(MONEY Magazine) – The Winners

Alan Greenspan, pay attention. Peter Lynch, pull up a chair. We'd like to introduce the best personal-finance managers in the U.S.-and we figure everyone will want to take notes. Our winners accomplished their financial feats with no support staff of highly trained analysts. Not one holds an M.B.A. And the eight top-ranking contestants didn't depend on friends in high places either (unless the postmaster in Columbiana, Ohio counts).

Nonetheless, these amazing masters of moolah, ages 28 to 78, demonstrated extraordinary abilities to the panel of judges in Money's first annual Best Personal Finance Manager in America contest. And Mark and Lori Menges (right, with son Ryan) succeeded in impressing our judges the most.

To win, these three couples and two singles, along with 2,299 other Money readers who entered, laid out their 1993 personal finances in meticulous detail on a 41-question entry form published in our May 1994 issue. Entries were judged in five lifestyle categories-couples with no children, married parents, singles, single parents and retirees-and subjected to three rounds of scoring, including rigorous reviews by experts in investing, insurance, budgeting, taxes and retirement planning. These eight contestants came out on top in their categories, with the Mengeses snagging the grand prize: $10,000 in cash. Each of the five category winners receives a Macintosh Performa 560 Money Magazine Edition computer loaded with 19 personal-finance and general interest software programs (total suggested retail value: $2,199).

What makes this group the champs? Simple. Given their needs and goals, these winners made the smartest, best-timed personal-finance decisions in 1993. Granted, there is always room for improvement. But overall, these eight great personal-finance wizards are solidly on course to realizing their dreams, whether it's starting a family, building a new house, sending kids to college or enjoying a secure retirement.

Winners, take a bow.

A NEW BABY LEADS THIS COUPLE TO THE GRAND PRIZE

Although the most valuable four cards (worth $300 to $1,800 apiece) in their collection of 250,000 baseball cards (worth $16,000) feature legendary strikeout king Nolan Ryan, grand prize winners Mark and Lori Menges of Lake Orion, Mich., both 28, have more in common with slick-fielding Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson.

That's because two months before Lori gave birth to eight-pound, 14-ounce Ryan-not intentionally named after their baseball hero-in March 1993, the family pulled off a nifty triple play. Specifically, after Lori quit her $18,000-a-year customer service job at a food-supply firm in Bourbonnais, Ill., where the couple then lived (they moved to Westerville, Ohio one month later, in February, and to Lake Orion last August), the Mengeses 1) adjusted their life insurance coverage, 2) increased cash reserves and 3) invested in an innovative home business.

"It was important to us that Lori be able to stay home with Ryan," explains Mark, a $44,000-a-year assistant customer marketing manager for Quaker Foods, "and that we still have enough to fund his education and pay off the mortgage if I die." To reach their goal of $576,000 in coverage, up from $38,000, Mark first increased the life insurance provided by Quaker from the standard of one times base pay, or $38,000, to the maximum, six times pay, or $226,000. He managed the extra coverage for only $100 a year because Quaker offers its employees a menu of benefits. Mark could offset part of his cost for the additional insurance by giving up extra vacation days. Then the Mengeses purchased a $250,000 whole life insurance policy ($400 annual premium) and $100,000 in term life insurance ($140 a year) from agents. Our only quibble with the Mengeses' insurance strategy: They could have saved 22% or more on their premiums by choosing one $350,000 annual renewable term policy rather than their combination of term and whole life policies.

In another well-plotted move, the Mengeses drafted a will (lawyer's fee: $250) that leaves their entire estate in trust for Ryan, with Lori's brother named as Ryan's guardian as well as trustee. "If we died without appointing a guardian," says Mark, "the court might name someone whose values differ from ours. Lori's brother would bring up Ryan much the way we would."

Realizing that child-rearing costs can pop up like a jack-in-the-box, the couple wisely increased their emergency reserves during Ryan's first year, raising their balance in Vanguard Prime Money Market Fund from $1,027 to $11,182-an amount equal to about three months of their living expenses. They also contributed a pretax $1,500 to a Quaker flexible spending account that offers a 25% employer match. That account, which enables them to use pretax dollars for out- of-pocket medical expenses, saved the Mengeses $896 in '93.

