SEPTEMBER 2021
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WILL YOU HELP ME FEED THE HUNGRY?
How My Father-in-Law Inspired Me to Give Back for Life
Way back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, my then father-in-law Dick Soens introduced me to the Shalom Center, the biggest food pantry in Kenosha. Dick knew exactly how many people in Wisconsin went hungry every year. He was an educated guy with a big heart, so he decided to be a champion for those folks. Several days a week, Dick would get in his van and drive all over town to different bakeries and restaurants just as they were closing up for the day. These places always had leftover food they couldn’t sell stale because of Wisconsin’s food regulations. When Dick got there, the staff were usually about to haul that food off to the dumpster. (I’ve never understood this — I eat day-old stuff at home all the time!) Fortunately, they were allowed to give those leftovers to Dick even if they couldn’t sell them. He took all of the food he could fit in his van, then dropped it off at the Shalom Center for their homeless and hungry residents to eat. Dick taught me the magic of giving back. My family never put much emphasis on charity when I was growing up in the 1970s, but after going along with Dick on a couple of food runs, I was hooked on making a difference. Before that, I always took the roof over my head and food on my plate for granted, but afterward, I realized what a tragedy it is that we spend billions making bombs when we could be taking care of the people going hungry right here at home. When I found out that Sunday, Sept. 5, is the International Day of Charity, I immediately thought of Dick. I also think of him when I sit down to write one of my regular checks to the Shalom Center, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, or the Kenosha or Racine branches of The Salvation Army. I’m proud to be continuing the good work he started. Raising my own kids, I tried to teach them some of the charitable values I could have cared less about at their age. My boys were in the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts, and I helped them organize food drives. Together, we dropped off canned and dried food to the local food bank several times. It felt good to pitch in like that for the community, and I hope it gave them the kick in the pants they needed to help people going forward.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. It means a lot that people like you are reading my stories, especially when they’re about great guys like my former father- in-law. In the spirit of the International Day of Charity, I have a challenge for you: Join me in giving back this month! Below, I’ve listed a few of my favorite charities that could use your support. If you don’t have much to give right now, that’s okay — even a dollar or a single can of beans would be a great help.
Shalom Center : ShalomCenter.org Milwaukee Rescue Mission : MilMission.org
Kenosha Salvation Army : CentralUSA.SalvationArmy.org/Kenosha/ Racine Salvation Army : CentralUSA.SalvationArmy.org/Racine/
Paul Francetic
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TIPS FOR BUYING A HOME IN AN EXTREME SELLER’S MARKET
For the past year and a half, America has been experiencing a housing crisis. There has been a shortage of inventory caused by a lack of new construction for the past few years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these trends, causing house prices to skyrocket in many American cities. If you’re trying to buy a home in this market, you might be wondering how to put your best foot forward in all the craziness and ensure you’ve got a place to live when the dust settles. Well, while nothing is guaranteed in the current market, there are a few things you can do to ensure you find a house that you (mostly) like and can afford. GET PREAPPROVED FOR A MORTGAGE This lets sellers know that a lender has verified your finances and credit history and can attest that in your current situation, you’re able to own a home. It will make you a much more favorable potential buyer. SEARCH UNDER YOUR BUDGET While this is just a good money-saving tip in general, in a hot market, the likelihood of getting outbid by other potential buyers is high. If you start your offers low, it gives you more room to bid up on a house that you like, if you have to.
MAKE COMPELLING OFFERS BEYOND JUST A HIGHER BID Sometimes, the best offer on a house isn’t always the higher offer. Depending on the seller’s priorities, they might choose to sell to the buyer who offered a higher down payment or to close the sale earlier. Sellers might find an earlier closing especially compelling if the buyers also offer a rent-back so the sellers have time to find a new home themselves. HIRE A GOOD REAL ESTATE AGENT Real estate agents are an essential element of any successful home purchase. Their industry knowledge, negotiation skills, and network connections make them more than worth hiring when you’re just starting out your search.
Even though the market seems crazy right now, don’t worry — with the right tools and a little patience, you’ll find a home you’ll love.
The Mother-Son Duo Educating on Sleeplessness, Anxious Feelings, and More! MEET MY FRIENDS THERESA AND JUSTIN
My friend Theresa Stolfi's son, Justin, is on the autism spectrum. When Justin was a baby, he had trouble sleeping.
shampoo, conditioner, and more through their brand Empower Natural (EmpowerNatural.com). Theresa told me that when they started teaching classes together, it was like being part of a mother-son comedy show. Justin jumped into the lecture every few minutes with advice.
Of course, this worried Theresa, so she racked her brain to come up with something that would help. She didn’t want to give Justin medicine or take him to the doctor without trying other options. Then, her dad reminded her about an old family remedy.
Jokes aside, Theresa describes essential oils as a key part of every parent’s toolbox.
“There is so much we can do ourselves in our own homes before we go off to the doctor and go down that avenue,” she says, adding, “They’re literally pennies per drop. … Justin had a lot of ear infections, and I could take a couple drops of oil that cost less than 75 cents and put them around his ear to give him relief at 2 a.m.”
“When I talked to him, he said, ‘Just put a little peppermint oil on a rag and put it next to him in his bedroom,” she recalls.
