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THE WEALTH ZONE
Mar 2021
119 Old State Rd., Ellisville, MO 63021
CapitalAdvisoryGrp.com
Don’t Let Taxes Get You Down
We’re right back in the middle of another tax season. For some people, it’s a stressful time of year — especially after the roller coaster ride of 2020. It’s easy to feel rushed as you search for all the relevant documentation you need to complete your tax return and then sit down to fill everything out, if you’re handling your taxes yourself. While most of us don’t want to think about last year any longer, dealing with taxes puts us right back there. And for many people, this tax season will be a little different. They may have more to consider, particularly if they took advantage of government assistance or programs doled out last year. You have to remind yourself: There is no free lunch. While you might call last year’s government assistance, for both individuals and businesses, a handout, the reality is very different. The government is never eager to give anyone money, and when they do, they’re going to make sure they recoup as much as they can — when you, and everyone else, pay taxes. Many people who signed up for these various programs may be in for a surprise when they file this year if they didn’t read the fine print. Unfortunately, in the rush to get assistance, people signed up for any assistance they could get their hands on. If they didn’t read the terms or fully understand what they were actually signing up for, they’re in for an eye-opening experience.
The IRS Fresh Start program is a good example. It’s designed for taxpayers who may be struggling to pay their federal taxes. They also offer other options including:
• Payment plans • Financial hardship waiver • Penalty removal • Settlement
Whether or not those options (and more not listed above) are valid is completely dependent on your circumstance. Every tax situation is different, and you may need to consult with a tax professional to determine your best course of action. As with everything related to the IRS, you must follow their guidelines when pursuing assistance. Regardless of your situation, if you feel overwhelmed this tax season, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and we’ve dealt with all kinds of questions, so we’re more than happy to answer yours. P.S. Our 9th Annual Shred Day returns next month on Saturday, April 24. See inside for more information — and don’t forget to save the date! -Jeff and John Zufall
If you feel overwhelmed, you can take advantage of a number of resources.
1. ASK US! We’re always available to answer your tax questions and to help you solve tax and IRS issues you may be facing. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again — you never have to deal with your tax issues alone.
2. TURN TO THE IRS. While most of us would prefer to avoid the IRS as much as possible, they do offer assistance programs.
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3 Irish Travel Destinations for Your Bucket List DON’T MISS THESE HISTORIC SPOTS!
A Little Distraction
THIS ONE SMALL THING IS KILLING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
Distractions in your workplace destroy your productivity, regardless of where you actually work. But here’s the kicker: Some distractions don’t always register as distractions because they’re often minor, like a knock at the door or a conversation you can hear from two cubicles over. However, even when a distraction doesn’t feel like a distraction, it still kills your productivity. But one distraction in particular can absolutely ruin productivity. It isn’t as obvious as an unexpected phone call or a meeting that could have been an email. It’s a small, normal part of our everyday lives: the notification . We get notifications on our phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and even our smartwatches. Notifications are everywhere, and we’re conditioned to accept them. Take email, for example. You’re likely in the habit of checking email periodically — or whenever you get a notification. It can feel natural to quickly check your email and then get back to what you were doing. Except that never happens. When an email, text, or other random notification distracts you, it completely diverts attention away from what you were doing. If it’s spam, you may delete the email. Or, if you need to respond, it might take a few minutes or more. You may spend anywhere between 20 seconds to 20 minutes on any given email. However, this isn’t where time is lost. If you’re responding to a customer email, for instance, that is part of your productivity. The time is lost when you attempt to get back to what you were doing before checking your notifications. A University of California, Irvine study found that it takes an average of 23 minutes to get back to your task after every distraction, not just email. Over the course of a day, that adds up to a significant amount of wasted time. How do you overcome this? Your best bet is to turn off notifications. Most devices let you customize your notifications so you can turn them off during working hours. Here’s another quick tip: Set aside time during the day to check emails, texts, and other messages. You will significantly reduce the amount of time spent trying to refocus on the important tasks at hand.
