Spring is a Time of Renewal

This wonderful season has approached and we believe the stage is set for renewed growth in the U.S. economy.

The seeds of growth in the economy have taken root underneath all the snow and ice (the little there is in our area). Several data points underlie our optimism.  The latest edition of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, which is essentially a "window on main street", provided a positive assessment of the U.S. economy and still characterized growth as "modest to moderate" despite significant weather impacts.  In fact, the word "weather" showed up 119 times in the report, far more than it appeared when SuperStorm Sandy struck in October 2012.  Many Beige Book comments pointed to optimism once the weather normalizes.

Despite the slower, weather-affected start to the year, we continue to expect economic growth, as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP), to reach 3% in 2014, based upon many of the drags of 2013 fading, including U.S. tax increases and spending cuts and the European recession, and growth accelerating from additional hiring and capital spending by businesses.  To read more, Click here. 

Right at Home ... at the Home and Garden Show
With our headquarters in Fresno and our motto, "Feel right ... at home ... with Thiesen Dueker Group," we thought it would be fun to have a booth at the Fresno Home and Garden Show. From March 7-9, TD Group team members were on hand to support a great local event and answer financial planning questions. It was very gratifying that so many attendees recognized TD Group from our radio commercials, community activities and Fresno State Bulldogs support. It was also a privilege to be able to share our passion and knowledge of financial planning to so many new friends with questions.

A St. Patrick's Day to Remember in Ventura County
TD Group was blessed to sponsor Ventura County's 22nd Annual Caregivers Wearin' O' the Green Golf Tournament. Our team wore more green than we found with our golf balls, but we felt like winners supporting a very special cause. Founded in 1984 with a grant from the Interfaith Council on Aging and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondolet developed a community-based model to meet a growing need the United States. The Sisters' mission is to promote the health, well-being, dignity, and independence of frail, homebound elders through one-on-one relationships with trusted volunteers. Today, caregivers serve hundreds of seniors in six cities throughout Ventura County - one of the largest aging populations in the nation. The awareness and funds raised at the golf tournament will help this outreach continue and grow.

Our First Ever TD Charity Bowl
On March 22, TD Group and other LPL Financial advisors hosted friends, business partners and families to kick off a new event, the TD Charity Bowl! We filled 40 lanes at AMF Sierra Lanes in Fresno and the bowling balls were rolling ... sometimes even in the right direction! TD Group and our fellow LPL advisors covered the costs for three hours of bowling and food and drinks. In turn, we asked our guests to make donations to local charities. Organizations such as The Free Wheel project, Young Entrepreneurs and Marjoree Mason Center benefited.

Take Advantage of TD Educational Seminar Series
Our TD Educational Seminar Series continues to be a huge success. We recently gained perspective on the markets and the economy in 2014. We discussed "The Infinite Loop" and how growth, combined with change, can equal opportunity. We also provided an overview of how Social Security benefits work, when and how you can start receiving Social Security, and how to find opportunities to increase benefits throughout retirement. This is just a sampling of recent topics that our participants found informative and helpful as they look to their financial futures. And we've got more great topics scheduled for the rest of the year. If you would like to receive information on the TD Educational Seminar Series, please contact us. We'll make sure you are on our email list for invitations. The events are free to attend and appetizers and refreshments are provided. We would love to see you at the next seminar!

Congratulations to Ryan Purkiss
Our own Ryan Purkiss has been tirelessly involved in the Visalia Chamber of Commerce Leadership Visalia group, and was recently he was named the Chamber Ambassador. He continues to take a leadership role in Chamber outreach events, including those that improve the lives of children in the Visalia area. Currently in the planning stage is a Health Fair and Track Meet for children 14 and under. The events will be conducted through a partnership with the City of Visalia Parks and Recreation Department who will host the Hershey's Track & Field competition. As an addition to the track event, they will host a Kids Fair focused on fitness and healthy lifestyles - where local organizations will have booths to provide information on fitness, healthy eating, safety and other topics to children in the community. We are honored to work with talented financial advisors and staff, like Ryan, who have passion and drive to give back to their communities.  

A Little Taste of Giving Back a Little More 

Thiesen Dueker is sponsoring the 30th Annual Valley Public Radio Wine Tasting, "Mastering the Art of Wine" on Sunday, May 4, 2014 from 3:30pm-6:30pm.  Jason Link is a part of the Wine Tasting Committee and has been helping collect auction items.  We greatly appreciate those who have contributed auction items. If you have an item that you would like to donate, please contact Jason.  For those that would like to attend the Wine Tasting, please visit KVPR.org or http://kvpr.org/valley-public-radios-wine-tasting.

Never Put Your Financial Future on Auto Pilot
You know the old saying, "The only constant in life is change." Laws, financial markets, tax codes and investment opportunities change. Your income, age, family dynamics, financial concerns and revenue goals also change. At TD Group, we stress the importance of being proactive. We are always ready and eager to sit down with you to review your current plan to help you stay on track going forward. We want to ensure that we have all the latest information about your circumstances and share any new developments that may affect your plan. On a regular basis, we want to discuss a variety of issues, such as tax efficient strategies, longer-term estate planning and other items that may be of interest or concern to you. We invite you and encourage you to call us any time to schedule an appointment. Things change. Let's make sure your plan is making change work for you.

We wish you and your family a wonderful Easter!

What DRA Should Do

A downside risk aware (DRA) approach to managing a portfolio has the goal of creating a smoother ride for investors, avoiding major peaks and valleys while still generating attractive returns.  We believe this approach is appealing for two key reasons:

1. By seeking to smooth out a portfolio's peaks and valleys, a DRA approach may make it easier for investors to make good investment decisions while still enabling them to pursue their financial goals.

2. A lower volatility portfolio can potentially pursue the same long-term investment goal despite a lower average return than a higher volatility portfolio by attempting to avoid the extreme ups and downs that can weaken returns over time.  Read more about DRA portfolios. 

Do you need to access your retirement money early?

Usually, anyone who takes money out of an IRA or a retirement plan prior to age 59 1/2 faces a 10% early withdrawal penalty on the distribution.  That isn't always the case, however.  You may be able to avoid the requisite penalty by taking distributions compliant with Internal Revenue Code Section 72(t)(2). Learn more. 

Financially, how might retirement differ from your expectations?

To some degree, it will.  Just as few weathercasters can accurately predict a month's worth of temperatures and storms, few retirees find their financial futures playing out as precisely as they assumed.  As you approach or enter retirement, you may find that your spending and your exit from your career don't quite match your expectations.  You may be surprised by these developments, even pleasantly surprised by some of them.  Few retirees actually outlive their money.  Keep reading.