Give us a call! 303-922-4304 www.AnnVanderslice.com Hours: 8-5 M-F
FEBRUARY 2018
HEALTHY, WEALTHY,
&Wise
1 Denver Federal Center Building 45, Entrance E-9, Room 1050 Lakewood, CO 80225
Education Is Always Important
SEMINARS BIG AND SMALL, FAR AND WIDE
Education plays a huge role in the work we do here at Retirement Planning Strategies. My goal has always been to provide federal employees as much insight as possible into their benefits. That way, they can approach retirement with confidence and a sense of security. We do this in both our one-on-one meetings and through a series of classes.
We provide classes throughout the year, and we’ve recently finalized our calendar for the coming months. It’s always exciting to see what’s coming on the horizon, and teaching classes is a favorite part of my job. These classes are an opportunity to impact lots of workers at once. They range in topic from broad concepts applicable to the entire federal workforce to more niche lessons aimed at specific groups. Some of the groups we cover in our seminars include women in the federal workforce, veterans who are now federal employees, as well as law enforcement and firefighters. All of these subsets of the workforce have unique concerns, and it’s important we provide them with information that applies to their situations. It’s vital for us to strike a balance between covering evergreen topics and those that are timely. In the first category, for example, you’ll find discussions on Social Security and Medicare. We also hold frequent seminars on how to best avail yourself of federal benefits. You could have all the options in the world, but if you don’t know how to use them correctly, you’ll never get the most out of them. As you can probably guess, the new tax plan will be one of our time-sensitive topics this year. Everyone is curious about
how the changes will affect them, and I want to provide a forum where people can gain a little more understanding of the complexities of the bill and what it means to them. When policy changes like these arise, it’s only natural that people have questions and seminars are a great place to address them. Additionally, it’s important to provide the information in a variety of formats to meet as many needs as possible. That’s why we have bite-sized breakfast meetings, as well as half- and full-day sessions. Every minute you spend in a seminar should be valuable. This year, I’m excited to bring our seminars to locales far from our office. I have upcoming dates in South Dakota and Utah. These trips provide an opportunity to speak with underserved portions of the workforce, and I cherish the opportunity to do a little outreach. If you’re interested in attending one of our seminars, you can go to annvanderslice. com/seminars.php. I look forward to seeing you at our next event.
–Ann Vanderslice
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Ron and Judy’s Long Summer MAKING THE MOST OF RETIREMENT
For a lot of people, transitioning into retirement is a journey into the unknown. Ron and Judy Luehring were no different. Judy equates the feeling to the leap of faith scene from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” “Retirement is like stepping off a cliff,” she says. “You may not be certain what’s in front of you, but you’ll only find out if you pull the trigger.” Judy spent her working years teaching, so she was fairly prepared for retirement, thinking of it as a “long summer vacation.” Ron, a federal employee, had a few more trepidations. “We were actually going to retire two years earlier than we did,” he notes. “It was only after my cousin, who is a year younger than me, had a stroke that I recognized time was ticking. Once we made the decision, it only took me a few hours to realize it was the right one.” Since taking the leap of faith, Ron and Judy have been living life to the fullest. “I’m amazed at how much life there is to live after retirement,” Judy remarks. “For me, even the mundane tasks are fulfilling.” In addition to getting enjoyment from those everyday tasks, Ron and Judy have found no shortage of exciting activities to occupy their time. Chief among those activities is scuba diving. “We all got certified when the kids were in school,” Judy remembers. “When they went off to college, though, we didn’t have the time or funds to pursue this passion. We always said we’d love to start it up again, and retirement proved the perfect opportunity.” In the past three years, they’ve been to Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Roatan, and Belize. They’ve also been enjoying spending time with their grandkids. “We watch them three times a week,” Ron says. “To be honest, I was never excited to be a grandparent. I now feel the exact opposite.” They also take their grandchildren camping a couple times throughout the year. “It means a lot to take these trips together,” Judy adds. “It’s awesome that we don’t have to coordinate all of our schedules. When the kids are free, we make time for them.” When they’re not busy exploring the ocean or spending time with the little ones, Ron and Judy enjoy working on home projects and attending spinning classes. “Now that we’re retired, we have to put artificial deadlines on projects,” Ron says. “Otherwise, we’d work on them forever.” Ann and the team at Retirement Planning Strategies gave Ron and Judy the confidence to pursue retirement with the same enthusiasm they had for their careers. “She laid everything out in detail,” Ron recalls. “She never told us what to do, but she assured us that we had the financial security to retire. I remember her ‘When Every Day Is Saturday’ class vividly. It made me think of retirement in a whole new light.”
When it comes to advice for others approaching retirement, Judy is matter of fact. “Once you are confident you can retire comfortably, don’t wait,” she says. “Step into the unknown. You’ll be all the better for it.” Ron concurs, adding that it’s important to stay active and socialize during your retirement. “Physical and mental activity keeps you sharp,” he notes. “I have a group of engineer friends I spend time with as well as my spinning class partners. The camaraderie between us is energizing.” He also recommends speaking to an expert so that you approach retirement with your eyes open. It’s plain to see that Ron and Judy are making the most of their post-work years. As Ron puts it, “You’d have to be pretty dense to not notice the difference.”