Traveling to Ireland might not be an option for you
right now, but like a leprechaun hoarding gold, you can still fill up your bucket list with all of the pubs, rolling hills, and lucky sites you’d
love to see. This month when you’re planning your trip to Dublin, Galway, or Cork, add these spots to your itinerary.
The Oldest Bar in the World – Athlone, County Westmeath When Sean’s Bar closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire country of Ireland groaned. The pub is famous for its Irish whiskey, music, and history, which stretches back to 900 A.D., far enough to earn it the title of “Oldest Bar in the World.” As of this writing, Sean’s is slated to reopen when it’s safe again, and considering it has already survived the bubonic plague and the Spanish flu, odds are good that it will make it through this, too! Soon, you’ll be able to raise a glass in the same rooms where the noblemen of nearby Athlone Castle shared drinks in the 12th century. Find more historical tidbits at SeansBar.ie. Ireland’s Spookiest Castle – Coolderry, County Offaly If you’re a fan of thrillers and true crime podcasts, you won’t want to leave Ireland without visiting Leap Castle. This 16th- century haunt was built by the fierce O’Bannon clan, who famously ordered two brothers to throw themselves off a rocky cliff as a test of strength. The survivor was named clan chief, and later Leap Castle was built on that very site — beginning its long and bloody history. Read more about its haunted priest’s house, murder hole room, and bloody chapel at LeapCastle.net and meet the many ghosts that haunt its halls. A Famous Smugglers’ Shortcut – Newcastle, County Down Get ready to tie up your hiking boots! This roughly 2-mile hike, called Hare’s Gap, is one of the most famous and beautiful routes in Ireland. When you climb through this pass in the Mourne Mountains, you’ll be rewarded with views of glacial cliffs, boulder fields, and ancient-looking stone walls. Legend has it that the pass was part of the Brandy Pad smuggling route, used to ferry goods like soap, leather, spices, and coffee.
Safe travels, and ádh mór (good luck)!
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CapitalAdvisoryGrp.com
How Do You ‘Live Long and Prosper’?
If we all have something in common, it’s that we want to live long and prosper. As you’ve noticed, we like to frame our articles around a mix of offbeat holidays as well as those that aren’t so offbeat. There’s always something interesting to learn. Wouldn’t you know it? March 26 is Live Long & Prosper Day. The “holiday” hasn’t been around long — only since 2017 — but the idea behind it is a good one. Of course, most of us are familiar with the phrase, “Live long and prosper,” which the late Leonard Nimoy popularized while playing Spock on the 1960s television show “Star Trek” and its many sequel shows and movies. Star Trek fans and non-fans alike know this phrase, and it’s had significant staying power over the years, probably because so many of us can identify with it. Plus, it’s often paired with the iconic Vulcan hand salute, which gives it even more staying power. Coming back to the day itself, it was created with the idea of both reflecting and looking forward. In terms of reflection, you can ask yourself, “Am I living the life I want to live and am I prospering?” Reflect on the ways you are living a fulfilled and prosperous life. And then, reflect on the ways you are not.
After that, you look forward — how can
you live a fulfilling and prosperous life? Is there something missing that you want? What can you do to alter your course? Think about this in areas such as relationships, family, spirituality, career, finances, health, and so on.
This is a great way to structure your goals, especially in retirement or as you plan for retirement. How do you want to live a fulfilling, prosperous life in retirement? Think about what you want to get out of your relationships, finances, health, hobbies, etc. You can assign goals to each area of your life to give yourself a more clear- cut picture of where you are now and where you want to go. And then go for it! Anyone can live long and prosper if they’re willing to make it happen.
