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3 DIMENSIONAL WEALTH LIVING
August 2024
385-257-2577
3DimensionalWealth.com
INSIDE ISSUE
WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATOR ARE YOU?
Ask Yourself the Right Questions to Improve Your Relationships — and Life
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What Kind of Communicator Are You?
BREAKING DOWN COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWNS Hence the age-old dilemma: How we give and receive communication is unique to each of us. And although our communication styles differ, we often assume the person we’re engaging with mirrors our approach...and, well, you know what they say about “assuming.”
Have you seen that video that went viral a few years ago, “It’s Not About the Nail”?
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As a refresher, it shows a husband and wife having a serious conversation, with the wife opening up about the pain she’s been experiencing. She finally turns her head to reveal that she has a nail sticking out of her forehead. Her husband launches into advice about removing the nail. She’s dismayed and offended, explaining she doesn’t want solutions, she just wants to feel understood. (To watch it, just do a quick YouTube search using the keywords “It’s not about the nail by Jason Headley.”) I’ll never forget when I first showed it to my wife, Sharee. I was getting ready to use the video for a masterclass I was teaching and thought it might be fun to get her take on it. When the video ended, we were both laughing, and I casually asked, “So did you get it?” Sharee immediately stopped laughing, looked me right in the eyes, and said, “No Doug, the question is, did YOU get it?”
From Toddlers to Teens, These Skills Are Critical for Our Kids
But unlike the nail video, communication isn’t a laughing matter.
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Poor communication is often cited as a top factor that leads to divorce. It can also pose a big problem in the workplace. A recent Grammarly study showed that half of workers said poor communication causes increased stress, about a third said it impacted job satisfaction, and about a quarter said it prompted them to consider finding a new job. If effective communication is so important, what can we do to improve how we communicate with the people in our life circle?
Estate Planning for Business Owners
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How to Give Your Clients What They Really Need Why Raw Vegetables Are So Good for Health
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It starts with us.
Another study, this one published in Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, examined challenges in primary relationships, and its findings showed that it’s our own negative communication that may cause our own , but not our partner’s , relationship dissatisfaction. GETTING CLEAR ON COMMUNICATION I’ve developed a tool, the Conscious Communicator , to help you level up your communication by better understanding your own communication style, and that of those around you.
Your Guide to Preparing for Hikes
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How to Shrink Your At- Retirement Tax Bill IUL Performance Watch Index Insights
Use the Conscious Communicator to avoid misunderstandings
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and build relationships. Download it from our toolkit today!
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The goal is to fill it out several times, once for each key person in your life (significant other, child, co-worker, friend, etc.), invite the VIPs in your life to do the same, and then share that knowledge with each other. By understanding and honoring each other’s approach to communication, you’ll be able to better connect with one another. The tool delves into how you prefer to give and receive information (most people assume those are the same, but after using the Conscious Communicator, they discover they’re not). It outlines different types of information exchanges (day-to- day, meaningful, and life-changing), and asks you to identify your preferred methods of communication (in-person, verbal, or written), amount of detail (on a scale of 1 to 5), and environment (setting/time of day/frame of mind) for those conversations.
It also helps you consider how tone, emotion, and body language impact the way you give and receive information, and it gives you the opportunity to specify how you can improve communication with the key people in your life. BETTER UNDERSTANDING = BETTER COMMUNICATION I’ve seen this tool become invaluable for so many, as it can bring clarity to communication issues that have caused disconnects for some time. For example, one of our team members used the Conscious Communicator to improve communication with his wife. After filling it out, they realized how vastly different their day-to-day communication preferences were. For him, when it came to attention to detail, he preferred to catch up on daily info at about a 1 to 2, meaning a quick recap of the facts. His wife, on the other hand, was at a 4 to 5.
