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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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When Should Kids Own a Cell Phone?

I have no plans of allowing my son to have a cell phone until he's old enough to drive. I just don't. Part of my aversion toward children, tweens and young teens carrying cell phones stems from my years of teaching and the fact that I would really like to avoid adding another distraction to my child's academic life. I also worry about the financial aspect of cell phone usage. Small children are lacking in both an income and an understanding that easy-to-make phone calls and text messages cost money.

Still, I know that things may change in the next few years, and it's certainly possible that I will want to give my peanut a cell phone sometime before 2026. So here are some things to consider as you are fielding your child's daily pleas for a cell phone:

Want vs. Need

I risk dating myself by saying this, but no one needed a cell phone when I was growing up. However, always having some change on me meant that I could make a call from a payphone (remember those?) if ever I needed to reach my parents. If your child is begging you for a cell phone, think hard about whether or not this is really a necessity. If your child carpools to school and is generally in the presence of an adult all day, a cell phone is not necessary for anything other than texting and having a social life. (And of course, your child probably considers those necessary for survival).

If your child walks to and from school or sometimes needs to wait for a ride home from an after school activity, having a means of calling home will give you both a sense of security. (It is important to note, however, that keeping your child constantly connected through cell phones doesn't give her an opportunity to learn self-reliance. This is one of the major arguments used by experts who don't approve of kids using cell phones.)

Know Your Plan

Ask any parent about the first bill they received after putting their child on the mobile plan, and you'll likely hear a horror story of the several-hundred dollar cell phone bill. If you are going to add your child to your cell phone plan, it pays to do your homework ahead of time. How much calling and texting (because, believe me, they will be texting) is included in the basic plan, and how much it'll cost if your child blows pass the pre-set limits? How much would it cost to go to an unlimited plan? When is peak usage?

Having the answers to all of these questions can help you to avoid a nasty surprise at the end of the month.

Know Your Child

You know your kid better than anyone else, so you are in a unique position to decide if he is ready for the responsibility of a cell phone. Does he have any impulse control, or will he compulsively check for messages? Will he respect your limits or find ways around them?

When it comes to cell phones, until your child is 18 and purchasing a plan for himself, you are financially responsible for his cell usage. If you shudder at the thought of handing over your credit card to your child, then it might not make sense to add your son or daughter to your current cell phone plan.

Pre-Paid Alternatives

If you don't feel that your child is ready for the responsibility of a regular cell phone, consider buying a pre-paid phone for her. These phones stop working once they reach the usage limit, but they can be reloaded with more minutes. Some can even be programmed to only make calls to Mom and Dad or 911. This is a great solution for parents of smaller children or teenagers who still need to prove their responsibility.

Providing your child with a cell phone is a big step, and it's probably a good idea to ask him to help contribute to the cost of its use. Learning now how to be responsible with a cell phone will give your child a leg up once he's out on his own.

This article originally appeared on MoneyNing.com. Let us know what you think (or read what others thought) here.

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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QUIZ: 9 Alcohol Cheats in Animation

Brought to you by responsibility.org for their TalkEarly campaign.

In the past, animated films and shows were, um… rather boozy. A review of every G-rated movie created from the 30s up to 2000 said 47% showed alcohol consumption, and in that same period about 9% percent of all cartoons did as well. That's a LOT of drinking in kids' media.

But times have been changing for a while. Nowadays, it's very rare that you'll see any alcohol references in children's animation. BUT!

When they weren't allowed to show alcohol, writers and animators have cleverly tried to cheat the filters by simply replacing it with something else, so they could still show comical drunkenness, bar scenes, or savage hangovers.

Let's see if you can guess which “kid-friendly” substitutes these cartoons used. Even if you completely strike out on all 9, it's pretty interesting!

What Was Used Instead of Alcohol?

1) The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

Illumination Entertainment

Toilet Water

Gravy

Sausages

Cheese Puffs

SAUSAGES

Continue >>

2) Adventure Time (2014)

Cartoon Network

Cucumber Water

Soul Nectar

Melted Glacier

Roll-on Deodorant

CUCUMBER WATER

Continue >>

3) Phineas and Ferb (2008)

Disney Channel

Milkshakes

Juice Boxes

Chocolate Milk

Sports Drinks

MILKSHAKES

Continue >>

4) The Legend of Korra (2014)

Nickelodeon

Noodles

Algae

Soy Sauce

Tree Bark Tea

NOODLES

Continue >>

5) All Hail King Julien (2016)

DreamWorks Animation Television

Pineapple Juice

Dates

Coconut Milk

Vine Sap

COCONUT MILK

Continue >>

6) Chip N' Dale's Rescue Rangers (1989)

Disney Television Animation

Acorns

Rotten Fruit

Catnip Tea

Cheese

ROTTEN FRUIT

Continue >>

7) SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

Nickelodeon Movies

Ice Cream

Kelp Juice

Jellyfish Jelly

Tar Smoothies

ICE CREAM

Continue >>

8) Transformers (1985)

Hasbro Studios

Metal

Lava

Energy

Lightning

ENERGY

Continue >>

9) My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (2018)

Hasbro Studios

Maple Syrup

Wheatgrass Juice

Cider

Flower Pollen

CIDER

Continue >>

QUIZ: Alcohol Cheats in Animation

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QUIZ: Alcohol Cheats in Animation

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PLAY AGAIN !

