Retirement Planning Strategies January 2018

Give us a call! 303-922-4304 www.AnnVanderslice.com Hours: 8-5 M-F

JANUARY 2018

HEALTHY, WEALTHY,

&Wise

1 Denver Federal Center Building 45, Entrance E-9, Room 1050 Lakewood, CO 80225

Resolutions for a Better Career When most people create their New Year’s resolutions, they begin with a grandiose goal. While aiming for the stars is great, it’s not always the best way to create a plan of action that gets you where you want to be. Instead of simply keeping an end goal a reality?” New Year’s resolutions may be personal, but growth is often collaborative. Think of the way athletes train. The sprinter may be the one who crosses the finish line, but there are valuable people behind the scenes who helped them get there.

HOW TO SET REAL GOALS FOR 2018

making your career better is largely out of your control. Everyone experiences headaches from their boss, their group, or even their agency as a whole. But you can control a lot more than you think. The best place to start is to take a look at your attitude and mindset. If you come into work with a feeling of dread, guess what — work is going to be dreadful. Conversely, if you begin your day with a positive attitude, you’ll be shocked at how quickly work starts to feel rewarding. Don’t let factors out of your control weigh you down this year. Focus on what you can do and on whom you can have an impact. Simply changing your perspective will create a ripple effect, leading to more wins and fewer headaches. I want to wish everyone a wonderful 2018. If you are drafting resolutions this year, remember to be specific, positive, and forward-looking. Then, create a road map to get to your destination. There may be a few speed bumps along the way, but they won’t send you spiraling off the road.

in mind, you’ll find that quantifying the goal and creating a concrete set of steps to work toward your goal every day will actually yield progress. To illustrate how this concept could work, let’s use the most popular resolution as an example: weight loss. Saying you want to lose weight is a pretty nebulous goal when you think about it. But if you imagine yourself in a size-eight dress, your brain can conceptualize what that might look like. Write this goal down and put it somewhere you’ll see it — the bathroom mirror is a great spot — and look at it often. Even better, record your daily progress. Ask yourself what you can do this month, this week, and this very minute to achieve that long-term goal. Remember, not every day will be a step forward, but don’t let that discourage you. Of course, weight loss isn’t a goal for everybody. When you sit down to select a goal, I recommend you ask two questions. First, “What would make my life better?” Secondly, “Who can help make this goal

One area where all of us can resolve to make improvements is in our work lives. You spend a great deal of your waking hours at work, so you might as well resolve to make those hours better and more productive. It might seem like

–Ann Vanderslice

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The Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

Improve Your Health With the Mediterranean Diet

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Nuts and seeds

Calorie-cutting diets are a thing of the past. Instead of depriving our bodies of nutrients, we’ve turned to lifestyle changes that can be maintained for a lifetime. Losing weight and reaching a healthy nutritional balance isn’t easy, and a few months of eating 1,000 calories per day or shakes just does not cut it. Enter the Mediterranean diet, a lifestyle change that’s quite popular and effective. This diet is inspired by the traditional eating habits of people throughout Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Spain. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is a realistic and sustainable way to reduce disease-causing inflammation and lose weight, and it is one of the most heart- conscious ways of eating. The Mediterranean lifestyle promotes heart- healthy foods, including: Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens and non-starchy veggies with intense colors

in its natural state (for example whole potatoes versus frozen fries) is usually much less costly than using highly processed food. Additionally, increasing the use of lentils and beans as a source of protein will help reduce costs at the grocery store. Some Mediterranean diet enthusiasts may believe that if a daily glass of wine is good for your heart, then three glasses per day is okay, too. While moderate amounts of red wine certainly have unique heart benefits, drinking too much has the opposite effect. The Mayo Clinic recommends no more than five ounces of wine daily for women and men over 65, and no more than 10 ounces per day for those under 65. Anything more is bad for your heart. But even if you switch over to Mediterranean- friendly recipes, your work doesn’t stop there. It’s also important to mirror the other ways these Europeans live their lives. When it’s time to eat, don’t rush or watch TV. Sit down, relax, and enjoy a leisurely meal with others. And of course, get plenty of exercise.

Legumes and beans

Herbs and spices

Whole grains

Wild-caught fish and seafood

High-quality, pasture-raised poultry, eggs, cheese, goat milk, and yogurt

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Red meat, but only on special occasions

• Daily glasses of red wine Following the Mediterranean diet has many benefits. The Mayo Clinic credits this lifestyle with reduced incidences of cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. In addition, women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts may have a reduced risk of breast cancer. It’s not just about the type of foods, it’s also about taking the time to cook rather than microwaving or using highly processed foods. Many people believe it costs a small fortune, but the reality is that food acquired

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Olive oil

SHARE THE LOVE AT WORK WHY WE USE PROPFUEL Due to some combination of architecture, wind patterns, and foliage, we always his landscaping, he found a note from Ann thanking him for restoring order “even when the wind ruins our best intentions.”

seem to have a pile of leaves right outside our door. It’s like being at the bottom of a leaf funnel. No matter how much prep we do, you can bet the leaves will be there. That’s why we were so grateful to see Trace Teboda, our new business specialist, outside with a leaf blower one morning. It’s certainly not part of his job description — though we guess that a clear walkway isn’t going to hurt new business — so it was just another example of our team going above and beyond. The reason we tell this story is because it illustrates a perfect opportunity to compliment (or give props) to a staff member. In the past, those props would’ve been doled out in the form of a thank- you, high-five, or pat on the back. For the past few months, however, we’ve been using a service called PropFuel to hand out compliments where the whole team can see them. When Trace came in from

