A monthly newsletter brought to you by Treece Financial Group | # 44 | January 2018

Holistic | Comprehensive | Advocacy-Oriented

Happy New Year Clients and Friends! Welcome to our January newsletter. I, as well as my entire team, hope you had a great holiday season. Thank you to everyone who attended our annual holiday party. We hope you all enjoyed the Spanish-themed evening with authentic paella and wine as well as performances from the dancers and musicians of Ballet Flamenco la Rosa.  Now, onward and upward to 2018! In this issue, we give you timely updates about the booming economic market, planning for affordable housing and healthcare, cryptocurrencies, and HSAs vs FSAs.

Check out photos and videos from our annual holiday party!

Beware an Economic Boom. Really. We don’t need an economic boom, but that’s what we may be getting. Since the 2016 election, the stock market is up roughly 24 percent, reports Wilshire Associates. The price of the cybercurrency bitcoin soared more than 1,000 percent before retreating. The unemployment rate of 4.1 percent is the lowest since 2000. The economy’s growth has exceeded an annual rate of 3 percent for the past two quarters.  Continue reading this eye-opening assessment of the economy and what it may mean for 2018 by Robert J. Samuelson.

What is a Cryptocurrency? Cryptocurrencies – what are they? Are they safe? Is it worth investing within my portfolio? We had two clients recently ask about this, so we thought we would provide some resources for you. A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. A cryptocurrency is difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. A defining feature of a cryptocurrency, and arguably its most endearing allure, is its organic nature; it is not issued by any central authority, rendering it theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.  Click here to learn more.   Also, you may be interested in listening to Andreas M Antonpoulos explain CryptoCurrency as a commodity (@ 51:30 minute mark).

A Better Future for Older Americans—If We Speak Up Affordable housing and health care must be planned for now. Americans approach aging with their eyes shut. That’s got to change, and fast.  Deep down, none of us really believes we’re ever going to get old. We won’t acknowledge the possibility that we might develop chronic conditions and frailties that could reduce our quality of life and quadruple our medical bills by the time we’re 80.  We don’t accept the likelihood that those medical bills, coupled with our shrinking post-retirement income, could trigger our move from a comfortable middle-class lifestyle to one that is far more modest and far less secure.  Continue reading this insightful article on denying aging and the challenges it brings by Robyn Stone.

What’s the difference between an HSA and FSA? Trying to choose between a health savings account (HSA) and a flexible spending arrangement (FSA) can be enough to make your eyes cross. In some ways, they’re very similar: they’re both accounts you can contribute to tax-free to save for medical costs. In other ways, they’re very different, and with several key differences between HSAs and FSAs, it literally pays to get this decision right.  Read more here by NerdWallet.

Have you viewed our Decipher video yet? Deciper is a new facial recognition software from Cetera that helps you learn more about your feelings and emotional biases to understand how emotions impact your financial decisions and financial well-being. It may also help surface topics/issues that otherwise wouldn’t come up until later or when it’s too late. We are proud to be a pilot participant in this new Cetera program and look forward to seeing how it can help us better serve our clients. Click here to participate (please note, you must view video on laptop with a camera feature - will not work on a mobile phone or table

We are Expanding Our Community Education Programs in 2018—Join Us! Visit our website event page for details on upcoming seminars throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties, including: Wednesday, January 17th: "Commit to Healthy Financial Habits in 2018", 6:30-8:30 p.m. Lambda Living Center, Miami. FREE reception and presentation. Wednesday, January 31st: "Out, Proud & Prepared for 2018" with Robert Boo, CEO of The Pride Center at Equality Park speaking on the need for LGBT-friendly senior affordable housing, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at The Pride Center at Equality Park, Wilton Manors. FREE happy hour and presentation. Feel free to share with any friends or family you think would be interested in attending. We'd also love to see you at one!

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