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iBi - December 2009
Central Illinois Angels
The Double Bottom Line

Formed earlier this year, the Central Illinois Angels investment group is officially open for business. There are currently 46 members of the group who are looking to invest in new companies in the Peoria area and beyond. The Angels will bring expertise, experience, contacts and capital to help emerging and growing businesses.

iBi Focus

Finance

  • Publisher's Note
    Riding Out the Storm
    by Jan Wright, Publisher

    The end of the year has arrived—thank goodness! No doubt about it, 2009 was a challenging year, and 2010 will be as well. But thankfully, the fear that the world economy would come crashing down—a common notion just a year ago—did not come to fruition.

Navigating the Great Recession
Area Bankers Assess Economic Impact

iBi asked seven area bankers for their perspectives on the Great Recession, TARP and other federal programs, new and proposed regulations, and the outlook for next year.

The World Economy
Pulling Back From the Brink
by Don Johnson
Caterpillar Inc.

During the past year, the world economy faced its greatest crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, with a repeat of that unfortunate experience uncomfortably close.

Roth IRA Conversion: A Roundtable Discussion

To gain a better understanding of the issues surrounding the conversion of an IRA into a Roth IRA, we have brought together a roundtable of tax, estate planning and investment professionals to provide their insights on this topic.

Show Me the Money!
by Ken Klotz
Turner Center for Entrepreneurship at Bradley University

Borrowing money is usually the last thing a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur wants to do. But sometimes a business owner must borrow money to grow a business, start a new venture or simply survive hard times.

Recession Rewind
What happened to our economy, and what should investors do now?
by Jeff Secord and Jeff Huizenga
Clifton Gunderson Wealth Management

If the U.S. economy were a medical patient, the attending doctor might conclude that some of its vitals are strong, and some are definitely improving.

Navigating the Financing Matrix with EDC as Your GPS!
by Vickie Clark
Economic Development Council for Central Illinois

TIF, EDA, SBA, IFA, IFF, GAP, RLF, BDF, HCDC…Are you feeling a bit lost in the alphabet soup?

Proud to Be a Credit Deadbeat
by Morgan Gee
Chestnut Credit Counseling Services

On a daily basis, I listen to and counsel individuals carrying the burden of credit card debt.

Business and Government
What Can We Learn from One Another?
by Erik Bush
Peoria County

One of the more popular witticisms has been “government should be run like a business.” Very rarely does one see a similar claim that business should be run like government.

Financing the Developing World
Microcredit Spurs Entrepreneurship
by Jon Kindseth & Tim Crawford
Ekkekko Microfinance Association

Thanks to a chance meeting between an ambitious Peruvian woman and an ISU student, Ekkekko will soon be providing microcredit to entrepreneurs who would otherwise have no chance of receiving financial services from the formal banking sector.

Tracking the Housing Market
by Cathi Hawkinson
Peoria Area Association of Realtors®

The Peoria area has not followed the national trend at any point in the downturn, and there is some doubt that we will follow it in the recovery.

New Conversion Rules Worth Looking Into
by Scott Elger, Robert W. Baird & Co.

Beginning in 2010, the income limitations for a conversion from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA have been eliminated.

The Have and Have-Not of Group Disability Insurance
Provided by Joshua T. Waite
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network

If you are one of the lucky workers with an employer-sponsored disability income policy, you are more fortunate than most. It is better to have group coverage than not.

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Finance

Workplace

Health

  • Healthy Employees
    The Key to a Healthy, Successful Bottom Line
    by Vickie Parry
    OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
  • Remembering to Celebrate
    Dr. Sara Rusch, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria

More...

iBi Balance
Cracked Pepper Spices Up the Industry

With breakfast, lunch and dinner options ranging from danishes and crepes to creamy garlic chicken and meatball sub sandwiches, Travis Mohlenbrink’s Cracked Pepper Catering and Bakery has it all.

Beat the Stress This Holiday Season!

It’s easy to forget how stressful the holidays can be until you’re stuck in the thick of it.

Also in Balance...

Gratitude Increases Productivity... Free Shipping Day... The Health Benefits of Pet Ownership... The Do’s and Don’ts of Job Descriptions... Tackle Holiday Debt...