To replace some of Lori's lost income, the pair developed Little Guy's Signs, a business that delivers to people's front yards signs announcing a child's birth or birthday. Start-up costs: about $400 for supplies to create eight signs and $238 for a commercial liability insurance policy. The Mengeses rented their first sign in April '94 but closed shop just two months later when Mark learned Quaker would relocate him again by the summer (revenues for two months: $200). They plan to get Little Guy's Signs off the ground again this spring in their new four-bedroom home in Lake Orion, which is about 35 miles northwest of Detroit.

When the Mengeses first moved to Westerville, they beat the high cost of borrowing by selecting a three-year adjustable-rate mortgage with a starting rate of 6.5% for their four-bedroom, two-story home. At the time, hordes of home buyers and refinancers preferred to lock in 1993's low interest rates with a 7.95%, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. But the Mengeses correctly bet that Mark would be transferred again within three to five years. That would mean they wouldn't own their home long enough to get caught if the ARM's floating interest rate shot up. The transfer last August-Mark's third in three years-occurred even faster than they had thought. The couple's savings on the $134,200 ARM over a fixed-rate loan: more than $2,500 in interest.

Despite short-term concerns about a financial safety net, the Mengeses haven't neglected to consider retirement. During '93, the couple allocated about 85% of the $32,423 they hold in tax-deferred accounts to growth investments-a dose just right for their age. Mark contributed the maximum 7% of his pretax salary into Quaker's retirement savings plan, putting about 70% of the $3,892 contributions in a money-market fund and the remainder in a diversified stock fund (FICA and income tax savings on his contribution: $1,353). They also contributed to nondeductible IRAs: Mark put the maximum $2,000 into Scudder's Japan Fund (up 23.6% for '93) and Lori put $1,190, her total '93 earnings, into Twentieth Century Ultra Investors (up 21.8%). Mark also received some $4,670 in Quaker stock through the company's employee stock- ownership program during '93, bringing his end-of-the-year balance in the tax-deferred ESOP account to $19,399.

At this point, Lori and Mark are starting to think about adding another rookie to their team. "Now that we have everything in place, we would like to have another kid," says Mark. Two-parent middle-income households spend an average of $6,870 to $8,300 annually on a second child, according to the Family Economics Research Group, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and a total of $231,140 from the second child's birth to age 18. Still, Lori plans to stay home with their kids. "Day care is hard on children," she says. "They need attention from their parents more than expensive toys or clothes." The Little Guy's Signs business will enable her to earn about $2,500 a year from home.

Denver financial planner Eileen Sharkey, a member of Money's judging panel, says that the Mengeses have every right to be confident about their financial future. "One of the first rules of financial planning is to protect what you've got before you go out to make a million," she says. "Otherwise, you could lose it all."

THIS TWO-CAREER COUPLE PLAN ON PEAK EXPERIENCES

John Woloshyn's home office in Algonquin, Ill. is decorated with a souvenir from his 1991 honeymoon with wife Lisa: a travel poster of a Maui golf course that challenges vacationers to "Bring your best shots."

Lisa, 32, and John, 33 (pictured on page 75), bring their best shots to everything they do. An ambitious pair, the Woloshyns hope to start a family in 1996, build a new home by 2000, and, in 2027, have paid for their yet unborn children's college tuitions so they can retire in time to enjoy themselves. Fortunately, given such high goals, they grasp one of the key commandments for financial success: Start young.

Unlike most of the country's 24 million DINKs-dual income, no kids-who are prone to free spending, the Woloshyns show admirable self-restraint, having saved about 30% of their combined $153,000 income in 1993. To lower expenses, the couple shared their 1990 Honda Accord, capped spending with a monthly allowance of $800 each and took only one vacation, a week's jaunt to visit Lisa's mother in Maryland. "We live comfortably without wasting money," explains Lisa. One notable exception to their otherwise frugal habits: John splurged and bought Lisa a $3,000 Rolex watch as a birthday gift last year. "That'll be her birthday gift for the next five years," he jokes.

The Woloshyns further cut costs last year by raising the deductibles from $250 to $500 on the insurance for their car and two rental properties they own (annual premium savings: $400). They also refinanced the 30-year, 8.5% fixed-rate mortgage of $113,301 on their five-room townhouse with a seven-year balloon, fixed at 6.75%. Because they plan to build a new, 10-room home within five years-for about $400,000-the Woloshyns figure they'll sell the $143,000 townhouse and then be able to pay off the mortgage before the balloon comes due. In the meantime, their $739 monthly mortgage payments are 16% less than the $877 they paid before refinancing.

