FREEMAN-SPICER FINANCIAL SERVICES
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Vol. 28, No. 4 • April, 2010 / www.Freeman-Spicer.com
The Best Workers . . . .When you’re running a business, it’s easy to focus on workers who stand out the most, either in a good way or bad way. But that likely leaves about 65% of your people overlooked while you develop your stars and prod underperformers. Ignore these “regular” performers at your peril. Your middle performers can get frustrated when they feel forgotten. Eventually they’ll quit, or worse, they’ll stay but just quit trying. Your solution is to use some good, old-fashioned management by walking around. When was the last time you thanked a middle performer for a job well-done? They, too, need motivation and rewards. (Entrepreneur)
Social Security - Should You Wait? . . . . . . . Patience Pays Off: The longer you wait, the bigger the check. You can start collecting Social Security as early as age 62. If you do, however, you could suffer a reduction in benefits of 25% or more for the rest of your life. And if you continue to work, you could run up against the earning cap which in 2010 dings you $1 in benefits for every $2 you earn over $14,160. But wait until your normal retirement age of 66 (for those born between 1943 and 1954; older for those born later) to collect and you can earn as much as you want without trimming your benefits. Plus, that larger first check becomes the basis for future cost-of-living adjustments. Bide your Time. Get A Bonus: If you wait until age 70 you can collect even more, thanks to the delayed retirement credit, which is worth 8% a year. Say your normal retirement age is 66 and at that age you’d collect $1,000 a month. If you wait until you’re a septuagenarian, your check would grow to $1,320.00 - a full 32% more. If you retired four years early, at 62, your monthly payment would be just $750. With average life expectancies at an all-time high, chances are good you’ll be around to enjoy the higher benefits. (Kiplinger)
No You Didn’t Say That? . . . . . A husband and wife are shopping in their local Wal-Mart. The husband picks up a case of Budweiser and puts it in their cart. “What do you think you’re doing?” asks the wife. “They’re on sale, only $10 for 24 cans,” he replies. “Put them back, we can’t afford them,” demands the wife, and so they carry on shopping. A few aisles further on along the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket. “What do you think you’re doing?” asks the husband. “It’s my face cream. It makes me look beautiful,” replies the wife. Her husband retorts: “So does 24 cans of Budweiser and it’s half the price.” (On the PA System) - “Cleanup on aisle 25, we have a husband down.” (Fournier)
Wasp Spray . . . . . . A woman who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead. The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet and can be a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn’t attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection. Not a bad idea for self-protection, and inexpensive to purchase. (Novachek)
Microwave Radiation . . . . . . . . Many people wonder whether standing next to a microwave oven while it’s on can expose them to radiation - and if so, how much. But the hype surrounding microwave emissions is much ado about nothing. The FDA limits the amount an oven can leak in its lifetime to the minutest of amounts at roughly two inches away - in fact, tiny compared to cell phones. And the radiation levels drop at two feet away to only about a hundredth the amount at two inches. So the next time your food is being nuked, forget the hazmat suit. You’ll be just about as safe whether you stick around the kitchen or flee to another room. (Always Follow The Elephants)
It’s okay to put plastic containers in microwaves? . . . . . . . Reality: Stick to ceramic ware. Sure, that plastic dish you slap into the microwave over and over has the triangular label on it - and that means it’s safe to use, right? Not necessarily. Even thought something is labeled as safe for use in the microwave, it may not be. “The claim on the boxes doesn’t mean the plastic won’t crack or melt or leak,” says Wendy Gordon of the Natural Resources Defense Council. The danger is real: A substance used to make polycarbonate plastic - bisphenol A, more commonly known as BPA - could leach into your food and disrupt your hormonal system. Plastic container manufacturers insist their products meet government safety standards. Regardless, the NRDC’s Gordon recommends that you don’t microwave leftovers in plastic dishes. Use a ceramic one instead. “It only takes a second more,’ she says. (Fortune Magazine)