This honestly isn't to cast judgement on films or cartoons that show alcohol consumption. We all may have varying opinions on that, but we can probably ALL agree that cartoons aren't always the best teachers.

Apparently, it's okay to animate someone comically misusing alcohol I mean eh-hem… something not-alcoholic that seems very much like alcohol. Characters can “binge” and “drown their sorrows” and “self-medicate,” so long as it's milk or ice cream or such, right? Hmmmm.

Talk to your kids early about responsible drinking, okay? Earlier than you probably think you'll need to. The world is already teaching them more than you know.

–

Thanks to Responsibiliy.org for sponsoring this post. Working with them has opened my eyes much wider to the importance of parents consciously working to stay engaged with their kids, and not just about school or Pokémon or the latest Pixar movie, but especially to have meaningful conversations about often overlooked topics like responsible drinking. As well as all the obvious bigger life stuff they'll need to have a good head on their shoulders about. Like wearing socks and sandals. Ugh.

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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Upcoming Makery Workshops

As the holidays slowly melts into late winter, I am really excited about the new Makery workshops we are offering! We started off in early January with some creative, new year experiences! We had a a vision board workshop, and a paint your word workshop (my word of the year this year is INTENTION.) so you could start the year off inspired. Now that we are moving further along, we are really concentrate on exploring creativity, and learning new skills!

Here are some of the workshops we are going to be offering in January:

I am excited to be teaching this GIANT yarn wall hanging workshop! It was so much fun to make. It's a very satisfyingly fun and messy time. We are going to explore not only yarn knotting, and tassel-making, but also dip-dying yarn. I love a good dip-dyed project!

I won't be wearing that cute denim jumpsuit from Target in the above picture for the Macrame-ish workshop. We are going to get MESSY, so you'll see me in my messy paint clothes. This is a longer class, so we will have some snacks provided too.

You know me, if I can get some paint on myself, I will!

Here's a fun video about the Makery Macrame-ish Workshop! I have the registration page link below if you want to check out the times and availability.

We also are going to be offering a furniture painting workshop. If you can carry it in, you can paint it, and all materials are included!

We also have a super-cute ruler painting workshop.

And, remember that pine forest, winter painting I just did? I am going to be teaching a class on painting it! It will be a smaller 11 x 14 version on canvas board.

We'll also go over shading, shadows, highlighting, and how to create a washed-moody backdrop with blues and grays. We'll use a flat canvas board so you can frame your artwork when it's done.

You can check out the rest of our January Makery workshops here. Our February schedule will be going up soon, and we have some fun workshop weekends coming up this year too! The retail portion of our store is also starting to get all kinds of fun new products in too. It's nice for everything to have a nice refresh in the new year!

The post Upcoming Makery Workshops appeared first on Jennifer Rizzo.

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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Investing Blog Roundup: How Important is Sequence of Returns Risk?

I recently encountered an article from the Early Retirement Now blog, discussing just how much sequence of returns risk matters in retirement. The article isn't new (May 2017). And it's pretty math-heavy. But it's worth a read.

One noteworthy finding: over a 30-year retirement, only 31% of the variation in safe withdrawal rates is explained by the average return earned by the portfolio over that 30-year period. 64%, however, is explained by the sequence of those returns.

If the math intimidates you, I would still encourage you to at least click over to the article and find the second table - the one with a column of green-highlighted cells. What these cells are showing you is how important each 5-year window of returns is in determining safe withdrawal rate.

It's quite striking how much less important each 5-year window of returns is, relative to the prior 5-year window. For example, years 0-5 explain more than 28% of the variation in safe withdrawal rate. Years 5-10 explain another 19%. Years 10-15 explain another 13%. And so on.

Key takeaway being: the returns that your portfolio earns in the first several years of retirement matter a lot.

More Thoughts on Sequence of Return Risk from Early Retirement Now

Other Recommended Reading

10 Ways Advisors Can Differentiate Their Practices from Allan Roth

How Scarcity Impacts Decision-Making from Meghaan Lurtz

When Is Guardianship Necessary? from Howard Krooks

Retirement Planning Lessons from 2018 from Dirk Cotton

How a New Kind of Community is Creating a Better Aging Experience from Joseph Coughlin

You Should Freeze Your Child's Credit. It's Not Hard. Here's How. from Ron Lieber

What Should You Do About a Falling Stock Market? Nothing from Neil Irwin

1 Woman, 12 Months, 52 Places from Jada Yuan

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

What is the Best Age to Claim Social Security?