This money-savvy couple leaves little to chance. They even plot the use of their GM MasterCard and American Airlines AAdvantage card to take maximum advantage of discounts and perks. John has marked Lisa's MasterCard with a lopsided smiley face and a reminder to use it only at Mobil and Marriott: "We hope to have $10,000 in credits to put toward a new Cadillac seven years from now," John sheepishly explains. "We can get more credits faster if we use the card strictly at GM's partners, Mobil, Marriott and MCI." Natch, they opted for MCI's long-distance service on their three phone and one fax lines.

When it counts, however, the Woloshyns don't hesitate to spend. To protect their assets, including the $67,000 in equity on their rental properties, two single-family homes, the pair wisely purchased a $1 million excess-liability insurance policy that kicks in where their auto and homeowners liability coverage end (cost: $87 a year). "Their assets and high income makes them a magnet for lawsuits," says contest judge Todd Muller, assistant vice president of the Independent Insurance Agents of America. "For people like them who have a lot to lose, umbrella liability insurance is very valuable."

Ultimately aiming for a retirement nest egg of at least $3 million (in 1994 dollars)-enough to throw off income of about $75,000 a year for 20 years-the Woloshyns have also made some admirable long-term saving and investing decisions. One example: They funded their employer-provided retirement savings plans to the max. John, who is director of Midwest sales for Redken Laboratories, a professional beauty-products supply firm, contributed his tax-deductible '93 limit of $6,816 to his 401(k). Lisa, who works as a national sales-training manager at Trevor Sorbie, which was a division of Redken until it was sold in 1994, raised her 401(k) contribution last year from 4% of her pretax salary to the 15% maximum, contributing $4,017 for the year. Their combined contributions generated income and Social Security tax savings of $3,763 and gar- nered a total of $3,323 in employer matching funds.

With nearly half of their net worth tied up in real estate, John and Lisa made some quick-witted decisions to diversify their more liquid holdings. They invested $2,443 in 50 shares of electronics retailer Best Buy (up 79% for '93) and another $6,500 in no-load mutual funds Lexington Worldwide Emerging Market Fund (up 63.4%) and tax-free Dreyfus Intermediate Muni Bond Fund (up 11.5%).

Our judges praised the Woloshyns' buy-and-hold investing philosophy and their long-term outlook. For example, when their 200 Philip Morris shares plunged almost 25% from $12,800 to $9,650 in April '93, the couple didn't sell in a panic. Instead, they held the stock until December 1993, when they temporarily sold the shares in order to realize the maximum allowable $3,000 tax loss. They then repurchased the Philip Morris shares in February 1994. "Smooth move," pronounces contest judge Paul Yurachek, a Washington, D.C. financial adviser. "Despite the price drop," he explains, "Philip Morris is a solid company with a phenomenal record of increasing dividends. When you buy shares of a conservative fund or high-quality company and hold on to them, you increase your chances of investing success." (For more on this tax- reducing strategy, see "Investor's Tax Alert" on page 146.)

THIS PAIR KICKED BACK, BUT THEY'VE HARDLY SLOWED DOWN

At first, the Longs of Sun City West, Ariz. (shown on page 77) seem to have an unsuitable last name. Richard, whose typewritten contest essay consisted of just 10 words-"sold 27% of junk bond funds, gave $20,000 to children"-also speaks in terse, crafted sentences. And spirited four-foot, 11-inch Sheila is, well-short.

Their surname starts to make sense, however, when you look at how these seventysomethings distributed their assets last year. By keeping close to half their $1.2 million portfolio in stocks and stock funds, the Longs received ample income without sacrificing-ahem-long-term growth. "Our first priority is making sure we will always be independent," says Richard.

A lifetime of saving put the Longs in the comfortable position of having more retirement income than they need. In '93, Richard, 78, and Sheila, 74, received $13,166 in Social Security benefits, $11,391 from a company pension, plus $74,000 in dividends and $7,340 in interest. Because they didn't need all that income, they sold 27% of their $134,827 in junk bond fund shares, realizing a $3,000 tax loss, which they used to offset part of the $20,000 in capital-gains distributions from their mutual funds. Then they parked $17,000 of the $37,000 proceeds in a money- market fund while they research the opportunities for investing it in an international stock fund. Overall, about 40% of their assets is in bonds and bond funds, 40% is in stocks and the remainder is in mutual funds that own a combination of stocks and bonds, such as Fidelity Puritan, a balanced fund (up 21.5% for '93).

