Last weekend was a wonderful time for a May outing in Central Arizona.  Typically, we would be expecting 100^◦ + days in early May.  Just warm enough to make one uncomfortable on a long outing.  Saturday was a beautiful day on Perry Mesa starting in the low 50’s and reaching the 70’s.

Susan and I love to explore Arizona.  It has remarkable diversity and beauty.  Often, we go with friends.  This time it was just us.

Perry Mesa rests just East of Sunset Point (Black Mesa) along I-17 and is largely a part of Agua Fria National Monument.  From the Interstate, it looks desolate and foreboding.  In reality, it is ripe with ancient culture and wildlife.  Tens of thousands of Hohokam Indians inhabited that prairie, mountains and canyons. Hundreds of miners, ranchers and pioneers traveled the dusty roads, living and dying in the area.  Evidence is everywhere. If you know where to look.

Most of the following pictures were taken in and around the Brooklyn Mine in Brooklyn Basin.  The mine operated sporadically from 1907 to 1970.  The mine was established for copper, but gold and silver usually occur in the same areas.  (Note the turquoise in the stone hearth.) The mine was also subject to one of the early mining scams in Arizona.  One of the owners went to New York to raise significant funds from shareholders.  I read the incorporation document and it was somewhat entertaining for someone with a geology background who is intimately familiar with Arizona.

This area also has some extremely good petroglyphs.  We took pictures of some of the more interesting ones.  There are literally hundreds more.  I doubt you can walk a canyon wall in the area without encountering this Stone Age art.  In fact, I’ve encountered petroglyphs in most parts of the state.  Some are obvious, others are not.  Why don’t you see if you can figure out what the artist was trying to say?

Richard Oxford is an avid outdoorsman who loves to hike and camp in Arizona. He is also a master barbecue chef. Rick is an Investment Advisor Representative with Richard Oxford Financial, and affiliated with Sowell Management Services. He is also a Certified College Advisor, with College Funding Solutions. His offices are in Scottsdale, Arizona. He may be reached at rick@richardoxford.com, or 602-697-7657.

In a recent presentation at the Phoenix Business Journal’s “Global Market Series” on trade opportunities with Mexico, Carlos Slim Helu said that the world economy has changed dramatically just within the past decade.

It used to be that people in the United States would retire around the age of 55. He says that people are living much longer, and that many American workers are doing service based jobs. This means that workers working in knowledge based industries should be able to work fewer days each week, for more hours a day, and work well into their 70’s and beyond.

Intrigued? Watch this video of Carlos Slim Helu’s presentation.

Is it too late to qualify for merit based aid for college? The short answer is “it depends.”

In this interview on 550-AM KFYI, Richard Oxford talks about the many misconceptions regarding college financial aid. The biggest one is “I make too much money to qualify for aid.”

If you listen to this interview Richard Oxford explains the different types of aid and scholarship opportunities with colleges and universities. He also talks about how filling out the FAFSA form early can help you get in the front of the line, for the greatest financial aid breaks. If you are a family with a household income of more than $100,000 you may be interested to hear of the financial incentives available from colleges.

Richard Oxford is the head of Richard Oxford Financial, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a Certified College Advisor, with College Funding Solutions. For more information listen to the podcast, go online at www.richardoxfordfinancial.com, or call 602-697-7657.

Richard Oxford will be on the Terry Gilberg Radio Show, on 550-AM KFYI, this Saturday night at 8:30pm (PST – Arizona) to talk about planning for college.

Richard is a Certified College Advisor, with College Funding Solutions, He helps families who are seeking college planning assistance want the peace of mind that comes from dealing with an individual who is truly concerned about the student and their educational goals, and who is knowledgeable about the inner-workings of the overall college planning process.

This show may also be heard online live at www.kfyi.com.

If you have a son or daughter planning to attend college next fall, now is the time to file your FAFSA scholarship form. The biggest mistake that people make is they wait to complete the application after they have filed federal tax returns. Instead you should fill out the FAFSA form as early as January 1st.

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form is used to determine the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution. The results of the FAFSA are used in determining student grants, work study, and loan amounts.

If you have any questions about the financial aid process in college, please contact Rick Oxford, who is a college funding expert at Richard Oxford Financial, and registered with College Funding Solutions.

About

Richard Oxford is a master chef at home and an investment advisor representative with Richard Oxford Financial by day, in Scottsdale, Arizona. You may reach him at rick@richardoxford.com or 602-697-7657.

According to the IRS, many people who carry on a trade or business are self-employed. Sole proprietors and independent contractors are two examples of self-employment. If this applies to you, there are a few basic things you should know about how your income affects your federal tax return.

Here are six important tips about income from self-employment:

• SE Income.  Self-employment can include income you received for part-time work. This is in addition to income from your regular job.
• Schedule C or C-EZ.  There are two forms to report self-employment income. You must file aSchedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, or Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit from Business, with your Form 1040. You may use Schedule C-EZ if you had expenses less than $5,000 and meet other conditions. See the form instructions to find out if you can use the form.
• SE Tax.  You may have to pay self-employment tax as well as income tax if you made a profit. Self-employment tax includes Social Security and Medicare taxes. Use Schedule SE, Self-Employment Tax, to figure the tax. If you owe this tax, make sure you file the schedule with your federal tax return.
• Estimated Tax.  You may need to make estimated tax payments. People typically make these payments on income that is not subject to withholding. You usually pay this tax in four installments for each year. If you do not pay enough tax throughout the year, you may owe apenalty.
• Allowable Deductions.  You can deduct expenses you paid to run your business that are both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your industry. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and proper for your trade or business.
• When to Deduct.  In most cases, you can deduct expenses in the same year you paid for them, or incurred them. However, you must ‘capitalize’ some costs. This means you can deduct part of the cost over a number of years.

Visit the Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center on IRS.gov for all your federal tax needs. You can also get IRS tax forms on IRS.gov/forms anytime.

About

Richard Oxford is a master chef at home and an investment advisor representative with Richard Oxford Financial by day, in Scottsdale, Arizona. You may reach him at rick@richardoxford.com or 602-697-7657.

Directions

To make the marinade, mix all of the ingredients except for the beef in a large mixing bowl. Place the trimmed tri-tips in a plastic container and pour the marinade over. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Heat grill to medium temperature.

Place tri-tips on grill at a 45 degree angle to establish grill marks and cook about 35 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness. Remove the tri-tips from the grill and let rest about 2 to 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Ingredients

1 cup lemon juice
1 cup soybean oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup black pepper
1/2 cup garlic salt (recommended: Lawry’s)
1/2 cup chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped dried onions
2 (4-pound) tri-tips, trimmed

Total Time: 6 hr 50 min
Prep: 15 min
Inactive: 6 hr
Cook: 35 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Level: Easy

About

Richard Oxford is a master chef at home and an investment advisor representative with Richard Oxford Financial by day, in Scottsdale, Arizona. You may reach him at rick@richardoxford.com or 602-697-7657.