While PropFuel is great for sharing love, that’s not all it does. At Retirement Planning Strategies, we also use it for team-building activities like our question of the week. One week, we might ask everyone’s favorite wintertime beverage. The next, we ask everyone to name a movie they can’t stand. These may not be the most crucial activities, but they give everyone something fun to talk about. Additionally, you can use PropFuel to discuss work projects or everyone’s mood in a given week. PropFuel is a fun way to spread some thanks, recognize great effort, and involve everyone in casual water-cooler conversations. We’ve really enjoyed having it around the office.

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Do You Know Your Risk Number? Market Corrections and Your Portfolio

Free Portfolio Risk Analysis Everyone understands that their investment portfolio needs to align with their savings goals. Managing risk is crucial in ensuring that your investment mix matches where you’re at in life. While this concept is clear in the abstract sense, quantifying risk is a lot murkier, especially when you have a variety of investments and assets. That’s why the Retirement Planning Strategies website offers a free portfolio risk-assessment test. less risk you are exposed to. A score of one is comparable to having all of your money buried in the backyard. A score in the 90s, on the other hand, equates to the investment strategy of a venture capitalist. Of course, most people will be closer to the middle, but everyone’s number will be different. The score is based on a scale ranging from one to 99. The lower the score, the

Our test provides you with two scores. The first is based on personal questions related to your age, career status, and savings goals. This number will reveal your ideal investment mix number. The second uses your investment allocations to see where your portfolio scores currently. If you have a personal score far higher than your allocation score, you can probably stand to increase your high-growth, high- risk investments within your portfolio. Conversely, if your allocation number exceeds your personal one, you should think about moving funds into lower-risk products. Remember that these numbers should be viewed through the lens of where you’re at in life and what your goals are. It stands to reason that a person in their 30s with a long working life ahead of them can stand to have a riskier portfolio than somebody a few years away from retirement. Diversification is important for everybody, but how you will diversify is a personal decision.

The risk assessment test won’t give you guidance on how to manage your portfolio, but it’s a great conversation starter to discuss strategy. Take the test for yourself at annvanderslice.com and then set up a consultation to discuss your results.

Train Your

BRAIN!

WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE SLOW COOKER RASPBERRY Looking for a way to prepare a warm treat for the kids while they’re out building snowmen? Break out the slow cooker and enjoy the best hot cocoa you’ve ever had!

Recipe inspired by SlowCookerGourmet.net.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup white chocolate chips • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk • 2 cups heavy cream, divided • 3 cups milk (any variety will do)

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla • 4 tablespoons raspberry liqueur or syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. In a slow cooker, combine white chocolate chips, condensed milk, 1

2. In a large bowl, mix remaining 1 cup cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. 3. Using a hand or stand

4. Serve mugs of hot chocolate with

about 1 tablespoon of raspberry liqueur or syrup to taste and a dollop of whipped cream.

cup cream, and milk. Cover and heat on low about 2 hours.

mixer, whip until stiff peaks form.

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issue INSIDE THIS A Goal You Can Work Towards PAGE 1

Have You Heard of the Mediterranean Diet? A Tool for Giving Props PAGE 2 Does Your Portfolio Match Your Goals? Warm Up With Some Hot Cocoa PAGE 3

The Holiday Time Forgot PAGE 4

WILL YOU CELEBRATE TWELFTH NIGHT?

The holidays are over, and you know what that means: no more Christmas carols on the radio! After all, there’s no reason to play carols once Christmas is over, right? Not exactly. You might be surprised to learn “The 12 Days of Christmas” isn’t about the 12 days leading up to Christmas. It’s about the days after Christmas. It all builds up to January 5, a holiday many people have forgotten: Twelfth Night. In certain sects of Christianity, Twelfth Night is the eve of Epiphany (January 6), the day when the three kings — or the three wise men — brought gifts to baby Jesus. During the medieval and Tudor periods of England, Twelfth Night was a massive celebration. Communities gathered together to drink punch, go wassailing — a form of caroling — and feast upon a massive cake with a bean and a pea

baked inside. As part of the Twelfth Night tradition, whichever man and woman found the bean or pea would be king and queen for the night. The Twelfth Night cake fit seamlessly with the holiday’s famous theme of role reversal, a nod to the biblical kings who bowed to a baby in a manger. Shakespeare’s beloved comedy “Twelfth Night” was originally intended to be performed on or around Twelfth Night. The play contains many of the topsy-turvy themes of Twelfth Night, such as a woman who dresses as a man and a servant who dreams of becoming a noble. While Twelfth Night is no longer a massive festival, some still celebrate the holiday in England and other European countries. In fact, many modern traditions stem from the old holiday. For example, many

people believe you must take down your Christmas decorations by Twelfth Night or risk bad luck. Twelfth Night once marked the end of the holiday season, and it was met with the same enthusiasm as New Year’s Eve. Interested in reviving the tradition and throwing your own Twelfth Night party? You can find some excellent tips at thedailymeal.com/holidays/how-throw- twelfth-night-party.

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