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APRIL 2023
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Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Recent Bank Failures TAKE A DEEP BREATH!
too; the difference is regulators are stepping up quickly to protect them and the overall financial system by extension.
However, we can learn something from the failures of Silicon Valley and Signature Bank. Warren Buffett’s famous quote sums up this lesson perfectly: “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.”
You might be wondering: Is it 2008 all over again? Is the financial system at risk of collapsing?
If this sounds like you, take a deep breath.
It’s true that on March 10th, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) closed after it could no longer afford withdrawals. Then, just a few days later, regulators took over Signature Bank. These two events so close together sent the country into a frenzy. There are many reasons people believe our banks are in trouble, including rising interest rates resulting in weakening bank portfolios.
But should you actually be worried about banks failing? The answer is no, and here’s why.
Without these banks failing, we likely wouldn’t have seen the issues that brought them to failure. Asset classes like cryptocurrencies and startup companies seemed like incredible strategies to these banks while the market was rising. They only realized these strategies’ dangers when the market experienced a downturn. The lesson is that when times are good, we tend not to worry about things like income, expenses, or risks. But when things get tough, we start to appreciate and understand the risks we’ve taken and the amount we’ve put on our plate. It’s more than just understanding risk; it’s understanding our risk tolerance when things get rough. And this lesson is hard to learn when things are going well. How could we when all we’re seeing are gains? However, understanding risk tolerance in all conditions is an important skill to learn because, as we know, markets don’t stay up forever. With complete certainty, we will experience future recessions, uncertain conditions, and bear markets, too.
First, the banks we see failing are minor players in the overall banking system. Silicon Valley Bank’s and Signature Bank’s assets were valued under $210 billion, while behemoths like JPMorgan and Chase are still at over $3 trillion. Also, these banks serviced high-risk, niche populations — individuals using cryptocurrency, startup companies, and other volatile asset classes. These risk-prone assets make these banks more vulnerable to collapse, which is what we’re seeing happen now. So, the next question you may ask is, “Will more banks collapse?” The truth is, maybe. A popular bank-rating agency has reported watching several other banking institutions closely due to similar problems. What’s more, some of the larger banks that dabble in these high-risk asset classes may be affected,
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Whatever happens in our financial future, I’ll be watching it closely and will always be in touch to ensure your portfolio remains as healthy as possible — no matter the conditions.
-Dan Casey President, Bridgeriver Advisors
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The Celebrity Trend Turning Heads in Hollywood BRACE YOURSELF: VISIBLE UNDERWEAR IS IN AGAIN
Yes, you read that headline correctly. We’ve officially returned to 2002 — when the sexiest thing a celebrity could do was show off a bit of lace or a whale tail. If you think the “baggy pants and visible boxers” trend was bad, get ready for “The Year of the Exposed Thong.” Why are celebrities suddenly showing off their underwear? According to Elle magazine, the appearance of undergarments is an extension of the Y2K wave that brought low-rise jeans, Uggs, and layered tops back into style last year. There’s even a name for the phenomenon: “naked dressing.” The Washington Post describes “naked dresses” as “garments that reveal as much as they conceal because they’re sheer, skin-toned, skintight, or all of the above.” Elle reports that “as naked
dressing has slowly become the norm on the red carpet and beyond, it was only a matter of time before this once-reviled trend came back with a vengeance — and with flashing no longer a novelty, showing you’re wearing underwear at all can be a quasi-revolutionary act.” Who started this new craze? According to Elle, some of the credit (or blame?) for naked dressing should go to singer Dua Lipa and model Hailey Bieber. Both celebrities showed off their underwear on Instagram this January in low-cut, backless dresses. However, Who What Wear reports the trend’s roots reach back to 1962. That year, Marilyn Monroe wore a see-through, figure-hugging dress to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy. In the next two
decades, celebrities like Jane Birkin, Kate Moss, and Cher flaunted their figures in similarly sheer dresses. More recently, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Zoë Kravitz, Kendall Jenner, Megan Fox, and Kim Kardashian have also tried out the look. Why did ‘naked dressing’ stick around? There’s no single answer to this question, but The New York Times shares a few guesses in its article “Naked Dressing Has You Covered.” According to reporter Vanessa Friedman, naked dressing is one way people (often women) exercise their right to self-expression and embrace their bodies. Naked dressing, she writes, “suggest[s] that exposure does not equate to vulnerability but strength, and that the body just as it is is just fine.” To learn more about the naked dresser’s headspace, check out her article at NYTimes.com.
HOW TO GET THE PERFECT ‘LIQUID HAIR’
Steal Megan Thee Stallion’s Sleek Look
Is that a chestnut-colored waterfall or the back of rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s head? Thanks to the recent “liquid hair” trend, it’s sometimes hard to tell! Celebrities like Stallion, Zendaya, Kim Kardashian, and Dua Lipa have recently abandoned bold, voluminous locks for sleek, straight hairdos — and you can follow suit. According to publications like Glamour and InStyle, liquid hair is the newest evolution of “glass hair,” a trend that favored smooth helmet-like locks and is now “so 2018.” The look is closer to glass hair than wet hair — and a practiced eye can spot the difference. “Unlike the wet hair trend, liquid hair doesn’t appear wet. It is super smooth and ultra-shiny, almost to the point of being reflective like glass. Ultraglossy hair that’s soft to the touch. Liquid hair still has body, bend, and movement, giving it that fluid feel,” Ilham Mestour, the artistic director of Balmain Hair Couture, told Glamour. Your odds of achieving liquid hair at home depend on your hair texture. If you’re already blessed with thick, straight locks, you may just need a deep conditioner, careful blow-dry, and a blast of shine spray to nail it. The process can be more complicated if your hair is curly or wavy.