Handicap Lesson . . . . . . . A businessman was attending a conference in Africa. He has a free day and wanted to play a round of golf and was directed to a golf course in the nearby jungle. After a short journey, he arrived at the course and asked the Pro if he could get on and play. “Sure,” said the Pro, “What’s your handicap?” Not wanting to admit that he had an 18 handicap, he decided to cut it a bit. “Well, its 16,” said the businessman, “But what’s the relevance since I’ll be playing alone?” “It’s very important for us to know,” said the Pro, who then called a caddy. “Go out with this gentleman,” said the Pro, “his handicap is 16.” The businessman was very surprised at his constant reference to his handicap. The caddy picked up the businessman’s bag and a large rifle; again the businessman was surprised but decided to ask no questions. They arrived on the 1st hole, a par 4. “Please avoid those tress on the left,” said the caddy. Needless to say, the businessman duck-hooked his ball into the trees He found his ball and was about to punch it out when he heard the loud crack of the rifle and a large snake fell dead from a tree above his head. The caddy stood next to him with the rifle smoking in his hand. “That’s the Black Mamba, the most poisonous snake in all Africa. You’re lucky I was here with you.” After taking a bogey, they moved to the 2nd hole, a par 5. “Avoid those bushes on the right,” says the caddy. Of course, the businessman’s ball went straight into the bushes. As he went to pick up his ball, he heard the loud crack of the caddy’s rifle once more, and a huge lion fell dead at his feet. “I’ve saved your life again,” said the caddy. The 3rd hole was a par 3 with a lake in front of the green. The businessman’s ball came up just short of the green and rolled back to the edge of the water. To take a shot, he had to stand with one foot in the lake. As he was about to swing, a large crocodile emerged from the water and bit off much of his right leg. As he fell to the ground bleeding and in great pain, he saw the caddy with the rifle propped at his side, looking on unconcerned. “Why didn’t you kill it?” asked the man incredulously. “I’m sorry sir,” said the caddy, “this is the 17th handicap hole. You don’t get a shot here! That’s why you should never lie about your handicap! (Linder)
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt
“You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Market-Mover-in-Chief . . . . . . U.S. stock performance in the year following the inauguration of a new President:
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt - March 4, 1933 - 96.5% increase
• Harry S. Truman - April 12, 1945 - 30.9% increase
• Barack Obama - Jan, 20, 2009 - 29.5% increase
• Lyndon B. Johnson - Nov. 22, 1963 - 21.6% increase
• George Bush - Jan. 20, 1989 - 19.6% increase
• William J. Clinton - Jan 20, 1993 - 19.3% increase
• Calvin Coolidge - Aug. 3, 1923 - 15.8% increase
• Warren G. Harding - March 4, 1909 - 14.9%
• William Howard Taft - March 4, 1909 - 12.1% increase
• John F. Kennedy - January 20, 1961 - 10.8% increase
• Gerald R. Ford - Aug. 9, 1974 - 4.2% increase
• Woodrow Wilson - March 4, 1913 - 0.5% increase
• Dwight D. Eisenhower - Jan. 20, 1953 - 0.5% increase
• Theodore Roosevelt - Sept. 14, 1901 - 1.8% decrease
• George W. Bush - Jan. 20, 2001 - 7.7% decrease
• Ronald Reagan - Jan 20, 1981 - 12.7% decrease
• Herbert Hoover - March 4, 1929 - 15.6% decrease
• Richard M. Nixon - Jan. 20, 1969 - 17.0% decrease
• Jimmy Carter - Jan. 20, 1977 - 19.6% decrease (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)
Warm Your Car First ? . . . . . . You need to warm up your car before driving it? - Reality: Idling the car for a few minutes in winter just wastes gasoline. “In the past, when cars had carburetors, engines used thick oil that required warming up,” says Mike Harrison, Ford’s V-8 engine programs manager. Today’s thinner oils allow engines to be driven away sooner, making idling unnecessary. His rule: If you’re operating your car above zero degrees F, you can drive away within 10 seconds (he advised 30 seconds for temperatures below zero). Experts also say you’ll save gas by turning off your engine if you’re going to idle for more than 30 seconds - some studies suggest even less time. According to an EDF report published last year, unnecessary idling will waste between $44 and $392 on fuel annually (range depends on fuel prices, idling habits, and vehicle type). But won’t shutting the car on and off wear down the starter and battery? Two extra restarts each day will average about $10 a year in repairs. “If your engine is operating fewer hours, there’s less wear on the most expensive parts,” says Jeff Bartless, an auto editor with Consumer Reports. (Fortune Magazine)
Chutzpah . . . . .is a Yiddish word meaning - gall, brazen nerve - a better definition is by giving you an example: A little old lady sold pretzels on a street corner for 25 cents each. Every day a young man would leave his office building at lunch time and as he passed the pretzel stand he would leave the old lady a quarter, yet never take a pretzel. This went on for more than 3 years and the two of them never spoke. One day as the young man passed the old lady’s stand and left his quarter as usual. Without blinking an eye, the pretzel lady spoke to him. She said: “They’re 35 cents now.” Now that’s Chutzpah! (Lopatin)
Thoughts Of The Day . . . . If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame. OR . . . . The sole purpose of a child’s
middle name is so he/she can tell when he’s/she’s really in trouble! OR . . There’s always a lot to be thankful for if you take the time to look for it.
For example, I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don’t hurt. (Fournier)
Sincerely,
Edward C. Levy
President