Small Tasks, Big Impact

We’ve had a slew of things come across our desks recently that are little things that can be done that can go a long way in protecting our assets & our families in various ways. We wanted to share those briefly with you in this week’s blog.

Next of Kin Registry

For our readers who reside in the State of Ohio, the BMV has created a next-of-kin registry to help expedite emergency notification. The registry is a database of emergency contacts for anyone with a valid driver’s license or state identification card. It enables law enforcement, paramedics and other agencies to find a victim's relatives or emergency contact immediately.
All you need to do to register is click here, fill in the information requested and then list the names of those you would want to be contacted in an emergency. It takes just minutes and could save valuable time in letting someone know of any emergency or making crucial medical decisions at a critical time.
At this time, with nearly 8 million registered motorists in the state, only 150,000 have registered for this service. For your sake and the sake of your family and friends, take a few minutes and go sign up today.

Social Security Statements

For those of you who really look forward to getting that green and white social security statement in the mail each year, I have some bad news for you. The Social Security Administration announced last week that they will no longer be sending them out. The good news? This move will save $30 million this year and $60 million in 2012. Provided you’ve been in the workforce for 10 years, you can still generate a report using the retirement estimator available on the Social Security Administration’s website or by simply clicking here.

Another Reason to Check that Credit

Many of you have likely received some sort of e-mail from an organization you’ve done business with or read in the news about the massive security breach at Epsilon, a Texas online marketing company that sends out more than 40 billion e-mails per year on behalf of their clients. According to a SecurityWeek article, the data belonged to a long list of companies that included Best Buy, Brookstone, Capital One, Citi, Home Shopping Network, JPMorgan Chase, Kroger, LL Bean, Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, TiVo & US Bank.

The information compromised is believed to be limited to names and e-mail addresses only, but do what you can to be vigilant with any suspicious looking e-mails you may receive in the near future. Also, be sure to visit AnnualCreditReport.com, the government sanctioned website where you can pull a credit report from each of the three major bureaus free of charge one time per year.

One More from the BMV

It was brought to our attention recently by an estate-planning attorney we work with that the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles does not accept powers of attorney from outside sources. They only accept their own, which can be found here. Arriving and waiting in line to re-title a vehicle on another’s behalf can be a tedious process to begin with, finding out the POA form you have with you isn’t valid might be enough to send anyone over the edge. If the need arises to use this form, simply fill it out without a date and keep in a secure location.
We hope these are helpful as we’re always on the lookout to help find ways, both big and small, to have a positive impact on your financial and emotional security. If you have any quick tips or questions, please feel free to comment below.

Have a great week,

Chip Workman, CFP®
cworkman@taaginc.com
http://www.taaginc.com/

Necessary Losses

On August 24th my husband and I learned he has Stage III melanoma. Gregg is what some people might call a “health freak” who has exercised nearly every day of his life since grade school, ingests a diet of organic fruits and vegetables, and uses sunscreen religiously. He has done everything within his power to maintain a healthy body; but we have learned, along with many other things over the past few weeks, there are things you can’t control, and DNA is one of them.

My way of coping with bad news is to try to obtain as much information as possible about it, and then determine a plan to deal with it. Unfortunately, the more I read about Stage III melanoma, the more discouraged I became. So I turned to a book, Necessary Losses, by Judith Viorst, to help me cope. In her book, she discusses the many illusions, dependencies and impossible expectations that all of us have to give up in order to grow as individuals. As I read, I recognized that I have been stuck in an illusion she describes as “omnipotent guilt, which rests on the illusion of control – the illusion, for example, that we have absolute power over our loved ones’ well-being. And so, if they suffer or fail or fall ill, we have no doubt that we are to blame, that had we done it differently, or had done it better, we surely would have been able to prevent it.” I know I have felt this way many times. Ironically, this illusion is probably why I became a financial advisor, and why I take my relationships with my clients so personally. Making sure that all the clients of our firm remain emotionally and financially secure has always felt like my life-purpose, not a job.

I’m a CPA and Gregg is an engineer by training, so I am sure we will both be struggling with the issue of control as we deal with his cancer. But instead of being frustrated by the things we cannot control, we have decided to focus on those we can. We are learning about expert doctors and clinics in the field, making sure that Gregg is getting the best treatment possible, and continuing to help him stay healthy, so his body can fight it.

We are also focused on the positive. We are thankful for the gift of meeting each other when we were so young, being happily married for over 30 years and enjoying and appreciating each sweet day of life. I hope you remember to do the same.

Jeannette A. Jones, CPA, CFP®
jjones@taaginc.com
http://www.taaginc.com