A few weeks ago, AARP launched a new website which makes it easier to search for information and share it with your on-line community.
AARP decided to overhaul their site after soliciting feedback from users and finding that the digital demands of people over age 50 continues to grow. Their survey revealed that social media was the primary interest among visitors to their website, with Facebook preferred by 23%. In addition to the new site launch, AARP has also increased their presence on Facebook and Twitter.
The original five content channels have been expanded to thirteen and there are buttons to easily share content via several avenues such as email, Facebook, or a blog. The new content covers areas such as Personal Growth and Relationships and includes subtopics such as Transitions, Spirituality and Faith, Parenting, Grandparenting and Caregiving. Instead of the general Leisure category, you can explore Food, Travel, Entertainment and Home and Garden. There is also new content for Work which contains information on Job Hunting, Working after Retirement and Work Life.
In July, most of the site’s content will become available on e-readers, smartphones and mobile phones. Planned enhancements include applications for both the iPhone and iPad and travel destination guides from Frommer’s. Whether you have reached the magic AARP age of 50 or are still a few year’s shy, the new site is packed with useful, easy-to-find information and is worth perusing.
Chris Carleton, CFP®
clcarleton@taaginc.com
http://www.taaginc.com/
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Summer
I’m 50 years old and I have never outgrown the effect summer has over me. Every year when the days get longer, the temperature climbs into the 80’s and the lightening bugs appear at night, I feel like a kid again. I want to get up early, stay out late, and enjoy every minute of the season before its gone.
I grew up on a small farm, so our summers were full of picking strawberries, hoeing rows of corn, shelling peas and climbing apple tress. From dawn to dark we were outside – and with a flashlight we extended the day with a game of flashlight tag. Our parents taught my brother, sister and I how to grow all the farm’s vegetables and fruits. We learned the names of all the birds we heard and could pick them out by their calls. As a biology teacher, our father taught us the name of every tree, bug, weed and flower we saw.
So what did I do with this “nature girl” background? I grew up, majored in accounting and finance, and have worked in an office environment since I was 18! Still, every summer I want to move my desk outside.
Today when I read about the obesity epidemic in children in the US, I can’t help but wonder if a summer spent outside would help slow the trend. We can’t push back the tide of soft drinks, McDonalds , video games and all the changes that they have brought to childhood, but getting out and involved in the outdoors would be a great defense.
My grandson is only four months old, but I am already looking forward to climbing trees and chasing lightening bugs with him in the summers to come!
Jeannette A. Jones, CPA, CFP®
jjones@taaginc.com
http://www.taaginc.com/
I grew up on a small farm, so our summers were full of picking strawberries, hoeing rows of corn, shelling peas and climbing apple tress. From dawn to dark we were outside – and with a flashlight we extended the day with a game of flashlight tag. Our parents taught my brother, sister and I how to grow all the farm’s vegetables and fruits. We learned the names of all the birds we heard and could pick them out by their calls. As a biology teacher, our father taught us the name of every tree, bug, weed and flower we saw.
So what did I do with this “nature girl” background? I grew up, majored in accounting and finance, and have worked in an office environment since I was 18! Still, every summer I want to move my desk outside.
Today when I read about the obesity epidemic in children in the US, I can’t help but wonder if a summer spent outside would help slow the trend. We can’t push back the tide of soft drinks, McDonalds , video games and all the changes that they have brought to childhood, but getting out and involved in the outdoors would be a great defense.
My grandson is only four months old, but I am already looking forward to climbing trees and chasing lightening bugs with him in the summers to come!
Jeannette A. Jones, CPA, CFP®
jjones@taaginc.com
http://www.taaginc.com/
Monday, June 14, 2010
Defining "The Market"
All too often, we hear the term “the market” being used by the most concentrated of its definitions. It is commonplace to refer solely to the Dow Jones Industrial Average as “the market”. The truth is the Dow, while a decent indicator of what is occurring in U.S. large cap growth stocks, is far from the total stock market available to investors.
As of December 31, 2009, the world stock market represented approximately $28.6 Trillion in market capitalization. All U.S. stocks, including large, mid and small-cap comprise just 42% of that market. A truly diversified portfolio has broad exposure to as much of the overall world market as possible in markets that are reasonably stable, liquid, and available at a reasonable cost.
For example, within our moderate portfolio containing 60% equities and 40% fixed income, the thirty stocks that comprise the Dow made up 3.41% of the portfolio as of March 31, 2010. Concentrations in the Dow across the full range of our allocation models measure from a high of 5.55% all the way down to 0.91% as of that same date. That means in a $1 million portfolio, somewhere between $9,144 and $55,482 is invested in those 30 stocks via the funds we use at any given time when balanced.
