The Lowry Letter®

Week of 10/2/2019

Fall has arrived, though for some of us little has changed. As we look forward (anxiously) to cooler weather, we will brave the heat to address item #2.

This week we head to Colorado for Commonwealth’s annual conference. It’s a great opportunity to gather some beneficial information and education and we look forward to sharing some of the highlights.

We learned: about different methods being used by those concerned about privacy to obscure their identities from increasingly common cameras in public spaces. These include “facial camouflage” in the UK and even very lifelike face masks in Japan. We live in interesting times.

We think: one of the main problems with meetings is air quality. Earlier this year, we referenced a New York Times article on the matter. We recently came across the linked Forbes piece, and feel even more impressed by the need to get outside more often during the day, and if possible, crack a window.

We read: about “Silent Book Clubs,” an interesting idea for introverts (and others) who want a communal experience without any other obligations.

We've been: reminded that the best AND worst performing 12-month periods of the last 30 years for the S&P 500 index occurred over a single 24-month period- 3/1/2008-2/28/2010. To us, it demonstrates the difficulty in trying to time market movements (source: BTN Research).

We recommend: the PBS/BBC production of Les Miserables, available on DVD and the PBS video app. Les Mis is one of our favorite books, and this 6-part adaptation does a great (non-musical) job of portraying the beautiful message of the classic work.

Q: I don’t really understand trusts, or why I would need one. Can’t my will do the job?

A: It depends. As with most legal matters, we recommend speaking with an attorney about your specific situation, but here are just a few thoughts.

A trust can provide certain legal protections while you are alive and allows you to ensure that your assets are distributed and used as you wish after your death. It can allow your wealth to be passed in a private and timely way to your heirs. It allows you to make distributions for specific purposes and identify when assets are passed on. It can also keep those assets in your family if a beneficiary gets divorced.

If any of those are a concern, discussing your wishes with an attorney would be a good choice.

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