Stellar Shakes

Okay, weather you work out a lot or not, who in their right mind doesn't enjoy a yummy shake? Here are a few of my favorite recipes that I'm pretty sure I came up with myself through pure trial and error. The best part is that they are healthy, no added sugar (trust me) and taste delicious - Enjoy and let me know what you think!

You have to have a good blender. I prefer the single-serve cup that comes with the Ninja.

Chocolate Milkshake (or Malt):

1 Frozen Banana (1 and a half works really well too, depending on the size of the bananas)
1 Heaping Tablespoon of raw cocoa powder (i.e., baking cocoa)
1 Cup or so of milk (almond, cow, soy, whatever you prefer) (Tip: if using Ninja, just fill to where the milk just covers the bananas, also, don't put to much as it will make it thinner and less like a 'normal' milkshake)
1 Heaping Tablespoon of peanut butter (this is by far the best peanut butter on earth!)
Perhaps a couple ice cubes, depending on blender/consistency
1-2 Tablespoons of raw whey protein, soy protein powder, or crack a raw egg in it. Honestly, most times I skip the extra protein, but after an awesome workout, it couldn't hurt. Some people are anti eggs (especially raw) - I guess you got to be careful about biotin - Google it.
1 Tablespoon of malted milk if you're into that sort of thing.

Blend until all blended and enjoy!

Happy Holiday Egg Nog:
1 Frozen Banana (1 and a half works really well too, depending on the size of the bananas)
1 Heaping Tablespoon of raw cocoa powder (i.e., baking cocoa)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Cup or so of milk (almond, cow, soy, whatever you prefer) (Tip: if using Ninja, just fill to where the milk just covers the bananas, also, don't put to much as it will make it thinner and less like a 'normal' milkshake)
1 Heaping Tablespoon of peanut butter (this is by far the best peanut butter on earth!)
Perhaps a couple ice cubes, depending on blender/consistency
1-2 raw eggs (Some people are anti eggs (especially raw) - I guess you got to be careful about biotin - Google it)
LOTS of ground nutmeg and cinnamon.


The Incredible (pumpkin spice) Hulk:

So, this one comes out green (duh). My kids thought it was going to be "disgusting" - now they request this one!

1 Frozen Banana (1 and a half works really well too, depending on the size of the bananas)
1/2 cup or so of greens (spinach, kale, whatever you prefer)
Pumpkin spice: 1/2 tsp or so of each: ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg - all to taste
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Cup or so of milk (almond, cow, soy, whatever you prefer) I prefer almond milk with this one! (Tip: if using Ninja, just fill to where the milk just covers the bananas and greens, also, don't put to much as it will make it thinner and less like a 'normal' milkshake)
1 Heaping Tablespoon of peanut butter (this is by far the best peanut butter on earth!)
Perhaps a couple ice cubes, depending on blender/consistency
1-2 Tablespoons of raw whey protein, soy protein powder, or crack a raw egg in it. Honestly, most times I skip the extra protein, but after an awesome workout, it couldn't hurt. Some people are anti eggs (especially raw) - I guess you got to be careful about biotin - Google it.

Blend until all blended and enjoy!

CrossFit and Financially Fit

I first became aware of CrossFit while serving in the Air Force in 2006. At the time, I wouldn’t have considered myself physically fit but not exactly unfit either. My problem was mere boredom. Typical workouts never held my attention and frankly, I always found myself intimidated by the classic gym experience.

I didn’t jump on the CrossFit bandwagon back in 2006 but I developed a pretty decent physical fitness level which was mostly attributable to the months I spent deployed to Iraq. While there, I had some exposure to CrossFit, primarily burpees, air squats and pull-ups, coupled with traditional weight lifting. Upon my return in 2008, yet again, I began getting bored with the typical workout routine.