It is very tempting to allow our emotions to be controlled by the daily fluctuations of the Dow. It is the most widely reported indicator in the US media market and what we hear about on drive-time radio, the evening news and most other daily reports on “the market”.
We preach diversification and know that our clients appreciate and understand the value in having a broad, total market approach to their investments. But sometimes a disconnect exists in what we allow to drive our emotions on a day to day basis. Confusion over why a portfolio actually increases on a day when “the market” is down or vice versa is fairly common.
The fact is that looking at the market’s performance on a daily basis is an unhealthy exercise to begin with, but that’s a different discussion for a different day. If you are a market watcher, make sure you take a moment to realize what “the market” truly represents in your portfolio. If you find your emotions rising and falling each day based on what occurs to just 30 companies, ask yourself what the significance is to your overall portfolio and you’ll hopefully find your pulse slowing.
Chip Workman, CFP®
cworkman@taaginc.com
http://www.taaginc.com
As of December 31, 2009, the world stock market represented approximately $28.6 Trillion in market capitalization. All U.S. stocks, including large, mid and small-cap comprise just 42% of that market. A truly diversified portfolio has broad exposure to as much of the overall world market as possible in markets that are reasonably stable, liquid, and available at a reasonable cost.
For example, within our moderate portfolio containing 60% equities and 40% fixed income, the thirty stocks that comprise the Dow made up 3.41% of the portfolio as of March 31, 2010. Concentrations in the Dow across the full range of our allocation models measure from a high of 5.55% all the way down to 0.91% as of that same date. That means in a $1 million portfolio, somewhere between $9,144 and $55,482 is invested in those 30 stocks via the funds we use at any given time when balanced.
It is very tempting to allow our emotions to be controlled by the daily fluctuations of the Dow. It is the most widely reported indicator in the US media market and what we hear about on drive-time radio, the evening news and most other daily reports on “the market”.
We preach diversification and know that our clients appreciate and understand the value in having a broad, total market approach to their investments. But sometimes a disconnect exists in what we allow to drive our emotions on a day to day basis. Confusion over why a portfolio actually increases on a day when “the market” is down or vice versa is fairly common.
The fact is that looking at the market’s performance on a daily basis is an unhealthy exercise to begin with, but that’s a different discussion for a different day. If you are a market watcher, make sure you take a moment to realize what “the market” truly represents in your portfolio. If you find your emotions rising and falling each day based on what occurs to just 30 companies, ask yourself what the significance is to your overall portfolio and you’ll hopefully find your pulse slowing.
Chip Workman, CFP®
cworkman@taaginc.com
http://www.taaginc.com
Monday, June 7, 2010
Changes Are Coming to Medicare Supplements
If you have a Medicare supplement (Medigap) policy or are turning 65 this year, you need to be aware of the changes that are occurring this month. These changes have nothing to do with health care reform and were suggested by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in order to better protect consumers. Effective June 1, 2010, these changes were and designed to close coverage gaps in the existing plans. Here are the highlights from Medicare’s web site.
- Basic Benefits – Starting with policies effective on or after June 1, 2010, Hospice Part A coinsurance (outpatient prescription drug and inpatient respite care coinsurance) will be covered. Plan K will cover 50% of the costs and Plan L will cover 75% of these costs.
- Part B Coinsurance – Plans K, L, and N will require you to pay a portion of Part B coinsurance and copayments, which may result in lower premiums for these plans. All other Medigap policies pay them at 100%.
- New Plans Offered – Plans M and N are new choices.
- Plans D and G – Plans D and G effective on or after June 1, 2010 have different benefits than D or G Plans bought before June 1, 2010.
- Plans No Longer for Sale – Plans E, H, I, and J will no longer be sold after May 31, 2010. But, if you already have or you buy Plan E, H, I, or J before June 1, 2010, you can keep that plan.
Another plus is that companies will be able to reset their premiums because of the added hospice benefit. This means that there will be more competition in the marketplace, possibly leading to lower cost coverage.
Medicare has published a guide to help you when selecting the plan that will be most beneficial for your individual circumstance.
http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/02110.pdf
If all of this seems overwhelming, don’t worry. There are insurance specialists who receive continuing education on plan availability. We will be hosting a Lunch and Learn in June to help you decide if your current plan remains your best coverage option or whether one of the new plans would better suit your situation.
Chris Carleton, CFP®
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