In addition to taking the tax loss on their bonds, the Longs made other tax-cutting moves. First, to lower income taxes, they withdrew only the minimum $3,122 from their three IRA accounts for the year. That way, the remaining $33,000 would continue to grow tax deferred. Also, they reduced future estate taxes by giving $5,000 to each of their four children, ages 35 to 47. Because each gift was less than $20,000, the amounts didn't require any gift tax (the tax-free limit is $10,000 per recipient if the gift is made by one person or $20,000 if jointly bestowed). By removing that $20,000 from their estate now, the Longs cut their future estate taxes by as much as $11,000. That's a refreshing thought for Richard, a retired customer service manager for American National Can, who decries "the boondoggling of taxpayer dollars by our government." Sheila agrees: "The kids could use that money more than we could anyway."

Even before '93, the Longs had moved to protect their sizable estate. To avoid selling assets in case they needed nursing-home or home health care, the couple purchased a long-term health insurance policy from American Travelers back in 1972. The annual premium increases with their age (1993 premiums: about $1,000). But "buying that policy was the best thing we ever did," says Sheila, who needed 4è months of daily skilled nursing at home after she had spinal surgery in 1991. Their insurance covered $10 of every $11-per-hour of professional care, keeping their out-of-pocket costs for the $10,000 in home care to approximately $900.

And in February '92, the Longs paid $600 in lawyer's fees to set up a revocable living trust, appointing their children as trustees. Although a living trust won't reduce their income taxes or their future estate taxes, it does allow their estate to bypass probate, making life easier for their heirs. The living trust also allows their children to step in and manage the estate should Richard and Sheila both become incapacitated. The Longs' trust is fully funded, which means they have transferred all of their assets to it-a tedious but key step that many people overlook. "Too often, people will pay to set up living trusts and move only some of their assets into it, planning to get to the rest later," says Denver planner Sharkey. "But it's important to realize that if a trust is not fully funded, it doesn't work."

Careful attention to personal finances has prevented the Longs from going the way of many of the country's 33 million retirees, who are suckered more often than other groups by fast-talking lawyers, brokers and financial planners. To brush up on the basics of saving and investing, Sheila enrolled in October '93 in an adult education course called "My Husband Always Handled the Money," offered at the Arizona State University College in Sun City. "Some of my classmates said their husbands were antagonistic when their wives started asking questions about their finances," says the Belfast-born Sheila, with her hint of brogue. "But Dick encouraged me to learn more, in case something happens to him."

A SINGLE MOM NURTURES HER NEST EGG

In 1974, when Elizabeth Killian (pictured on page 79) and her then husband Jim bought their 90-year-old colonial-style home near Durham, N.C., she enjoyed wandering their six acres, picking pears, walnuts and cherries from the orchards. Today, this 51-year-old amicably divorced mother of a teenage daughter still lives in the same house, but she has little time for such leisurely pursuits. Rather, Killian devotes four or more hours a week to her new hobby: cherry-picking stocks and funds. "I wake up at 5:30 every morning, a half-hour earlier than I need to, so I can read personal-finance magazines or track my investments," she says.

A late-blooming investor who didn't own any stocks or mutual funds until 1991, Killian says she doesn't have an hour to waste: She plans to retire in 1998-the same year 14-year-old Alexandra will start college. But Killian is well on her way, with a $301,000 investment portfolio, a combined $252,800 equity in her house and a single-family rental property, as well as a $24,000 college fund for Alex.

Even with the high costs of raising a teenager, Killian has managed to save 25% to 50% of her salary every year since 1986. In '93, ex-husband Jim paid $300 a month (about 17% of his salary) for child support. Because of budget cuts at the Durham Regional Hospital, where she earns $70,000 a year as a pharmacist, Killian received only a 2.5% bonus, rather than the 5% to 10% she was accustomed to getting. That meant she and Alex had to tighten their belts: They took no expensive vacations and shopped more efficiently, loading up on sale-priced rice and beans and making the occasional thrift shop purchase. As a result, Killian was able to keep her expenses to only $36,500 for 1993, socking away an incredible $57,000.

"She's one in a million," says contest judge Luther Gatling, president of the Budgeting & Credit Counseling Service in New York City. "Very few people with her income and situation would be able to save so much."