Celebrities seem to favor keratin treatments to straighten and de-frizz their locks. Still, Harper’s BAZAAR reports that this option can be hazardous because some treatments either contain or produce the cancer-causing chemical formaldehyde. The heat-based treatments can also damage your hair long-term — and they’ll definitely put a dent in your wallet!
Instead of heading to the salon, InStyle recommends prepping your hair with smoothing and heat-protecting product, blowing it dry with your hairdryer’s nozzle attachment, straightening it, then finishing the look with Davines This is a Shimmering Mist or Color Wow Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray. Of course, you can create a curly take on liquid hair with your favorite hair mask and de-frizzer. As long as your hair looks healthy, shiny, and touchable, you’re doing the trend right.
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STOP SNORING WITH … MOUTH TAPE?
The Problem With This TikTok Trend
In 2019, the founders of a company called SomniFix strolled onto the screen of the reality TV show “Shark Tank” — and a TikTok trend was born.
avoiding bad breath. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Clinic also explains that only a few small
SomniFix makes a product called “Mouth Strips,” which the company describes as a skin-safe adhesive that holds your mouth shut while you sleep. According to the company’s website, the product is supposed to reduce snoring, help people with sleep apnea use their continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines correctly, boost sleep quality, and encourage breathing through the nose instead of just the mouth. Mark Burhenne, D.D.S., wrote about this on Ask the Dentist. “If you’re breathing through your mouth while you sleep at night, it’s a big deal,” he explained. “Not only does it reduce the quality of your sleep, but it disrupts the balance of your oral microbiome and makes you more prone to tooth decay.” Burhenne has legitimate concerns in regard to mouth breathing, but does that mean mouth taping is the answer? The Cleveland Clinic sheds some light on this topic by saying that nose breathing while you sleep is vital for preventing dry mouth and sore throat, lowering blood pressure, keeping airborne allergens out of your body, and
studies of 10–36 patients each have explored the
effectiveness of mouth taping, and those studies had mixed results. The clinic quoted a sleep medicine specialist, Dr. Cinthya Pena
Orbea. “Most of the evidence is anecdotal,” she said. “There is not strong enough evidence to support that mouth tape is beneficial. Mouth taping is not part of our current practice to treat any sleep disorder. Nonetheless, in patients with sleep apnea, we may recommend mouth taping or to wear a chin strap to decrease an air leak while you’re using a CPAP machine at night.” If you’re struggling with mouth breathing, sleep apnea, or snoring while you slumber, don’t jump straight to a mouth tape like SomniFix or Hostage Tape (yes, that’s really the name) as a quick fix. Instead of trusting TikTok, visit your dentist or doctor to share your concerns. They can help you identify the actual cause of your issue and address it instead of taping over it.
TAKE A BREAK
Tasty Spinach Artichoke Dip
Inspired by DinnerAtTheZoo.com
Ingredients
• 8 oz spinach leaves • 8 oz cream cheese, softened • 1 cup sour cream • 3/4 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts • 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided • Sliced bread, crackers, or tortilla chips for serving
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. 2. In a medium pan, steam or sauté spinach until wilted. When spinach cools, ring out excess water, then chop coarsely. 3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. 4. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. 5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the dip is bubbly. Turn the oven to broil and cook for an
additional 2–3 minutes so the cheese will begin to brown. 6. Immediately serve with bread, crackers, or tortilla chips.
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INSIDE
This Issue The Valuable Lesson Bank Failures Can Teach Us
Why ‘Visible Underwear’ Is Trending
The Secret to ‘Liquid Hair’
Does Mouth Taping Work?
Tasty Spinach Artichoke Dip
Earth Day Documentaries to Watch
5 DOCUMENTARIES TO WATCH ON EARTH DAY
Share the Facts With Your Whole Family!
Earth Day is coming up on Saturday, April 22. But do your kids know why we commemorate the holiday? Do you? If you don’t know much about the history of environmentalism — or just want to learn more about the state of our planet — consider celebrating Earth Day by watching a documentary as a family. Dozens of fantastic films cover everything from the crusade to preserve our coral reefs to how farmers use soil health to enhance the planet. Here are a few of our favorites.
security takes place on five continents and stars celebrities Liam Neeson, Matt Damon, and Jaden Smith. Check it out on Netflix.
‘Extinction: The Facts’ — This hard-hitting documentary from famous nature historian David Attenborough is perfect for kids ages 16 and up. It tackles serious topics like species loss, food and water shortages, and the relationship between climate change and pandemic diseases. “Extinction: The Facts” is available on PBS.org or Prime Video. ‘Kiss the Ground’ — Join actor Woody Harrelson on Netflix for an inspiring look at soil, why it matters, and what farmers and activists are doing to save and enhance it — and our food supply. The documentary is family-friendly and rated G. None of these documentaries existed in 1970 when anti-pollution activists came together to create Earth Day, build the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and pass laws to protect our air and water. But they’re a wonderful extension of that spirit! Hopefully, you’ll be able to find time to watch at least one of them this month. After watching, consider taking action and volunteering for a green project near you.
‘Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic’ — This short five- minute documentary from National Geographic follows a group of Hawaiian students determined to clean up their local beaches. It’s available for free on National Geographic’s YouTube channel! (If you watch it and
love this documentary, check out the PG-rated flick “Plastic Island” on Netflix, which tackles the same issue in Indonesia.)
‘Brave Blue World: Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis’ — This PG-rated documentary about water
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