Dear Friends,
Meanwhile back at the ranch…..(yes I’ve been binging “Yellowstone”)
I kind of left some folks with a cliffhanger with the fall newsletter. At that time, I didn’t know how fast or slow recovery might be from my bypass surgery. Turns out, it was way quicker than I thought it might be and I’ve been working regular hours since October 1. I get asked a lot how I feel, and the honest answer is I feel great. I now take more meds than I ever thought I would but they seem to work and there don’t appear to be dreaded side effects. Thank you all for asking.
Many of you have Medicare plans which offer free health club access. I believe regular physical activity makes a big difference in keeping healthy and recovering quickly when you get thrown for a loop. Many have grandiose goals when a new year arrives. I won’t preach at you, but I recommend something that keeps one moving in a manner that works for you. Our bodies (and our minds) really are a bit of “use it or lose it.” We all wants years in our life, but you can also have life in your years.
The fall enrollment period was quite chaotic with a perfect storm of changes going on. Prescription plans are quite different in 2025; network issues plagued some plans. There is one guarantee in this field, there will always be changes; sometimes big, sometimes minor. We do our best to keep you informed here. My thanks to Shelley for helping things run smoothly. She will continue being able to help out in scheduling appointments and handling certain client service questions at 531 466 2252.
Interest rates: Rates have fallen from their peak but have not declined as quickly as some rumors indicated they might. Believe it or not, but there are still some remnants from the pandemic affecting areas of our economy. I still have one insurance company offering 4.80% on savings and will lock that rate in for 3 years. No bank is offering a CD with a competitive rate past 6-9 months in duration.
Ok, now for a downer of a topic: I recently did a continuing education course on estate planning and the importance of having durable powers of attorney in place. Ask yourself, do you have this done and is it current? I’m NOT an attorney but there is an attorney in the building who has helped quite a few of my clients get these documents in place. Nothing like the peace of mind of starting the year with knowing you have a plan in place. Sure, there will be a cost, but important things in life usually do have a pricetag. Do you really want to someday have the state decide things pertaining to your medical and financial future? Call me and we can get you a referral.
Taxes: Doug Johnson is our agency accountant and tax advisor; he too has helped some of my clients with: a) plans on how to minimize gift taxes b) dealing with future income tax planning c) maintaining homestead exemptions d) minimizing tax bite on RMDs from IRAs, etc. Doug can be reached at 402 871 0744. Tell him we sent you.
Updated website: We are in the process of updating our website and we would love to put client testimonials on it. We won’t use your full name. If you have a brief testimonial story you’d love to share, please email it to me.
Even though I’m based in Omaha, I have additional licenses in:
IA, KS, MO, CO, AZ, IL, TX, NJ, MN, AR, OK, GA, NV and SD.
I’m the luckiest guy I know as this business really doesn’t feel like actual work. I see it just helping out friends. I continue to be humbled by the kindness of my clients and the numerous referrals you send my way.
THANK YOU.