Read the answers to this question and several other Social Security questions in my latest book:

Social Security Made Simple: Social Security Retirement Benefits and Related Planning Topics Explained in 100 Pages or Less

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Disclaimer:Your subscription to this blog does not create a CPA-client or other professional services relationship between you and Mike Piper or between you and Simple Subjects, LLC. By subscribing, you explicitly agree not to hold Mike Piper or Simple Subjects, LLC liable in any way for damages arising from decisions you make based on the information available herein. Neither Mike Piper nor Simple Subjects, LLC makes any warranty as to the accuracy of any information contained in this communication. I am not a financial or investment advisor, and the information contained herein is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. On financial matters for which assistance is needed, I strongly urge you to meet with a professional advisor who (unlike me) has a professional relationship with you and who (again, unlike me) knows the relevant details of your situation.

You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of this email (or by removing this RSS feed from your feed reader if you have subscribed via a feed reader).

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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Happy New Year! A Fresh Start Calls for Fresh Color in Your Nashville Home

Ah, the new year... This is prime time for resolutions, new beginnings, rekindled goals, and boundless optimism.

It's great, isn't it? So much potential and promise rolled into the launch of a new year.

While we try to stay out of those resolutions that involve treadmills, gym memberships, and more or less of [you fill in the blank], we do love helping with resolutions that involve home improvement and color.

After all, tackling that project idea that's been gathering dust since 2015 can be just as much a resolution as any other, and completing it will offer benefits you can enjoy for months and years to come.

So, what's on your painting wish list?

Popular Interior Painting Projects in Nashville

#1: Complete Interior Repaints

This is a big season for total repaints! And, for good reason. While localized projects can have tremendous impact, and in some cases are all that's necessary, larger projects offer an unparalleled opportunity for creating a cohesive palette and total transformation. It can also be more budget-friendly too, wrapping up a large project in one fell swoop rather than breaking it up over numerous smaller ventures.

#2: Painting Kitchens and Bathrooms

When done correctly, bathroom and kitchen paint jobs offer some of the highest returns on investment of any home improvement project. These environments can be difficult to paint, though, and are extremely hard on paint products. You need to make a choice guided by experience, and invest in a high-quality application that will really perform as you need it to.

#3: Kitchen Cabinet Painting Services

This is one of our most popular services, and it's not hard to see why. Compared to a full cabinet replacement or kitchen remodel, painting can be much more cost-effective while still offering an incredible transformation.

Just be careful to hire a professional that knows the process inside and out, and has proven experience. Hiring a low bidder who is light on credentials can be an expensive, disappointing mistake.

#4: Repainting for Resale

Is your property going on the market anytime soon? Painting is one of the most recommended strategies for increasing the marketability of your home. Warm, inviting, neutral colors (NOT boring white!) look fresh and enticing, while still leaving room for the imagination of your prospective buyer. They want to envision themselves in the space, and NOT envision a painting project because of damaged, dated, or drab walls.

As we mentioned above, make sure your kitchen and bathrooms are on the list of rooms to refresh, as well as higher-visibility, high-traffic spaces.

How Can We Help with Your Nashville-Area Painting Needs?

Your team at Nash Painting is here to serve you! Please take a moment to get to know us better and explore our values and local history, and then contact our office. We're excited to get your 2019 painting goals rolling!

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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What Are You Content With Right Now?

Oh the gloriousness of a fresh new year… a blank slate!

So many goals, resolutions, and aspirations.

So many things we want to change.

Maybe this is the year you're finally going to:

put more into your savings account

pay off debt

lose those last 10 (or 50) pounds

start eating healthier

join a gym and actually go each week

get more organized

better manage your time

start up the business you've talked about for years

finally ask for that promotion at work

heal a broken relationship

start (or finish) a big home renovation

revamp your wardrobe

simplify your beauty routine

get more involved in your church or school

start up a local charity

volunteer more

I'm sure you have a long list!

These are all fantastic goals and aspirations… I certainly do NOT want to deter you from working towards fulfilling something you feel very passionate about.

However, before we get too carried away making all sorts of changes and “improvements”, I'd like to encourage you to stop and note at least 5 things you are currently very content with.

What do you do really well?

What do you love about your life?

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What are your favorite physical features?

What space in your home gives you the most joy?

What (or who) makes you happiest each day?

What is one thing you definitely do NOT want to change?

What area of your life are you completely satisfied with?

With all the busyness of the holiday season - trying to make an appearance at every event, buying the “perfect” gifts, sending color-coordinated Christmas cards, making the most appetizing meals, hosting the best parties - followed by the pressure of making the most ambitious New Years resolutions or setting the most impressive goals, it can be easy to lose sight of everything we have to be thankful and grateful for.

