JDS November 2012 Newsletter

November 2012

Greetings!

Hi folks!!

Now that the weather is colder, the leaves are off the trees, clocks are turned back, and the election is over, it's time to focus on the changes ahead. I'd encourage everyone to reexamine your portfolio, your financial plan, and your healthcare plan. As we now know, Obama Care, the Fiscal Cliff, and higher taxes are now more apparent. There's never been a better time to plan for the future, and learn how to protect yourself.

Kelly has been a great asset and is learning every day. She just returned from two days of training in Kansas with plenty of helpful new knowledge. Within the next few weeks, she will be licensed in Medicare Supplements and Long-Term Care. If you ever need anything, just give her a call and she'll make sure to take care of you. It's been a great year, and we're very grateful to all the folks that have entrusted us with their retirement.

We sincerely hope everyone has a very happy holiday season and gets to enjoy family and friends! Enjoy this month's articles; I think it's current and relevant information that you may find useful. We look forward to seeing many of you at our annual Christmas party! As always, we'll have good time with the JDS Wealth Management extended family!

Until next month,

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

--James D. Stillman

Health Care Reform, Higher Taxes, and the Fiscal Cliff: Is America Prepared? Are You Prepared?

Lake Norman Magazine, November 2012

I know you've all heard about ObamaCare, the Bush Tax Cuts, and The Fiscal Cliff. But what the heck is all this stuff anyway? And how will it affect you in the near future? We've had many folks express concern (rightfully so), and some confusion as to what exactly all of this is. I'll make an attempt to give a simple explanation, and at least give you some numbers to think about.

The organizations I team with and I have been doing a lot of research to make sure our clients are never in an "unfavorable position". The information stated below has been gleaned from various professional and government sources known to be accurate. Knowledge goes a long way, but only if you apply it!

Dialing Up the Dividends

There was a time when the first household bill that homeowners paid was the mortgage. The last bill they would ever dream of defaulting on was the one that allowed them to continue living in their home. They'd go without food and clothes to make the mortgage payment in the good old days.

2008 and subsequent events have changed this dynamic. Defaulting on mortgage payments no longer has the social or financial stigma it once had.

So what's the monthly bill that most people now make sure is paid on time? What's the one piece of equipment that most people own from the age of roughly fourteen and would be lost without these days? The answer: The Cellphone, or more importantly, the Smartphone. Living without mobile access to the likes of Facebook, Instagram and texting would threaten the very existence of a vast proportion of our population. How many millions couldn't function without their Smartphone? How many would forego a meal or clothes to prevent the cancellation of their Smartphone service?