Posts Tagged ‘goals’

• Start by evaluating your current lifestyle and habits — what is your area of focus right now?  Have you designed and set goals to further growth on various levels?
• Feel your ability to be flexible as well as to stand tall and firm. Do your emotions and thoughts bend with ease? Can you take a stand and also bend when necessary?
• Eat foods that cleanse and refresh: fresh vegetables and fruits, lemons, spring onions, sprouts and bitter greens like arugula and kale.
• Give yourself a Spring cleaning.   Let go of caffeine, sugar, alcohol and tobacco. See what life is like without these stimulants for a week or two.
• Begin the new projects you considered in winter and let your plans unfold with creativity and energy.
• Plant a garden or window box.  Spring is about the miracle of rebirth and growth.
• Exercise regularly – walk, hike, yoga or qi gong.  Movement ensures good circulation and nourishment of sinews to keep you flexible and strong.
• Examine anger - is there a bigger picture to be seen?  Is there a way to channel this rising energy for the sake of something larger and for the sake of your own health and well being?

Contact Us

Phone:               (410) 916-2292

Email: bfacupuncture@comcast.net

Facebook:         “Bella Fooksman Acupuncture”

(click above)

Correspondence:  Bella Fooksman, M.Ac., L.Ac.

Greenspring Valley Healing Arts Center

8 Greenspring Valley Road

Suite 100

Owings Mills , Maryland  21117

Rob Carfagno

robcarfagno@kw.com www.robcarfagno.com

4/28/10

When you list your home, of course you want it to sell quickly and for a high price.  To achieve this in today’s market, it takes much preparation before actually listing your home to achieve these goals. You also want to be sure you have priced your home correctly.  You need to spend time looking at your home as the buyer will.  As difficult as it may be, you need to “de-personalize” your home.  You must remove your personal items and allow a buyer to view the home while imagining what their personal photographs and belongings will look like in the home.

The key is to make the space as inviting as possible for a buyer.  You also need to take the time to “de-clutter” your home.  Remove everything possible from counter-tops and tables, put away your photos and knick-knacks and ensure that the house is clean from top to bottom.  When removing items, don’t just throw them in the bottom of a closet or in the basement, try to get as much as possible out of the house and into a family member’s or friend’s house or even rent a storage unit if needed.  This small inconvenience and expense will help to keep the house clean and clutter free.

Look around the house and make minor improvements prior to listing your home.  The items may seem minor to you, but you can be sure they will be viewed as major items to the potential buyers.  Take a look outside the home as well, curb appeal is very important.  It is the first impression a buyer has of your home, don’t underestimate its importance.  There are many houses you will be competing with, don’t give potential buyers reasons to run away from yours.  Spend a little time and money up front and help your house to shine!

In today’s market, pricing your home may be the single most important factor in getting it sold in a reasonable amount of time.  In many markets, only the top 10% – 20% of listed homes are selling each month and price is a major factor in determining which homes sell.  You don’t want to overprice the home when you first list it because it is in the first few weeks that your home will get the most attention from potential buyers.  After a few weeks, most of the buyers already looking at homes in the market will know that your home is available and you will only get the benefit of being able to draw from the pool of new buyers entering the market (and there may only be a few).  You don’t want to miss out on making a good first impression in the market.

It is very important to study the comparable sold properties (comps) to determine at which price you should list your home.  You need to become familiar with all of the amenities of each of those comps when comparing to your home.  A good Realtor will help you carefully examine the most recent comps to set a price.  You should also look at active properties and properties under contract to help you in determining a price.  In today’s market, you may actually need to set your price lower than the most recent sales because in many areas prices are falling.  This is a tough reality to face, but ignoring it will not help you.  Don’t worry about pricing your home too low, the law of supply and demand will ensure you get what your home is worth on the open market.

You don’t want to be a position to “chase the market down”. If you are not aggressive enough in pricing your home at the beginning you may actually get less for your home after it sits on the market for a while and you are then forced to make price reductions.  Buyers will begin to sense your need to sell and may ultimately be in a position of leverage when they finally make an offer.  Don’t underestimate the importance of pricing your home right the first time.