In addition to smart saving, Killian made some shrewd investing moves last year. Prompted by the low interest rates offered by banks and money funds, she increased her stockholdings in 1993 from 16% to about 45% of her $301,000 portfolio, giving it a badly needed jolt of InstaGrow. In March, for example, she withdrew $27,861 from Durham Regional Hospital's credit union money-market account, then paying a pitiful 3%, and split the proceeds among a number of different stocks and mutual funds. She invested $12,700 in shares of drug manufacturers Eli Lilly and Syntex, picked because their new products were big sellers at the hospital pharmacy, and divided the remaining $15,161 among a mix of five mutual funds: Benham GNMA Income (up 6.5% for 1993), Harbor Bond (up 12.4%), Vanguard Star, a balanced fund (up 11%), Berger 100 (up 21.2%) and Scudder Latin America (up 74.3%).

Killian also set about fine-tuning Alex's $24,000 college fund, adding stock mutual funds that should help the account keep pace with rising college costs. Tuition and fees for four years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill now run $5,676, but that total is expected to reach $7,400 by the time Alex is a freshman in 1998. After the 7% CDs Killian purchased for $3,688 in 1990 matured last year, she split the $4,000 among Vanguard Star, Neuberger & Berger Guardian (up 14.5% in '93) and Monetta (up 0.5%), a small-company growth fund. The remaining $19,000 in the custodial account was locked into CDs that will mature this year. "When the time comes, Alex's college fund should be more than enough to cover tuition and possibly some graduate school," she says.

Thorough planner that she is, Killian managed another winning move last year that many people overlook: She reviewed and updated her will to reflect family changes. The previous version, drawn up in 1981, had assigned guardianship of Alex to Killian's parents, Frederick and Elizabeth Taylor, who were then in their sixties. But with Alex in high school, Killian added a codicil last year naming Alex's father and Killian's 45-year-old brother Fred as co-guardians. "If I had died when Alex was younger, she would have needed her grandmother's nurturing care," explains Killian. "Now that Alex is more independent and my mother is up in age, it makes sense that my ex-husband Jim, who loves her very much, should have custody." Killian left her estate in trust for Alex, with Killian's brother Fred as the trustee as well as co-guardian.

THIS LONE RANGER IS GALLOPING TOWARD HIS FINANCIAL GOALS

John Kimpel's spartan one-bedroom apartment in rural Columbiana,John Kimpel's spartan one-bedroom apartment in rural Columbiana, Ohio, 30 miles west of the Pennsylvania border, contains little more than a dinette set, a bed, a 13-inch-screen TV and a metal file cabinet for his records. "I like to keep things simple," confides this soft-spoken 38-year-old mail carrier (shown on page 81). "When people ask me why I have so few belongings, I tell them my motto is, 'If I owned it, I would have to dust it.' "

But when it comes to Kimpel's financial track record, we figure the more appropriate motto would be: "Eat my dust." Despite a modest $36,000 salary, Kimpel has amassed a $154,181 portfolio. And even though his expenses last year were higher than usual owing to some medical problems, he managed to save an amazing 53% of his annual income.

Kimpel made a series of shrewd investing decisions in '93: First, he siphoned 10% of his pretax salary into the Postal Service' tax-deferred retirement savings plan, 60% of which is invested in a Standard & Poor's 500 index fund, with the remainder in a three-month Treasury account (tax savings: $1,250). He then almost doubled his exposure to foreign markets, from $33,000 to $56,000. And, last, he guessed right and sold his long and intermediate bondholdings before they were pummeled by 1994's rising rates.

Here's how he calculated those timely moves: He tracks indexes such as the Lehman Bros. Long Treasury Bond, the Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 each day in the Wall Street Journal. When he noticed U.S. bond prices rising last year, he gradually withdrew the close to $10,000 he had in four domestic bond funds, leaving $2,256 in Scudder International Bond fund (up 15.8% for '93) and $1,652 in Templeton Income (up 10.4%). As a result, he sidestepped the 3.6% loss posted by the average U.S. bond fund during the first half of '94-no sweat.

A similar instinct prompted Kimpel, who hasn't journeyed more than 270 miles from his home since 1986, to invest more than a third of his portfolio in high-risk foreign-stock funds. After Germany raised its interest rates late in 1992, sending European markets tumbling, Kimpel scooped up shares of international funds. "I took advantage of the opportunity to buy foreign shares while they were cheap," he says.