Consider today's post a little exercise in contentment that will hopefully help you to destress, relax, slow down, regroup, and feel satisfied with yourself today (and moving forward) instead of only thinking of everything you want to change or improve.

There is plenty of time for change and improvement this year (I fully encourage you to push forward with your goals) but for today, just take a deep breath and enjoy anything you are perfectly content with right now.

Even if you can only think of 5 teeny tiny things, it's nice to know we are content with something!

I realize many of the thoughts floating around in your head right now might be very personal - but if there's something you'd like to share (or just put in writing) feel free to leave it in the comments!

What are YOU most content with right now?

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The post What Are You Content With Right Now? appeared first on Andrea Dekker.

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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Catching Up and a Hello to 2019!

Happy New Year to you! I hope that the holidays have left you with a full love tank and that your 2019 is off to an incredible start! Oh, how I have missed you all so very much!

It always feels a little awkward coming back from an extended break, especially when they are unplanned and much longer than ever anticipated. Truth be told I have always had huge goals and amazing intentions for this small slice of the internet, but 2018 just wasn't meant to be my year (again, womp womp). For someone who is generally an energetic go-getter, learning to navigate the past few years has been a true personal challenge and journey. And having to do it online has been flat out tough, especially when I am trying to walk the line of personal and professional in front of an audience. If I have learned anything, it's that no matter how much you plan, life can change those plans in an instant. And as a self-proclaimed planning obsessed girl, that has been a hard pill to swallow. I am not 100% ready to dive into my absence, although I hope to someday down the road. Just know that your support is deeply cherished and I appreciate those of you who continue to check-in. The outpouring of love, comments, emails, DM's, etc, has been so overwhelming over the past couple of months, and for that, I am eternally grateful. They continue to uplift and encourage and I truly hope that THIS IS THE YEAR that I can give that back to you.

____________________

I have a few things to cover since I have been away, so let's begin with Christmas decor storage.

I have never been a minimalist by any means and I truly enjoy layering our home with our character and personality. At the same time, I am making 2019 the year to reduce and streamline. This last Christmas I only put up a fraction of our decor, and I noticed that our time entertaining and enjoying the holidays wasn't at all negatively impacted. I also appreciated that it took much less time to pack everything up this past weekend! Keeping it understated was refreshing and allowed me to focus on what really mattered most to me, and it was also the most relaxed I have been during the holiday season in years. I definitely need to continue to remember this and apply that understanding to more areas of my life this coming year! I know some of you probably had your decor packed up December 26th, but for those of you who extend the season and enjoy the layers a little longer, I thought I would share my top Christmas decor storage tips (a refresh of this post here). And if you already have everything packed away, tuck these tips in your pocket for next year (or give your bins a quick remix when the mood strikes).

CLEAR STORAGE BINS

For so many years I selected solid bins because I didn't like the visual clutter that generally comes with the clear versions. A few years ago I decided to give clear bins a whirl (I love these) and it really has been so helpful! I appreciate that I can get a quick idea of the contents without having to do any rummaging or digging.

LABEL

Even though the bins are clear, and some of the contents are simple and obvious, other bins still have a mixture of items such as ornaments, embellishments for different trees, stockings, garland varieties, books, wreaths, ribbon, tree skirts, lights, etc... Therefore, labels can help to differentiate categories and assign items/bins to specific areas of the house. This year I updated my labels to an editable version, that way I can just type the contents, print them out and slide them into the label sleeve attached to the front of the bins. I saved my labels to my computer to easily edit and reprint down the road if needed. You can download the editable label printable for free here.

CATEGORIZE

Make the most of your bins and divide them out in a way that makes the most sense for how you decorate. Zippered storage bags work really well to corral and categorize smaller items like ornament hooks, ribbon, beads, special ornaments, replacement bulbs, light clips, stocking and wreath hooks, etc...

THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX

Are there other items that you only use during the holidays? Specific items for entertaining or baking or cooking? Maybe you use certain pillows, candles, appliances and serving platters for a month or two out of the entire year. If your storage is limited around the house, don't give those seasonal items prime real estate with your day-to-day belongings. Instead, pack those pieces away with the remainder of your Christmas decor. TIS' THE SEASON TO CLEANSE This is the best time of the year to streamline your Christmas inventory. While packing everything up, take the time to recategorize your bins and eliminate the items that didn't make the cut this past year. Handle each object and ask yourself if it is worth your time, space and energy moving forward. Also discard any items that are broken, torn or worn. Donation Ideas:

Drop off your gently used holiday decor at your local donation center (Salvation Army, Locally Owned Thrift Stores, Goodwill, etc...)

Check with your local Habitat Restore, some do holiday-specific sales throughout the year.

Inquire with local shelters to see if and when they typically accept holiday decor, and what specific items are most beneficial.

