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Greetings!
Happy New Year ... and Thank You!
All of us at Thiesen Dueker Group would like to wish you and your family a New Year full of blessings. We hope we always do a good job of saying "Thank you!" for letting us be a part of your team. But, we'd like to say it again to start 2012. It means a lot to us that you choose TD Group for your business and personal financial planning. We take your trust seriously and we'll never take it for granted. Enjoy and let's all have a great 2012 ... together!
Let's stay proactive for your future ...
It is no surprise that economic conditions over the past few years have created unique challenges for managing wealth and pursuing financial and investment goals. Many investors are seeking guidance that emphasizes caution and protection as our nation slowly works through what we hope will be a strong, steady recovery. Regardless of what economic and market changes may transpire, we will work with you to address changing priorities and help you pursue your long-term goals. We'll help you clarify your financial picture and understand your options so you can make well-advised decisions regarding your financial future. As always, we want you to contact us any time if you have questions or if there is anything we can do for you.
Great turnout at Annual Client Appreciation Tailgate
On November 5, 2011 we hosted our annual Thiesen Dueker Group Client Appreciation Tailgate at Bulldog Stadium. What a great turnout we had! About 300 Bulldog fans came out to share in the spirit. This event just seems to get bigger and more fun each year. Thank you to those who came and enjoyed a great party. Dick Brothers Catering cooked up a great meal, and Fancy Faces painted the kids' faces. If you missed it this 2011 vent, you'll definitely want to plan to attend this year. You'll be hearing from us as the time draws near!
Toys for Tots
We hosted an event on December 8 at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting to support the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation. In conjunction with Trelio Restaurant and Sam's Italian Deli, we collected lots of toys for children of our Valley. More than 150 friends attended, with each guest donating 2 to 5 new and unwrapped toys. We also received cash donations of $8000! And, as promised, Thiesen Dueker Group delighted in matching all gifts and donations. A few of our team members gathered up their own children (as hip toy experts) and hit the toy stores. They had so much fun filling up those carts! It was a pleasure for all of us to deliver boxes and boxes of toys to the folks at Toys for Tots. We can just imagine all the joy they brought to kids around the Valley! Thank you to the wonderful people at Ferguson Bath, Trelio and Sam's for helping us put together a fabulous evening for those who attended. And Thank you to all who attended!
TD Group News
Happy Birthday to those on our team who recently celebrated birthdays: Holly Bare, Diana Kliewer, Rebeka Leighton, and Brian Nunes. Also, congratulations to Brian and Katherine Nunes whom are expecting their second baby boy in April.
Welcome Michael Muhareb
Please welcome Michael Muhareb to Team TD. Michael is a highly motivated Registered Representative. We are excited to bring another team member on board with his level of knowledge and professionalism. |
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Excerpt from Diana's Diary 12-25-11:
Wow! I can't believe I am almost to start my 16th year of volunteering at Kern Medical Center. I have had so many experiences that I never would have imagined. Me working in the Gift Shop - selling - and enjoying it! I can't begin to count all the people I have met. Some of my most memorable times have been Christmas Day. Around forty years ago, the Auxiliary started giving Christmas presents to all the patients on Christmas morning. I have been honored to carry on that tradition for the last six years. It's the one day of the year I don't complain about an alarm clock going off before 5 a.m., cleaning the frost off the windshield, so I can be on my way across town to the hospital.
Yesterday morning I took the gifts up to Labor & Delivery and the Psych areas. This morning Nabilah and Mohammed came and we had a great time going through all the other patient areas with all our goodies. As usual, we start with ICU and DOU. Unfortunately today they were full and the staff was really busy so we just left the gifts for them to pass out when they had time. Talk about a blessing - getting to go into NICU and see all those tiny babies. What miracles they are. So small but still they each have all their little fingers and toes. With all the angels watching over them, it gets pretty crowded in there; but I wouldn't want it any other way. It is really neat to see the patients' eyes brighten up when you tell them Santa Claus was here during the night and didn't want to wake them up so we are his helpers this morning. This year had one patient who asked how much the gift cost. What a blessing to be able to tell him - no cost - gift from Santa. As usual we ended up with the moms and babies. Only Scrooge would leave that area with a frown.
My best Christmas gift: God blessing me with the passion, vision and willingness to be involved with people in whatever situation I find myself. Today He blessed me more than imaginable by being able to visit with all the patients, staff and visitors at the hospital with a smile and wishes for a blessed Christmas Day. |
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Things to Think About...... |
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For many Americans, financial life seems to be getting more and more complicated. Perhaps that's because more workers bear responsibility for their own retirement savings thanks to the proliferation of 401(k) and other plans. Or maybe it's because there's so much information and so many investment choices to sort through. Whatever the case, here are some suggestions that may help to simplify your financial life.
