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MAY 2023
HEALTHY, WEALTHY,
& Wise
1 Denver Federal Center Building 45, Entrance E-9, Room 1050 Lakewood, CO 80225
ENOUGH IS A DECISION, NOT AN AMOUNT WORDS OF WISDOM BEFORE I RETIRE
After helping thousands plan for their retirement, my time is finally coming! That’s right. I’m preparing for my retirement, which will start March 2024. Many of my clients have asked me when I’ll retire or to at least hold off long enough to help them retire first! Well, now it’s my turn to plan for retirement and reflect on my career. I’ve worked in the financial industry for over 20 years and learned much more than just finance. For this reason, I dedicate my next 11 newsletters to sharing words of wisdom I’ve acquired throughout the years. The concept of sharing wise words came to me in Hawaii while traveling with my husband. We visited the stunning Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery in Maui when our host asked us, “Are you eligible for our ‘Wisdom Discount’?” Immediately, I thought it was such a pleasant way of asking if we were senior citizens! It made me think it’s time we start appreciating our age and the wisdom we’ve attained over the years rather than the pessimism that aging often brings. Hence, my desire to share with you my particular truisms, philosophies, and insights I cherish from not only my career but throughout my life. This month, I will discuss how “ enough ” is a decision, not an amount. When planning for retirement, clients have always asked, “What’s my number?” or how much, exactly, they need to save for retirement. No one has the same number because what is
IT’S BEEN YEARS SINCE YOU GAVE YOUR ALL TO YOUR CAREER, BUT NOW IT’S TIME TO FOCUS ON YOU. WHAT TRULY IS ENOUGH FOR YOU?
enough for one person may be vastly different for another. To decipher what is enough for you, you need to consider what will bring you a sense of calm and ensure you feel you have what you need to be content. As humans, we usually want guarantees or to know specific amounts. However, that can’t always be perfectly calculated for every situation. Whatever “the” number is, it should be enough to maintain your desired lifestyle at any stage. So, now’s the time to decipher what brings you happiness, what will truly help you feel fulfilled in the days of your retirement, and what’s “enough.” In our young adult life, we often worked hard to build a career to earn “enough.” Then, as our career progressed, our concept of enough expanded. We could afford more, so we wanted more. As our career concludes, we’re often perplexed about what comes next and what will count as “enough.” It’s been years since you gave your all to your career, but now it’s time to focus on you. What truly is enough for you? Think about what you gave up during your profession and start anew. I want to assure you there’s nothing to be afraid of. Instead, you should be elated to spend the rest of your life exploring what makes you feel satisfied and fulfilled. I want to hear what you consider is enough to be happy! Since we are all unique with our own concepts of happiness, I’d love to hear about your unique perspective on personal contentment. Let me know what you think is “enough” and how you plan to experience it. I’ll maybe take some notes for the next stage of my journey! –Ann Vanderslice
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THE AGELESS BENEFITS OF YOGA
How Seniors Are Finding New Vitality
For many seniors, maintaining an active lifestyle can be a challenge. Your body might not be as flexible as it once was, and new pains or discomforts seem to appear out of nowhere as time passes. This change can be problematic and will require some adjustment on your part, especially if you’ve lived an active lifestyle. Thankfully, there are some activities you can do to help you stay active, like yoga! You might think that yoga is just for young people, but that’s not the case at all! Yoga is a low-impact exercise that can be modified to suit a wide range of abilities, making it accessible to people of all ages. There is no expectation of perfection, as each individual is encouraged to listen to their own body and move at a comfortable pace. So even if you have health limitations or concerns, yoga is a safe and pleasant activity. Plus, you’ll gain a host of benefits from participating. By holding poses and moving through sequences, yoga helps to lengthen and stretch muscles, increasing the range of motion and reducing stiffness. You’ll also build muscle strength, particularly in your core. Your balance and posture will improve, which will help lessen physical discomfort and reduce your risk of falls. In addition to physical benefits, yoga is also mentally stimulating. The practice of yoga can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. By incorporating breathing techniques into their practice, seniors can improve cognitive function and memory. There’s also a social aspect involved. Many yoga studios offer classes specifically for seniors, which can provide a supportive and welcoming environment for everyone to practice together. It’s a great way to meet new people and have fun while staying active. BING VS. GOOGLE For years, most people have written off Bing as a dead search engine. Sure, it existed in the 2010s — but why would you use it when the king of all search engines, Google, was available? Most people didn’t. According to Business Insider, Google has cornered about 93% of the search engine market, while Bing holds a measly 3%. But that may be about to change. The Showdown Is On — Again!
There are advantages for people of all ages to practice yoga. If you’ve been interested in trying this activity for a while, now is the time to get out and get involved. You may be surprised by how much you enjoy it!
Bing’s excellent image search filters, lucrative Microsoft Rewards, and the fact that it “delivers slightly more useful information than Google in general search.”
If you haven’t heard, Bing is back — apparently better than ever. This winter, Microsoft unveiled a new version of the long-laughed-at search engine powered by its artificial intelligence partner OpenAI. Now, the renovated Bing will face off against Google’s AI chatbot, the newly launched “Bard.” The Perks of the New Bing Early reviews of Bing’s updates gave several features the thumbs up, including its extra-large query box, which lets you type in an entire paragraph to provide the search engine background information on your question. Reviewers also enjoy the detailed, personalized, AI- powered answers alongside Bing’s search results. With Bing, you can customize the AI voice that answers your questions — a fun upgrade from generic Google. There are even a few computer geeks out there (like Mark Hachman of PCWorld) who picked Bing over Google before the update. Hachman cites
As we write this, the new version of Bing hasn’t fully launched, but you may be able to test it by downloading the Bing app and selecting Microsoft as your default browser. Look for the little blue AI pop-up on the right side of the page after you search. Where Google Still Wins Though Bing may have brought its search abilities closer to Google’s, if not matched the tech giant, there’s no question that Google still dominates the marketplace and likely will for years to come — no matter how good Bing gets. Google is tied to millions of advertisers who rely on returns from its service. It’s the default search engine of the popular browser Google Chrome, and it’s even embedded in our vocabulary. Until we all start saying “Bing it,” Google probably isn’t going anywhere.
