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Greetings! , Well, according to the calendar, we made it.. It's Spring! And believe it or not, we found a little bit of Spring at Mike's home earlier this week. Yep, this little purple crocus has made its debut promising us all that warmer days are definitely on their way.
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What 10 Things You Should Do Every Day To Improve Your Life
|  1) Get out in nature You probably seriously underestimate how important this is. Being in nature reduces stress, makes you more creative, improves your memory and may even make you a better person. 2) Exercise We all know how important this is, but few people do it consistently. Other than health benefits too numerous to mention, exercise makes you smarter, happier, improves sleep, increases libido and makes you feel better about your body. A Harvard study that has tracked a group of men for more than 70 years identified it as one of the secrets to a good life. 3) Spend time with friends and family Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert identified this as one of the biggest sources of happiness in our lives. Relationships are worth more than you think (approximately an extra $131,232 a year.) Not feeling socially connected can make you stupider and kill you. Loneliness can lead to heart attack, stroke and diabetes. The longest lived people on the planet all place a strong emphasis on social engagement and good relationships are more important to a long life than even exercise. Friends are key to improving your life. Share good news and enthusiastically respond when others share good news with you to improve your relationships. Want to instantly be happier? Do something kind for them. 4) Express gratitude It will make you happier. It will improve your relationships. It can make you a better person. It can make life better for everyone around you. 5) Meditate Meditation can increase happiness, meaning in life, social support and attention span while reducing anger, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Along similar lines, prayer can make you feel better - even if you're not religious. 6) Get enough sleep You can't cheat yourself on sleep and not have it affect you. Being tired actually makes it harder to be happy. Lack of sleep = more likely to get sick. "Sleeping on it" does improve decision making. Lack of sleep can make you more likely to behave unethically. There is such a thing as beauty sleep. Naps are great too. Naps increase alertness and performance on the job, enhance learning ability and purge negative emotions while enhancing positive ones. 7) Challenge yourself Learning another language can keep your mind sharp. Music lessons increase intelligence. Challenging your beliefs strengthens your mind. Increasing willpower just takes a little effort each day and it's more responsible for your success than IQ. Not getting an education or taking advantage of opportunities are two of the things people look back on their lives and regret the most. 8) Laugh People who use humor to cope with stress have better immune systems, reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, experience less pain during dental work and live longer. Laughter should be like a daily vitamin. Just reminiscing about funny moments can improve your relationship. Humor has many benefits. 9) Touch someone Touching can reduce stress, improve team performance, and help you be persuasive. Hugs make you happier. Sex may help prevent heart attacks and cancer, improve your immune system and extend your life. 10) Be optimistic Optimism can make you healthier, happier and extend your life. The Army teaches it in order to increase mental toughness in soldiers. Being overconfident improves performance. |
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How A Fixed Indexed Annuity Works and Why Your Money Is Safe
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A lot of people wonder if their money is really safe when they put that money in an annuity. To ensure the safety of your money from market volatility, the first thing you have to do is look at the type of annuity you are considering purchasing. The type of annuity that we are discussing is a fixed indexed annuity, and money is protected from market losses in a fixed indexed annuity. The carrier that issues the annuity guarantees that your contract value never falls due to the associated index falling. Contract Value The money you put in the annuity becomes the initial contract value. The only way that the contract value can go down is if you withdraw money from the annuity, so let's assume you make no withdrawals. Even if every financial market in the country plummets, your contract value stays exactly the same. It doesn't decline. Also, depending on the time commitment you are willing to make, some carriers offer products with a premium bonus that can be credited to your contract value as well. Currently, available premium bonuses can range from 5% to 10% of the amount that you put into your annuity. Then, the annuity credits interest, typically annually on contract anniversaries. There is an index upon which interest crediting is based, and if that index goes up, interest is credited, and once it is credited, it becomes a protected part of the contract value as well. So as anything is added to the contract value, whether it is the initial premium, any subsequent premiums, any premium bonus, or any subsequent interest credits, they are all contractually protected from loss due to fluctuations in the associated index by the issuing carrier. That's what makes fixed indexed annuities so attractive and so safe. Fixed Indexed Annuity versus Variable Annuity Don't confuse a fixed indexed annuity with another type of annuity called a variable annuity. If you know anyone who has lost money in an annuity, chances are it was in a variable annuity. Variable annuities are only sold by securities representatives, and unlike a fixed indexed annuity, a variable annuity is actually invested in the stock and bond markets where the principal is at risk to loss. So picking the right kind of annuity is a key part of making sure your money is safe from market losses and productive without excessive fees |
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401(k) Rollover
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When you change employment or an employer-sponsored retirement plan is terminated, a special type of IRA called a rollover can be used with a qualified plan distribution.
