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June 2011 | Vol 2, Issue 5
Serving up financial planning and investment advice with a dash of fun!
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Dream it...
Plan it...
Live it!
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Greetings!
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QE2 sounds like a luxury liner -except, Titanic2 would be a better fit. Was Ben Bernanke right or wrong to go another round of quantitative easing ("QE2")? Only time will tell but we should all be interested in what QE2 is, what it does, and what it's supposed to do. This excellent article in the Dallas Morning News explains QE2 in plain 'ole English.
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Fund Find of the Month:
Real estate without the maintenance
|  We're reviewing a "sector" fund this month. Sector fundsinvest solely in businesses that operate in a particular industry or sector of the economy. You may recall that our October issue had a review of the Tocqueville Gold Fund (TGLDX), a gold sector fund. A sector fund allows you...
read more...
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A Fee-Only™ advisor works for you, not commissions. Email or call us at for a "no-strings attached" review (by phone or in person - it's up to you). 270/247.0555. |
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Tip of the Month:
10 Retirement Planning Mistakes to Avoid
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Planners used to tell people to save enough to last 20 years in retirement. Modern actuarial tables tell us it is now closer to 30 years. While it's great news that we're living longer, we don't get a "do-over" if we reach retirement age financially unprepared.
We've heard some great "reasons" for overspending and under-saving, such as... read more...
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(Almost) Famous Recipes of the Month: The Pioneer Woman Cooks
|  Boy, are you in for a treat this month! After my surgery, sister Barbara kindly sent The Pioneer Woman's latest book to my Kindle, hoping it would keep me in bed where she thought I belonged. After a few pages, I was in love. Upon finishing, I wasn't ready to part with my new best friend, so it was on to The Pioneer Woman blog (which I now check daily, right after The Drudge Report). I would compare Ree Drummond (the PW) to Martha Stewart (but with a wicked sense of humor, married to a real cowboy, and living on a ranch with four little cowpokes). I could go on and on about the homeschooling, the $1 million/year blog, the talent for photography, but you would probably not believe me...and I do have a reputation to maintain.  Let's just say that the PW is both interesting and incredible - trust me (and then check out her blog).
Ree recently published a cookbook, but she shares most of the recipes for free on her blog. I am not one to take chances but a couple of weeks ago I invited a preacher/friend (who happens to be the BF's best friend) and his wife for dinner and tried 3 of PW's recipes. It just felt right. They were delicious and easy and we all had second helpings. (As my grandparents used to say, I almost "swallered my tongue".)
With garlic bread and  Mrs. Preacher bringing homemade banana pudding (the only kind that matters) for dessert, we were well fed. Click through any picture to read my tasting notes and suggestions. Here's the menu:
As they left, Mrs. Preacher said, "You know, you should include those recipes in your next newsletter." So here they are.
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Cash Conservation 101
protecting your dollars from extinction
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To get the peppers required in the Shredded Pork (above), I paid a visit to our local Latino grocery, La Michoacana. Located on Cuba Road in Mayfield, it has been our go-to store for all things Mexican for over five years now. It always amazes me, though, that  I seem to be the only person shopping there whose native tongue is English. Why is that? The produce is fresh and generally less expensive than what I find at our Wal-Mart. Whether you are local or across the country, chances are you have an ethnic market nearby. Try something new for a change!
(BUT...If you happen to be in Mayfield on any weekend...
read more...)
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In Closing...
 As I write this, the Dow ended May up 128 (which is nice) and is this morning down about the same (which is not so nice). BOTH NUMBERS ARE RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS. How can I say that? Because we are not day-traders, or week-traders, or month-traders. As our clients know, we believe strongly that the best way to watch your portfolio is to NOT WATCH your portfolio...or CNBC...or Money Magazine...or any of the media outlets (if you have found an advisor who shares your values and who has earned your trust, that is). If you don't use an advisor, figure out a long-term strategy (which is the easy part) and then stick to it (which is the hard part). If you are having trouble with the hard part, maybe it's time to interview prospective advisors. You have nothing to lose - but quite possibly very much to gain.
Best wishes and God bless,
Johanna Fox Turner has worked in the financial services industry as a CPA for over 30 years and owns two businesses, Johanna Fox, CPA, Inc. and Milestones Financial Planning, LLC. You can learn more by downloading her resume' from the Milestones Financial Planning website. Top of page
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Milestones Financial Planning, LLC
907 Paris Road
Mayfield, KY 42066
270/247.0555 (phone)
270/247.2080 (fax)
800/991.2721 (toll-free)
advisor@milestonesfp.com
http://milestonesfp.com
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