes March 1, 2010 as written.
Motion PASSED 7-0.
Consent Calendar:
(3) Payables: $569,417.12 (3/3/2010)
Recommendation: Certify that the materials or services hereinbefore specified have been received and that all warrant numbers listed are approved for payment.
Payroll: $606,661.15 (3/12/2010)
Recommendation: Certify that the materials or services specified have been received and that all fund warrants are approved for payment.
(4) AB 4514 SE 40th Street Improvements Project Close-Out
Recommendation: Accept the completed SE 40th St Improvements project and authorize staff to close out the project.
It was moved by Councilmember Litzow; seconded by Councilmember Grady to:
Approve the Consent Calendar and the recommendations contained therein.
Regular Business:
(5) AB 4517 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Plan Update Discussion
Interim Development Services Director Manny Ocampo introduced the Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Plan to the Council for continued discussion and deliberation. He summarized the recommendations presented by the Planning Commission. Director Ocampo introduced the MacLeod Reckord consultants who answered questions from the Council.
Following discussion, the Council provided direction to staff to return at the Councils April 19, 2010 meeting with a revised Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Plan Update incorporating general direction related to the following topics for further discussion and deliberation:
· Bike lanes and sharrows
· North/south bicycle route identification
· Parking and other issues related to the Mercer Ways
· Park and Ride pedestrian/bicycle conflict issues
· Shared streets
· Identification of potential Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities implementation tools
· Safe routes to school
· Potential regulation of cyclists
(6) AB 4416 2011-2012 Biennial Budget Citizen Survey Results
Deputy City Manager James Mason introduced Ian Stewart from EMC Research to review the 2011-2012 Biennial Budget Citizen Survey results. Ian Stewart reviewed the survey methodology and results with the Council. He also described the overall key findings as follows:
· Despite economic conditions, optimism about the direction on the Island has improved, though it is not as strong among South End residents.
· Traffic and parking continue to be the top mentioned (26%) concerns in open ended questions. At the same time, concerns over overcrowding and overbuilding have dropped by half since 2008 (24% 2008 / 11% 2010).
· Favorable rating for the King County Council is unchanged since 2008 but have declined a net 10 points in the same period for the City Council, even though the use of tax dollars rating is unchanged from 2008 (55% Positive / 37% Negative).
· Job ratings for a series of items tested over past surveys are unchanged with the notable exception of water quality which has improved a net 15 points.
· In 2008, half (49%) favored increasing taxes to maintain services. This has reversed with half (48%) saying taxes should stay the same and services cut as needed.
· While satisfaction with the choices for shopping and dining in the Town Center continues to be a majority (57% Satisfied) it is unchanged from 2008. Satisfaction with the appearance and condition of the Town Center has improved (Net +12).
· Perceptions of safety are unchanged since 2006, as are peoples perceived preparedness for an earthquake.
· Roughly 10% say they would be more likely to use public transit if a Mercer Island residents only garage were built.
(7) AB 4518 4th Quarter 2009 Financial Status Report and Budget Adjustments
Finance Director Chip Corder presented the 4th Quarter 2009 Financial Status Report and an update on the status of each Capital Improvement Program project as of December 31, 2009.
It was moved by Councilmember Bassett; seconded by Councilmember Litzow to:
Suspend the City Council Rules of Procedure 5.2 requiring a second reading for an ordinance.
It was moved by Councilmember Bassett; seconded by Councilmember Jahncke to:
Adopt Ordinance No. 10-02, amending the 2009-2010 Budget.
Councilmember Absences:
Councilmember Cero will be absent April 5, 2010.
Councilmember Litzow will be absent April 19, 2010.
Planning Schedule:
There were no changes.
Board Appointments:
There were no appointments.
Councilmember Reports:
Councilmember Litzow spoke about the recent Eastside Transportation Partnership Meeting.
Assistant City Attorney Shane Moloney reported that an investigation, requested by Councilmember Cero regarding the Citys Twitter account being hacked, concluded no wrongdoing or inappropriate action by City staff. The City Manager has directed staff to cease using Twitter until controls can be identified and incorporated into policy.
