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How Polo Lessons Became a Passion for Playing Too Old for Horseplay? Hardly!
especially with those things you’ve perhaps wanted to do for a while but haven’t gotten around to doing just yet. Take a vision that makes you a bit uncomfortable — that’s how you grow. Write it down on your board (and I do mean a physical board, by the way) and start listing things related to that. Coalesce those into goals, each goal being one step closer to achieving the overall vision. If my vision was “play in a summer polo league,” my goals would be things like “become more comfortable in the saddle,” “learn to use a mallet from horseback,” “brush up on the rules of the game,” etc. A big part of our vision board as a company is to empower our clients to enjoy the best retirement available to them with the freedom to explore new hobbies and interests, not to mention freedom from financial worry. Now is the perfect time to explore a hobby you’ve wanted to do for a while. That process is only a vision board away.
a fast-moving integration of everything I’d been learning up to that point.
Isn’t it funny how we find new hobbies and interests, even as we get older? I know people can get stuck in their ways as they age, but my personal experience has been just the opposite. Older Americans, especially retired people with a little time on their hands, frequently pick up new activities and find things to stay busy with. I’ve been inspired by my clients that way, so although I’m still working, I also have remained open to the possibility of new hobbies. Three years ago, one such hobby entered my life when my wife bought me a set of three polo lessons for Christmas. At first, I was suspicious. She is a lifelong horse enthusiast, so she’d always been trying to get me in the saddle. Was this just another ploy to introduce me to her passion? That was my mindset when I went into the first lesson. But by the end of the third, I didn’t care what she was trying to do to me. I was having too much fun! Three lessons turned into six, and then nine. Before I knew it, I was really learning to play — and with spring in full bloom, I was doing it in the fresh air on an open field. Was I ready for my first two-on-two match? I was willing to give it a shot, and I’m so glad I did. If I was having fun before, then that first game really made things “click” for me. Suddenly it wasn’t just these disparate parts of the game — horsemanship, handling the mallet, tracking the ball — but
I was hooked.
One thing led to another. What might the next step be? I continued to train, meet people in the polo world, and play matches with my trainer, Tolito Ocampo (an Argentine player who right now is one of the best on the East Coast). I was having a lot of fun, but I was also considering more serious play. This summer, things really came together for me. Between sponsoring a team through Virginia United Polo, convincing Bill and Will Ballhaus of Beverly Equestrian that I was serious about moving up, and having a great coach and mentor willing to play as well, I was able to put together a four-man team: Tolito, Bill, Will, and myself. Now, we have a game every week through the beginning of September. Each game is four “chukkas” (rounds) of seven minutes each, so the pace isn’t exactly slow. It’s challenging, and the challenge is what keeps me going — as well as the fun of being on horseback with a mallet. I’ve never been one to sit back and stay idle. I like a good challenge, and I keep a vision board of those sorts of challenges. If you don’t do the same, I highly recommend you try it,
Enjoy yourself this month,
Kelly Campbell
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Get Your Train of Thought Back on Track
Recovery Hacks
Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation, presentation, or debate, stringing together thoughts in a way you hope is coherent and insightful when — poof! — you lose your train of thought? It’s frustrating. You just want to make yourself understood, but your brain has other plans. What if there were a way to keep your train of thought on track? Well, the good news is that recovering your train of thought is easy with the following hacks in mind. Repeat, repeat, repeat yourself. Paraphrasing your last few thoughts out loud can help you remember where you were going. Think of it as retracing your steps: You go back to the last words you remember
saying, and more often than not, you’ll find your direction again.
train of thought can help you recover from a detour and speak more confidently.
Take a short pause. Pausing briefly is a great way to make
Remember your overall point. The easiest way to drive your train of thought into the weeds is to forget your overall point — or not to have an overriding point at all. Always have a short, overarching point you can use to recenter yourself and get back on track. With these hacks, your brain will have to work a lot harder to make you lose your train of thought! Now you’ll be more prepared to tackle any subject matter, no matter how deep or technical, that comes your way.
recovering your train of thought seem natural. This hack works really well if you’re answering a question and you need time to think, and you also don’t want to be bogged down by a chorus of “ums” escaping from your mouth. Write it all down. This hack works well when you know beforehand that you’ll be speaking with someone or in front of people. Even if you never refer to your notes while speaking, simply writing down a road map for your
Tax Season’s Over — But What About Next Year?
“Unprepared for taxes” doesn’t describe the vast majority of our readers, but taxes still represent an outsized financial burden on most retirees. We say that everyone can be more prepared — but how can you move to the next level of tax readiness in retirement? It’s always a good idea to begin by reviewing your investment portfolio, especially if you haven’t done so since retiring. Making a move toward more conservative investments later in life can help preserve the principal and help save taxes for retirement. Profits from investments such as capital gains, dividends, accrued interests, and mutual fund earnings tend to attract the same kinds of taxes after retirement as they did prior.
Therefore, it is a wise option to restructure the portfolio to minimize the tax burden from investments. Another area worth your attention is Social Security tax — specifically, you should try to learn more about how Social Security is taxed and what a person can expect to pay in Social Security taxes during retirement. Whether or not Social Security is taxable is based on the person’s provisional income. Social Security is not taxable if a person’s provisional income is less than $25,000 for singles or $32,000 for married filing jointly. Managing income sources and smart charitable giving, among other things, can mitigate taxes.