Kimpel invested his $2,000 IRA contribution for '93 in Vanguard Trustees International Equity fund (up 30.1% for '93). He added $1,300 to T. Rowe Price International Stock Fund (up 40.1%) and invested a total of $7,000 in funds that specialize in emerging markets or in smaller companies that are based overseas, such as Montgomery Emerging Markets (up 58.7% for '93), Fidelity Emerging Markets (up 81.8%), and T. Rowe Price International Discovery (up 49.9%).

Although such racy funds should deliver high returns over the long term, they're often a bumpy ride. So Kimpel used a risk-reducing investing strategy known as dollar-cost averaging. By adding a set amount, anywhere from $100 to $2,500, to each of his foreign funds on a regular basis, he bought more shares when the share prices were low and fewer when they were high. That move reduced his average cost for every share he bought.

Of course, this cowboy also keeps an ample cash cushion: Kimpel left $55,000 in extremely conservative short-term accounts, partly to pay for a new Chevrolet S10 pickup truck in the spring of 1994 (price: $18,300). "I save up for major expenditures and always pay cash," he says.

Like many single people, Kimpel's deductible expenses often fall short of the standard deduction. To maximize tax savings, he bunches them so he can itemize during certain years. For example, Kimpel decided not to contribute to charity in '93. Instead, he will make larger donations in '94 and '95, when he intends also to itemize other expenses, such as equipment for the new pickup truck-deductible as an unreimbursed business expense since he uses the truck to deliver mail.

At the end of this year, Kimpel plans to contribute $10,000 to the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, which will allow him to invest his contributions in a bond, equity income, growth or money fund account until he directs the fund to distribute part or all of his balance to the charity of his choice. The fund is considered a public charity by the IRS, which means Kimpel can deduct the $10,000 contribution from this year's taxes, even if he doesn't direct the fund to pay out his gift until, say, five years from now.

Despite such smart successes, Kimpel says he "doesn't tie his life up in money stuff." His main passion is writing and publishing books of his own short stories and essays. "I don't track how much money I spend on book publishing," he says, guessing that it's about $4,000 over three years. For Collected Polemics, his most recent work, published in 1990 and distributed as gifts to friends, Kimpel assembled each of the hardcovers for all 50 copies by hand. "I am a perfectionist," he says. "I like everything to be just so." While he's still seeking recognition as a writer, such perfectionism has paid off as far as finances are concerned. Says Kimpel: "During 1993, everything went right."

BOX:

Grand Prize MARRIED WITH KIDS Mark, Lori and Ryan Menges Lake Orion, Michigan

Winning moves that can work for you: - Wrote a will - Bolstered cash reserves for emergencies - Increased life insurance coverage - Created a home business - Maximized employer benefits - Invested retirement savings for growth - Shopped the best mortgage

BOX:

MARRIED COUPLE

John and Lisa Woloshyn Algonquin, Ill.

Winning moves that can work for you:

- Refinanced their mortgage - Capped spending - Lowered insurance costs and improved coverage - Rode stock market swings like pros - Boosted 401(k) contributions - Sheltered gains from taxes

BOX:

RETIREES Richard and Sheila Long Sun City West, Arizona

Winning moves that can work for you:

- Funded a living trust - Sold 27% of junk bonds - Boosted their financial knowledge - Bought long-term-care insurance - Made early bequests - Deferred income taxes

BOX:

SINGLE PARENT

Elizabeth and Alexandra Killian Durham County, N.C.

Winning moves that can work for you:

- Saved 50% of income - Updated her will - Cut expenses 50% by strategic shopping - Fine-tuned the college fund - Increased stock-holdings to 45% - Tracked investments every week

BOX:

SINGLES

John Kimpel Columbiana, Ohio

Winning moves that can work for you:

- Always paid cash for big-ticket buys - Timed charitable gifts for maximum tax benefit - Saved 53% of income - Lowered risk with dollar-cost averaging - Sold 60% of bonds - Invested globally for gains

BOX:

Congratulations to the 95 finalists!

When all the scores were tallied, our editors and independent judges named our eight winners plus these 95 families, couples and individuals as finalists in their class. The contest drew 2,304 entries from all over the country-and even several from Germany.

