October Digest
Marilyn's Journal
Did you know there are 11 Saturdays until Christmas?
Wow! I can’t believe we are welcoming the onset of the Holiday
Shopping Season! I know all you “early, get it done Christmas sales hunters” can’t wait for the Halloween decor to vanish and make room for this year’s
Holiday offerings, whether online or in the mall. This year online sales are expected to blossom to over $9.1B on Black Friday and
Thanksgiving (2 days only!) according to Shopify.
That’s incredible growth from 2017! Have you seen your shopping habits move toward online versus traditional in-store browsing?
May I make an observation that the Financial Planning Process has slowly moved to online from paper templates and statements too?
And, have you kept your e-statements as organized as paper? Do you even open them? October is National Financial Planning month and we remind you to make your “Money work harder for you rather than the other way around.”
We have 11 weekends until the Holidays... enjoy the season and please take care of your Financial House too as January 1, 2019, is right around the corner!
Best wishes and Let’s Talk!
Marilyn
Working While Retired
Would you accompany a group of high school students studying photojournalism and social change in Argentina? How about a group learning about language and culinary traditions in France? Does working for a season or two in a great place – Mount Rushmore, Glacier National Park, or the Virgin Islands National Park – appeal to you?
Two-thirds of Americans plan to work during retirement, according to the 2016 Retirement Confidence Survey.1 If you’re one of them and have an adventurous spirit, you can work your way across the United States or around the world during retirement. Additionally, many employers say couples are welcome to apply. Here are a few opportunities to consider:
Seasonal work with the National Park Service
From Maine to Guam, and everywhere in between, the National Park Service has volunteer and employment opportunities for people of all ages. Depending on the position and location, you may work irregular hours (including weekends and holidays), be required to wear a uniform,
and have housing provided.2
Seasonal work in wonderful places
Job boards such as CoolWorks.com and RetiredBrains.com specialize in seasonal employment for older workers. You can spend a summer on Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan, the Odiyan Retreat Center in California, or the Chisos Mountains Lodge in Texas.3
Overseas opportunities
Your encore career could include opening a bed and breakfast in a favorite getaway town, teaching English abroad, or becoming a tour guide. If you have strong leadership skills, The Experiment in International Living offers programs for you to accompany high school students in countries around the world.4
In recent years, psychological research has shown experiences bring more happiness than possessions to many people. If you work in retirement, or if you’re looking for a new adventure, make sure it’s an experience to remember!
When the Garden Blooms
Few things taste better than tomatoes fresh off the vine. Here’s a great summer salad recipe from MyRecipes.com that features heirloom tomatoes.
Heirloom Tomato and Chicken Toss5
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch wedges
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gently toss together chicken, tomatoes, onion, basil, chives, parsley, and thyme in a large bowl. Add vinegar mixture, and gently toss until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately, or cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
The News Quiz: What Does the Public Know?
The Pew Research Center has an online quiz that examines What the Public Knows – in Pictures, Words, Maps, and Graphs. See what you know by taking this quiz.6
1. Which country is Pope Francis from originally?
a. Italy
b. Mexico
c. Argentina
d. Spain
2. Who is Malala Yousafzai?
a. Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S.
b. 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient
c. An academy-award winning director
d. The first Muslim woman elected to the U.S. Congress
3. The United States recently announced it would re-establish diplomatic relations with which of the following countries?
a. Cuba
b. Russia
c. North Korea
d. Yemen
4. There are nine justices on the Supreme Court of the United States. How many are women?
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four
You can take the entire quiz by visiting The News IQ Quiz.
Quiz Answers:
- C – Argentina
- B – 2014 Nobel Peace Prize recipient
- A – Cuba
- C – Three
And, the Best Beaches are…
Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a.k.a. Dr. Beach, of Florida International University, has been reviewing, evaluating, and rating American beaches for more than 25 years. Beach standings are determined by a wealth of factors, including softness of the sand, wave height, the temperature of the water, and quality of amenities.
