Bob Norton Consulting - October 2018

Take a look at our newsletter this month.

www.bobnortonconsulting.com 877-799-3736 info@bobnortonconsulting.com OCTOBER 2018 NORTON NEWSLETTER EASE OF MIND • AVAILABILITY • FLEXIBILITY • INDIVIDUAL APPROACH • EXPERIENCE • TAX SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES THE REAL ESTATE TAX PRO ™

FROM THE DESK OF Bob

I recently read an article comparing investing in a home to investing in other financial assets. Every so often someone publishes something similar. I’ve even seen research papers by academics comparing the financial benefits of renting versus buying. In all these articles, the writer seems to try to show that home ownership is not the best use of your money. These articles are most likely written by people who don’t own property and want to justify their inability to buy. The wealthiest people I know own property and most of them built their wealth through investing in property, starting with their first home. Success leaves clues. Even if you only own a single property — your home — you can have it paid off by the time you retire, which frees up cash flow when your income decreases because you are no longer actively working. You will still have costs associated with ownership, but it will much less than paying rent. You don’t want to be paying rent in retirement. But here’s what I’ve seen.

apples bats & chicken feed S ecret O rigins of H alloween T raditions

What’s scarier than being at a Halloween party without a good costume? Being at a Halloween party without anything interesting to add, of course! Avoid this nightmare scenario by learning the fascinating history behind everyone’s favorite Halloween traditions.

WHERE DID ALL THESE BATS COME FROM?

Halloween decorations tend to rely on scary or supernatural themes. Cobwebs, skeletons, and ghosts crowd the scene, but there are usually a few bats in there as well. Compared to jangling skeletons, these little mammals aren’t that scary. While bats do risk carrying rabies, for the most part, bats are more likely to help people by eating mosquitoes than harm anyone. So why are they part of our creepy Halloween decor? Bats were associated with Halloween long before the first trick-or-treaters. When celebrating the ancient festival Samhain — a precursor to Halloween — the Celts lit huge bonfires. These fires attracted insects, which in turn attracted bats looking for a midnight snack. Bats came to be linked to Samhain and that tradition was carried into modern Halloween. Giving out apples instead of candy is a surefire way to get your house egged by angry trick- or-treaters. On a night that’s all about candy and sweets, how did we come to play a game involving fruit? Surprisingly, the old game of bobbing for apples has roots in some more romantic traditions. Bobbing for apples was part fortune-telling game and part courting ritual in 18th century England. A young woman would write the name of her suitor on an apple and put it in a basin of water. If she could grab the apple in one bite, it meant that she and her suitor were WHAT’S UP WITH BOBBING FOR APPLES?

-Bob Norton

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destined for true love. Two tries meant their love would fade with time. And three or more bites was a sign that the relationship was doomed. Another version of the game was more of a competition. The first person to bite into an apple would be the first to get married. It wasn’t unlike catching the bride’s bouquet at a wedding. Some people adore this sweet mellowcreme treat, while others insist the divisive candy is little more than colored wax. Whatever camp you find yourself in, you may be interested to know that candy corn was not originally created for Halloween. Developed by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia, these little tricolored candies were introduced to the world as“chicken feed”in the 1880s. This candy was meant to appeal to America’s rural communities. Though not initially linked to WHY DOWE CARE ABOUT CANDY CORN?

fall, chicken feed candy was difficult to make and therefore only available between March and November. The scarcity added to its early popularity. In the 1900s, candy makers had to turn down orders because demand was so high! Chicken feed would eventually become candy corn and be cast as the ultimate Halloween candy after WorldWar II. In 1951, Goelitz Confectionery Company — today known as the Jelly Belly Candy Company — had 12 factories making candy corn across the country! Since then, candy corn has made its way into trick-or-treat bags every Halloween. While trick-or-treating has its roots in ancient traditions that involve scaring away ghosts and praying for lost souls, modern trick-or-treating owes its existence to a more familiar source. After being brought to the United States by Irish immigrants in the early 20th century, trick-or-treating quickly became a favorite Halloween activity. However, when sugar was WHO SAVED TRICK-OR-TREATING?

rationed during WorldWar II, trick-or-treating started to die out.

You can thank Charles Schulz andWalt Disney for keeping the tradition alive. In 1951, Schulz created a series of Halloween-themed comic strips featuring the Peanuts gang dressed as ghosts and trick-or-treating. The following year, Disney produced an animated short featuring Donald Duck and his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, engaged in Halloween hijinks. Both the Peanuts strips and the Donald Duck shorts were incredibly popular, and these Halloween specials showed kids across the country the fun of trick-or-treating. When you think about it, Halloween is a pretty weird holiday. But isn’t the weirdness part of the fun?

Stay weird, and have a happy Halloween!

LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE AS A FAMILY As the weather cools down, finding ways to spend quality time as a family can become challenging. It’s too cold to camp or barbecue, and money may be tight with the holidays coming up. So why not turn learning a new skill into a bonding experience this fall? You can do it inside, it’s free, and it will open doors around the world for the rest of your children’s lives. for children to communicate with more people in their community, and they’ll be more hirable as adults. Bonus: It’s commonly considered one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn. Mandarin is the most-spoken language on the planet, and China’s growth as an economic powerhouse has made this language even more useful around the world. German, Arabic, and Japanese speakers are also highly sought-after in the job market. Let Your Children Speak to the World

WHY LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE? Speaking multiple languages creates opportunities for your child. Being bilingual makes you more qualified for a variety of exciting careers and can improve your competitiveness in the job market. Knowing a second language can also allow you to travel with greater ease and become more culturally well-rounded. There are some studies that claim learning languages is even good for your health. Research shows that our language acquisition skills peak in childhood or adolescence, so starting young is the best way to become fluent. If your child is in school, they probably already know classmates who speak another language. WHICH LANGUAGE SHOULD YOU LEARN? Did you know that 40 million Americans currently speak Spanish at home? The U.S. is the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, and we border the largest, so learning this language is a great way

Of course, you can always let your wanderlust or passions decide for you! Is your child obsessed with K-Pop? Have them learn Korean. Want to take them to Paris someday? Enroll in French classes. THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD ARE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. Learning a new skill has never been easier! While there’s no substitute for a full-time class or moving to another country, there are countless ways to teach yourself a new language right at home, usually for free. YouTube tutorials, podcasts, and audiobooks let you rewind and listen to the lessons as many times as needed to master pronunciations. Can’t tear your child away from their cellphone? Download Duolingo, rated by PCMag.com as the best free language-learning app of 2018.

