Today’s blog will start with some personal thoughts. I’m writing this on February 17th, my birthday. It’s a birthday I share with basketball great Michael Jordan and singer Ed Sheeran. This year’s birthday is a significant one as the year ends with a zero.
Yesterday morning I was on a Zoom call with a group that meets twice every month.
One asked, “If I could have anything I want for my birthday, what would it be?” An answer didn’t come immediately to mind. After thinking a little, I answered that I’d appreciate the opportunity to take the trip my wife and I had planned for our 25th anniversary – we celebrated that in June of 2020. We couldn’t go – and still haven’t gone – because of Covid. Some family trips have been missed, too. We have created some special memories with the trips we have taken. While our kids are older and getting closer to moving out on their own, I hope we can take more in the future.
I’m a lucky guy. Yes, I faced several trials and tribulations along the way. But I can’t complain about how things turned out. Starting a business from scratch was not easy. But the decision to launch Apprise was the best career decision I ever made – the only decision of any kind that tops it was asking Diana to marry me. I appreciate the opportunity to work with clients, to get to know them, and hopefully make a difference in their lives. At the same time, it allows me to take care of my family and improve the quality of their lives as well.
I thought about my friend’s question more after our call. I know the real answer. My wife and I have four kids. To different degrees, Covid has disrupted their lives. It has hurt the college experiences of our middle two. Our youngest hasn’t experienced high school in the same way her brothers did. The post-college life of our oldest hasn’t started the way he would like either. Recently, I’ve become a fortunate beneficiary of that. He’s helping me with Apprise. I appreciate his help more than I can put into words. I also enjoy the conversations it leads to – both personal and professional.
This leads to the real answer to my friend’s question. I want all four of our children to live happy and successful lives. Nothing would make me happier. As a parent, I can’t think of anything I want more.
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This week’s articles include a reminder about the frequency of stock market corrections and other market pullbacks.
Here are the links to this week’s articles as well as a brief description of each:
1. How Often Should You Expect a Stock Market Correction?
When it comes to the market, all roads do not point to the sky. While the market has provided long-term gains, we can expect corrections and bear markets. This year we have seen increased volatility as well. This blog shares some data related to how often the market falls 5%, 10%, 20%, or more.
2. 4 Morning Habits for a Highly Productive Work Day.
Mornings matter. It’s important to start the day off right. A good start can lead to a more productive day. Establishing healthy morning habits can make a big difference. If you would like to increase your morning productivity, you can benefit from adopting the habits discussed in this article. For me, times have changed over the years. I used to be a night owl. Not any more. Being a parent helped change that. My mornings start by 5:25 every weekday. That’s when I get out of bed. I start my day off with 50 minutes on the elliptical, and I notice it when I miss a day. My early morning practices address the first two habits shared in this blog. I try to take care of the third before shutting down for the day. I practice the fourth but probably not often enough.
3. Aging in Place.
When I work with clients on their financial plans, one of the topics we discuss relates to their thoughts about end-of-life care. It’s an important topic but not a popular one. Most people would prefer to age in place. If you want to do that, you need to prepare. Most homes aren’t designed for people with disabilities. Doorways and hallways may be too narrow. Bathrooms may be too small. If you need a wheelchair or a walker, you may have trouble navigating your home. This article discusses some of the modifications you may need to make to your home. You may also want to read Giving Directions. It provides an important reminder of the need for advance directives. These allow someone to speak on your behalf when you can’t speak for yourself. Your living will also describes the specific types of treatment you want in the event of terminal injury or the inability to express your wishes.
4. 7 Security Behaviors to Protect Yourself From Hackers.
Our reliance on the digital world increases every day. If we want to protect our homes, we put locks on doors. Some families install alarm systems. Unfortunately, many people try to capitalize on our failure to protect our digital assets. You should have a digital security stack, too. That includes having the right mindset and the right behaviors. This article shares seven steps we can take to help lower the chance that a hacker can hurt us. It’s not a complete list of everything we can do. But these are simple steps you can take to improve your security almost right away.
5. Where to Donate All of Your Unwanted Stuff.
We all have things in our homes we no longer need. Whether we like it or not, our kids don’t want much of what we have. If we can, we should make it easier on them by getting rid of things before we’re gone. Cleaning out the home of a departed loved one can be difficult. The question is, “What do we do with our things?” If you have things in your home you no longer want or need, check out this article. It offers some great suggestions to help you find new homes for electronics, medical supplies, furniture, and more. When donating items, make an itemized list of what you donate. You can potentially claim a tax deduction for what you give away.
Please note that in the next few weeks I will be changing the schedule for Apprise’s weekly blog. Soon, it will be distributed on Tuesdays rather than Fridays.
Our practice continues to benefit from referrals from our clients and friends. Thank you for your trust and confidence.
We hope you find the above posts valuable. Please complete our contact form if you would like to talk to us about financial topics, including your investments, creating a financial plan, saving for college, or saving for retirement. We will be in touch. You can also schedule a call or a virtual meeting via Zoom.
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For firm disclosures, see here: https://apprisewealth.com/disclosures/
Phil Weiss founded Apprise Wealth Management. He started his financial services career in 1987 working as a tax professional for Deloitte & Touche. For the past 25+ years, he has worked extensively in the areas of financial planning and investment management. Phil is both a CFA charterholder and a CPA.
Located just north of Baltimore, Apprise works with clients face-to-face locally and can also work virtually regardless of location.
