From the Archives of TGIF 2 Minutes… with an addition on hopefulness.
Bottom line: Being Thankful, Grateful and Hopeful are all positive things.
Simply saying “Thank you” out loud is hard to do without smiling either inwardly or outwardly. Try it! Then say, “I am grateful for X” and it likely brings an even deeper feeling. Perhaps that is why gratitude is central to the science of happiness –yes, there is a whole branch of science around happiness. The newer science around hope is equally, if not more, powerful!
Thanksgiving is dedicated to thankfulness, gratefulness, and, yes, hope.
Tax planning is important stuff. Perhaps not as exciting as the markets but saving money on taxes can still be exciting! Mid-November begins the countdown to year-end. The following is a handy Tax Planning Checklist.* Some of these items, if done now, could make a big difference to the 2021 tax year AND add to savings.
1. How close are you to maxing out your 401k? The max is $19,500 for those under age 50 and an extra $6,500 for those age 50 and above. The deadline is December 31st and lots of 401k and 403b plans allow contributions of as much as 25-30% or even 100% of pay. Contribution rates can be lowered again in the new year.
There is still time remaining in 2021 to accomplish tax-deductions and/or create new savings vehicles!
How many people caught the news last week that Facebook officially changed its corporate name to… Meta? And changed its stock ticker symbol to MVRS? Presumably, MVRS is short for “metaverse.” What is the metaverse and is it the next “hot” investment? (In other news, Facebook is looking to distance itself far, far away from discoveries that the company knew full well for over a decade the damage its central social media platform would inflict and has inflicted on people of all ages, especially children. But that is not the topic of today’s TGIF 2 Minutes.)
Regarding Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg says succinctly, “the metaverse will be the successor to the mobile internet.” Gaming and alternate reality seem to be at the forefront of the concept with bitcoin and cryptocurrency central as well. The whole thing sounds huge.
Last week William Shatner – at 90, who knew?! – became the oldest person to achieve space flight. Completion of a 10-minute journey on the reusable New Shephard rocket, including four minutes of weightlessness, was cause for major celebration immediately afterwards.
But notable was that upon disembarking from the space capsule Shatner politely turned down taking part in the champagne shower amongst the crew, Blue Origin promotional people and members of the press.
This note would be even better in a short video…so stay tuned for that version next week! In the meantime, a couple of quick written notes:
This week the “Energy Information Administration,” an actual division of the US government, warned that nearly HALF of US households who heat their homes with natural gas will pay 30% MORE this year, yes 30%, versus last year.* AND that if winter is 10% colder, then bills will go up 50%! If winter is 10% warmer, then bills are still projected to go up 22%. Can’t wait for that cold weather!
Nearly HALF of US households who heat their homes with natural gas will pay 30% MORE this year.
Last week tgif2minutes.com explored a basic statement directly from Social Security’s SSA.gov summarizing that taxes will mostly likely need to go UP TODAY to afford Social Security in the mid 2030’s and for future generations – which is only 15 years away.
This week’s edition will present several possible changes that could take place along the path to higher taxes in order to preserve the Social Security that American workers pay into dearly and expect to receive someday.
Here starts a mini-series of TGIF 2 Minutes editions.
The following is taken directly from the current Social Security website. The italics below are copied from the website and presumably are meant for emphasis. Underlinesare mine.
The concepts of solvency, sustainability, and budget impact are common in discussions of Social Security but are not well understood. Currently, the Social Security Board of Trustees projects program cost to rise by 2035 so that taxes will be enough to pay for only 75 percent of scheduled benefits.This increase in cost results from population aging, not because we are living longer, but because birth rates dropped from three to two children per woman. Importantly, this shortfall is basically stable after 2035; adjustments to taxes or benefits that offset the effects of the lower birth rate may restore solvency for the Social Security program on a sustainable basis for the foreseeable future. Finally, as Treasury debt securities (trust fund assets) are redeemed in the future, they will just be replaced with public debt.If trust fund assets are exhausted without reform, benefits will necessarily be lowered with no effect on budget deficits.
One of the most critical factors of long-term personal financial success is… guess:
The markets
Spending
Interest rates
Stock selection
Income level
And the answer is… SPENDING. This fact is why a truly competent financial planner will spend the most time on discussing spending, both today and future projected, along with GOALS (Goals are what people spend money on).
Things can go wrong at any time, therefore, count on one or more things going badly wrong along the course of a person’s life and financial life.
In keeping with the theme that life is precious and worth planning for – enjoy this quick and meaningful tune. Do not hesitate to crank it up and play it several times to capture all the words.
Watch Jordan Davis – “Buy Dirt” (Official Audio) ft. Luke Bryan” on YouTube.
Thank you for reading AND listening… and of course TGIF!
From the Archives of 2016 with excerpts and updates to “The Coronavirus Life Experience” version of this edition (February 2021) plus a closing message.
Money and Therapy. Two things that people may love or hate. However, among other things, both money and therapy can help.
From the must-read book for people of all ages The Number* was written by Lee Eisenberg, long time editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine.
TGIF 2 Minutes with Kerrie Debbs, CFP 