FREEMAN-SPICER FINANCIAL SERVICES

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316 South Eddy Street South Bend, IN 46617

574.234.0069 (V) • 574.234.6414 (F) • surekey@aol.com

Vol. 25, No. 1 • January, 2007

You can find this newsletter and some past issues on the web @ www.Freeman-Spicer.com

Marketing......................... In direct marketing, what appeals to the reader primarily is his self-interest. Find what interests your reader / prospect and you will be successful. Too many marketers don’t do this. They sit around a table and say, “What’s revolutionary about our product design? What makes us superior?” Or, the CEO says to focus on productivity . . .or quality . . .or whatever this year’s theme happens to be. The successful business-to-business marketer starts with the prospect, not the product: He asks “What do my prospects care about? What’s their biggest problem - their fears, worries, interest?” Write about that, position yourself as the solution and response will increase - dramatically! (Business to Business Direct Marketing)

The Telephone and The Cellular Phone........................... Hotel phone service is singing its swan song, thanks in no small part to the proliferation of cell phones and other mobile devices. According to a recent USA Today study, most customers find that their handset provides a far cheaper alternative to the traditionally high charges incurred when using hotel phones. Similarly, most hotel customers turn to their internet-capable mobile devices in the absence of free Internet service. The future of in-flight calling......Handset users who have eagerly anticipated cellular access on their next flight may have to wait a while longer. As always, it comes down to money. Recent TMF Associates research reveals that many airlines may not see a sufficient return on investment should they choose to deploy in-flight cellular service. According to the study, such service could provide annual revenues of approximately $600 million, but the high cost of equipment and the limited number of customers willing to pay for the premium-priced service could cut profits by over $400 million. West Coast Rules ................. when it comes to cellular etiquette, citizens from the West Coast edge out the other regions of the United States. A recent study by Samsung Telecommunications shows that 65% of westerners agree that it’s wrong to answer a call in a questionable setting, compared to 60% of southerners and 56% of folks from both the Northeast and the Midwest. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the study also revealed that teens were them most likely to answer a call during a movie at the theater, with 9% replying that that was acceptable behavior.

Repeat Reminder........................... Every year I try to remind everyone to check their own credit reports. January is as good as any month to check it - go to www.annualcreditreport.com and run your own report. You don’t have to run all three agencies . . .just do one every 4 months so you always are looking at a fresh report and you don’t have to pay anything. Don’t forget to do this . . . . . it’s important!

Countdown to Retirement..................

•50 - At this age, you start playing catch-up by contributing an additional $5,000 to your 401(k) and an extra $1,000 to your IRA.

•55 - Starting at this age, if you leave your job, you're eligible for penalty-free 401(k) withdrawals.

•59 ½ - Now you can tap your IRA assets without the 10% penalty on early distributions. You'll owe taxes on withdrawals unless you have a Roth    IRA.

•62 - You can start claiming reduced Social Security benefits, though you may prefer to hold out for the full amount at your normal retirement age.

•63 - Test-drive your retirement budget before you stop working. Experience what it's like. Use the money you save to build your nest egg.

•65 - At this age, you become eligible for Medicare. If you were born in 1937 or earlier, it's also the normal retirement age for full Social Security benefits.

•70 ½ - You must start taking minimum required distributions from your retirement accounts, except Roth IRA - or 401(k)s, if you're still working.

•Social Security - Retire at 65 if you were born in 1937 or earlier. Retire at 65+ if you were born in 1938-1942. Retire at 66 if you were born in 1943-1954. Retire at 66+ if you were born in 1955-1959. AND Retire at 67 if you were born in 1960 or later. (Kiplinger)

Aphorism.................................... (noun) a usually pithy and familiar statement expressing an observation or principle generally accepted as wise or true.

1. The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.

4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.

5 A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.

6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.

8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?

9. Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job.

10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.

11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.

12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. It could be a right number.

13. Think about this: No one ever says "It's only a game" when their team is winning.

14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.

15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.

16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.

17. Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of OLD LADIES running around with tattoos? (And RAP music will be the Golden Oldies!)

18. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.

19. After 50, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead. (Lopatin)

Public Companies ............................. Many public companies will be surprised at the work required as the SEC’s new executive compensation disclosure rules kick in next year. The rules aim to make it less difficult for shareholders to determine an exec’s total compensation. Among other things, they require companies to show the dollar value of such hard-to-measure benefits as stock options, SERP’s, and severance terms. The company also has to explain why it pays what it pays. Next spring, as companies report that single compensation number for the first time, it may cause shock and awe for shareholders. Even board members may be taken aback. (CFO)

NASCAR: The Army’s Unlikely Adviser................ Now that every branch of the U.S. military sponsors a stock-car team, the armed services are looking to NASCAR for more than just a recruiting vehicle. Some of the techniques and equipment perfected on the tracks could easily benefit the Pentagon’s trucks and aircraft. For starters, Carlson Technology, which advises teams on how to shave seconds off pit stops, and Roush Industries, which manages nine teams - including one sponsored by the Army National Guard - have shown the Army’s National Automotive Center, near Detroit, how to reduce significantly the time it takes to change out the engine on a humvee. The Army could also use transponders similar to the ones NASCAR installs in cars to track their positions in a race, so military commanders can monitor all their vehicles on the battlefield. And amid an Army investigation into a recent spate of rollovers in Iraq that may have been caused by tacked-on, top-heavy armor, the service hopes to build on NASCAR engineering to reduce rollovers for the next generation of vehicles that will replace the 20-year-old humvee. One piece of NASCAR ingenuity already deployed in Iraq: the layers of clear plastic sheets on the front of race-car windshields, which crews can quickly tear off each time oil or grit obstructs the driver’s view. Similar Mylar sheets are now used on Black Hawk helicopters, whose windshields in the past had to be routinely replaced after getting pitted by desert sand. A set of layered sheets, which costs $1,100, is a lot cheaper than a $15,000 windshield. Could an invasion of flashy logos be far behind? (Douglas Waller in Newsweek)

Noah in 2006 ......................... In the year 2006, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans." He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights." Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard - but no Ark. "Noah!" He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?" "Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed. I needed a building permit. I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I've violated the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision. Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it. Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go! When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodation was too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space. Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood. I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew. Immigration and Naturalization is checking the green-card status of most of the people who want to work. The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building experience. To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark." Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?" "No," said the Lord, "the government beat me to it." (LaFree)

Sincerely,

Edward C. Levy

President

 Freeman-Spicer Financial Services

316 South Eddy Street, P.O. Box 1238, South Bend, IN 46624

(V) 574.234.0069 or 800.526.6753 / (F) 574.234.6414 / surekey@aol.com

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Ryan McDaniel at: 317.896.1393 office / 317.490.4657 cell

Home Technology, Simplified: One-Touch is a full service home technology company. Simplify your daily routines with an automation system. Imagine your security, lighting, heating/air conditioning working together to save you both time and money. No more setting back the thermostat at night and running around turning off all of your lights before bed. Simply push a button labeled "Goodnight" and let your home automation system do the work. By simply arming your security system "Away", have all of your lights turn off and your heating/air conditioning set back. With One-Touch of a button called "Entertain", have all your lights go to a preset level while your favorite music turns on at a soft level throughout your home. Don't forget, you can control your home from anywhere in the world via the internet. The possibilities are endless!