TEACHING THEM TO COMMUNICATE WHILE YOUNG
FROM TODDLERS TO TEENS, THESE SKILLS ARE CRITICAL FOR OUR KIDS
When our daughters were young — just learning to express themselves — as parents it was all we could do to keep up with their big feelings, help them work through their little meltdowns, and start to communicate what they really needed.
parents’ attention, and getting along with those we spend the most time with. When our girls get frustrated with each other, we help them
they’ll feel better (and build stronger relationships of trust) when they deal “above the line.” By this, I’m referring to a principle Doug shares in his book, “Entitlement Abolition,” where he cites Marshall Thurber, the businessman and author who teaches that we need to avoid shame, blame, and justification (living below the line) and instead take accountability and responsibility (living above the line). While better communication is a work in progress for all of us (see Doug’s article on p. 1 for tips on leveling up your own communication), I wish you all the best in helping the young people in your life develop these critical skills early. It can help them thrive in their future education, careers, and most important, their relationships!
But now that they’re in high school and middle school, life has become so much more complex, their worlds so much bigger, and their need to truly communicate even more important. I have to give my wife, Heather, a lot of credit here, because she’s good at “speaking Shelby and Sienna,” teaching them how to build communication skills as they mature. If you have kids or grandkids who you’re likewise trying to help develop better communication, here are a few things we’ve found that can help (and by we, I mean mostly Heather!). GET TO THE ROOT OF THINGS Let’s face it: Siblings are going to squabble. It’s an inevitable part of sharing a home, vying for
realize that a lot of times, it’s not about who lost the phone charger, for example; it’s often something deeper. Maybe one of them is stressed about friends or a big project at school, or maybe they’re both still feeling out of sorts from a past misunderstanding. We try to help them unravel what it is they’re really upset about so they can resolve the situation, feel some empathy, and offer a little grace. DEAL ABOVE THE LINE It’s easy when we hurt others or make mistakes to find something or someone to blame. When our girls start to deal “below the line,” we help them see that
–Aaron Andrew
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ESTATE PLANNING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS 6 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ROSS BRUNSON, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
She found value in diving deeper into day-to-day experiences, sharing feelings, discussing takeaways, etc. This caused a big shift for him, as he became more intentional about devoting time and emotional/intellectual energy for in-depth catch-ups every day. Since good communication can ripple out and impact overall Foundational, Intellectual, and Financial health, you’re invited to download the Conscious Communicator to become more intentional about elevating your connections—and your 3 Dimensional Wealth.
As a business owner, you’ve invested substantial time, money, and heart into building your enterprise. However, one crucial aspect of your business may often be overlooked: estate planning. While you may associate estate planning with wills and trusts for personal assets, it’s equally vital for business owners who want to ensure their business continues to thrive, even after they’re gone. PASSING THE BATON Your business is more than just a source of income; it’s a legacy that reflects your hard work and dedication. An effective estate plan helps safeguard that legacy by detailing how your business will be managed, transferred, or sold upon your passing. Without a solid plan in place, your business could face disruption, loss of value, or even dissolution, which could negatively impact your employees and family. WHAT TO CONSIDER? Will or Trust: Start with a will or a living trust. A will outlines how your assets will be distributed, while a trust can provide more control over asset management. Trusts can also help avoid probate, which can be lengthy and costly. Business Succession Plan: If you plan to keep your business within the family or pass it on to a key employee, ensure a smoother transition with a succession plan. This plan should outline who will take over, as well as their responsibilities. Power of Attorney: Designate a trusted individual as your power of attorney. This person will make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated — someone who understands your business and can act in its best interests. Buy-Sell Agreement: If your business has multiple owners or partners, a buy-sell agreement is vital. This legal arrangement ensures that if one partner passes away, their interest in the business will be bought out by the remaining partners, thus preventing external parties from sudden involvement. Life Insurance: Consider life insurance as part of your estate planning toolkit. The IUL LASER Fund can be used in this situation, helping provide for a buy-sell agreement. When you pass away (or even if you or your partners become disabled or decide to leave the company), the insurance compensates the remaining partner(s) with money to buy out the company. Consult Professionals: Consulting with financial advisors, estate planning attorneys, and accountants who specialize in business can help tailor a strategy to your specific situation. Estate planning isn’t just about protecting your wealth; it’s about ensuring your vision and legacy endure. By putting these critical elements into place, you can have peace of mind, knowing that your business will be taken care of in the future.