Countdown to Retirement: Are you prepared? – By Jeffrey D. Carlson, CFP®
Next year the oldest of America’s 77 million baby boomers will become eligible for Social Security benefits. That means the biggest generation in the country’s history is starting a countdown to retirement. If you are among those preparing for this highly-anticipated phase of life take these five steps now to help make sure your financial house is in order:

1. Create a plan to eliminate or restructure debt. Excessive financial obligations can put a damper on your retirement dreams. Your peak earning years offer an opportunity to take stock of outstanding debt and create a plan for managing it once you are no longer working.

If you find that it’s necessary to carry debt into retirement, investigate your options now for debt consolidation. A home equity loan or line of credit can provide a solution for debt consolidation that may offer tax advantages as well. You may want to discuss this with your financial and legal advisors, however, since your house is at stake if you’re unable to make the required, timely payments on these loans.

2. Take advantage of catch-up contributions. Uncle Sam provided an extra incentive for pre-retirees to stash some extra cash by raising retirement plan contribution limits in 2001. The increased limits were set to expire in 2010 but last year’s Pension Protection Act made them permanent.

Savers age 50 and older who meet eligibility requirements can contribute $6,000 to their IRA in 2010 and Also, individuals who are age 50 or older and are participating in company-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s, 403(b)s and 457 plans can contribute $22,000 this year.

3. Protect what you’ve accumulated. You’ve spent your working years accumulating the money you’ll need to live in your remaining years. However, you could risk losing your nest egg if you are uninsured or under insured.

Personal liability or umbrella insurance policies protect you when the lawsuit coverage in other policies, such as auto or homeowners insurance, is exhausted. The cost for $1 million worth of protection is relatively inexpensive and may be worth consideration for those people with a high net worth.

If you’re counting on your income for the next few years to help fund retirement, disability income insurance may be worth strong consideration. If your employer provides such protection, check to see if it’s enough for your needs. Group coverage is often capped at six months and may provide limited benefits.

While your life insurance needs may change once you no longer work or have dependents to support, cash value permanent life insurance may still offer protection and be a conservative savings tool for your retirement years.

An overall insurance review is an important step in your final approach to retirement. A professional can help you understand your options and help ensure that you’ve protected what matters most in your life.

4. Tune up your estate plan. According to a 2004 study conducted by LIMRA International, only half of the adults in the United States have a will, trust or power of attorney arrangement as part of their estate plan. If you’ve procrastinated on the estate planning process, now is the time to consult a knowledgeable estate planning attorney to help protect your legacy.

When thinking about estate planning most people only think about taxes. But proper planning can do much more than help ease your tax burden. It can help direct your inheritance to the people and causes you care about and address your financial obligations.

At a minimum you’ll likely want to document directives for your financial and health care decisions through a power of attorney. While everyone should have a will remember that assets passing under a will are still subject to the probate process. Those people with significant assets may want to consider more complex estate planning vehicles like trusts, which have potential to both avoid probate and offer estate tax benefits as well.

Now is also a critical time to make sure your beneficiary designations are up to date on all individual and employer retirement plans. If your marital status has changed these updates are especially important.

5. Call on professionals for the help you need. Your financial security in retirement is a serious matter. That’s why it’s important to have skilled professionals on your team as the clock ticks down to the day when work is optional. If you haven’t already done so, it’s a good time to seek guidance from a financial advisor. He or she can help make sure your plan is on track with your retirement goals and dreams and also make suggestions for adjustments as your situation and the economy change.

Jeffrey D. Carlson is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner with Ameriprise Financial and can be reached at (410) 740-8000, 10025 Governor Warfield Parkway, Suite 209, Columbia, MD 21044. Or visit www.ameripriseadvisors.com/jeffrey.d.carlson.

This information is provided for informational purposes only. The information is intended to be generic in nature and should not be applied or relied upon in any particular situation without the advice of your tax, legal and/or your financial advisor. Neither Ameriprise Financial nor its advisors or representatives provide tax or legal advice. The views expressed may not be suitable for every situation. Consult with qualified tax and legal advisors concerning your own situation.

Financial advisory services and investments are offered through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC.

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