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Be Social Media Savvy and Stay Connected
IT’S OKAY TO HIT UNFRIEND Likewise, if you find yourself sick of Judy’s moment-by-moment updates of her dog’s kidney stone, feel free to cut ties. That might entail unfollowing (you remain friends, but no longer see their posts in your feed), unfriending, or blocking a person entirely. There’s no reason to keep in touch with someone whose very profile picture makes you angry. CHECK A SOURCE BEFORE SHARING Just because something is online, doesn’t make it true. It’s just as easy for someone to post a lie about a celebrity or politician as it is for Judy to post about her dog. If you read a news story that gets a rise out of you, double check the facts before you hit share. Googling the article’s claims and main points will bring up similar articles, helping you to determine if it’s breaking news or a big hoax. Just 10 years ago, snail mail and expensive long-distance calls were the only way to keep in touch with the people we couldn’t
It’s time to break the bad news to your grandkids: social media isn’t just for them. A study from the Pew Research Center found that 47 percent of baby boomers are using social media. Facebook, in particular, proves to be an excellent resource for adults moving through the later stages of life. This social media platform helps keep you in touch with friends, family members who live far away, and workplace acquaintances who you don’t see during retirement. Social media can help you gather the people you want to keep in contact with all in one centralized location. Here are a few things to remember for keeping your digital friendships enjoyable. SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T A DIARY No one wants to see a feed clogged with posts from the same person. Your friends might like reading about exciting vacations or days with the grandkids, but they don’t need updates about your wait in line at the grocery store. Sharing TMI (too much information) will put you on the fast track to losing friends.
see every day. Thanks to social media, we can stay connected to our loved ones around the world. Now that’s something that deserves a like.
Train Your
BRAIN!
HONG KONG EGG TARTS Celebrate Chinese New Year in style with these egg tarts! Originally a Portuguese delicacy, these marketplace treats were influenced by British custard tarts and eventually became a Hong Kong staple.
Recipe inspired by AllRecipes.com
INGREDIENTS
• Vanilla extract • 2/3 cup white sugar • 1-1/2 cups water • 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup butter • 10 eggs, beaten
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar and flour. Mix in butter with a fork until crumbly. Stir in 1 beaten egg and a dash of vanilla until doughy. Shape dough into 1 ½-inch balls and press into tart molds. Use 2 fingers to fold down edges of dough. 2. Heat oven to 450 F. In a medium saucepan, combine white sugar and water; bring to a boil. Simmer until sugar is dissolved, then let cool. Strain remaining 9 eggs through a sieve, then whisk in sugar mixture. Stir in evaporated milk and a dash of vanilla. Strain the mixture again and fill tart shells. 3. Bake 15–20 minutes, until golden brown.
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Give us a call! 303-922-4304 www.AnnVanderslice.com FAX: 303-416-4358 Hours: 8-5 M-F
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
303-922-4304 • www.annvanderslice.com
PO Box 260787 Lakewood, CO 80226-0787
issue INSIDE THIS The Importance of Education PAGE 1
Client Spotlight on Ron and Judy Luehring PAGE 2
Are You Committing a Facebook Faux Pas?
Craving Dessert for Chinese New Year? PAGE 3
The Most Romantic Destinations on Earth PAGE 4
THE BEST VALENTINE’S GETAWAYS to Fantasize About
Valentine’s Day is for fancy dinners, heart- shaped boxes packed with chocolates, and fantasizing about the magical places you and your beau would have escaped to — if only you had the time off So, grab a glass of wine, cuddle up next to your special someone, and try to make them feel bad for taking you to Chili’s instead of whisking you away to one of these picturesque fantasy lands. UDAIPUR, INDIA These days, meandering through the cobblestone streets of Paris with your loved one is très passé. All the real high- rolling romantics are migrating southeast to the famous Oberoi Udaivilas hotel in western India. Set in a traditional Mewari palace, visitors will feel like royalty as they
stroll around the labyrinthine gardens that surround the elaborate cream-colored structure. Travelers can relax beside one of the many glassy pools sprinkled throughout the estate, all of which are enthusiastically attended by an unparalleled service staff. POSITANO, ITALY More than perhaps anywhere in the world, this place looks like it was lifted straight from a sappy romance novelist’s imagination. You and your partner can kick back on a balcony overlooking the entirety of this seaside town, taking in the centuries- old multicolored Italian architecture perched precariously on the verdant mountainside. Too small to accommodate swarms of tourists, it’s the perfect place to while away the hours ambling from
shop to shop, sampling the delicious local cuisine, and maybe taking a dip along the 300-meter beach. THE MALDIVES From a water villa smack dab in the midst of the glassy, ultra-blue Indian Ocean, you and your main squeeze can enjoy utter seclusion. Sip champagne in the shade of a palm overlooking an otherworldly sunset or get a little more adventurous, strap on a mask, and check out the abundant aquatic wildlife. Many hotels in the area even include access to an array of boats, perfect for your own private excursion along the mild waves. Of course, you could always just stare, dumbfounded, into the horizon, wondering how such a place could actually exist on Earth.
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