DuPont Wealth - December 2020

LIFESTYLE ADVOCACY FAMILY FINANCE LAFF is a publication of DuPont Wealth Solutions and The Law Offices of DuPont and Blumenstiel, blending original and curated content, and is intended to educate the general public about investing, finance, estate planning, personal injury, and small-business issues. It is not intended to be legal or financial advice. Every situation is different. The information in this newsletter may be freely copied and distributed as long as the newsletter is copied in its entirety.

20 DEC

MY PREDICTIONS FOR DECEMBER 2020

AS I WRITE THIS ARTICLE, PRE-ELECTION DAY Hello, friends. This month, I’m writing to you in the shadow of the first presidential debate — perhaps that will seem like a lifetime ago by the time this newsletter reaches your hands, but, rest assured, our team’s newsletter timeline is right on track.

changing trends in the world, but I can’t blame him. He’s only in town one day a year.

In the same spirit, I predict that we’ll have COVID-19-themed Christmas cards. For example, Hallmark might have

I won’t recap what happened during that uplifting event, as much as we can draw upon its fount of positive energy for inspiration. I’m going to talk about what’s already on your mind: the future.

a series of reindeers wearing masks. You’d be surprised how brightly Rudolph’s red nose can shine through a N95 mask. I also foretell that 2021 will arrive as scheduled on Jan. 1, and 2021 will be a better year than 2020. Lastly, as I digress a bit more seriously, I predict that I will continue to try to achieve my March to a Million goal by launching a brand-new podcast, “The Financial Advocate.” For about 20–30 minutes each episode, we’ll talk about finances and family planning, both with guests and a sapphire martini, my weapon of choice. I predict that it may not be the No. 1 podcast in the country, but it’ll affect a good number of

I’d like to make a few predictions for the rest of 2020 and beyond, and see what happens. Perhaps my prognostications will be way off! You’ll have to tell me.

First of all, I’ll get the political predictions out of the way. I

predict that — regardless of who wins — by the time you read this, we will have gone through a month of complete and utter chaos. Perhaps we even may not know who’s going to be president, because it may be undecided in one form or another.

people in a positive way.

However, I also predict — regardless of the winning presidential ticket — half of the country will be livid. And the sun will continue to rise in the morning instead of night. (That last one is still political, believe it or not; just ask the anti-sunrise groups.) I also anticipate that we will still be living with COVID-19. According to my historical market calculations, I can even make a projection that the markets will rise after the election. And, sometime after that, they will also fall. (Not necessarily in that order, either.) And while COVID-19 is still on the loose, I’m sure that Santa Claus probably won’t wear a mask coming down the chimney. It’s not because he’s developed an opinion on the matter, though. For example, how many homes still have chimneys anyway? It takes poor Santa a long time to catch onto the

Also, I guarantee that, if you listen to our bi-monthly episodes all year long, you will have spent at least 12 hours listening to podcasts. Although we can’t say for sure what’s going to happen in the future, I think I took a decent stab at it. What are your predictions for 2021? Let’s share our worries and brimming optimism with each other — that alone will make the future a lot brighter. From everyone at DuPont Wealth Solutions, we wish you warm, happy holidays this year.

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5WAYS TOMAKE YOUR HOLIDAY EXTRA ECO-FRIENDLYTHIS YEAR

RENT, BORROW, OR RETHINK YOUR TABLEWARE. If you’re missing proper tableware for your holiday celebration, don’t despair! Some companies will actually let you rent out their dishes for your special evening! You can also borrow tableware from friends and family. But

Sustainability is the gift that keeps on giving, so if you’d like to give a gift to the environment this December, make your holidays anti-plastic! Here are five ways that you can use the latest eco-friendly technology to make sure your Christmas is just as convenient as ever. SET UP RECYCLING BINS. Nobody wants to sort through trash on their holiday, especially if you’re hosting all the parties! To avoid dealing with the waste, set up recycling and composting bins before any home holiday festivities. It’ll make your next trip to a local recycling center so much faster because everything will be organized and easier to manage. USE PAPER CONTAINERS FOR LEFTOVERS. Give your celebration a restaurant-from-home feel by storing and giving away leftovers in paper containers rather than plastic. Paper will dissolve and leave behind much less chemical residue than plastic. Want to make it look extra posh? Stamp the exterior with the family initials! CHANGE UP YOUR GIFT WRAP. Why use wrapping paper every year when you can make your packaging extra interesting, colorful, and creative? Use newspapers, magazines, comics, posters, maps, or even art by your kids to conceal your gifts this year.

you don’t have to use metal tableware. Try following another culture’s customs and serve your food on local ingredients, like palm leaves, coconuts, or wood. LOCALIZE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. If you can buy ingredients like fresh meat or vegetables from local farms, you won’t use as much plastic packaging and you’ll support small businesses at the same time! Never buy one-use plastics if you don’t have to. For every holiday tradition, ask yourself: Can I reduce, reuse, or recycle any components to this? We hope you have a happy, eco-friendly holiday!

Benjamin Todd may have been the last person to talk to the murdered loan officer, and he may have been the one to find him, but when Greg DuPont approaches Detective O’Neil to tell him what they learned at the Ruckmoor earlier that morning, they find that Todd already went straight to the police to tell

them about his conversation. But while his integrity may appear to be intact, his account of finding the body is not quite so pristine. Check out this and prior chapters by visiting our website at DandBLaw.com/ long-dark-escrow-soul/.

Subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast channel:

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THE CRAZIEST 2020 PREDICTIONS THAT NEVER HAPPENED

NO. 2: HAVING A PERSONAL HELICOPTERWOULD BECOME THE NEW NORM. Why drive when you can fly? In the 1951 issue of Popular Mechanics, Thomas E. Stimson Jr. suggested that personal helicopters would become more convenient in the future, consuming any type of fuel from “dime-a- gallon stove oil” to aviation gasoline, and they’d be affordably priced at $5,000 each. NO. 3: WE’LL PRODUCE CANDY FROM UNDERWEAR. In a 1950 article in Popular Mechanics, The New York Times science editor Waldemar Kaempffert made some extraordinarily strange predictions for the future. For one, we’d forget about cooking altogether. “Cooking as an art is only a memory in the minds of old people,” he wrote. “A few die-hards still broil a chicken or roast a leg of lamb, but the experts have developed ways of deep-freezing partially baked cuts

Mathematician and scientist D.G. Brennan wrote in 1968, “I shall not be surprised if on my 92nd birthday I am able to go for a ride in an anti-gravity car.” While we’re still far off from an anti-gravity car (we barely have self-driving cars!), 2020 is a sleek-looking, symmetrical number with plenty of mystique that’s drawn prophecies over the past 100 years. Let’s take a look at a few! NO. 1: A LIVE-IN APE WILL CLEANYOUR HOUSE AND TENDTHE GARDEN. A writer in the 1967 newsletter from The Futurist titled “Women and the Year 2000,” predicted that by 2020 “it may be possible to breed intelligent species of animals, such as apes, that will be capable of performing manual labor ... A live-in ape [could] do the cleaning and gardening chores.” Thankfully, your Roomba’s job is safe — for now.

of meat. Even soup and milk are delivered in the form of frozen bricks.”

While this is true in certain ways (restaurants often get soups delivered in frozen bags), he pushes it further, suggesting that science would completely change our food supply chain: “Thus sawdust and wood pulp are converted into sugary foods. Discarded paper table ‘linen’ and rayon underwear are bought by chemical factories to be converted into candy.” While we’re glad not to be eating underwear candy or chasing around a live-in ape butler in 2020, a personal helicopter might not be so bad. And who knows, there’s still a whole month of this year left!

WORD SEARCH

FESTIVE APPLE CIDER

Inspired by BoulderLocavore.com

If you’re cutting back on calories, skip the eggnog and buttered rum this year and fill up your mug with this delicious mulled cider!

INGREDIENTS

1 lemon

2 tsp allspice berries

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1 gallon pure apple cider

1 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced

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1 large orange, thinly sliced crosswise

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2 tbsp honey

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2 tsp whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

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DIRECTIONS

1. Using a paring knife, shave the lemon peel off in curls. Reserve the curls and save the lemon for use in a different recipe.

CAROL CHEER COCOA FAMILY

GIFT HOLIDAY

SHOVEL SLEDDING SNOW TURQUOISE

2. In a large slow cooker, combine the lemon peel with all other ingredients. Cook on low for 3–4 hours.

HOLLY PEACE

3. If desired, use a sieve to strain the spices. Serve and enjoy!

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INSIDE

My Predictions for December 2020 PAGE 1 5 Ways to Make Your Holiday Extra Eco-Friendly This Year Greg DuPont Podcast PAGE 2 The Craziest 2020 Predictions That Never Happened Festive Apple Cider PAGE 3 Winter Road Trip Essentials You Didn’t Know You

Needed PAGE 4

A DRIVER’S GUIDETO SAFE HOLIDAYTRAVELS

On Sept. 24, 2019, more than 2.5 million people passed through TSA checkpoints at airports across America. On the same date this year, those terminals saw just 826,316 travelers — a nearly 70% drop. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Americans have been thinking twice about air travel, and this holiday, millions of would-be flyers will set out on road trips instead. Road tripping is a great way to avoid contact with a lot of people, but it can also be dangerous, especially in winter weather. Fortunately, you can take several steps to keep your family safe. Getting your car checked before you go, for example, can save you a lot of hassle on the road, as can investing in a set of snow tires. It’s also smart to take precautions such as letting a friend or family member know your route, predicted arrival time, and where you plan to stop for gas along the way. Apart from that, one of the best things you can do is pack an emergency kit. AAA sells premade kits through outlets like Amazon, and you can find a basic kit with things like jumper cables, ponchos, rope, batteries, pliers, zip ties, and a first-aid kit at pretty much any Walmart or sporting goods store. You could even save a life by adding a few more essentials to your kit, like a blanket, snacks, and an extra cellphone charger. Winter Road Trip Essentials You Didn’t Know You Needed

At this point, you’re almost a safety black belt. But to take your kit to the next level for winter driving, there are three more little-known items you should stash in your trunk: a shovel, a bag of sand or cat litter, and an extra bottle of windshield wiper fluid. If you get stuck in a snowbank, the shovel will help you dig your way out without risking frostbitten fingers. The sand or cat litter will boost your traction if you sprinkle it around your wheels in an icy spot, and the extra wiper fluid will make all the difference if you run out during a snowstorm.

Once you’re prepared, crank up the Christmas carols and get driving!

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