Fast forward to 2014 – I really needed a change! I traveled to Washington State to visit my sister and her family. During my week-long stay, I had the privilege of working out as a guest at the CrossFit box she calls home. I drank the Kool-Aid – I was hooked. I signed up at my nearest CrossFit affiliate the day after I returned home. It has been great! CrossFit provides challenging workouts that are never boring, strong community, and well, just plain fun. Sure, I’d be lying if I were to say that I’m not somewhat intimidated by learning new exercises or attempting to perfect old ones. However, a slight amount of intimidation reminds me I’m imperfect, always learning, and always progressing.

So, you might be wondering where I may be going with all this? As a money nerd, I certainly understand the discipline required to build (and achieve) a successful financial plan. I also know how difficult and sometimes painful things can become as you try to make sense of all the numbers, wrangling debt, taxes, insurance, investing – not to mention planning for your children as they grow and even potentially leaving a legacy. Yikes! There’s a lot to think of!

The fact is that achieving financial fitness (like physical fitness) not only requires mere discipline but also a format that will keep you engaged to get (and remain) fit. Likewise, you also need to ensure you are performing the exercises and getting the proper nutrition to help prevent injury. Alas, most people attempt to rest on mere will power, go it alone and eventually throw in the towel. Perhaps boredom creeps in or an injury rears its ugly head. In any event, performing the same actions expecting different results is a known definition of insanity.

So, what can you do to ensure you become and stay physically and financially fit? My answer: join a CrossFit community and hire a financial trainer. Whatever your choice, challenge yourself to embrace a bit of intimidation, find something other than routine, and never stop learning. 

Do annuities have a place in your financial plan?

What is an annuity?
An annuity is a term that means a series of regular payments over a period of time. Typically, when the topic arises during some sort of financial planning, reference is often being made to independent insurance products offered by insurance companies and sold by their agents. However, annuity contracts can also derive from other sources such as retirement plans, pension plans, and even lottery winnings.

Annuity contracts sold by insurance companies can be (and most often are) very complex financial tools with aspects spanning financial, tax, risk management, and legal disciplines. Many times the products are sold rather quickly by overzealous insurance sales agents – often under the guise of acting as a trusted adviser – who focus their clients’ attention on the fear of running out of money within retirement (i.e., mortality risk), and/or optimizing or reducing income tax liabilities. Of course, these same advisors often quickly gloss over very important factors such as surrender charges, and hefty overall commission charges they are entitled to as part of the contract. Many well-intentioned investors find themselves in a hairy situation a year or two down the road when they decide they shouldn’t have locked in a great deal of their nest egg in such a product.

While an insurance annuity product may have a rightful place within a properly organized financial plan, it’s important to know that even the sales agents themselves often do not fully understand the contracts they push for sale to their clients. Thus, it’s important to ensure your own understanding and comfort level and do not make a purchase decision unless you are totally comfortable with, not only the specifics of the product, but also its function within your financial plan.  

Is an annuity right for me?
Many people wind up having this question at some point in life but especially when nearing or within retirement. As already mentioned, the decision can become quite complex rather quickly. Following are some items to consider and think about when faced with the decision of whether or not to purchase an annuity.

1) Do you really need what an annuity provides? Remember, one of the major functions of an annuity is to transfer your (and perhaps your spouse’s) mortality risk to an insurance company. This is not a cost-free exchange. While it may result in stable income payments for life, you must decide whether the costs make sense. That is, do you already have other forms of lifetime income from sources such as military pensions, or other retirement pensions? Are those other pensions sufficient to meet your long-term income needs?

2) Do you desire to maintain flexibility in how your retirement funds are utilized? An annuity obligates funds that you later might decide to use for other purposes (e.g., legacy, gifting, purchases, etc). Once an annuity is purchased, it may be difficult and/or costly to reverse the decision. Also, your choices may be limited if purchasing through your retirement plan (401k, TSP, etc).

3) What is the financial record and long-term viability of the insurance company?  Simply put, will the insurer be able to hold up their end of the deal over the long-term?

4) Are you making the decision based upon objective planning or fear? Decisions driven by fear do not have a place within your financial plan. Make certain that you have carefully thought out all areas, set realistic goals, and are operating under a specific plan to help you achieve them.