–Doug Andrew
FUN FOOD IDEAS
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Late summer get-together? End on a sweet note with this Andrew family favorite.
INGREDIENTS
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1 c peanut butter (smooth)
1 c sugar
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2 ½ c flour
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1 c softened butter
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½ tsp salt
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2 eggs
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1 ½ tsp baking powder
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1 tsp vanilla
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1 c milk chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the peanut butter, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients and add to the rest of the creamed mixture. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into balls (or spoon the dough, if preferred) and place on a cookie sheet. Bake approx. 9 minutes and serve! DIRECTIONS
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THESE 4 CONCEPTS CAN TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS
How to Give Your Clients What They Really Need
Interested in winning in business? Order your free copy of “The 10 Keys Transformation” today!
ILLUMINATE THE WAY In communicating with your potential and current clients, it often helps to use a “darkness of the night vs. the brightness of the day” comparison — a concept Doug learned from Marshall Thurber, the revolutionary attorney, businessman, author, and educator (and great friend of his). Begin by pointing out the darkness of the night if clients keep doing what they’re doing, then contrast that with the brightness of the day if they incorporate your strategies or services. This might sound dramatic, but it applies well to many different situations. Take, for example, an orthodontist’s business. When a doctor discusses the challenges of a child’s dental misalignment (the darkness of the night) and then illustrates the confidence that can result from a healthy, beautiful smile (the brightness of the day), the before/after comparison helps clients understand the value. With our own professional mission, our books, YouTube channel, even this newsletter — it’s all part of our effort to help families go from less-than-optimal strategies in their Financial, Foundational, and Intellectual Dimensions, to a space where they are creating a long- lasting legacy of 3 Dimensional Wealth. As you open the way for your clients to develop greater clarity, balance, focus, and confidence, you can not only impact your business’ bottom line, but you can help your customers experience greater satisfaction and opportunities.
As entrepreneurs, we’re often asked by clients to share business strategies — many of which are captured in Doug’s book, “The 10 Keys Transformation.” Here we share some of those insights with professionals in our 3 Dimensional Wealth community. We often talk about the key to a truly successful business: going beyond providing a commodity or service and ultimately providing a meaningful transformation for your clients or customers.
One of the keys to doing this?
Help your clients find clarity, balance, focus, and confidence.
BECOME THEIR GUIDE As you give clients clarity, they can feel more energy.
As you provide more balance, it takes the “wobble” out of their lives, which can increase their velocity toward their desired destination (goals). And as you help them focus, they can improve the accuracy with which they move toward those goals. Clarity, balance, and focus can help them achieve greater confidence. Confidence attracts opportunities, and lack of confidence repels opportunities. So be your clients’ guide on their journey toward greater confidence — and they’ll come back for more. UNDERSTAND, THEN LEAD To start, you want to understand your audience. Spend time delving into the challenges your ideal clients face, identifying where they feel confused, isolated, and powerless. Then deliver solutions that can provide clarity amidst the chaos. If you think about it — great leaders who transformed lives used this pattern. Influential leaders like Gandhi, Christ, and Lincoln — they all used this formula, whether they realized it or not. They understood their audiences. They grasped why people were feeling confused, isolated, and powerless. They delivered clarity to clear up confusion. They instilled confidence in a brighter future — which helped decrease isolation. And they abolished powerlessness by empowering others with new capability.
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UNLOCK THE POWER OF RAW VEGETABLES FROM GARDEN TO PLATE
Vegetables are an essential part of a healthy life and a strong Foundational Dimension, not only as part of a nutritious diet but also as in beneficial meals with loved ones. While baked or stir-fried dishes can be a good (and delicious) start, you can capitalize on even more vitamins and nutrients by skipping the oven or stove. For example, heat degrades the cancer- fighting compound myrosinase found in raw broccoli. Garlic’s main beneficial compound is allicin, which can also be destroyed if you cook it. Thankfully, you can find many ways to use these and other vegetables raw instead. If you want the most potent dose of enzymes, vitamins, and minerals possible from plant-based foods, consider consuming them raw. From improvements to your skin to a stronger heart, there’s a bounty of reasons to incorporate uncooked
veggies into your meals. Here are three other reasons to enjoy them uncooked.