Leatherman checked out more than 600 public beaches and chose the 10 best.
They are:7
- Hanauma Bay Beach Park – Oahu, Hawaii
- Siesta Beach – Sarasota, Florida
- Kapalua Bay Beach – Maui, Hawaii
- Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach – Outer Banks of North Carolina
- Coast Guard Beach – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
- Grayton Beach State Park – Florida panhandle
- Coronado Beach – San Diego, California
- Coopers Beach – Southampton, New York
- Caladesi Island State Park – Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida
- Beachwalker Park – Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Leatherman commented, “My love of sand began as a child. My parents had the notion that if one neighbor has a basketball hoop and another a treehouse, then my family should also have an attraction for the neighborhood kids. I had the biggest backyard sandbox in Charlotte, North Carolina. I loved it. Every year I opted for a beach vacation to play in the world’s largest sandbox and frolic in the surf.”8
Quick Tip: Your Special Purpose
Unlike James Bond, we are put on this earth for a limited amount of time. What special purpose can we bring to our community and to the lives that we touch? When do we know or feel that we can live our lives with peace of mind?
Andrew Carnegie knew at age 66, that he was ready to give back to society. He was the world's richest man in 1902 and lived out his years supporting education, world peace, and related social issues. He donated about 90% of his wealth and wrote the book, "The Gospel of Wealth,” urging the wealthy to give back and improve their society. Today, Oprah Winfrey is filling a similar role, giving back to society. These two successful titans are classic rags to riches stories and built their legacy during their lifetimes.
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
—Mae West
“If you are successful, it's because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also, you are indebted for life, until you help a less fortunate person, just as you were helped.”
—Melinda Gates
Savvy Women Blog - Authenticity
Please allow me to take one more step and let’s connect authenticity with “Your Money Matters” and let’s get down to business! How can we become more authentic when dealing with our “Money Matters? “
At the Diamond Group Wealth Advisors, we believe deeply in the power of finding your passion and purpose in your life/lifestyle and making better "Money Decisions", based on your inner values, which in this case is being authentic to who you are and the lifestyle you wish to live. It’s uniquely your journey that you are mapping out and finding your ideal path in life.
Now, this may seem rather obtuse, when most people talk about Money as a means to an end. We feel strongly that your Money needs to work harder for you rather than the other way around! How many of you feel that you only work to be paid for time spent?
Can you imagine investing your time daily, weekly at a career and work that really engages you, your talents and you feel that you are sharing your unique gifts with your community, your tribe?
Focusing on your true purpose or passion, being authentic is probably the best investment of time you can make in yourself. Then choose your career, your business, and share those gifts and you will be compensated well. How many decisions do we make around money that may be influenced by what other people think? Or how many decisions do we make that are influenced by society, social media and the like?
In this age of 24/7 media, I would wager that many of us are unduly influenced by outside opinions. We can be trapped into buying and spending more than we earn which can take away reaching financial independence. Just think about this for a moment ….hmmmm…. When you think about Authenticity, please include all areas of your life, including emotional, physical, spiritual, along with financial. In our world, making small changes in your financial life based on your values may make a long-lasting change in your "Financial House."
1https://www.ebri.org/pdf/surveys/rcs/2016/RCS_16.FS-2_Expects.pdf
2 https://www.nps.gov/wica/learn/management/seasonal-employment.htm
3 http://www.coolworks.com/search?q=older+and+bolder
4 http://www.experiment.org/pn/programs/select-a-program/
5 http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/heirloom-tomato-chicken-toss
6 http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/the-news-iq-quiz/
7 http://www.livescience.com/54891-photos-best-beaches-of-2016.html#sthash.ogOfsO4u.dpuf
8 http://drbeach.org/online/about-dr-beach/
The above material was prepared by Peak Advisor Alliance. 1_503690