Wolf Retirement's online newsletter for June 2018
904-232-8760 www.wolfretirement.com MONTHLY RET IREMENT NAV IGAT ION
JUNE 2018
WHERE ARE WE NOW? Mid-Year Update
Early in my career as a retirement advisor, I learned that retirees don’t have weekends or summer breaks. On Monday mornings, I used to ask clients how their weekends were, and they would laugh and say, “Every day is my weekend!” I have got to say that sounds pretty nice, although I do still enjoy the anticipation leading up to summer vacation. My daughter Isabella is super excited to be on summer break. She’s looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall, but for now, she’s thrilled to spend the summer attending a local camp with kids her own age. Her attending day camp brings back great memories for me as well. My wife Danielle is keeping busy over the summer too. She’s working hard every day, bringing crisis prevention and bullying awareness training to local, state, and corporate entities. She’s great
with everything she does; and with the current state of affairs, she is helping many families and children. On the investment front, I recently attended the annual conference of our investment partner FormulaFolios in Austin, TX. I joined approximately 100 fiduciary independent financial advisors from across the country who have hired FormulaFolio Investments on behalf of their clients to meet their investment needs. As a collective of more than 200 advisors, we have been entrusted by our clients with approximately $3 billion. As of the writing of this article, interest rates have risen over 3 percent to a four-year high. Interest rates are rising due to great expectations for growth and an improving economy. Higher interest rates are long overdue. This means a bumpy ride for stocks and some bonds, but it’s great for conservative savers to park a portion of their portfolio in principally protected investments and strategies. Higher interest rates are great for insurance and annuity companies. This environment makes it more economical for these companies to increase rates and benefits for new and existing products and investments. We are becoming more efficient with our portfolio management. These efficiencies, mainly on the technological side, have allowed us to reduce costs. This information is designed to provide general information on the subjects covered; it is not, however, intended to provide specific legal or tax advice and cannot be used to avoid tax penalties or to promote, market, or recommend any tax plan or arrangement. Please note that Wolf Retirement Navigation LLC and its affiliates do not give legal or tax advice. You are encouraged to consult your tax advisor or attorney.
These reduced costs will lead to fee reductions for clients. Many clients will see fee reductions of 10–20 percent annually. We will be in contact with you, our clients, to discuss and implement this great news of value and to thank you for your partnership with us. We’ve reached the halfway point of the year. Can you believe it? Where does the time go? Around this point in time, I like to reflect on what we’ve accomplished to date and also look ahead at what we have left to do. There’s a lot to consider, and I have a great outlook for the future. We truly appreciate all of our clients who have been with us not just this year, but every year. The longevity we share means that our clients really do become like family. Retirement is about balancing what happens in your personal life with the ebb and flow of the market as a whole. It can be stressful to do alone, so we’re glad to be here for you, helping you with retirement planning, answering questions about the ever-shifting market, and helping you plan for your future. Happy summer, everyone! May the second half of 2018 be as bright as — or brighter than — the first. –Adam Wolf, CPA, CFP ® Annuity guarantees rely on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer. Any comments regarding safe and secure investments, and guaranteed income streams refer only to fixed insurance products. They do not refer in any way to securities or investment advisory products. Fixed Insurance and Annuity product guarantees are subject to the claims‐paying ability of the issuing company and are not offered by Retirement Wealth Advisors.
Retirement is about balancing what happens in your personal life with the ebb and flow of the market as a whole. “
Investment Advisory Services offered through Retirement Wealth Advisors (RWA), a Registered Investment Advisor. Wolf Retirement Navigation LLC and RWA are not affiliated. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision.
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IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN MINUTES HOW MEDITATION HELPS YOU MAINTAIN BRAIN HEALTH
Meditation has often been touted by New Age gurus as a way to find inner peace and stillness. But what if meditating could reduce
For people facing age-related changes like memory loss, the results of these tests are especially relevant. The studies point to evidence that meditation can strengthen certain areas of the brain — the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala — that weaken as we age. The Prefrontal Cortex Your prefrontal cortex thins with age, which is associated with decreased cognitive function in your later years. However, meditation may reduce this age-related thinning. Dr. Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist specializing in the effects of yoga and meditation on cognitive and behavioral function, reports that long-time meditators don’t show a decline in the thickness of the prefrontal cortex. The Hippocampus Your hippocampus helps you process and form new memories, and it’s very sensitive to stress. In fact, research shows that your hippocampus will shrink in response to stressful situations and chronic stress. The remedy? Meditation. Dr. Lazar’s study
showed a positive correlation between meditation and a higher concentration of gray matter in the left hippocampus. The Amygdala Often called the fear center of the brain, the amygdala is triggered by stressful situations. But unlike the hippocampus, which shrinks in response to stress, the amygdala has been shown to become denser. In one study, people who attended mindfulness meditation classes showed a smaller stress response in brain scans compared to those who did not attend the classes. Meditation may help to decrease the density of the amygdala and therefore increase your ability to handle stress. Of course, in addition to these benefits, there’s a good chance that five minutes of meditation each day will simply make you feel better. People who meditate report an increase in overall well-being. Why not give it a try?
the effects of aging on your brain? According to research, taking a few minutes
out of your day to meditate may improve cognitive function.
As meditation’s popularity has spread, so have studies of the
practice. The results of 100 studies examining the cognitive effects of meditation
all show evidence of improvements in psychological and cognitive functions. Some of the results are intuitive, such as how meditation helps us deal with stress. But other results are incontrovertible, such as scans showing that meditation causes structural changes in the brain.