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A HAM-FISTED ATTEMPT AT ROBBERY
Intruders Flee From Ludwig the Pig
On the night of New Year’s Eve in 2014, a group of burglars experienced the fright of a lifetime. Expecting to rob a quiet home in Derby, England, the intruders instead came face to snout with Ludwig, a 240-pound potbellied pig. Abandoning all thoughts of crime once they spotted the pig, the burglars instantly fled the scene and ran for their lives. The “hero ham” had already become a popular figure in his town and was well-loved for his gentle demeanor. In fact, Michael Maughan, Ludwig’s owner, is confident that Ludwig wouldn’t have harmed the intruders, even if he does look quite intimidating. Local officers believe the robbers must have heard Ludwig’s Rottweiler-like “growl” and immediately hit the road, leaving the door wide open behind them. The story of this heroic potbellied pig became a sensation throughout Europe. Countless fans have applauded the Canadian-born hog for his loyalty to his owners. But the owners want to ensure people understand that Ludwig would never hurt anyone. Some fabricated web stories made Ludwig sound more dangerous than he is, so Maughan spoke to the Toronto Star to dispute any defamations against Ludwig’s kindness. “He’s being painted as a vicious creature when he’s actually quite a sweet animal,” he explained. “He didn’t exactly bare his tusks and charge, I don’t think. I think he got absolutely, ‘Arrgh,’ and they just ran for it.” In fact, Maughan detailed that after a two-month separation during their move to England, the pig shed tears during their reunion. Adorable
and affectionate, Ludwig would have probably become friends with the intruders in no time. Even if his “bark” is worse than his bite, Ludwig succeeded in keeping his owners safe while also protecting their home. This 240-pound potbellied pig continues to enjoy his comfortable home in Derby and is considered a town hero. Anyone looking for a guard dog may want to consider a hefty hog instead!
Train Your
BRAIN!
Roasted Sweet Potato Arugula Salad
Inspired by Nutriciously.com
INGREDIENTS
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cubed • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 1/2 tsp turmeric • 1/2 tsp cumin • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced • 3 small radishes, thinly sliced • 2 cups arugula, thinly sliced • 1 1/2 cups cooked lima beans, drained and rinsed • Balsamic salad dressing of choice
• Salt and pepper, to taste • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a bowl, toss sweet potato cubes with smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. 3. Roast for 25–30 minutes until sweet potatoes are nicely browned and fork-tender. 4. In a large salad bowl, combine onion, bell pepper, radishes, arugula, and lima beans. 5. Toss the salad with dressing, then top with roasted sweet potatoes.
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Federal Benefits Made Simple, an E.A. Buck Company, is an independent financial services firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by the US government or any governmental agency. E.A. Buck is an independent financial services firm, offering investment and insurance products to consumers. Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a Registered Investment Adviser. Insurance services offered through Federal Benefits Made Simple an E.A. Buck Company. Neither MAS nor AEWM are affiliated with E.A. Buck Financial Services or Federal Benefits Made Simple, an E. A. Buck Company. E. A. Buck Financial Services and Federal Benefits Made Simple, An E.A. Buck Company are affiliated by common ownership. In California, we are known only as E.A. Buck Insurance Services in all solicitations of insurance. 01741602 3/23.
issue INSIDE THIS What Is ‘Enough’ for You? PAGE 1
Have You Tried the New Bing?
Healthy Aging Through Yoga PAGE 2
Potbellied Pig Terrifies Burglars
Roasted Sweet Potato Arugula Salad PAGE 3 The Mysteriously Missing Metric System PAGE 4
PIRATES STOLE OUR METRIC SYSTEM Why America Never Changed to Kilos and Grams
Pirates, that’s right, pirates stopped America from changing to the metric
were using Roman measurements, Dutch systems, and British systems dating back to King Henry VII. In 1789, Thomas Jefferson decided that some order needed to be in place. A lover of all things French,
weighing precisely 1 kilogram. The second was another copper object, but this time a rod estimated to be a meter in length. These simple trinkets would have eased us into the metric system. Except, we never received them. In fact, Dombey never set foot in America. Unfortunately, storm winds blew his ship off course and into the pirate-filled Caribbean. The pirates hijacked his boat and held him captive, hoping to use him for ransom. In a tragic turn of events, Dombey died in that pirate prison before any ransom money could be sent. The pirates then auctioned off everything Dombey had on his boat, metric measuring tools included. So, you can thank the pirates for all the painstaking work we have to go through when using metric-based recipes. Why Americans never swapped systems after 1789 is still a mystery!
system. While they can’t take all the blame, they steal a good chunk of it. There was a specific time in history when America did consider taking up the metric system. But pirates intercepted the standards, and America has refused to change its measuring system ever since.
Jefferson admired the metric system’s logic and principle. He asked the French to help the U.S. transition to the metric
system, and they were kind enough to send scientist
Way back when America was still a new country, there was no regulated measuring system throughout the states. Each territory was using some bizarre system that stayed only within state lines. For example, people
Joseph Dombey.
Dombey boarded a ship and set sail for America with
two items pivotal to our measuring system change. The first gadget was a copper cylinder 3 inches in height and width,
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