Every person experiences cravings differently, but they are typically transient and often for processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthful fats. CAUSES The brain regions responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward play a role in food cravings. An imbalance of hormones, such as leptin and serotonin, could also lead to food cravings. Cravings also involve the appetite centers of the brain, even though they tend to be separate from hunger. There are two types of food cravings: selective and nonselective. Selective cravings are cravings for specific foods, such as a person’s favorite chocolate bar, a particular burger from their favorite restaurant, or a bag of potato chips of a certain flavor. Nonselective hunger is the desire to eat anything. It may be the result of real hunger and hunger pangs, but it can also be a sign of thirst. Drinking water may help with intense nonselective cravings. HOW TO REDUCE CRAVINGS Reduce stress levels Drink plenty of water Get enough sleep Eat enough protein Chew gum Most people experience food cravings from time to time. These cravings can cause them to snack on unhealthful foods, which can lead to weight gain. Various methods, such as reducing stress and staying hydrated, can help people minimize their cravings. Substituting healthful foods for unhealthful ones can also help. Source: Medical News
Every year at this time, we meet new clients who want to drastically overhaul their finances and set themselves up for wealth in the new year. I’ve put together a list of 5 resolutions that I always share, and that you can put to work for yourself as well. First things first: The base of any good financial plan is insurance, because it helps you control risk. You can have the best financial plan in the world, but if something happens to you or your family, you need to be protected to keep your plan on solid footing. You’ll want to take the time to make sure all your insurance is in proper order. This includes life insurance, disability insurance, 2Fand even property and casualty. Because we specialize in working with retirees, long term care is especially important to our clients. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 70% of people aged 65 or older are likely to need long-term care at some point. Finally, you may want to consider an umbrella policy, especially if you have rental or vacation homes. Secondly, your financial goals, both long and short term, should be driven by your personal goals – whether that’s providing for children and grandchildren, sending them to college, passing the family business to the next generation, or preparing for your own retirement and the traveling you want to do, you should think about those goals and how they compare to where you are now. I sit down with my clients and, i
Commentary by Jerry Herman, CFA® In 2021 the world returned to some level of normalcy and featured a recovering and generally strong economy. However, we continued to face ongoing challenges from the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, the highest inflation levels in decades, and generally sustained low interest rates. Overall investors benefitted from this combination – with equities strong and fixed-income weak. Fueled by massive fiscal and monetary stimulus, a vaccine rollout and pent-up consumer demand, U.S. GDP grew an estimated 5.5% in 2021, the fastest pace in more than a quarter century. Household finances emerged from the crisis and spending on big-ticket items surged. Unemployment declined from 6.7% at the beginning of the year to around 4% at year-end with increasing signs of labor market tightness. The year featured high prices and inflation surprises. Through November, the consumer price index (CPI) topped 5% for seven straight months, with the November reading coming in at 6.8%, the highest in 40 years. Supported by a strong economic recovery and very accommodative monetary policy, the S&P 500 reached 70 record highs during the year, the most since 1996. The S&P 500 returned 26.89% in 2021, which followed gains of 18.4% in 2020, and 31.5% in 2019 - only the third time since 1926 that returns were greater than 18% for three straight years. The Dow was up 18.73%, and the Nasdaq was up 21.4%.
Many people think that estate planning is only for older people – but it actually starts as early as college! When most students go to college, they are adults. This means they can take out loans, manage their time and course load, and generally make decisions for themselves. While parents’ lack of access to grades and other information can be frustrating, if children have not considered their estate planning, the surprises can be far more serious. Besides being the provider of food, housing, and often transportation, parents are the “natural guardians” over minor children. This means they are their child’s legal representative and can act on behalf of their children in financial and personal matters. For example, if a minor child falls off a trampoline and breaks his arm, his parents can legally make medical decisions on behalf of the child. The same goes for financial matters. Parents can open financial accounts for their minor children, apply for life insurance, and so on. When those children turn 18, their parents’ power over them disappears. If an adult child is incapacitated in a car accident, his parent cannot by default make health care decisions for the child. The same goes for financial matters. So, what do parents and college kids need to consider to protect themselves in these scenarios? There are 2 parts to this – first, a Health Care Power of Attorney, can give his parents authority over a child’s health d