Broker Check
July Mint Edition

July Mint Edition

The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.

-Mignon McLaughlin

May Mint Edition

May Mint Edition

When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary. —Thomas Paine

February 2020

March

When it comes to keeping records, there tend to be Oscars and Felixes, like in Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. The “Oscar” type tends to have papers everywhere, disorganized and perhaps just stacked in a shoebox or paper bag. 

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February 2020

March

Are you developing a love/hate relationship with social media? You might enjoy it for quick hits of entertainment throughout the day, or as a way to keep in touch with friends and loved ones. 

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February 2020

Recipe

Citrus Twist Orange Roughy


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February 2020

January

As some Gen Xers watch their kids grow up, they wonder if college should take priority over retirement. If you happen to be thinking along these lines, there are reasons you may want to think twice. 

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February 2020

January

Does this sound like an out-of-the-box idea? It worked for The Golden Girls, and in real life, it may have potential benefits for you, especially if you are retiring single or childless. 

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February 2020

Recipe

One-Pot Orzo & Pork Meatballs

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February 2020

NOVEMBER

If you keep working or return to work after receiving Social Security benefits, your benefits may seem reduced, perhaps if your annual income exceeds a certain threshold. 

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February 2020

NOVEMBER

If you want to slow mental and physical aging, working out might be the key - and even just walking may benefit you.

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February 2020

GOLF TIP

Too many golfers suffer from "the yips": missing putts of 3' or less due to anxiety or a slipshod putting technique.

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February 2020

SEPTEMBER

Perhaps you could do so in a simpler financial world – but as retirement comes with financial complexities, a purely formulaic approach may fall short.

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February 2020

SEPTEMBER

In recent decades, medical journals and news outlets have devoted more attention to the diseases linked to sustained inflammation. 

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February 2020

TRAVEL TIP

A portable luggage scale could save you money (and pay for itself)

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February 2020

JULY

In a perfect world, most would consider waiting until their full retirement age to file for Social Security.

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February 2020

JULY

Travel is certainly a highlight of retirement. To keep those travel highlights coming, you need to keep healthy, including taking care of yourself "on the road" and at your destination.

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February 2020

JULY - RECIPE

Easy, Elegant Tomato Tart avec Brie



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February 2020

JUNE

If you have the chance to open a Health Savings Account (HSA), you might want to take a look. 

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February 2020

JUNE

Retiring before 60 can be fantastic if your financial situation looks good and you know what you want to do next

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February 2020

JUNE - GOLF TIP

Sometimes the golf you play in your mind's eye fails to correspond to reality. 



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February 2020

MAY

Some of the "conventional financial wisdom" circulating about retirement may need a second look because those assumptions may not prove true for everyone

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February 2020

MAY

Eldercare takes different forms: nursing home care, assisted living, adult daycare, and even some forms of healthcare administered at home.

 

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February 2020

MAY - TRAVEL TIP


Share those photos from your trip, but wait until you get home



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February 2020

APRIL

Spring cleaning: you tidy up, organize, and put things in order. You can take a "spring cleaning" approach to your retirement, just as you can with your home or garage. It may be helpful, especially if retirement seems near.

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February 2020

APRIL

Road Scholar (previously known as Elderhostel) says 66% of grandparents report having vacationed with grandchildren. If you have such a trip coming, think about involving the grandkids. What do your grandkids want to see?

 

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February 2020

APRIL RECIPE


Superb Spring Vegan Blackberry Cobbler

Source: The Simple Veganista, March 13, 20222


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February 2020

MARCH

Have you ever thought about giving financial gifts to your kids or grandkids? Many affluent retirees and pre-retirees do this, often with an eye toward furthering family wealth.

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February 2020

MARCH

Yes, you can work out consistently without a gym membership or $200 shoes or fancy machines. Creating a home workout area, and routine, is often easier than many people think.

 

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February 2020

MARCH - GOLF TIP

Are you forty, fifty, eighty feet away from the cup? Whether you want to lag or hole that long putt, the skill lies in your eyes and follow-through


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February 2020

FEBRuaRY

Our attitudes about investing, saving, spending and financial matters are shaped by a variety of influences, both early and later in life.

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February 2020

FEBRUARY

Set the pandemic aside for a moment. If keeping healthy ranks as your top priority, where should you retire or live? You have many choices, of course. 

 

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February 2020

FEBRUARY - RECIPE

Easy, Healthy Banana Pancakes for 4


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February 2020

JANUARY

Did you ever wonder what might result from such a small boost to your retirement saving effort, even in midlife? 