1. Start with a Plan
A little time spent planning now can benefit you later. First determine short-term financial goals. Do you want to purchase a home in five years? Are your kids heading off to college soon? Is buying a car a top priority next year? Next, think about long-term goals, such as saving for retirement and, if your children are young, college expenses. Estimate how much money you'll need to meet each of these goals.
2. Build a Better Budget
Next, look at your current monthly net income and then set up a budget. Creating a budget allows you to see exactly where all your money goes and to determine where you can scale back. After making cuts, invest that money to help pursue your financial goals.
3. Invest Systematically
You can take time and guesswork out of investing with a systematic investing program. With mutual funds, for example, you can make arrangements to automatically invest a specific amount of money on a regular (e.g., monthly) basis, a stategy also known as dollar cost averaging.* In addition to making investing easier, dollar cost averaging could potentially save you money. You'll buy more shares when prices are low and fewer shares when they're high. Over time, the average cost you pay for the shares may be less than the average price.
*Dollar cost averaging involves regular, periodic investments in securities regardless of price levels. You should consider your financail ability to continue purchasing shares through periods of high and low prices. This plan does not assure a profit and does not protect against loss in declining markets.
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Getting Off On The Right Foot in 2012
Every year brings some financial change, so here are some relevant changes relating to investment, tax and estate planning for 2012.
Retirement plans. 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plan annual contribution limits rise slightly to $17,000, and you can contribute an additional $5,500 to these accounts if you are 50 or older this year. IRA contribution levels are unchanged from 2011: the ceiling is $5,000, $6,000 if you will be 50 or older in 2012.1
As you strive to contribute as much as you comfortably can to these accounts this year, you will probably notice some changes with the retirement plan at your workplace. In 2012, retirement plan sponsors (i.e., employers) will have to note all of the fees and expenses linked to the funds in the plan to plan participants. So if you have a 401(k) or 403(b), you may notice some differences in the disclosures on your statements and you will probably notice more information coming your way about fees. There is also a push in Washington, D.C. to have financial companies provide lifetime income illustrations on retirement plan account statements, projections of your expected monthly benefit at retirement age.2
Income taxes. Wealthy Americans are set to face greater income tax burdens in 2013, so 2012 may be the last year to take advantage of certain factors. For example, the top tax bracket in 2013 is slated to be at 39.6% instead of the current 35%. This year, capital gains and dividends will be taxed at 15% or less for everyone, 0% for those in the 10% and 15% tax brackets. In 2013, the qualified capital gains tax rate is scheduled to rise to 20% and qualified dividends will be taxed as ordinary income. So taking a little more income in 2012 could be smart.3
In 2013, the wealthiest Americans are supposed to be hit with new Medicare taxes: a new 3.8% levy on unearned income (such as capital gains, income from real estate, dividends and interest) and a new 0.9% tax or earned income. So next year, the truly wealthy could effectively face in the neighborhood of 45% federal taxes.3
Additionally, the IRS is planning to limit itemized deductions for upper-income taxpayers in 2013. A phase-out will also apply for the personal exemption deduction.3
Estate & gift taxes. At the end of 2012, some very nice estate tax breaks could sunset. Barring action by Congress, 2013 could see a 20% leap in the federal estate tax rate from 35% to 55%. The individual estate tax exclusion (currently $5.12 million) is scheduled to be reduced to $1 million.3
As we have unified gift and estate tax rates, those numbers and percentages also apply to gift taxes. That is, from 2012 to 2013 top federal gift tax rate is set to go from 35% to 55% and the lifetime gift tax exemption amount is scheduled to fall $4,120,000 per individual to $1 million. The annual gift tax exemption is $13,000 per recipient in 2012; there is an exemption limit for qualifying educational and medical payments. If you want to gift relatives or friends, you may want to avoid procrastinating for another very good reason: when you make such a gift early in a year, the recipient will gain both the principal and any appreciation tied to the gifted asset in that year.3,4
Speaking of gifts, we said goodbye to charitable IRA gifts in 2011. The IRA charitable rollover, a boon to non-profits and a handy tax deduction option for taxpayers older than age 70½, was not extended into 2012, not even temporarily as a sweetener to the payroll tax extension bill. There is hope it will be back. Two bills have been introduced in Congress with that goal, one sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and another by Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). The proposed legislation would let IRA owners start making charitable IRA gifts at age 59½ and remove the $100,000 limit on the rollovers.5
The limits on the generation-skipping transfer tax could change, too: assuming the Bush-era tax cuts do sunset, the GSTT rate would jump from 35% this year to 55% in 2013, with the GSTT exemption falling from $5,120,000 per person this year to roughly $1.3 million per person next year.3
So given all these changes, it might be wise to meet with the financial professional you know and trust early in 2012 as you strive to start the year off on the right foot. You have until April 17 to file your federal return, but you can plan now.
