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HAWAII
Livestock producers can get disaster aid

Farmers have until Sept. 9 to apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency's Livestock Assistance Program, which provides money to eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to natural disasters in 2003 or 2004.

Eligible livestock include beef and dairy cattle, buffalo, elk, reindeer, bison, sheep, goats, pigs and horses.

Farmers must submit all documentation and required forms to the Farm Service Agency by the deadline.

The agency's telephone numbers are 483-8600 in Honolulu, (808) 933-8381 on the Big Island, (808) 245-9014 on Kauai, and (808) 244-3100 on Maui.

NATION
Job loss often not worker's fault

Why do people join the ranks of the unemployed?

Most often, it's the result of significant company changes such as a restructuring, merger, sale or major reorganization, according to an annual career transition survey.

Among the respondents who had lost their jobs, 94 percent cited changes at their company as the reason, up from 64 percent in the 2001 survey. That number rose to 75 percent in 2002 and to 79 percent in 2003.

The survey, by Philadelphia-based human capital and transition company DBM, queried more than 27,000 managers and professionals who find their careers in flux.

In other findings, the average severance pay dropped to 17 weeks last year from five months in 2003. Also, more workers -- 48 percent, up from 41 percent -- said they'd been offered a higher salary.

Financial tips for military reservists

With the persistent violence in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon has relied heavily on military reservists to staff its ranks. Those demands can pose some serious financial issues for many reservists being called to active duty, notes a financial planner and Gulf War military veteran.

Bobby Harris, a planner with Hutchinson/ Ifrah Financial Services in Little Rock, Ark., offers a few tips:

» Active duty can cut your income anywhere from 10 percent to half. Consider supplemental income sources for a spouse staying home.

» List and sort all your own debt. Under federal law, creditors can charge only 6 percent interest for those on active military duty for debts incurred before the active duty begins.
» Obtain power of attorney for a spouse or other close relative staying home.
» Review all insurance policies.
» Discuss your job security with your employer. Your job is protected under federal law, but you need to talk with the boss before you deploy and resolve any questions or issues either of you may have, Harris said.