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February 2020

JANAUARY

America has seen an uptick in the number of seniors leaving full-time jobs. Pew Research Center data shows that 50.3% of adults older than age 55 were retired in the third quarter of 2021, a 2.2% increase from 2019. 

 

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February 2020

JANUARY-TRAVEL TIP

The airlines have had a change of heart about change fees

Here in the pandemic, airlines have eased up on their old habit of charging travelers $200 or more to reschedule or cancel a flight.

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February 2020

June

When the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act became law in 2019, it altered retirement plan contribution and distribution rules. There may be an encore. The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, nicknamed SECURE Act 2.0, has bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, and public policy analysts widely believe it will become law either this year or next.

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February 2020

June

Digital health certificates – also called COVID vaccine passports – might be available for travelers this year, especially those travelers leaving the country. While U.S. retailers and resorts have been resistant to them, the situation may change this summer as Americans travel internationally and head to foreign airports to come home.

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February 2020

June

HEALTH TIP

Try herbal teas to help clean the body of harmful microorganisms

Herbal teas (such as rooibos, chamomile, and mint) contain catechins, plant-derived chemicals that have been noted for their strong antimicrobial properties.

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February 2020

May

A new study from Hearts and Wallets, a research firm founded in 2010 to study American retirement saving and investing trends, hints that the dream of retiring in late middle age is alive and well, although perhaps in need of a reality check.

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February 2020

May

Many adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s have migrated from their initial career to a second or even a third, learning new skill sets or even going back to college for another degree. You learn all your life, the thinking goes.

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February 2020

May

TRAVEL TIP - Airports and resort hotels have become good places to get COVID-19 tests

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February 2020

April

In March, the Internal Revenue Service announced that it was pushing the deadline for 2020 federal tax returns ahead to Monday, May 17. This extended due date does not apply to all individual taxpayers, though. For example, if you live in Texas, Oklahoma, or Louisiana, you could have the opportunity to file as late as June.

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February 2020

April

Today, it can be hard to focus. How can you stay focused with all the distractions, anxiety, and uncertainty brought by the pandemic? Interestingly, the way to maintain your focus might be to unfocus your mind now and then.

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February 2020

April

Recipe

25-Minute Strip Steak with Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

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February 2020

March

Imagine if your 35-year-old self magically appeared in front of you one day and asked for a percentage of your retirement savings or a bit of your retirement income. While this would never happen, something financially analogous happens in the lives of too many people.

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February 2020

March

The hospitality sector certainly hopes travel comes back with a vengeance, but travelers look like they will avenge the boredom of 2020 with more than a little caution and care. This winter, global marketing firm Simon-Kucher & Partners (SKP) surveyed more than 3,900 Americans and Europeans to gauge their travel readiness

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February 2020

March

Golf Tip -

You ultimately play against the course, not the rest of your foursome

This is good to remember whether you find yourself in a tournament, or just paired up with friends on the weekend. Your real opponent is the course, and focusing on what you need to do on each hole helps you avoid getting too excited or too demoralized by what your playing partners are doing. 

Source: PrecisionProGolf.com, February 16, 20212


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February 2020

February

The pandemic has hastened the retirement of some baby boomers, and the linked furloughs and layoffs in many industries have led others to wonder if a retirement transition might come sooner than they think. Buyouts became common last year as businesses cut costs. What if you receive one this year? 

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February 2020

February

Time is a gift, and when you retire, you'll no doubt think about making the most of it. Would it be weird to make a weekly schedule for yourself in retirement, similar to the way you scheduled workweeks during your career? Scheduling your time has its merits, at any age. It could help you stay productive on a day-to-day basis during your "second act," whether you elect to work or not.

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February 2020

February

TRAVEL TIP - During the pandemic, some families have booked short-term getaways at vacation homes or rural properties only to have to cancel them due to travel restrictions or changing public health protocols. Whether you must cancel such a reservation due to the pandemic or other reasons, you may have a better chance of getting a partial refund from the host than from the rental agency or website, whose cancellation policies may be far less forgiving. 


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February 2020

May

Some people approach their retirement years owning illiquid assets worth more than their liquid ones. While long-held illiquid assets, such as a business or home, may become highly valued or appreciated over time, it can be wise to be frank and conservative when estimating their worth, especially if an owner wants to sell them to help fund their “second act.”

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February 2020

May

As most of the nation contended with stay-at-home orders this spring, polling firm YouGov decided to survey 1,175 American adults to see what activities they might want to do once businesses fully reopen and social-distancing mandates end.

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February 2020

May

Golf Tip    Why not leave the flagstick in? As courses have opened back up across the country, many are urging golfers to leave the flagstick in the hole when they reach the green.


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