This material was prepared by MarketingLibrary.Net Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. Marketing Library.Net Inc. is not affiliated with any broker or brokerage firm that may be providing this information to you. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is not a solicitation or a recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment. |
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Easy and Tasty Barbecue Chicken  Sandwiches in the Crock Pot
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 (18 ounce) jar of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
4-6 hamburger buns
Directions:
Remove all visible fat from the chicken and toss it in the crock pot. Place the onion slices on top of the chicken. Pour barbecue sauce over top. You may not need the entire jar, just enough to cover the chicken. Cook it on LOW for 8 hours or until the chicken is nice and tender. Shred the chicken with a fork and knife; scoop the mixture onto the hamburger buns. You might prefer leaving the breasts whole and eating it like that. Serve with your favorite chips and dip or cole slaw! |
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Upcoming Events
January 28, 2012
February 1-6, 2012
February 4 & 11, 2012
Visalia Farmers Market
February 5, 2012
Superbowl Sunday
February 11 & 25, 2012
February 13, 2012
Lincoln's Birthday
February 14, 2012
Valentine's Day
February 19, 2012
February 20, 2012
President's Day
March 1, 2012
Clovis Advantage Business Trade Show
March 1-10, 2012
March 18, 2012
March 27, 2012
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Featuring Brooke Simmons!
Brooke began her career in the financial services industry in 1995 as a Client Service Assistant. By 1998, she securities licensed and realized that she really loved the legal and compliance side of the business. She continued with her licensing and now has 5 securities licenses as well as her insurance license. Brook has been the Operations and Compliance Manager since joining Thiesen Dueker Group in 2010 and handles all regulatory responsibilities as well as staff management and human resources. She is married to Mike and has 2 children; Austin and Madison.
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Market Stats
as of January 26, 2012
Index YTD%
Dow +4.43
Nasdaq +7.77
S&P 500 +4.98
CNNMoney.com |
Jeff Thiesen
Partner
LPL Registered Representative
Lance Dueker Partner LPL Registered Representative
James Kliewer LPL Registered Represetative
Jasin Carlen LPL Registered Representative Holly Bare
Retirement Plan Consultant
LPL Registered Representave
Katie Battistoni
LPL Registered Representative
Thomas Frost
LPL Registered Representative
Jason Link
LPL RegisteredRepresentative
Brian Nunes
LPL Registered Representative
Ronald Young LPL Registered Representative Ryan Purkiss
LPL Registered Representative
Michael Muhareb
LPL Registered Representative
Kimberly Choi-Lindley
Client Service Assistant
Reynaldo Cardenas
Client Service Assistant
Jamie Davis
LPL Registered Client Service Assistant
Tess Dawson
Client Service Assistant
Diana Kliewer
Client Service Assistant
Rebeka Leighton
Client Service Assistant
Brooke Simmons
LPL Branch Operations
Compliance Manager
Tina St. Louis
Client Service Assistant
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Our Services
Retirement Planning
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Simple/SEP IRAs -
IRA Rollovers and IRA Consolidations -
401(k), 403(b), Profit Sharing and Defined Benefit Plans -
Income Distributions and RMDs
Financial Strategies
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Comprehensive and Modular Financial Plans -
Risk and Insurance Analysis -
Wealth Accumulation and Income Planning -
Personal, Family and Charitable Trusts -
Private Trust Services
Investment Management
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Access to Fiduciary Services* -
Investment Policy Statements -
Asset Allocation Modeling -
Investment Manager Search and Selection -
Performance Monitoring -
Institutional Research
Educational Funding
Investment options and tools
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CDs and Money Market Funds -
Tax-advantaged Municipal and Treasury Bonds -
Domestic and Foreign Stock and Bonds -
Mutual Funds, Unit Trusts and ETFs -
Fixed and Variable Annuities -
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Alternative Investments - REITs
*LPL Financial representatives offer access to fiduciary services through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial.
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