Does your city decorate for the holidays? Think of areas around town that put up Christmas trees or string lights that may benefit from the items you no longer have a use for. Libraries, hospitals, community centers, etc...

Have you heard of Give Back Box? I recently read about this donation program and I love it! It really emphasizes the one-in-one-out rule, but can be used beyond that method! When you receive merchandise in the mail from select retailers, you can reuse that box along with a free shipping label to donate your household goods and clothing items. Give Back Box selects a charity based on your location, however, there are ways to select your own if you wish. Christmas decor is accepted, so pack up a box and ship it on out!

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Remember last year I flocked our artificial tree? I promised to give you an update on how it held up through storage and I am happy to share it did really well. I have noticed that flocked trees will shed no matter if you DIY or purchase them that way, and ours did drop some flocking during setup and decorating. However, not enough to notice on the tree itself, and minimally throughout the time that it was up. I am excited to try the flocking process again down the road on some garland and outdoor topiaries, and I love that I can always easily add more to the tree over the years as necessary with the remaining flocking powder.

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If you are looking for a couple of idea-inducing reads for the New Year, I contributed to two publications on newsstands now:

Inside this month's issue of Parent's Magazine, we focussed on Little Ways to Love Your Home.

While inside the Family Circle issue you will find a great section dedicated to making the most of your home's hot spot: The Kitchen! So many great suggestions in this one!

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In other iHeart news, 2019 planners were released in my shop last month and I get so much joy filling in the colorful pages for the new year. I am thrilled to see that you do too!

The FAQ page is loaded with details on the sizes, layouts, coversheets, printing suggestions, and images. The pages are fresh and beautiful and seeing them being used by you all throughout the year is a true treat, so thank you for Instagramming and sharing those images with me.

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This time of the year is generally known for starting fresh and setting goals and organizing every nook and cranny of your home. I have had a few conversations with friends and they have mentioned that the new year gets so built up that they feel like once the clock hits midnight, they should have this automatic boost of energy, and that when they wake up they should feel some sort of magical feeling and clear vision for what is to come to finally get their lives together. So. Much. Pressure. While I personally do love that the new year is a great benchmark for setting goals and reflecting and evoking change, I want to remind you all (and myself), that lifestyle changes are gradual and don't happen overnight, and all big things come from a culmination of smaller steps. It's great to set goals and be fired up, but also be realistic and break those goals up throughout the year. Think of little changes that you can make each day that will help you reach a larger goal by next month, next quarter, or even by the end of 2019. That is how I am personally approaching this year; day by day, bit by bit. It doesn't all have to be done by the end of January. I am still wearing a lot of hats, and aside from trying to be an involved and loving wife and mom, I have a lot of business-centric goals that include updating and organizing my website (and a new home tour!), moving my online shop and adding fresh new items, working with clients (best feeling), and writing a book (big goal). Pair that with the administrative responsibilities of running a business, freelance writing, creating content and sharing it actively on social media, I get a little overwhelmed managing it all and managing it well. When I work on a project, I get so hyperfocused on that one specific thing, that it can take away from all the rest. Sometimes the blog takes a hit, sometimes my personal goals take a hit, sometimes my family takes a hit, sometimes my shop takes a hit. I can organize a closet no problem, but maybe I need to find someone to organize my life (ha!). Time management, prioritization, and balance are all my personal top priorities for 2019. Some things will have to move to the bottom of the list so I can actually do the more important things. And this is that moment where it all rounds right back to my small steps towards the big goal mantra.

I don't want to drag this post out any longer, but a few final notes about our year to come:

Last year we didn't focus a lot of attention on our own home or projects. I am approaching my 10th year of blogging and that is a LOT of organizing, crafting and remodeling. We simply needed a break, even if we still have a lot of wish list updates to make, going at it around the clock is exhausting, expensive and disruptive. It was time to let things rest, and we did. Buuuut, our oldest is graduating high school this year!!!!!! He is receiving college acceptance letters and about to spread his wings and I am holding back tears of joy (and let's be real, tears of selfish sadness) on the daily. With graduation comes a graduation party and a big party is a great motivator to check lingering home tasks off of the list, as well as a lot of deep cleaning. Time to relight that fire!

How do you all feel about doing a home cleanse with me this year? I really wanted to do this last year, so the past few months I began researching and building a really great resource of ways to clear clutter from your homes. It always pains me a bit to see how piles of trash bags can so quickly be associated with organizing, so I am diving deep into options for feeling less guilty about getting rid of our belongings. And I would really love for it to become a library that can be referenced and built-upon over time. You in?

I don't have a lot of closets or drawers left to organize around here, this year my biggest pain points are PAPER (I have a plan!) and photographs (I don't have a plan!). What are your biggest organizational pain points? Knowing your problem areas could really help me come up with new content, so if you could take a quick second to leave a comment on this post with your organizing goals and struggles, I would appreciate it to the moon and back!