Since these funds were originally intended to help provide financial security during retirement, you need to carefully evaluate which of the following options will best ensure that these assets remain available to contribute to a financially-secure retirement.
Take the Funds:
You can withdraw the funds in a lump sum and do what you please with them. This is, however, rarely a good idea unless you need the funds for an emergency. Consider:
- A mandatory 20% federal income tax withholding will be subtracted from the lump sum you receive.
- You may have to pay additional federal (and possibly state) income tax on the lump sum distribution, depending on your tax bracket (and the distribution may put you in a higher bracket).
- Unless one of the exceptions is met, you may also have to pay a 10% premature distribution tax in addition to regular income tax.
- The funds will no longer benefit from the tax-deferred growth of a qualified retirement plan.
Leave The Funds: If you change jobs you can leave the funds in your previous employer's retirement plan, where they will continue to grow on a tax-deferred basis. If you're satisfied with the investment performance/options available, this may be a good alternative. Leaving the funds temporarily while you explore the various options open to you may also be a good alternative.(Note, if your vested balance in the retirement plan is $5,000 or less, you may be required to take a lump-sum distribution.) If your employer is terminating the company sponsored 401(k), you MUST take or rollover the assets of your 401(k). Roll the Funds Over: You can take the funds from the plan and roll them over, either to your new employer's retirement plan (assuming the plan accepts rollovers) or to a traditional IRA, where you have more control over investment decisions. This approach offers the advantages of preserving the funds for use in retirement, while enabling them to continue to grow on a tax deferred basis. |
Sincerely,
Mike Zimmer & Rebecca Thacker
Bay State Insurance Agency Limited
410-758-1680
1-877-411-3702
"Your Safe Money Team"
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Interesting Facts
Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.
Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years.
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.
The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.
Mickey Mouse is known as "Topolino"
in Italy.
Everything weighs one percent less at
the equator.
("Yes, we know. Everyone will be
moving South!")
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A Sliver Lining for Your Retirement Account
If you transfer your IRA's, Annuities, old 401(k)s, or any other retirement account to us, one of our major insurance carriers will guarantee you an immediate 10% premium bonus;
$50,000 becomes $ 55,000
$100,000 becomes $110,000
$250,000 becomes $275,000
In addition to your premium bonus, for folks age 40 and above, how would you like to learn how you can add an income rider with a guaranteed 6.25% income growth for up to 10 years with an option to extend for an additional 10 years. This is not a prediction, this is a guarantee. You simply need to take a lifetime income.
Isn't it time you stop gambling in the risky stock market and get a good night's sleep? If you would like to have guaranteed growth and an income you can count on, give us a call at 410-758-1680 to learn how to earn more.
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 Thanks to those you have served, who do serve, and most of all, to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America. Let Freedom Ring. |
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Thanks to YOU the word is spreading. Thanks to all of our clients and friends who graciously referred us to their friends and neighbors last month! There's no question we have the BEST clients on the entire planet. Our business is built on word of mouth advertising and we would like to thank everyone who has been kind enough to recommend our services to their friends. We promise to treat your friends just like we treated you, with respect and understanding. We promise to always do what is right for our clients.
____________________________________ The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information of general interest to our clients, potential clients and other professionals. The information provided is general in nature and should not be considered complete information on any product or concept described. For complete information, please contact our office at 410-758-1680 or 1-877-411-3702. _______________________________________ |
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