February 2018
Greetings!

The old saying "March comes in like a Lion" is ringing true so far this March. March can bring a variety of extreme weather, from hot temperatures, to blizzards and sever weather. This is why people say it comes "in like a lion and goes out a like a lamb."

The saying comes from folklore. Many believed that if the month of March started off with cold, stormy weather, then it would end on a pleasant and warm note, which is typically true as things quiet down when the jet stream retreats to the north and temperatures warm up.

With continued "lion" weather, the economy may continue to suffer. Extreme weather can cause various affects, such as loss in productivity as many workers are unable to report to their jobs; dealing with the damage which can be a costly expense; and wary attitudes as people prep for predictions which may not always be accurate.

Here's hoping the lamb comes soon as March comes to an end.

As always, it's a pleasure to serve your family.
The Month In Brief
Investors certainly received a wake-up call in February. A correction hit Wall Street for the first time in nearly two years, and benchmarks overseas were also challenged. Two weeks later, though, the S&P 500 had gained back more than half of what it had lost in the dive. Prices of important commodities sank early in the month, but recoveries followed. While the latest readings on fundamental indicators were largely upbeat, reports on retail sales and home sales disappointed. As the Jerome Powell era began at the Federal Reserve, investors wondered if four rate hikes would occur this year rather than the three the central bank had envisioned, given inflation pressure. 1
    
Domestic Economic Health
While the rollercoaster ride taken by equities dominated the news stream last month, inflation was also a hot topic. According to the Department of Labor, the Consumer Price Index advanced 0.5% in January, leaving annualized inflation at 2.1%. The monthly number was the concern: the half-percent gain represented the largest single-month inflation jump in a year. The core CPI rose 0.3% in a month, which it had not done in nearly 13 years. Producer prices climbed 0.4% in January, with their year-over-year increase at 2.2%. Did the January numbers amount to an aberration, or was inflation pressure now stronger than it had been in some time? February’s data, due in mid-March, may shed further light on the matter. 2,3



March Retirement Madness
Are you ready for the Retirement Hall of Fame? You've worked your whole life to get to this point, and, with the right coach and winning strategy, you can retire like a champion. Find out how in this special report where we break down retirement into 8 brackets that can guide you to the Big Retirement Dance. 
I have an investment with a guaranteed retirement income. I would like to take a one-time lump sum of $100,000 from it. Can this be done? What would the impact be?
I am a doctor and our 401(k) plan offers a Roth option. I make $300,000. Am I over the income limit to make contributions? Is this an option she can keep in mind?
Put an End to Junk Mail: Go Green at Home

A lot of trees go into making your mail. In fact, it takes half of a tree to make a carton of 100%, non-recycled, 20-pound copier paper. 

Do the mailbox math and a lot of trees go into keeping you abreast of store deals and discounts, account balances, notices, and current events.

How can you make your mailbox go green? Here are 10 tips for creating a more environmentally friendly postal service: 

  1. Set a goal of receiving no mail. Many service providers and banks offer paperless services.
  2. Go to The Data and Marketing Association to get yourself removed from businesses' marketing lists.
  3. Every month or so, call or email companies that send you unwanted mail. 
  4. Mark "refused, return to sender" on unwanted letters with "return service requested," "forwarding service requested," "address service," or "change service requested." 
  5. Call 888-5OPTOUT or go to www.optoutprescreen.com to block receiving unsolicited credit card offers.
  6. Contact Val-Pak Coupons and Valassis to be removed from direct marketers' lists. 
  7. Call your credit card companies and ask them to stop selling your name to marketers. 
  8. Don't fill out "contest" cards. Businesses are often only looking to expand their prospects' lists.
  9. Write "do not sell my name or address" on letters or correspondence when you donate money or order products or services.
  10. Read online news and magazines rather than paper.

Going green - and saving the trees - can be remarkably easy in the digital society.  

Tip adapted from Global Stewards
Flatbread Cubano Sandwiches

Serves 4

Ingredients:  
  • 4 ounces lower-sodium Swiss cheese, very thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces lower-sodium deli ham, very thinly sliced
  • ½ cup thinly sliced dill pickles, patted dry
  • ½ cup packed fresh cilantro
  • 8 (6") flour tortillas
  • Spicy brown mustard, for serving
 
Directions:
  1. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. 
  2. Distribute lower-sodium Swiss cheese, lower-sodium deli ham, dill pickles, and cilantro on 4 flour tortillas on the prepared sheet. 
  3. Put another flour tortilla on top of each.
  4. Spray the tops with the nonstick cooking spray.
  5. In 475°F oven, bake until bottoms are golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
  6. Use spatula to turn over sandwiches.
  7. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp, 6 minutes.
  8. Serve with spicy brown mustard.

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, Ron Johnson!

March Riddle: 
What three words are said too much, yet not enough?

Last month's riddle: 
Why is the letter A like a flower?

The answer to last month's riddle: I love you

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

" We cannot fail to win unless we fail to try. "
-  Tom Clancy

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

A man got drunk in West Virginia and mistakenly ordered an Uber ride back to his home in New Jersey instead of where he was staying in Morgantown, near the University of West Virginia. He said the experience cost him $1,635. Kenny Bachman, the passenger, gave the driver 5 stars.
-The Washington Post

A recent study found that 75% of American adults who were familiar with a fake news headline viewed the story as accurate. The study went on to say, false news stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true stories, and it takes true stories about six times as long to reach 1,500 people as it takes for false stories to reach the same number of people.
-CNN

Nearly 100,000 members of Generation Z- those born after 1994, own a home. 
- MarketWatch

A California Girl Scout managed to sell a staggering 300 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in only six hours, by positioning herself outside a San Diego marijuana dispensary. 
- USA Today

Tax incentives, like tax credits, property tax abatements, land grants, and low-interest loans, that are given to businesses as enticements, now total $80 billion annually- triple the amount in 1990.
- The Week

The rate of layoffs as measured by US jobless claims fell to the lowest level since 1969, reflecting the strongest labor market since the end of the dotcom boom nearly two decades ago.   
- Marketwatch

In the 12 months ended June 2017, banks shut 1,700 branches, the fastest decline on record.
- PYMNTS.com
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