Let's raise a glass of wine, a coffee filled mug, or a bottle of water, and cheers to 2019! P.S. I just went back a re-read my intro to 2018 post. Wow. Sounds like I am rewriting history and even mimicking a few of the same sentences word for word, nodding and still feeling a lot of the things that I felt last year. Believe me when I say that as frustrating as that is for me, I know it is also frustrating for you. Please know that I never take you all for granted and I really hope to break the cycle. There are definitely some things I need to change, and I appreciate your continuous grace as I work on bettering things around here. ♥

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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Happy New Year! A Fresh Start Calls for Fresh Color in Your Nashville Home

Ah, the new year... This is prime time for resolutions, new beginnings, rekindled goals, and boundless optimism.

It's great, isn't it? So much potential and promise rolled into the launch of a new year.

So, what's on your painting wish list?

Popular Interior Painting Projects in Nashville

#1: Complete Interior Repaints

#2: Painting Kitchens and Bathrooms

#3: Kitchen Cabinet Painting Services

Just be careful to hire a professional that knows the process inside and out, and has proven experience. Hiring a low bidder who is light on credentials can be an expensive, disappointing mistake.

#4: Repainting for Resale

As we mentioned above, make sure your kitchen and bathrooms are on the list of rooms to refresh, as well as higher-visibility, high-traffic spaces.

How Can We Help with Your Nashville-Area Painting Needs?

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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M1 Finance Review: The Free Robo Advisor YOU Control

If you've been fascinated with the idea of robo-advisors, but still prefer to go the do-it-yourself route, you need to check out M1 Finance. It's a robo-advisor for sure, but one with a unique twist: you choose your own investments.

That's the self-directed part. But once you choose your investments, you get all the benefits of a robo-advisor. M1 Finance then manages your portfolio for you, including periodic rebalancing and dividend reinvesting. Your only responsibilities are to choose your investments and fund your account.

It doesn't fit neatly within the description of a robo-advisor, but it's really a hybrid between robo-advisors and self-directed investing. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it represents the best elements of both.

Interested?

How M1 Finance Works

M1 Finance is based in Dallas, Texas, and was launched in 2015. The service is built around what it refers to as “Pies”. These are individual portfolios that are comprised of a mix of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and individual stocks. ETFs are a staple of the robo-advisor universe. But individual stocks are offered by only a few providers, and when they are, they're usually selected by the robo-advisor.

The use of individual stocks–and your own ability to choose which stocks and ETFs go into your pies–is what sets M1 Finance apart. It gives you complete control over the investments you'll hold.

Another departure from typical robo-advisor practice is that M1 Finance does not have you complete a questionnaire to determine your risk tolerance. In this way, the platform is better for experienced investors, who are able to determine their own investment comfort level.

But still, another distinguishing factor is that you can create an unlimited number of pies. You can choose existing pie templates provided by M1 Finance, or create your own. For example, you can create a technology-based pie, a socially responsible investment pie, and an emerging market pie–all at the same time. And there's no limit on the number of pies.

M1 Finance then manages your portfolio using modern portfolio theory (MPT), just as other robo-advisors do.

In this way, M1 Finance is both an active and passive investment platform. It's active in the sense that you select your own investments, and can change them at any time. But it's passive in the way the pies are managed.

M1 Finance Investment Methodology

M1 Finance's investment methodology is really a discussion of the pie concept. Each pie can be made up of up to 100 individual “slices”, which are represented by ETFs and individual stocks. M1 Finance provides more than 60 pre-selected pies that you can choose from, or you can construct your own.

There is a limitation however in that you cannot include mutual funds in your pies. In addition, individual stocks must be selected either from the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ, or the BATS system. Which means you won't be able to invest in stocks that trade only on foreign exchanges.

Each pie will contain general asset allocations, which you can choose to fill with investments of your choice. M1 Finance will rebalance your pies consistent with that allocation. The allocations will also be maintained as you add additional funds to each pie.

You can create pies that are made up entirely of ETFs or of stocks or a combination of both. For example, you can choose a pie for FAANG stocks, that holds only positions in each of those five companies. But you can also adjust the mix. You can choose higher allocations for one or two stocks, and lower ones for the others.

This flexibility gives you complete control over how you will invest your money, but within the scope of a robo-advisor platform.

M1 Finance Tax Advantages

This area is a mixed bag. M1 Finance does offer a tax loss strategy, in which an algorithm determines which securities are sold when you withdraw funds from your account.

They do this by setting a selling priority that looks like this:

Losses that offset future gains.

Lots that result in long-term capital gains, to get the benefit of lower long-term capital gains tax rates.

Lots resulting in short-term capital gains, which are taxed at ordinary tax rates.

However, M1 Finance doesn't offer tax-loss harvesting, which is becoming an increasingly common feature of robo-advisors.