Adjournment: 10:33 pm
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Taxes and Your Roth TSP AccountView this article online at https://www.fedsmith.com/2013/08/27/taxes-and-your-roth-tsp-account/ and visit FedSmith.com to sign up for free news updates
Could funds in your Roth TSP be taxed when you withdraw them? The answer is "yes, if you are not careful." Consider the following which is taken directly from the TSP publication Withdrawing Your TSP Account After Leaving Federal Service. "If you have both a traditional (non-Roth) and a Roth balance in your TSP account, any withdrawals you make will be paid proportionally from each balance". The bold typeface was included in the TSP booklet.
This means that you could have federal income tax to pay on withdrawals from your Roth balance if you have had the account open for less than five years and/or are under the age of 59 ½ at the time of the withdrawal. For example:
Benny is a FERS employee who is eligible to retire at his minimum retirement age (MRA) of 56. He has had a Roth balance in his TSP for five years. The Roth balance represents 20% of his total TSP balance.
Benny elects to begin receiving monthly payments from the TSP shortly after his retirement. The 80% of his payments that is considered to be from the traditional TSP balance is fully taxable. Regarding the portion of his payments that is from the Roth balance, the part that is considered as coming from his contributions is not taxable, but the part that is considered as coming from the growth of his contributions will be subject to federal income tax at his rate for ordinary income. Benny will continue to pay federal income tax on the part of his Roth withdrawals that are due to the growth of his contributions until he reaches the age of 59 ½.
Conversely, Lenny is not retiring until he is age 60, but he has not had a Roth balance in his TSP for five years. He will be paying tax on the part of his payments that are considered as coming from the growth of his Roth contributions until he has had the Roth balance for at least five years.
To recap, when withdrawing money from the TSP:
- If you're under 59 ½ when taking payments from a Roth TSP – you pay taxes on the growth.
- If you haven't had the Roth TSP open for at least five years – you pay taxes on the growth.
- If you are both age 59 ½ or older and have had the Roth TSP open for at least five years – the growth is tax free.
Any federal employee who has a Roth balance in their TSP and is planning to retire and begin withdrawals from the TSP either before they reach the age of 59 ½ or before they have had the Roth balance for at least five years needs to be aware of the requirement that withdrawals be made proportionally from both Roth and Traditional balances, and will want to take steps to avoid having to pay unnecessary taxes. (Tax avoidance is perfectly legal; it's tax evasion that'll get you in trouble.) What can they do?
They can wait to take money from the TSP until they are 59 ½ and the Roth balance has been open for at least five years; then there will be no taxes on the Roth portion.
They can also roll-over or transfer their TSP to an IRA. The following also appears in a discussion of single or partial withdrawals in the TSP publication Withdrawing Your TSP Account After Leaving Federal Service. "If you have both traditional (non-Roth) and Roth balances in your TSP account, you can direct all or a part of the traditional (non-Roth) portion to one IRA or plan, and all or part of the Roth portion of the payment to either another IRA or plan or to the same IRA or plan…" This allows an individual to separate their Roth and Traditional TSP balances into separate IRAs that can be withdrawn from separately and allows them to leave the Roth account alone until it is entirely tax free.
Agencies can request to have John Grobe, or another of Federal Career Experts' qualified instructors, deliver a retirement or transition seminar to their employees. FCE instructors are not financial advisers and will not sell or recommend financial products to class participants. Agency Benefits Officers can contact John Grobe at [email protected] to discuss schedules and costs.


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163 Rathbun Avenue, Staten Island NY 10312– RealEstateSINY.com
Posted by Anthony Licciardello on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 at 11:09pm.
Built in 2006, 163 Rathbun Avenue is located in Annadale, Staten Island NY 10312. On 5/25/2005, it was publicly recorded that the home was sold for $170,000. The vacant land is situated on block 6233, lot 68. The home was constructed over 2570 square feet of 4000 square feet of land.
Source: New York City Department of Finance home sale data.
Homes in the neighborhood and brief specs on Rathbun Avenue:
Home on 155 Rathbun Avenue
Year Built: 2006
Lot size: 4,000 Sq Ft
Stories: 2
Home on 160 Rathbun Avenue
Year Built: 1965
Approximately 2,512 Sq Ft
Lot size: 14,400 Sq Ft
Stories: 2
Home on 166 Rathbun Avenue
Single Family Residence
Year Built: 1960
Approximately 984 Sq Ft
Lot size: 3,600 Sq Ft
Stories: 1
Home on 167 Rathbun Avenue
Year Built: 2002
Approximately 2,100 Sq Ft
Lot size: 4,000 Sq Ft
Stories: 2
Source: NYC Public Records