MARRIED PARENTS Jeffrey and Lisa Barber Aurora, Colo. Norman and Kay Boucher Duluth, Minn. Philip and Cheryl Breidenbach Aiken, S.C. Ashley and Julia Broome Davie, Fla. John and Anne Clark Ogden, Utah Jeffery and Karen Cole Ann Arbor Harriet and James Dahlgren Salem, Va. Anthony and Eileen Damiano Cheboygan, Mich. Rich and Deb Eads Freeport, Ill. James and Sue-On Han Cupertino, Calif. Daniel and Patricia Jabowaski Loudonville, N.Y. Sharon and Chris Johnson Olympia, Wash. James and Katherine Kettlewell Canton, Ohio Susan and Myron Luntz Fredonia, N.Y. Sherri Reynolds, Tammy Orders Lenoir, N.C. Steve and Vicki Swanson McFarland, Wis. William and Mary Toohey Independence, Iowa Chuck and Deborah Yanus Baldwinsville, N.Y. Charlotte and David Zink Steilacoom, Wash.

COUPLES Leonard and Karen Adams Roseville, Calif. Randy and Karola Ekanger Baumholder, Germany Alan Feistner, Becci Lund Fort Campbell, Ky. Dave and Mary Gannett Tucson Hamidah Ghazalli, Tom Bruton Springfield, Ore. Joe and Betty Hammett Geneva, Fla. Joyce Hicks, Larry West Nichols Hills, Okla. Kay Knowles, Megan Lovelace Mountain View, Calif. Charles and Judy McBrayer Eagan, Minn. Marvin and Margaret Meek Harenzhofen, Germany William and Annmarie Melvin Scott AFB, Ill. Fabrice and Laura Prevost North Wales, Pa. Lynn and Steven Ramirez Jupiter, Fla. Robin and Scott Rziha Hoisington, Kans. Jill Sells, Tom Kramer Seattle Kenneth and Barbara Stafford Virginia Beach Suzanne and Tim Taylor Portland, Ore. Michael and Priscilla Thomas Odenton, Md. Anne and Barry Williams Fountain Valley, Calif.

RETIREES Gean Clark Burkburnett, Texas Donald and Vera Coker Santa Paula, Calif. Chester and Maryanne Di Pol Woodland Hills, Calif. Robert and Yvonne Gerhartz Madison, Wis. Lynn and June Glover Duarte, Calif. Raymond and Mary Hain Edmond, Okla. Goldie and Paul Katz Richmond Hill, N.Y. Thomas and Harolyn Mageau Lake Vermilion Tower, Minn. L. Beecher and Margy Sexton Galesburg, Ill. A.W. and Maureen Peterson Santa Barbara Bruce Reamer Webster, N.Y. Donald and Margaret Roser Walla Walla, Wash. Franklin and Eleanor Simon Boca Raton, Fla. George and Dorothy Tongue Las Vegas Howard and Helen Trevey Sarasota James and Paulette Ware El Paso James and Harriett Woods McComb, Miss. Hugh and H. Esther Wycoff Roanoke, Ill. James and Marjory Yeager Seal Beach, Calif.

SINGLE PARENTS Linda Caminati Selden, N.Y. Mary Clarke W. Bloomfield, Mich. Patricia Haas Folcroft, Pa. Karen Hutten Stanwood, Mich. Marsha Konz Mequon, Wis. Frans Kopp Cypress, Texas Kathleen Kramer Cheshire, Conn. Lee Markell Fort Worth Linda McCullough Edmonds, Wash. Richard Milton Irvine, Calif. Margaret Norris Santa Clara, Calif. Betty Paps Indian Head Park, Ill. Ginger Pritchard Huntsville, Ala. Dennis Rogers Rossmoor, Calif. Vickie Saunders Buffalo Grove, Ill. Arthur Stein Homewood, Ill. Geoffrey Stoker Hinesville, Ga. Chad Tannehill Silverdale, Wash. Rebecca Weber Orange, Calif.

SINGLES Stephen Francis Bell Herndon, Va. Susan Cameron South Windsor, Conn. Brent Carlson Bozeman, Mont. Carol Cheu San Francisco Derek Christian Addison, Texas Peter Faller San Francisco Richard Fisher El Paso Sandra Gallemore Statesboro, Ga. Joan Gottlieb Columbia, S.C. R. Alan Hall Birmingham Beth Johnson Fort Dodge, Iowa Elaine Juncker Redford, Mich. Kevin Kennelly Chico, Calif. Charles McDaid Jr. Folsom, Pa. Peter McPhee Port Orange, Fla. Michael Ourvan Flushing, N.Y. Patrice Reid Waltham, Mass. Valerie Schneider Johnson City, Tenn. Timothy Watson Palatine, Ill.