One final trick? Although this is not an option for everyone, some can greatly benefit from moving to a more tax-friendly state. There are currently seven states in the U.S. with no income taxes, including Florida, Alaska, Texas, South Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, and Washington. In Tennessee and New Hampshire, only interest and dividends are taxed. However, starting with the 2021 tax year, Tennessee will repeal this tax. If you’re considering a move or just want to discuss options, please reach out to us at (703) 535-5300 or at CampbellWealth.com. We are here to serve you.
This is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as tax advice. Consult your tax advisor regarding your situation.
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Why Credit Score Matters in Retirement Here’s How to Make Sure Yours Won’t Drag You Down
When you are retired, it’s tempting to think of debt, loans, and credit scores as things of the past — after all, you have to live long enough for them to make you pay, right?! We’ve heard that attitude from a number of older people — and we’ve had to help more than a few of them rectify a bad situation 15 years into retirement.
your score, which can go up and down quickly. And yet, you have to be wary of the detrimental effects of those “hard” credit checks. What can be done?
As tempting as it is to go to the free credit report websites, not all of those sites perform the “soft” check as advertised. Further, you may not want to give your information away to just anyone. A better solution may come from your financial institution, loan documentation, or monthly bills from credit card companies.
Don’t let yourself be caught in similar circumstances. Even in retirement, your credit score matters, and so does the way you check it.
You can also pay the three agencies, FICO, or a reputable reporting agency a nominal fee in return for a soft check on your credit.
You probably already know about the three credit reporting agencies, and that “hard” checks on your credit can lower your score. But did you know that every 12 months, you’re allowed one free, full credit report from each agency? You can get them easily at AnnualCreditReport.com. For those trying to improve their credit score, this is a great place to start. You can go over those reports, see what is costing you, and make sure nothing in that report has been included in error. But one report per agency per year may not be enough to see the impact positive credit behavior is having on
However you choose to do it, keeping an eye on that credit score matters — even in retirement! Whether you want to travel the world and reap the benefits of a travel credit card, take out money on your house for long-needed additions or repairs, or just have the cushion of a credit card to complement an otherwise-fixed income, don’t assume that credit, like work, is a thing of the past.
Save the Date! Family Day Friday, Aug. 20 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wellness & Wisdom Series
Mid-Year Market Update With Kelly Campbell & Evan Beach Tuesday, July 13, at 3 p.m.
Healthy Cooking Class With Health Chef Julia Tuesday, Aug. 10, at 3 p.m.
To register, visit our website or email us at Seminars@CampbellWealth.com.
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700 S. Washington St. Suite 220 Alexandria, Virginia 22314 (703) 535-5300 CampbellWealth.com
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CampbellWealth.com (703) 535-5300 330 John Carlyle St., Suite 400 Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Inside
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Horsing Around Over the Summer
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Life Hack: How to Recover Your Train of Thought Tax Season’s Over — But What About Next Year?
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Even Retirees Should Check Credit Regularly
Save the Date/Upcoming Events
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5 Wacky Pizza Trends From Around the World
Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Campbell Wealth Management, LLC (CWM), a Registered Investment Advisor. MAS and CWM are not affiliated entities.
They Eat What on Pizza?! 5 Wacky Pizza Trends From Around the World
Here in the U.S., pineapple is considered a wild and controversial pizza topping. Even celebrities take a stand. Justin Bieber is pro-pineapple, but Jimmy Kimmel is against it. According to a 2019 YouGov Omnibus study, only anchovies and eggplant are more hated. But in other parts of the world, the tangy yellow fruit is far from the strangest topping you’ll see! Here are five wacky pizza trends from around the globe that will either make you hungry or inspire you to sprint the other way. You may want to order a comforting cheese pie from your favorite local pizzeria before reading this, just in case. 1. Banana-Curry Pizza (Sweden) —The Swedes first accessed bananas in 1944, and since then, they’ve put them on everything, including pizza which they top with tomato sauce, smoked cheese, banana slices, and curry powder.
2. Ketchup and Corn Pizza (Brazil) — According to several sources, Brazilians swap pizza sauce for ketchup or tomato slices and top their pies with strange combinations of local ingredients like corn, beets, hearts of palm, and potato sticks. 3. Haggis Pizza (Scotland) — Pizza may be the only semi-enjoyable way to eat haggis: a mix of sheep or calf offal, oatmeal, suet, and seasonings that are boiled in an animal’s stomach. Last year, Papa John’s got in on the action when it released a limited-edition haggis pizza in honor of a Scottish poet, Robert Burns. 4. Mockba Pizza (Russia) —This local pie comes topped with four kinds of fish (sardines, tuna, mackerel, and salmon), onions, herbs, and occasionally fish eggs. Most troubling of all, it’s served cold!
5. Chickpea Pancake Pizza (Argentina) — In Buenos Aires, locals top their super-cheesy pizza slices with fainá — chickpea pancakes cooked separately from the pies and balanced on top of each slice. Keep these pizzas in mind when planning your next international vacation! They might be tastier than they sound, and if not, they’ll still make great Instagram fodder. As actor Cole Sprouse once tweeted, “You're losing followers because you're not relatable enough. Try mentioning that you eat pizza. If that doesn't work, play the ukulele.”
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