PiggyBankWritingPersonal Money Planning's

e-Newsletter for January 1, 2011

(to look at past issues, click here)

Also In This Issue
The New Year
Sunday Columns
Biz to Biz Column
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Facebook Postings
parting thoughts: HAPPY New Year
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   "The New Year"
 

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve.  Middle age is when you're forced to.  ~Bill Vaughn

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits.  ~Author Unknown


A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.  ~Author Unknown


Disclosure

 

This newsletter is produced by Gary Silverman, dba Personal Money Planning, a registered investment advisor located in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Information in this newsletter is believed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regards to the subject matter covered. However, the accuracy, timeliness, or applicability of the information is not guaranteed and is provided with the understanding that we are not rendering legal, accounting, tax, or other professional advice or services.

This publication should not be construed by any consumer and/or prospective client as Personal Money Planning's solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, over the Internet. Nor should links provided to other sites be construed as the recommendation of the services or products mentioned on those sites. If such services are required, the help of a competent professional should be sought.

Remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Therefore, you should not assume that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product made reference to (directly or indirectly) on this Website will be profitable or equal to indicated performance levels. Different types of investment involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment will either be suitable or profitable for your investment portfolio.

Historical performance results for investment indexes and categories generally do not reflect the deduction of transaction or custodial charges or the deduction of an investment management fee, the incurrence of which would have the effect of decreasing historical performance results.

A copy of Personal Money Planning's current written disclosure statement discussing Personal Money Planning's business operations, services, and fees (known as an ADV Part II) is available from Personal Money Planning upon written request (and can be downloaded from our web site).

Personal Money Planning does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to Personal Money Planning's web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility therefore. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

 
 Gary Silverman, CFP
top"Bling" in the New Year?


 

As you may know, I've frequented Las Vegas for many years. I find it a great place to get away and get some writing done. (No, not this one, I'm in an airport right now.)

Vegas? Is that really an appropriate place for a financial advisor to go? Sure. It's got cheap rooms and great food (that's not cheap). I can park my computer and my butt in the room all day and get some work done.

But isn't the temptation to gamble too great to bear? Not really. That's not one of my weaknesses. Though I love a good game of poker, I hadn't played that or put as much as a penny in a slot machine for over two years...until November. That's when Joanne came out with me. This was more than a writing trip; it was a vacation to visit friends and family in the area.

So, as part of the entertainment, we sat down and played the slots. Yes, I know it is the lousiest odds in Las Vegas. But in the long-run, you'll lose money whether you play craps, blackjack, or the slots; and the slots have pretty pictures, flashing lights, and sound effects.

Over the course of five minutes, Joanne and I managed to turn our $1 into $0. I was rather bummed. Okay, it was less than the cost of a candy bar, but my dollar was gone. However, this story has a happy ending. We found another machine (Joanne found it actually) that was the prettiest one out there. There were more flashing lights and pretty pictures (including video feeds!) that I had ever seen. There were even sound effects...the chair had stereo built into it.

There Joanne sat and managed to build our bankroll from an initial "contribution" of $1 to $2.30. At that point she promptly cashed out. I love her!


 
Gary Silverman, CFP
 
gary's Sunday newspaper columnSunday Newspaper Articles You May Have Missed
From the Wichita Falls Times Record News
 
Tax Rules for Year-End Charitable Contributions
Before you know it, it will be time to do your taxes. Here are a few guidelines to discuss with your tax preparer about your charitable contributions.
   

Be Prepared in the New Year
You can't predict when the inevitable will happen, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be ready.

gary's other newspaper columnBiz to Biz Article You May Have Missed
From the Wichita Falls Biz to Biz
 
Make the Most of Every Day
Gary examines how delegation can make your business more efficient and productive.
   

 
Article links from

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas


Trends Show Both Optimism and Uncertainty for the Year Ahead
In 2010, the global recovery from the financial crisis was largely successful. In advanced economies, the growth exceeded expectations with the help of monetary and fiscal stimulus, while emerging economies continue to expand rapidly.  

National Economic Update Shows Economy Still Fragile
The early November indicators suggested the U.S. economic outlook was positive, however the information released since then has been mixed. While activity seems to be gaining momentum, it isn't fast enough to provide consistently strong job gains.

Texas Economy Strengthening 
The district economy continues to expand at a moderate pace, with recent signs of a pickup in growth after some slowing over the summer. Growth in total nonfarm jobs and manufacturing and energy production has recently increased, but the construction sector still lags. The leading indicators have generally been increasing over the past three months.
http://www.dallasfed.org/research/update-reg/2010/1008.cfm


from gary's facebook pages
Facebook Stuff You May Have Missed: from Personal Money Planning and Gary Silverman

Facebook
  
  
 
What's the Big Idea? 
You've finally come up with the better mouse trap--the greatest idea since sliced bread! But is the idea yours, or your current employers?
Small business owners can get confused when determining what mileage you can deduct and how to keep records that satisfy the IRS. This article can help with the basics.
 http://community2.business.gov/t5/The-Industry-Word/Driving-for-Business-in-2011/ba-p/46058
 
 
  

  
Links from Gary:

Talk about a wrong number!
Maybe it's a sick part of me that finds this amusing, but I did get a guffaw when reading this story about stockbrokers cold-calling a regulatory agency hawking super high growth, super safe investments. --Gary


Just DANCE!
I'm not a YouTube junkie, but I heard that a dance video was the most watched video on the Internet. Whether it is or not, I'm not sure, but in this offering, Judson Laipply goes through the evolution of dance in 6 minutes. Over 159 million viewers can't be wrong. --Gary
 
 
 
 


bottomparting thoughts
  

HAPPY New Year!

 

Not long ago, I was heading out the door to run down to the Metroplex to do some curling, I said to myself, "I feel great today." Then I thought, "Ya know, I think I feel better now than I ever did in my entire  life."

Now, I do succumb to time. Things creak, I groan, and I rather doubt my endurance is as good as when I went to boot camp. So why do I feel so great, I wondered.

Then, during one of my trips out to write stuff (like this little blip of an article) I was reading the Holiday 2010 edition of State Farm's magazine, GoodNeighbors. In it was the answer - or at least a reasonable explanation.

According to a survey of 340,000 Americans published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we middle-aged folks replace stress with happiness. Once we reach the age of 50, our feelings of happiness and enjoyment go up, and our levels of stress, anxiety, and worry go down.

I didn't read the survey itself, so I'm not sure why this occurs. Maybe our memory is so bad that we can't remember how bad we have it.

At least you youngsters have something to look forward to.

 

Best Wishes for 2011!

 


 
Gary Silverman caricature



Gary


Gary Silverman, CFP
Personal Money Planning
 


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