M1 Finance Features & Benefits

Available accounts. M1 Finance accommodates individual and joint taxable accounts, trusts, and traditional, Roth, SEP and rollover IRA accounts.

Minimum investment requirement. You can open an account with no money whatsoever. But you'll need a minimum of $100 to begin investing in a taxable account, and at least $500 in a retirement account.

Account custodian. Funds invested with M1 Finance are held with Apex Clearing Corporation. M1 Finance just manages your account. As a result, your account is protected by SIPC for up to $500,000 in cash and securities, including up to $250,000 in cash. This is of course protection against broker failure, and not against losses due to market factors.

M1 Finance Mobile App. The app is available for both Android (5.0 and up) and iOS (10.0 or later) devices and can be downloaded at The App Store or Google Play.

Exporting tax information. Your annual investment results can be exported directly to either TurboTax or H&R Block tax preparation software.

Dividend reinvestment. M1 Finance automatically reinvests your dividends once they reach $10.

M1 Borrow. You can borrow up to 35% of the value of your portfolio for any purpose, and without a credit check. Once borrowed, the money can be paid back on your own terms. The interest rate is 4.00% APR as of December 7, 2018.

Since the funds borrowed represent margin against your account, you may be subject to a maintenance call if your portfolio value falls below a certain threshold. A maintenance call normally happens when your account equity falls below 30%. However additional restrictions may be placed if your portfolio is deemed to be particularly high risk.

Referral program. If you refer a friend who signs up for an M1 Finance account, both you and your friend will receive $10 to invest in your respective accounts. You'll be given a unique link on the mobile app that you can share with friends by email, text, or even social media.

M1 Finance customer service. You can reach M1 Finance by either phone or email, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, Central Time.

Get started with M1 Finance today.

M1 Finance Pricing

This is one of the most compelling features about M1 Finance. There are no fees!

That means:

No annual advisory fee

No monthly fees

No trading fees

So how does M1 Finance make money if they don't charge fees to investors? After all, if they don't make any money, they won't be in business very long.

M1 Finance explains it this way:

”Brokerages make more money via lending securities they hold, interest on cash held in a brokerage account, extending credit through margin to customers, and getting paid for distributing certain funds or to transact on various exchanges. These revenue streams are more than enough to support a strong, vibrant company. This is also true at M1 Finance, and we will make more money from transactions and holding the assets than we would from our fee.”

So there you have it: a brokerage platform that admits to making its money on the back end, in favor of offering investment services to customers for free. You've gotta love the honesty, along with the fee-free service.

How to Sign up with M1 Finance

To open an account with M1 Finance, you'll need to:

be at least 18

be a US citizen or permanent resident with a “green card”

have a current US mailing address.

You'll begin by entering your email address and creating a unique password. You'll also need to provide your name, address, and phone number.

Once you open your account, you can dive right into creating your investment pies. As discussed earlier, you can either choose from one of more than 60 pre-selected templates or make your own custom pie.

The next step is to link your bank account to your M1 Finance account. From there, you can fund your account. But the link means you can also withdraw funds, as well as contribute additional money going forward.

M1 Finance can automatically link to a large number of banks, saving you time inputting information. But if your bank isn't one of the choices, you can add it. Just add the name of your bank, the type of account, your bank routing number, and personal account number, and you'll be ready to go.

Get started with M1 Finance today.

M1 Finance Pros & Cons

Pros:

M1 Finance has no fees of any kind.

There is no required initial deposit to open an account, and you can begin investing with as little as $100.

M1 Finance lets you choose the investments you'll hold in your account, and then automatically manages them for you.

Through the pie format, you can create any number of individual portfolios for your account.

Pies enable you to invest in individual stocks, as well as ETFs. You can even create a pie composed entirely of stocks.

You can change your investments at any time.

You can borrow up to 35% of the value of your account at just 4% APR, and repay on your own terms.

Cons:

M1 Finance is not a trading platform, so you won't be able to use it to trade individual securities. Stock purchases are only permitted in connection with the creation of pies.

There's no ability to include mutual funds in your pies.

M1 Finance doesn't offer tax-loss harvesting. That's not a problem with retirement accounts, but it's now being offered on taxable accounts by many competing robo-advisors.

Since M1 Finance doesn't determine your risk tolerance, you'll need to adjust your holdings to match your own investing temperament.

The DIY aspect of M1 Finance means you'll have to have at least some investment experience. The platform isn't suitable for inexperienced investors looking for a completely passive investment experience.

Why You Should Invest with M1 Finance

M1 Finance isn't for all investors. If you're completely inexperienced, the self-directed aspect of the service may leave you taking on more than you want. There are plenty of other robo-advisors that are very well suited to completely passive investing for beginners, including Betterment and Wealthfront.