5) What happens to the annuity at death? Of course, the answer depends on the specifics of the contract. There are certainly options to ensure an annuity can pass on to your spouse in the event of your death (e.g., joint life). However, a single life annuity will cease payments at your death. Again, it’s important to fully understand these factors, costs, etc, when making your decision.

These are just a few of the topics you should think about when making a decision regarding purchasing an annuity. It’s important to note that purchasing an annuity, discussed here, is not the same as being provided a pension annuity (i.e., lifetime income) from, say, a military or other employer-sponsored pension plan.

In summary, there are plenty of nuances to the annuity puzzle – decisions which often make novice investors’ heads spin. The key, like many aspects within personal financial planning, is to fully understand your options and subsequent decisions – before making them. Be sure to employ the services of a competent and objective financial planner who can assist you in sorting out all the details – without the biases potentially involved with selling financial products.

Achievement in 3D

There’s a reason 3-D movies are all the rage right now. Don’t you think it’s quite amazing how putting some special glasses over our eyes turns an eyesore into a compelling, eye-popping, edge-of-your-seat, cinematic experience? I recall one 3-D attraction where not only did the action on the screen take shape in the third dimension, the other senses also were engaged as real water came down from the sprinkler system overhead, perfectly synchronized with the virtual splash from the screen — what fun!

Have you ever set a goal to exercise more, eat right or simply be more physically fit? Perhaps you’ve set this goal around the turn of a new year alongside becoming financially fit. Have you ever considered donning some funky 3-D glasses to get a better look at your situation? Read on to discover how to achieve in 3-D.

What could we possibly learn from a 3-D cinematic experience, and how does it relate to physical and financial fitness? Like the 3-D glasses you put on to enjoy the show, the following three “D” words will allow you to see and approach your environment with a fresh perspective.

Desire. It all begins with desire. Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you set out to do anything without desire? I get it, and if you are anything like me, I can’t stand to do laundry, but I desire to get it done. Why? I do it so that portion of my life and household is more functional and comfortable.

Desire is essentially having a strong feeling of want. The keyword here is feeling. Now, we could let feelings take us on an emotional roller-coaster ride, but doing so won’t often result in much, if any, success. Instead, focus on desire as a healthy and productive approach to fulfilling your goals and achieving your dreams. Whether you desire to be fit financially, physically or otherwise, a healthy dose of desire is sure to get you motivated in the right direction.

Determination. If we have desire and can throw a lasso around it, wrangle it to the ground and make it work for us, we have only just begun. Without determination, desire will eventually fizzle out and cause nothing but a heaping pile of frustration.

Determination means that you are firm in your purpose. When you’re determined, you’re resolute – you don’t give up! Close your eyes and imagine this. What comes to mind? I think of Spiderman and his relentless approach to making his newfound and weird situation work for the best to achieve what was most important to him. Of course, this is a fun and fictional example, but the message is clear: Be determined, don’t give up!

Discipline. If we have the first two D’s but lack discipline, we are nothing more than a plain vanilla, old-school 2-D cartoon. Can we still achieve our goals and be successful? Sure, but it’ll be much more difficult. Ask a child if they would rather see their favorite movie in 2-D or 3-D — I bet the latter wins.

I’ve found the funny thing about discipline is that people typically think it is an internal and individual thing. The definition of the word point to another direction: the practice of training people to obey; using punishment to correct. Now to me, the last part is quite funny because I often tell my clients that I’ll get out a ruler and smack them on the knuckles if they don’t follow through with my advice — I always get a chuckle until I actually pull out the ruler. All jokes aside, the key here is the practice of training people.

Now, I’m no literary expert, but this doesn’t sound like something you go at alone and hope for the best. You need a coach, a partner, someone to keep you on track — someone who cares as much as you do about your goals and achieving them.

Whatever your definition of achievement — physically, financially or otherwise, you’re best off looking at it in 3-D.