That night, Theresa followed her dad’s instructions, and guess what? It worked! She couldn’t believe it, so she tried it the next night, and it worked again. From there, Theresa started using essential oils to ease all kinds of discomfort, including sleeplessness, anxious feelings, head tension, and tummy troubles. She and Justin (who is now 25) still use them, and so does their dog, Druddigon! As an adult, Justin pushed Theresa to sell essential oils to help other kids like him, and they went into business together. Today, they sell doTERRA oils and oil-infused products like shakes, fiber supplements, vitamins,
I’ve learned a lot about essential oils from Theresa, and she’s a great teacher! Since we’re friends, she’s offering 10 of my readers a free bottle of her Sweet Sleep oil blend. Call her at 650-409-6457 or email Theresa@EmpowerNatural. com to claim your bottle.
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FTR TAX TIP OF THE MONTH
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM A SPOUSE’S TAX DEBT
EASY PEACH COBBLER
As you may know, if you live in Wisconsin, you are governed by community property rules. This means when you get married, you and your spouse share equally in any assets acquired or liabilities accrued during the marriage. The only exception is when you have a marital property agreement in place that specifically states each spouse is keeping their income and expenses separate. Why is this important? Well, even if you trust your spouse completely to do the right thing when it comes to your finances, they can still make mistakes. In the last several months, I’ve helped two couples with these problems. One person with financial problems was a husband and the other was a wife! In both instances, they accrued large federal and state income tax debts. In one scenario, the husband defaulted on a monthly installment agreement he’d set up with the state of Wisconsin, and his wife’s wages were garnished at 25% by the state two months later! Wisconsin does not mess around if you owe back taxes, especially if the taxes include employee withholding and sales tax. In the situation above, the husband told me before he got married that his wife was quite concerned about his business and the tax implications. I told him to meet with an attorney and discuss having a marital property agreement drafted, but he didn’t. You might think that a married couple filing tax returns separately will protect you from your spouse’s tax liability. Wrong! In Wisconsin, a marital property agreement has to be on file with the state and the couple must file their taxes separately for a spouse to not be liable for the other spouse’s tax debt. If you are currently married and do not have a marital property agreement, all is not lost. You can have an attorney create one now and send a copy to the state. The state will honor that agreement from the date they receive it going forward. Tax debt accrued before the state accepts the agreement won’t be covered, but new tax debt will be. If you have any questions about keeping tax debt separate or need help resolving a tax debt in place right now, please contact me for a free consultation.
Celebrate the end of summer — and peach season — with this simple and tasty peach cobbler! Inspired by MyRecipes.com INGREDIENTS
• • • • •
1/2 cup unsalted butter
• • • •
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
4 cups peaches (fresh is best!)
2 cups sugar, divided 1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg to taste
Dash of salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, add butter and place in oven. Remove when melted. 2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then pour in milk and stir until the mixture is smooth. 3. Pour the batter over the melted butter, but don’t stir! 4. In a pot, bring peaches, lemon juice, and remaining sugar to a boil. Stir constantly. 5. Pour peaches over batter, but once again, don’t stir! 6. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, then bake at 375 F for 45 minutes.
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INSIDE
RETURNSERVICE REQUESTED
Listen to Paul Saturday mornings at 7 a.m. on channel 1050 WLIP-AM or stream online at WLIP.com!
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Will You Help Paul Feed the Hungry? Tips for Buying a Home in a Seller’s Market Meet the Mother-Son Duo Curing Sleeplessness, Anxiety, and More The Secret to Protecting Yourself From a Spouse’s Tax Debt Easy Peach Cobbler The Night That Changed Football Forever
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Every year, 40 million Americans (and even entire offices) play fantasy football, "drafting" players from across the NFL for their virtual teams and competing for money and bragging rights. Maybe you have a virtual team in the locker room as you’re reading this! But where did the concept of fantasy football start? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the gridiron trend began in a New York City hotel room in 1962 — a night that changed football forever. There, a group of friends led by Oakland Raiders part-owner Bill Winkenbach created the first fantasy football league. They dubbed it the Greater Oakland Professional Pigskin Prognosticators League — or GOPPPL for short. Apart from the point values assigned to different accomplishments on the field, their original model wasn’t very far off from the fantasy football of today. “The league members would ‘draft’ actual National Football League (NFL) and American Football League … players to their fantasy franchises, and on the basis of the actual performance of those players in games, the members would accrue points and compete against each other,” the encyclopedia reports. Early fantasy football leagues were complicated undertakings. In the days before the internet, members had to agree to reference the box scores in a particular newspaper’s sports pages and “draft” their teams in the same room on long phone calls, or even via snail mail. CBS Sports began offering online fantasy football leagues in 1997, and today it’s even easier to play. The sport is built right into the NFL website (Fantasy.NFL.com), and you can join a free league or start a league of your own with a click! Whether you’re a former player or a superfan who wants to play coach for a day, fantasy is a great way to stake a personal claim in the sport and connect with friends while you do it. Check out the article “How to Play Fantasy Football: A Beginner's Guide” on NFL.com to learn the basics. It’s updated annually, so make sure you hunt down the 2021 version! When you start, don’t forget to salute Winkenbach, the official “Father of Fantasy Sports." THE NIGHT THAT CHANGED FOOTBALL FOREVER
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