TAKE A BREAK
English Ground Beef Pasties
Ingredients
• 3/4 lb ground beef • 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp dried parsley • Salt and pepper, to taste • 1/4 cup beef broth (as needed)
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced • 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry dough
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, and potatoes. 3. Roll out the pastry dough into roughly 10-inch circles or squares. 4. Spoon 1/2 of the beef mixture onto each sheet of dough, then top the mixture with parsley, salt, and pepper. 5. Fold the edges of the dough over the filling, pinching each pasty shut and tucking in both ends.
6. Transfer the pasties to the prepared baking sheet, then cut several small slits in each pasty for ventilation. Bake for 45 minutes. 7. Remove the pasties from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 F. Spoon 1 tsp beef broth into each slit, then bake for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy!
Inspired by AllRecipes.com
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119 Old State Rd. Ellisville, MO 63021 CapitalAdvisoryGrp.com
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page 1
Don’t Let Tax Season Take Over Your Life!
Don’t Let This Tiny Distraction Destroy Your Productivity
page 2
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3 Irish Travel Destinations for Your Bucket List
page 3
As Spock Says, ‘Live Long and Prosper’
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English Ground Beef Pasties
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Let’s Celebrate the Mom and Pop Shops
THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITY Small Businesses Make the World Go ‘Round
What’s your favorite local small business? These days, a lot of small businesses fly under the radar thanks to the popularity of big box chains and the internet — and sometimes they’re overshadowed and forgotten entirely. On top of that, the past year hasn’t been kind to these types of smaller business. March 29 is National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, a day that recognizes the importance of our smaller, local establishments, which include restaurants, second-hand stores, hardware stores, and everything else in between. Mom and pop shops are the backbone of our local economy — and the economy at large. While the big box stores may take up the most space in terms of square footage, mom and pop businesses exist in far greater numbers. In fact, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses make up over 99.9% of all businesses in the country. Right now, around 31 million small businesses are operating, with many of those being mom and pop stores.
on-one attention there. If you want to chat with the owner, you generally can. Service means everything in these smaller businesses, and the customer is top priority. It’s more than just service with a smile; it’s service with a perk: “We’re here for you.” They represent the idea of community. So, this National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, shout out your favorite local businesses. Give them a visit if you can. Say hello and see what’s new.
While mom and pop shops usually can’t offer the sheer selection of the big stores, they can offer a lot more in return. You’ll find one-
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9 th Annual Shred the Clutter Event Time to shred the documents you no longer need. Go to CapitalAdvisoryGrp.com/shred to see what you need to keep! Bring everything else to be shredded free of charge. Saturday , April 24, 2021 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
119 Old State Road Ellisville, MO 63021
Light refreshments will be provided.
636.394.5524
119 Old State Road Ellisville, MO 63021 Office: 636.394.5524 Fax: 636.394.0218
www.capitaladvisorygrp.com www.capadvgrp.com
Sensitive Material That Can Be Destroyed On-Site in Pro-Shred Trucks:
HUMAN RESOURCES/PAYROLL
PURCHASING, SALES, & MARKETING Purchase Orders Supplier Records Supplier Con dential Information Corporate Records Requisitions Sales Contracts Sales Invoices Customer Lists and Contacts Strategies Advertising Activity Sheets Training Information
Payroll Information Performance Appraisals Applications Disciplinary Reports and Promotions Medical Records Treatment Programs
OPERATIONS
Manuals Training Information Activity Sheets General Service Information Health and Safety Issues Appraisals, Product Testing, Etc.
CLIENTS’ INFORMATION
Contracts Budgets Strategic Reports Legal Contracts Correspondence
NONPAPER DESTRUCTION CD-ROMS/CD-RS/DVDs Computer Backups Videotapes/Cassette Tapes All Types of Paper Staples, Paper Clips, Binder Clips
Hanging Folders Product Samples Plastic Credit and ID Cards
Securities o ered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC, (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services o ered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC, (Kestra AS) an affiliate of Kestra IS. Capital Advisory Group, Inc. is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. Neither Kestra IS nor Kestra AS provide legal or tax advice and are not certified public accounting firms. https://www.kestrafinancial.com/disclosures
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