loss or better weight management. Along with being packed with fresh nutrients, opting for uncooked vegetables minimizes food preparation techniques that increase the calories in a meal, such as dousing them with butter, cream, and cheese. Raw veggies also tend to be filling, so they can aid in reducing your snack cravings. HYDRATION Water is necessary for our bodies to work properly, allowing our organs, as well as key processes like digestion and body temperature maintenance, to function correctly. Many of the most popular and accessible produce, like cucumbers, have a high water content, which means you can chew your way to better hydration, as well! So find times to put away the frying pan, butter, and oil and incorporate uncooked vegetables into your daily diet. Your body will thank you!
FUN AND TASTY The natural crisp flavor and crunch of uncooked veggies can be just a fun and tasty way to curb your hunger. Raw carrots, celery, or tomatoes (while technically a fruit, we’ll lump it in with veggies here!) are an easy snack that won’t lead you or the young ones in your life into a sugar crash within a few hours. They can also brighten up a salad and are great to have on hand to add to smoothies or vegetable juices. Make raw veggies even more fun by making colorful vegetable platters with your kids or grandkids! You’ll be strengthening your bond and boosting your health, both pivotal for your Foundational Dimension. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT Raw veggies are naturally low in calories and high in fiber and can contribute to weight
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL END-OF-SUMMER HIKE GET TRAIL-READY
If prepared for the elements, you can enjoy hiking year-round. Hiking with loved ones is one of the best ways to improve both your health and your relationships (aka your Foundational Dimension). But if you embark on a trail in the extreme heat without the means to handle it, you place yourself on a perilous path. From maintaining proper hydration to donning the proper attire, here are three tips to ensure your end-of- summer hikes are safe and enjoyable!
areas. Additionally, take a break every 40 minutes to reapply sunscreen as needed.
AVOID HEAT EXHAUSTION Heat exhaustion is the preamble to heat stroke, and its symptoms include headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, and copious amounts of sweating. If you experience these symptoms, seek out rest and shade immediately ; it’s a surefire sign you need to lower your body temperature. Once you stop sweating altogether, you should start worrying because that is a symptom of a life-threatening heat stroke! CHOOSE THE PROPER PATH AND ATTIRE When hiking in the summer, even late summer, it’s best to pick a path with ample shade. Alternatively, you can hike in darkness. Night hikes, illuminated by headlamps and flashlights, are a great way to escape the summer heat and experience the trail like never before. If you want
REMEMBER HYDRATION AND SUNSCREEN
Staying hydrated is key in any season, but it is especially vital when the summer heat beats down on you! Pack extra water for your hike and have water in your vehicle after you finish. If you are tired of lugging around extra water bottles, a hydration pack can help you carry extra H20 hands- free and take sips while on the move. To reduce the risk of painful sunburns, apply sunscreen to all exposed skin
attire that reduces your temperature and provides more protection, try wearing UPF- rated clothing to block harmful rays. When strengthening your Foundational Dimension and spending quality time with family and friends, the last thing you want is to damage your health. Picking the right time, place, and attire can help ensure your summer hike is a scorching success!
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HOW TO SHRINK YOUR AT-RETIREMENT TAX BILL
Ways to Diversify—and Optimize—the 4 Types of Retirement Income
Here’s a question as you look ahead toward retirement: What will your “at-retirement” tax bill be?
In other words, how much will you pay in taxes throughout your retirement years, based on your financial portfolio strategies? Here’s the follow-up question: Do you need to “diversify” your at-retirement tax bill so your golden years don’t tarnish?
