This is my favorite time of the year. During this time of the year, I can watch the Pirates play baseball, catch some Friday-night high school football, play golf, watch or attend Lafayette or Lehigh football, play golf (duplicated on purpose!), organize my Fantasy team, watch several NFL games, visit PPL center in downtown Allentown to experience hockey with the Phantoms Hockey, and enjoy the change of season, color in the leaves, and visiting with my wife Jo Anne and our two daughters Erika and Jennifer and their husbands who live in the Valley.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in a pennant race trailing the first place St. Louis Cardinals by 3 games. Their goal of qualifying for the playoffs is a tough one. The Pirates possess the BEST record of any National League team at HOME. However, 17 of the 26 games in September are being played on the road.
I am very close to switching my allegiance of my favorite NFL football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Philadelphia Eagles. It has nothing to do with the trouncing the Eagles gave the Steelers last Thursday. I am upset by the erosion of discipline on the Steeler team. In another display of his loose discipline routine, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin decided to heavily play both running backs Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount in the Eagles/Steelers game following their arrest for possession of marijuana the day before the game. If I switch my allegiance, it will be my personal protest of the coach and will last as long as he stays – which might not be long if there is no penalty assessed against these two players and the Steelers fail to make the playoffs.
The 2014 PGA: as thrilling as golf can be: a hotly contested 4 way race among golf’s greatest, darkness quickly approaching, along with lightning strikes from a threatening storm. The winner, Rory McIlroy, came back from being 3 down with only 9 holes to go.
One of the reasons I have no plans to retire is I like helping people. I especially enjoy working with those retirement minded employees who need answers. And, with all the changes occurring at PPL, Air Products, Merck and other LV employers, I suspect there are many who need my help to answer the following:
Do I have enough to retire?
Can I retire and spend $10,000 per year for travel? Can I afford to buy a condo at the beach?
If I have to work part time after retirement, how much do I have to earn per week?
How do I replace my paycheck in retirement?
I can take my pension in lump sum or I can take a payout over my lifetime or joint with my spouse – which option is best?
I have savings and investment scattered around-how do I get money out of them to supplement my Social Security and pension?
When should I and my spouse start Social Security payments? Should I have income taxes withheld?
Are my investments properly allocated for retirement?
How can I reduce my income taxes during retirement?
What about health insurance- I used to simply sign up through work but now what do I do?
I may be able to perform some consulting work. How should I set myself up?
Are my Will and Power of Attorney up to date?
Do I still need life insurance? What should I do with my old life insurance policies?
Over the last 30 years I have helped so many that I have developed several powerful tools to answer these questions plus many more. For more information click: www.MyRetirementPro.com
The look of healthcare is changing. Growing rapidly is the difference in quality of healthcare between:
those people who must rely upon the government sponsored health insurance program Medicaid,
those who can afford an insurance plan like the “Blue’s” and ObamaCare
those who have sufficient wealth to obtain an insurance plan like those in 2 PLUS afford to pay “out of pocket” for drugs, medical devices, and innovations not covered by Medicaid and insurance plans. As an example, I will describe what is happening to millions of Americans suffering from Hepatitis C.
About 3.2 million Americans are infected with Hepatitis C, blood-borne disease of the liver, which kills about 80,000 people a year, or five times the death rate of AIDS. Now a Gilead Sciences drug called Sovaldi cures the virus in at least nine of 10 patients, and perhaps even 98%. Instead of celebrating this breakthrough, the world of health-care insurance companies blew an alarm whistle. Neither Medicare nor those insurance companies can afford to pay for Sovaldi’s three-month course of treatment which costs about $84,000, or about $1,000 a pill. The total cost to treat Americans who have Hepatitis C is estimated between $300 – $400 Billion. Many are already fingering Gilead as an icon of corporate greed. But the irony is Sovaldi is a medicine that eliminates a disease for a one-time cost, rather than one that must be taken for life or many years to mitigate a chronic disease. It is priced at a discount relative to inferior treatments for advanced liver disease with toxic flu-like side effects that don’t prevent relapses but do cost about $97,000. A liver transplant runs about $580,000 on average. A PwC report predicts a nationwide spending increase in the first two years but then Sovaldi lowers costs over the next half-decade as older treatments are rendered unnecessary. A solution is needed but it is unlikely any time soon due to Washington’s lack of problem solving skills.
I suspect Sovaldi is the tip of the iceberg. In the future, many high cost drugs, medical devices, and innovations will become available. In many cases, only those who have insurance PLUS wealth will be able to take advantage of them – another reason to accumulate wealth and make your money grow.
It seems to me the number of conflicts and flashpoints around the world is increasing. So, I research this and, I found my suspicion to be true, at least in one regard. The number of people displaced from their homes due to conflict exceeds 50,000,000 – the most since World War II. But, The UN has demonstrated it is ineffective in restraining conflicts. And, I am worried there is no other mechanism in place to prevent a continued escalation of conflicts around the world.
My wife Jo Anne and I just returned from a 4 day vacation with some friends in Manchester Vermont. Manchester is located in rustic southern end of the state amid the Green Mountains – an impressive array of tree covered peaks absent microwave or cell towers. And, it’s home to rustic towns with friendly locals. Several challenging golf courses invite the player to take in the gorgeous views between striking golf balls. The shopping is worth the trip too: the Vermont Country Store as well as Orvis outlet store are for real. Art galleries and woodworking shops are bountiful. Oh, don’t forget the numerous Ben & Jerry ice cream stores – I think their new “turtle cheese cake” ice cream is the best ever. Since we can drive Vermont in about 4 ½ hours, I think Jo Anne and I will be back.
This week’s motivational quote is an excerpt from Robert Frost’s, “The Road Not Taken”. It is one of my favorite poems. Many interpretations have been made of this poem which speculate as to what Robert Frost is communicating to the reader. I prefer the “American” interpretation which states the poem is emblematic of America’s individualist spirit of adventure, in a reading that assumes the wording of the poem is to be taken literally. To read the entire poem, click here.
I contribute time, talent and treasure to many worthy causes here in the Lehigh Valley, two of which are: ArtsQuest and Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites.
I was proud to see ArtsQuest prominently displayed in the SoccerFest: World Cup Viewing Party. National broadcast with international attention – two steps forward for the Valley and ArtsQuest.
Next up: Historic Bethlehem’s Blueberry Festival (THE SWEETEST FESTIVAL OF THE SUMMER). Save the date: July 18 – 20.
