Category: Living Well

Make Gardening with Kids Enjoyable

Gardening is good for the mind, body, and spirit. It is also good for the youngsters in our lives. Research shows gardening helps relieve stress, improve focus, positively impacts mood and psychological well-being, builds a sense of confidence, and more. Look for creative ways to get children involved in gardening. Tap into other interests or… Continue reading Make Gardening with Kids Enjoyable

Annuities: The Swiss Army Knife of Personal Finance

When I’m asked if an annuity is a good buy, I reply: it all depends on your situation and your goals. Once you’ve settled on what you want to accomplish, you can decide whether an annuity makes sense for you, realizing that different types can help you meet different financial goals. Annuities can’t all be… Continue reading Annuities: The Swiss Army Knife of Personal Finance

SECURE 2.0 Act Lets Retirees Defer Taxes on Retirement Plan Money Longer

A retirement crisis looms. Americans aren’t saving enough, and the aging of the population may require trimming Social Security benefits eventually. Congress recently passed the SECURE 2.0 Act to help people save more for retirement by boosting tax breaks. It builds on the original SECURE Act. Three provisions will affect the most people. Required minimum… Continue reading SECURE 2.0 Act Lets Retirees Defer Taxes on Retirement Plan Money Longer

Long-Term-Care Insurance via an Annuity Has Many Pros, Some Cons

Long-term care–whether at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home, costs a lot—especially if it continues for years. To protect their finances and leave something for their heirs, many people would like to buy long-term-care insurance (LTCI). But LTCI isn’t cheap. And there’s a big drawback. If you buy it and never collect… Continue reading Long-Term-Care Insurance via an Annuity Has Many Pros, Some Cons

How to Get The Best Results from Fillers

When we’re young, our skin is soft, supple, and well hydrated, but as we age, our skin slowly loses its youthful characteristics, and that can leave some people looking for a way to regain their younger-looking skin. If you’re interested in adding more fullness to your skin, then fillers may be for you. Board-certified dermatologists… Continue reading How to Get The Best Results from Fillers

A Financial Review in Early 2023 Can Optimize Your Strategy

My husband is delighted to know he is not my Sugar Daddy. In fact, my doctor has me sworn off sugar of all kinds. So, no Sugar Daddies need apply. I am officially pre-diabetic. In truth, I saw this coming. My twin brother is a diabetic and so is my sister. It is in the… Continue reading A Financial Review in Early 2023 Can Optimize Your Strategy

An Income Annuity with a Time Limit Can Be a Great Solution

Immediate income annuities with a lifetime payout are popular for a good reason. By providing immediate monthly income that’s guaranteed for life, they help assure a worry-free retirement. But you don’t have to choose the lifetime option. Instead, you may want to choose a set income term from five to 20 years. Sometimes it makes… Continue reading An Income Annuity with a Time Limit Can Be a Great Solution

New Ways to Display Holiday Poinsettias

Nothing says the holidays like a poinsettia. This year, try some new ways to display this festive plant.  Poinsettias are available in a variety of colors including white, pink, hot pink, yellow, peach, marbled and speckled. These colorful parts of the plant, often referred to as flowers, are actually modified leaves called bracts. The real… Continue reading New Ways to Display Holiday Poinsettias

8 Strategies for Making Little Choices That Can Lead to Big Changes

Many of us wish to change our lives in some way. The choices we make are the stepping stones on the way to transformation, but even when the way forward is clear, we can find ourselves falling off the path. If we can make the most of those moments of little choices, we’ll have a… Continue reading 8 Strategies for Making Little Choices That Can Lead to Big Changes

How To Shop for a Fixed-Rate Annuity So You’ll Get the Best Deal

One annuity may pay more than twice as much as much as a similar one—comparison websites make shopping easy. If you’re looking for a haven for your money, with a three-year fixed-rate annuity, you can choose one paying 2.00% annually or one paying 4.25%! Other than the rate, the two products are quite similar. If… Continue reading How To Shop for a Fixed-Rate Annuity So You’ll Get the Best Deal

New Research Reveals What’s in Tattoo Ink

Whether it’s part of someone’s cultural heritage dating back thousands of years or just the result of a fun night out with friends, there’s a growing number of people with tattoos around the globe. In the United States, as many as 3 in 10 adults have a tattoo. That’s all well and good, but I… Continue reading New Research Reveals What’s in Tattoo Ink

Plant Alliums This Fall to Add Variety and Beauty to Your Garden

Take your garden to new heights with alliums. This ornamental member of the onion family provides welcome color as spring bulbs fade and before summer perennials fill our gardens with colorful blooms. Most people have seen pictures of the giant allium but there are many other options of flower sizes and heights suitable for any… Continue reading Plant Alliums This Fall to Add Variety and Beauty to Your Garden

How to Teach Old Skin New Tricks

While we’re young, many of us don’t consider the consequences of not taking care of our skin. From lathering ourselves in baby oil to get the perfect tan, skipping our skincare routine for weeks in a row, and never moisturizing. We’ve all likely committed a few skincare crimes. But years later, when we start to… Continue reading How to Teach Old Skin New Tricks

Have Lower-Yielding or Underperforming Annuities or CDs?

Today’s higher interest rates are great when you have new money to invest. But what can you do if your money is already tied up in lower-yielding deposit accounts—specifically, bank certificates of deposit and/or fixed-rate annuities that are still subject to early surrender penalties? It turns out you do have options, especially with annuities. While… Continue reading Have Lower-Yielding or Underperforming Annuities or CDs?

Understanding Microneedling

Not many people are a fan of needles, but microneedling – a minimally invasive procedure to improve a variety of skin problems – offers many benefits that far outweigh any barely noticeable discomfort. Dating back to ancient China, microneedling involves rolling tiny needles across the skin to stimulate the growth of collagen, a protein that… Continue reading Understanding Microneedling

Three Ways to Get Future Lifetime Income with Annuities

Looking to maximize retirement income?  Fixed-rate, income and indexed annuities offer different ways to get there, either standalone or in sequence. An annuity is the only financial product that can guarantee lifetime income. If you want to secure future income with an annuity, you have three main choices. Each can be appropriate for nonqualified (taxable)… Continue reading Three Ways to Get Future Lifetime Income with Annuities

Five Annuity Myths That Can Blind You to Good Options

Annuity myths are harmful because they lead people to dismiss annuities out of hand when they could be a perfect fit. Myth 1: annuities are all the same. They’re good only for retirees. Fact: different types of annuities are distinct and can help a range of people achieve their financial goals. Annuities fall into two… Continue reading Five Annuity Myths That Can Blind You to Good Options