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The Strategic Outlook |
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Strategic Group · 4380 SW Macadam Ave, Suite 260 Portland, OR 97239 · (503) 222-9737 · www.InvestwithStrategic.com |
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Strategic Group’s e-update |
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Life can get busy. Don’t forget these important items as 2010 unfolds!
I C E - IN CASE OF EMERGENCY If you have a cell phone and are involved in an accident, could a paramedic identify the person you want contacted from your contact list? One suggestion is to identify your emergency contact numbers as ICE1, ICE2, etc. Recommendation: take the time to update your contact list, so that someone else would know who to call.
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY Many people unknowingly have unclaimed property held by the state. If you haven’t checked or haven’t checked recently, you might want to see if you or a loved one has something sitting in unclaimed property. For Oregon, the URL is: http://www.oregon.gov/DSL/UP/index.shtml or do a Google search for any state by entering: State unclaimed property. Recommendation: Take the time to look for free money.
2010 REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS Required distributions have returned. If you are over 70 ½ or the beneficiary of an IRA that is required to take distributions, you must take a distribution before the end of 2010. (Exception: If you turn 70 ½ this year, you have until April of next year to make your first distribution.) Recommendation: Schedule a distribution or distributions before year end.
CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT One defense against identify theft is to check your credit report for suspicious activity. If you check one credit bureau every four months, you can check your credit up to three times each year. The website is www.annualcreditreport.com Recommendation: review your credit report regularly.
MAKE AN EMERGENCY KIT With all of the earthquakes in the news, it brings up the question: “Are you prepared for an emergency?” If you need a list of what you should have on hand in case of emergency, you can find one at http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/index.html . Recommendation: Prepare an emergency kit before you need it.
CHECK YOUR BENEFICIARY INFORMATION Many of us set up our beneficiary information in wills, trusts, or accounts and then never look at them again. Take the time to periodically check to be sure the individuals you want to receive your assets are the ones identified. Whether through births, deaths, divorce, or marriage, our beneficiary information changes and needs to be updated. Recommendation: Review all of your beneficiary information to see if changes need to be made.
BACK-UP YOUR COMPUTER It’s not if your computer is going to crash, it’s when. Be sure to back up your important documents and photos at least once a year.
MAKE A MEMORY The last few years have been stressful. Take the time to share time with loved ones. Create a lasting memory by spending some time with loved ones in a way that everyone will remember. Examples: cheer on your favorite team, picnic in an unusual location, have a sand castle building contest, experiment with an unusual menu for a potluck or do something that interests the group.
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2010 Checklist |
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At Strategic Group we are financial advisors with an expertise in active investment management and financial planning. Schedule a time to come in and see us today!
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You can get your questions answered, or even have your retirement plan or investment portfolios reviewed. |
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Despite the fact that predicting the direction of the market is not an easy task, you will find one analyst after another falling over themselves to be the first to label the market direction. You may have even tried to use some common indicators to make a prediction yourself! So, what direction is the market headed…are we in for an up or down year? Take a look at these three bizarre economic indicators for a new and humorous look at forecasting the future of the market.
Hot Waitress Index Next time you are grabbing a bite to eat at your favorite restaurant, take a gander at the serving staff. Does there seem to be a higher than normal amount of waitresses that are exceptionally good looking? Apparently, this visual index states that the better looking the restaurant staff, the weaker the state of the economy. This stems from the idea that in good economic times pretty young people are recruited to sell everything from real estate to alcohol, but in bad times pickings become slim and the restaurant business becomes more attractive.
In Portland, I liken this index to the ‘normal looking gas pump attendant.’ I may be stereotyping here, but at least it’s been my experience that the worse the economy is the more I see the strange looking gas attendant replaced by the normal looking people just trying to make a living.
Super Bowl Winners Because this indicator has proven reliable 80% of the time, it is somewhat more known among investors. The indicator goes as follows, if a team from the original National Football League (NFL) wins the Super bowl, it’s going to be a good year. If a premerger American League team (AFL) wins, get ready for a rough year. Let’s take a look at this past Super Bowl. Considering the Colts represented the American Football Conference but was part of the Old Baltimore Colts, an NFL team, and the New Orleans Saints were also part of the NFL, it was going to be, according to this predictor, a win-win situation no matter what, at least for your portfolio.
Length of Women's Hemlines
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3 Wacky Economic Indicators |
