February 2018
Greetings!

February is a month for love...and spending. A little more than half of U.S. adults planned on celebrating Valentine's Day this year. Whether they're buying gifts for their significant others, friends or pets, total planned spending was estimated to reach $19.6 billion, up from $18.2 billion in 2017.

The traditional gift for Valentine's Day is candy, cards, and flowers. The younger generation (aged 18-34) are more inclined to treat each other to a night out. Experience gifts are also popular, but a huge increase in sales goes to our furry friends. That's right, man's best friend is receiving lots of love to the tune of $751 million.

Everyone has their own traditions, and we simply love to spread love. So, how did you spend your Valentine's Day this year? A night in? A night on the town? Vegging out on the couch? Share your story with us!


As always, it's a pleasure to serve your family.
The Month In Brief
Bulls took charge of Wall Street as 2018 began: the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 5.79% in the first month of the year, even with a mild selloff on the verge of February. Foreign equity benchmarks largely advanced as well. Oil and gasoline futures surged, while bitcoin continued to rollercoaster. Personal spending, manufacturing, and consumer confidence data encouraged investors. Home sales weakened as home prices surpassed a pre-recession peak and mortgage rates increased. Analysts kept warning that Wall Street was overdue for a pullback; while indices did slip late in the month, optimism was little shaken. 1
    
Domestic Economic Health
America’s economy is largely driven by the consumer, and as the Bureau of Economic Analysis noted, consumers spent generously in December. There were 0.4% improvements in both personal income and personal spending. Retail sales rose by 0.4% in the last month of 2017, even with vehicle and gasoline purchases factored out. The BEA released its first estimate of fourth-quarter GDP in late January – a respectable 2.6%. 2


1 - markets.wsj.com/us [1/31/18]

Retirement Bill of Rights
In remembrance of great though leaders like George Washington, and following the influence of our forefathers, I bring to you your Retirement Bill of Rights. In this special report, I break down the rights your wealth manager should be attending to for you, so you can enjoy the retirement you've worked you're entire life to earn.
I want to get the new year started off right, but I feel my money is spread out everywhere and out of control. What should I do? What can I do to fix this problem?
I have recently been offered an early retirement package. What should I take into consideration? Financial considerations?
Stay Alert for Sleep Disorders

We spend nearly 230,000 hours of our lives doing it. While it is not a conscious state of mind, we long to attain it. Nearly 15% of the American population hasn't been getting enough of it - for a very long time. It's sleep, and experts list nearly 70 disorders.[11]

Lack of or disrupted sleep creates numerous health problems, including hormone level fluctuations, mood shifts, and rapid weight gain or loss. 

Here are some basic tips to beating insomnia:
  • Go to sleep at the same time each night.
  • Avoid using phones or reading devices before going to bed.
  • Don't use caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol late in the day. 
  • Get regular exercise.
  • Don't have a heavy meal late in the day. 
  • Follow a routine that helps you relax.

Making a good night's sleep a top priority will lead to a healthier and more productive life.

Tip adapted from WebMD
Fiesta Nacho Casserole

Serves 4

Ingredients:  
  • 3 cups rotisserie chicken breast meat
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • 1 cup carrots
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • ½ cup salsa verde
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 3 ounces baked whole-grain tortilla chips
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Hot pepper sauce

Directions:
  1. Heat oven to 400°F. 
  2. Use nonstick cooking spray on 2-quart baking dish. 
  3. Mix chicken, tomatoes, carrots, corn, salsa verde, garlic, and chili powder in a large bowl. 
  4. Put ⅓ of the chips in a baking dish. 
  5. Add half of the chicken mix on top.
  6. Add half of feta. 
  7. Repeat layering of chicken mix and feta.
  8. Arrange the rest of the chips on top.
  9. Bake for 20 minutes. 
  10. Put cilantro on top. 
  11. Serve with hot pepper sauce.


Recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping
Monthly Riddle - Don't miss out on a chance to win LUNCH ON US!

Congratulations to last month's winner, Bobbie Hovis!

February's Riddle: 
What three words are said too much, yet not enough?

Last month's riddle: 
What do you call a snowman in the summer?

The answer to last month's riddle: A puddle

Email   us with your answer; if it's correct, you'll be entered into a drawing amongst other correct winners. We will announce the winner in next month's newsletter, so keep those answers coming. We will draw one lucky winner to win lunch on us! 

Monthly Quote

" Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologize for truth. "
-  Benjamin Disraeli

Fun Facts | Interesting, Amazing, Strange, Funny, and Weird

In 1964, the FBI investigated the song “Louie, Louie” because people thought the lyrics were dirty. After three months, the FBI abandoned the investigation because it couldn’t make out the words.
-Mental Floss

In 2017, murders fell in America’s largest cities, and the two biggest, New York and Los Angeles, are at or near the lowest levels of deadly violence in their modern histories.
-Marketwatch

Falls are the #1 cause of injuries to seniors in the United States. Nearly three times as many people die from falls (some 32,000 a year) than are killed by guns.
- The New York Times

Roughly $16 billion was wasted on unwanted holiday gifts in 2017.
- US News

For the first time in history, health care has surpassed manufacturing and retail to become the largest source of jobs in America.
- TheAtlantic.com

Bees, wasps, hornets, dogs, and even cows kill more Americans each year than alligators and sharks. Between 2001 and 2013, dogs killed 28 people annually, cows killed 20, while sharks, alligators and bears killed, on average, one person per year.   
- Marketwatch

The net worth of Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, reached $105.1 billion last week, overtaking the record previously set by Microsoft’s Bill Gates in 1999.
- Bloomberg.com
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