When it comes to rate of return, real estate income is often not optimized, depending on its location. We recommend 0% to 40% of your retirement income should come from this category. GUARANTEED INCOME Guaranteed income can include Social Security benefits, pensions, and certain types of annuities. These kinds of vehicles score high in safety but very low in liquidity. They typically do not score well on rate of return, and there are little to no tax advantages. Depending on your objectives, we recommend 10% to 80% of your retirement income should come from this category. TAX-FREE INCOME Tax-free income can include municipal bonds, Roth IRAs/401(k)s, and of course IUL LASER Funds. Tax-free bond funds don’t fare as well in rate of return as IUL LASER Funds, and most high-risk investments are not attractive to retirees because they score so low in safety. A properly structured and maximum-funded IUL LASER Fund can pass with the highest overall LASER score. Hence we recommend 30% to 60% of your retirement income should come from The IUL LASER Fund. Even if they’re close to retirement, we’ve helped people to strike a healthier balance with their portfolio, optimizing their strategies to minimize taxes and level up their liquidity, safety, and predictable rates of return. To learn more about how you can do the same, we invite you to explore your options by ordering a free copy of “The LASER Fund.”
Many people come to us because their financial portfolio is top- heavy with financial vehicles that will be taxable as they take out money for retirement income. They want to make changes for a more balanced approach during the distribution phase, because they realize it’s wise to use a blend of strategies so that all of their eggs (or nest eggs) aren’t in one basket.
There are essentially four different types of income that can be part of your financial portfolio:
• Investment income • Real estate income
• Guaranteed income • Tax-free income
How much of each category should you focus on for retirement income? Here’s what we recommend, based on their profiles in our LASER Rating System™, which analyzes financial vehicles based on liquidity, safety, predictable rates of return, and tax advantages: INVESTMENT INCOME Investment income usually results from investments in the market like stocks, mutual funds, and bonds, and most IRAs or 401(k)s are likewise invested in the market. Investment income can score high on liquidity and rate of return, but usually scores low on safety. We recommend 0% to 50% of your retirement income should come from this category. REAL ESTATE INCOME Real estate income typically comes from rental or lease income from real estate. Generally, real estate income can score well in tax advantages, but it often does not fare well in liquidity and safety.
Strike a better balance with your financial portfolio. Explore optimal strategies by ordering “The LASER Fund” today.
6 3DimensionalWealth.com
To help you stay abreast of market conditions, here we provide a monthly snapshot of trending indexes, as well as a resource to monitor your individual IUL performance.
BEGINNING INDEX VALUE
ENDING INDEX VALUE
INDEX CHANGE RATE
SAMPLE IUL RETURN
INDEX
S&P 500
4505.42 5631.22
24.99% 10%*
S&P 500 Uncapped 6.5% Spread
4505.42 5631.22
24.99% 18.49%
Maturity Dates: 7.15.23 – 7.15.24 *S&P 500 one-year point-to-point with a participation rate of 100% and a cap of 10%. *S&P 500 one-year point-to-point with a participation rate of 100%, a current 6.5% spread, and no cap. HOW IS YOUR IUL LASER FUND PERFORMING? Scan the QR code to use our IUL Performance Calculator to see your unique IUL index returns. Get a quick look at other available indexes while you’re there!
To help you optimize your index strategies, here we offer index recommendations based on current market conditions. Consult with your IUL specialist for guidance in making any desired changes when your current segments come up for maturity. Recommendations are not guarantees of future performance.
We typically recommend a diversified approach, mixing a few index options to help you get the most out of market returns.
Above, we’ve shown the S&P 500 one-year point-to-point strategy with a cap, since many policyholders have that strategy as part of their index choices. We’ve also highlighted a similar S&P strategy, but this time with no cap (if your carrier offers this).
During seasons of high market returns, the S&P 500 one-year point-to-point with a current 6.5% spread and no cap allows you to enjoy bigger gains than you would with the S&P 500 one-year point-to-point with a cap. And of course, if the market goes down, all of your index choices protect your cash value from market volatility with a 0% guaranteed floor.
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3 DIMENSIONAL WEALTH LIVING
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE ...
Deliver These 4 Things for Better Business page 4 Munch Your Way to Better Health page 5 Strike a Balance for a Better Retirement page 6 A No-Cap Index Worth Looking Into page 7
Essentials for Creating Your Legacy of Authentic Wealth
THE 1 THING THAT CAN UNDERMINE EVERYTHING
Misunderstandings? Disconnects? Strained relationships? Poor
communication can derail even the best of situations. Discover the tool that can help improve communication. Read more on page 1 ...
8 3DimensionalWealth.com
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