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The Most Haunted Place in theWorld The Horrors of Poveglia, Italy

When you think of spooky places, odds are good that the local version of a haunted house — perhaps with teenagers dressed up as chainsaw villains — comes to mind. You might even get someone to take you to the local penitentiary, where they’ll try to convince you that a draft is actually the movement of a tormented soul. After Oct. 31, though, that spooky atmosphere will fade away, and you’ll be left with just a fleeting memory of what you believed might be a haunted place. But there is one location on earth that is truly haunted year-round. The abandoned island of Poveglia, Italy, was the site of some of the worst horrors in human history. In 1348, the region surrounding Venice was struck with the bubonic plague, and the infected were sent to Poveglia to die. Once the plague had taken their lives, the victims’ bodies were stacked on pyres and burned. It’s said that 50 percent of the soil on the island is made up of the ash from these funeral rites.

the asylum opened, all its inhabitants reportedly lost their wits, making it impossible to tell the doctors from the patients. The doctors on the island were rumored to have gone insane and begun performing questionable experiments on live subjects. Some patients died; others lost their minds. The island quickly claimed them all. Today, Poveglia is completely abandoned. Local fishermen are unwilling to cast their nets off its shores out of fear. They even report hearing chimes from the island’s church bell, but they still refuse to dock their ships. Locals decline to visit the island for fear of the curse that claimed the lives of so many. The very few who dare set foot on the island do not stay for long, claiming to feel a profound disturbance that overwhelms the soul. If you’re taken to a haunted house this Halloween, be thankful. Anyone can handle a quick scare from someone dressed up in a costume. No one has been able to handle the curse of Poveglia, and no one ever will.

While the ash-ridden soil would deter many, it did not stop the locals from turning the island into a mental asylum in the 1800s. Shortly after

Take a Break!

Paleo

PUMPKIN COCONUT SMOOTHIE

This meal-in-a-glass smoothie will cure your craving for a pumpkin spice latte. It’s packed with nutrients and fall flavor. If you’re the type of person who uses your blender more than your pots and pans, you’ll definitely want to add this recipe to your rotation.

Ingredients

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1 cup coconut milk

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1 frozen banana, sliced

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1/4 cup organic pumpkin purée

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1 cup ice

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2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or substitute with cinnamon and ginger)

Directions

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients. 2. Blend on high or on smoothie setting until smooth. 3. Transfer to a cold glass, garnish with pumpkin pie spice, and serve.

CAULDRON COSTUME DRACULA GHOST

HALLOWEEN HALLOWS EVE

SCARY STORIES SPOOKY TRICK-OR-TREAT ZOMBIE

HAUNTED PUMPKIN

Recipe courtesy of cookpaleo.com

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Bob Norton Consulting, APC

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THE REAL ESTATE TAX PRO ™

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1527 Gause Blvd. Ste. 132 Slidell, LA 70458

INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Desk of Bob PAGE 1 Secret Origins of Halloween Traditions PAGE 1 Learn a New Language as a Family PAGE 2 Forget the Haunted House —How About a Haunted Island? PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Paleo Pumpkin Coconut Smoothie PAGE 3 October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month PAGE 4 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Organized, in the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s words, to “honor those at every step of the breast cancer journey,” the annual observance has also served to educate the public and raise funds for research. Learn more about this deadly but survivable disease, and find out how you can help. BREAST CANCER IS EXTREMELY COMMON. According to the NBCF, 1 in 8 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. It is the second leading cause of death in women (behind heart disease). A breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence, however. Thanks to research and ongoing education, there are over 3.3 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. today. WHAT CAUSES BREAST CANCER? Breast cancer is caused by damage to cells’ DNA. It’s most common in women over the age of 40, though approximately 2,500 men in

EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES

Do You or Someone You Love Need to Schedule a Mammogram?

the U.S. are diagnosed each year as well. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. Most risk factors, such as age, gender, and family history, cannot be changed. However, research shows that exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet and weight, and minimizing alcohol consumption may reduce your chance of being diagnosed with the disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may also place you at higher risk. Contrary to popular myths, breast cancer is not caused by milk, microwave ovens, cellphones, caffeine, plastic cutlery, or deodorants. ANNUAL MAMMOGRAMS ARE FREE. Early detection is the biggest factor in breast cancer survival. There’s some debate among researchers and insurance companies over the “right” age to begin screening, but most sources agree that women should begin to get regular mammograms in their 40s (and earlier if they have a family history of the disease).

The Affordable Care Act (ADA) requires all health insurance plans to cover the cost of annual mammograms for women age 40 and older, and there are many organizations devoted to providing free mammograms to uninsured individuals. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Visit Donate.nationalbreastcancer.org to learn how to help. The NBCF funds cancer research, works to provide free mammograms to low-income women, and serves as a

resource for patients and their families. Many cities also have local organizations in need of donations and volunteers.