THANK YOU!
Tune in every Sunday for the “Sunday Morning Money
Report” on CBS 47 at 9:05 a.m. for financial news and retirement tips in just two minutes.
TUNE IN!
Tune in every Monday from 11 a.m. to noon for “4 Your Money” on “River City Live” on Channel 4, The Local Station. Re-airs on Tuesdays from 6–7 a.m. on Channel 17. Tune in to NBC 12 on Tuesdays for Jacksonville’s Retirement Coach, Adam Wolf, on “First Coast Living,” from 11 a.m. to noon and again from 2–3 p.m.
Every day, we’re grateful to our clients who continue to trust us as we help them navigate the road to financial security. It means a lot when you introduce your friends and family to us so we can help them too!
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A Shopping List for Your Future 4 Steps to Financial Security in Retirement
Do you remember the last time you went grocery shopping without a list? It’s an exhausting ordeal. You’ll spend an extra 30 minutes wandering the aisles, trying to remember exactly what you need, only to return home and then realize you forgot important ingredients for dinner. Checklists are a great resource for organizing, planning, and achieving goals. And crossing items off a list provides a sense of satisfaction. Isn’t it time you had a retirement certainty checklist? More than half of all Americans admit they don’t have enough money saved to carry them through retirement, and one in five individuals reports having no retirement savings at all. Here’s a brief checklist to help you achieve financial certainty in retirement. 1. Spend less, save more. Differentiate between “wants” and “needs” and learn how to lower the cost of those “wants.” Can you downsize to reduce or eliminate your monthly mortgage payment? Are you remembering to pay yourself first, via retirement savings accounts, when allocating money to bills? 2. Make your money work for you. The optimal time to start saving for retirement is, as the old motto states, “the earlier, the better.” Even if you haven’t started saving, starting today is better than starting tomorrow. Take advantage of the power of compounding interest and talk to your retirement-focused
financial advisor about the best investment products currently available. 3. Put a retirement plan in place 3–5 years before retirement. If you haven’t started planning for retirement 10 years earlier, you want to start planning right away. Sometimes, retirement isn’t a matter of choice, but necessity. What would happen if declining health prevented you from continuing to work? 4. Diversify your retirement plan. You don’t want a portfolio full of similar investments that can all fall apart if the market turns. You need investments that will balance each other out no matter what the future brings. Done well, diverse investments complement each other and flow together like the colors of a rainbow. Ready to make a retirement security checklist customized to your “desires” and “needs”? Call 904-232-8760 to schedule a complimentary consultation with Adam Wolf, president of Wolf Retirement Navigation. Adam’s breadth of knowledge and sophisticated retirement software tools are important ingredients for a retirement financial plan written specially for you so that you can enjoy your golden years to the fullest.
Sudoku
This Father’s Day, spice up your wings with this zesty recipe that’s sure to please the whole family.
INGREDIENTS
• 4 pounds chicken wings • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened • 1 1/4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste • 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce • 1 lime, halved • Extra-virgin olive oil • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • Chopped cilantro for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes or until skin becomes crisp and brown. 3. Blend butter, red curry paste, honey, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl. 4. Toss wings in butter mixture. Squeeze lime juice on top, transfer to serving plate, and garnish with cilantro.
Solution
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
904-232-8760 www.wolfretirement.com 4230 Pablo Professional Court Ste. 101 Jacksonville, FL 32224
INSIDE
• How Was the First Half of 2018? PAGE 1
• How Meditation Can Help the Aging Brain PAGE 2
• Thank You! PAGE 2
• Have You Forgotten the Most Important Retirement Ingredient? PAGE 3
• Father’s Day Chili Lime Chicken Wings PAGE 3
• Cut Down on Flight Costs With This Simple Rule PAGE 4
The Best Time to Book a Flight Save Big on Airfare With This Simple Rule
Tips forYourTripBack inTime
In case you haven’t noticed, traveling is expensive . It can feel like you’re signing away your soul when you sit down to plan a vacation. But when it comes to flights, there’s good news: They’re getting cheaper! According to a 2017 report published by online travel company ODIGEO, long- distance trips across Europe fell 7 percent last year. Luckily, the same trend is reflected in North American airlines as they engage in a price war to woo a growing base of ultrafrugal travelers. Still, a $600 summer flight to Honolulu isn’t exactly pocket change. What’s worse, flight prices are slippery; CheapAir.com’s 2017 Annual Airfare Study determined that the fares for any given trip go up or down
an average of 71 times, about $33 each shift. When you purchase your flight is nearly as important as where you’re going. But how do you choose a booking window that will maximize your savings? According to the CheapAir.com study, in which they evaluated 921 million airfares, the best time to book is 21–105 days in advance of your flight, on average. If you want to get even more specific, try to book 55–75 days out, and book on a Sunday. Many travelers swear by Tuesday and Wednesday bookings, but as Condé Nast Traveler reports, Expedia and the Airlines Reporting Corporation say that Sunday is the way to go, based on data from billions of flights. Tuesday and Wednesday are usually the cheapest days to actually fly though.
The CheapAir.com study also pinpoints the absolute best windows for specific seasons: 54 days for winter trips, 75 days for spring, 76 days for summer, and 45 days for fall. Of course, these are averages, but if you stick to these rules and check fares regularly on sites like Kayak.com, SkyScanner.com, Momondo.com, and on the handy app Hopper, you can rest easy knowing you’re getting close to the best price possible.
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