But if you're an experienced investor, who prefers to go the do-it-yourself route, but doesn't want the hassles of day-to-day portfolio management, M1 Finance is the perfect robo-advisor for you. You can build your own portfolios and as many as you want. You can even select the stocks and ETFs included in your pies. But you won't have to concern yourself with rebalancing for reinvesting dividends.

And you've gotta love that you can invest completely free. Unlike most robo-advisors, there's no annual advisory fee. And unlike discount brokers, there are no trading fees. Plus, you can borrow up to 35% of the value of your account at below market rates, and pay it back at your leisure.

That's a powerful combination that's unmatched anywhere else in the investment universe.

If you'd like more information, or you'd like to start investing, check out the M1 Finance website.

The post M1 Finance Review: The Free Robo Advisor YOU Control appeared first on Part-Time Money.

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lisawellinger26-blog · 6 years ago

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An Open Letter to Kim Kardashian

Dear Kim,

I need your help. I am impressed that a reality television star, like you, with star status as big as the President's (I mean HUGE), can walk into the White House and bend the President's ear. Thomas Rainer cannot. And that's a shame.

Rainer, a landscape architect, author and teacher, lives and breathes reality. He loves gardens, nature and clean air, but he doesn't have a television show or a cosmetics line.

Phyto partners Claudia West, Melissa and Thomas Rainer.

I applaud you for making a successful argument for prison and sentencing reform.

Congratulations!

I don't want you to lose momentum because I've got another big idea for you and the President.

If you read Garden Rant, and we hope you do, you will know our readers are crazy about gardens, nature and a healthy planet.

We may argue details, but we do not dispute the main point: We all want clean air and water.

The President's EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, and Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, each left office due to a blind eye toward ethics that complicated their efforts to cozy up to oil, gas and developers who wanted to horn in on public land. Their departure hasn't slowed the unwinding of environmental regulations. The president has recently doubled down on fossil fuels and poisonous toxins.

Baltimore Orioles Park. Claudia West, lead designer.

It goes on.

There was worrisome news, yesterday, about a 3.4% uptick in U.S. carbon emissions, the largest increase in eight years.

I worry about environmental insolence.

Rainer does, too, whether the government is shut down or open.

Rainer quoted environmentalist Aldo Leopold on Twitter a few weeks ago. I have included here a bit more of Leopold's piece from Round River:

“One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds. Much of the damage inflicted on land is quite invisible to laymen… We shall never achieve harmony with land, any more than we shall achieve absolute justice or liberty for people. In these higher aspirations the important thing is not to achieve but to strive.”

We are not striving enough.

We are living and gardening on God's green earth, so why do we ignore what others have warned us about for years?

In late December, the President rolled back more environmental regulations.

The utility companies scratched their heads. They had already invested heavily in Obama-era EPA mandates. The utility companies would have preferred that Obama had not been proactive on these regulations, but now that the cleaner-energy infrastructure is in place, they don't seem interested in going backwards.

Evolve IP Corporate Center, Wayne, PA. Claudia West, lead designer.

Lawyers are lining up to argue the cost-benefit ratio of clean air and water. It's déjà vu-René Descartes-style-all over again.

“I think therefore I am.”

I think?

Why do we need to continue arguing whether clean air and water are good for you?

We are stuck in the winter mud with remorseless greedheads.

Kim, next time you're invited to the White House, please insist that Thomas Rainer come with you. You've got the president's attention. He'll listen to Rainer if you tell him.

Rainer is the principal partner for Phyto, the design firm, in Arlington, Virginia. So not that far from the White House!

Rainer is compelling. On his blog he wrote “More than ever, we need planting solutions that are resilient, ecologically functional and beautiful. Our goal is not merely to create more functional landscapes, but to make people see again, to make them remember.”

Evolve IP Corporate Center

In Planting in a Post-Wild World, the book Rainer co-authored with his colleague Claudia West, he lays out a new way of thinking, and an “optimism for the future of design” that “…does not seek nature in remote mountaintops, but finds it instead in the middle of our cities and suburbs. It looks at our degraded built landscapes with unjaded eyes, seeing the archipelago of leftover land-suburban yards, utility easements, parking lots, road right of ways and municipal drainage channels-not as useless remnants, but as territories of vast potential.”

Kim, before you return to the White House with Rainer, I am willing to solicit nursery and greenhouse sponsors for seed and plant giveaways for Rainer's presentation. (I know people in high places.) The White House staff will love the free goodies.

Don't worry if the giveaway idea smells like influence peddling. The President's Press Secretary Sarah Sanders can take care of anyone who gets testy.

Rainer might even give the President a signed copy of Planting In A Post-Wild World. No, I take that back. The President doesn't read books. You can have the signed copy. I haven't read a more instructive gardening and design book in years.

One more favor: I'm sure Rainer wouldn't mind if you plugged his book to your 124 million Instagram followers.

Yours truly,

Allen Bush

An Open Letter to Kim Kardashian originally appeared on GardenRant on January 9, 2019.

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