Introduction Employee Spotlight - Barry Williamson Calling All Open Minds - Riding the Stock Market Roller Coaster Go Green - To Idle or Not to Idle? Practical Prosperity - Beyond Life Insurance Reader Responses Buy the Book - New Audio Book Available! Hear Me Speak    Dear ,   Today I celebrate living at Red Sunflower Farm for one month and three days!  What an adventure it has been.   Barry and I left our beautiful home in the woods in Wyoming, OH and have moved into a 600 square foot cottage on the corner of the farm property.  We left air conditioning, individual offices, a guest room, a second bath, and our large living room!  Of course those amenities will return once the construction is complete on our remodeled home, hopefully before Christmas! What we have relished in the short term is an even deeper appreciation of nature.  With so little space to be inside, we live mostly outdoors.  And while I used to dread summer, with its heat and humidity, now I find myself eager to get up every morning to see what each new day brings. Our daily surprises include watching the wild turkeys strut across the back field, the excitement of witnessing a small mouth bass jump in the creek as it chases a hatching nymph, the spectacle of three deer munching on clover near the pond in the dusk of evening, or my favorite, the increasing display of wild flowers of every size, color and shape.  Nature just keeps blessing us every day.  Miraculously, we do nothing to receive this blessing except attend to it.   What blessing is the universe handing you in this moment?  Be still, attend to it  and receive. I hope you enjoy this month's articles.  As always we delight in your feedback, comments and questions.   Create a prosperous day, Mackey   P.S. Don't forget to check out my new audio book, The Dynamics of Money, co-authored with Dr. Deborah Ooten.  Thank you!   back to top

Employee Spotlight - Barry Williamson   Barry joined The Advisory Team in June of 2005 as a part-time Analyst for the Accounting Department as he attended the University of Cincinnati.  Now, just a little over two years later, Barry has been promoted to the level of full-time Tax Accountant.   There is not a day that goes by without someone in the office saying, "Hey Barry.  Do you have a minute?  I have a question."  Not only is he a phenomenal part of the accounting team, Barry also lends his expertise in the area of technology on a regular basis.  From computer network servers to Hong Kong tax research, Barry is a team player.   We are fortunate in having Barry on our team.  Please join us in congratulating Barry for his promotion and recognizing him as a key member in the success of our firm.   by Alicia Speed  back to top

Calling All Open Minds - Riding the Stock Market Roller Coaster    What do you do when the daily stock market returns look like a roller coaster on graph paper? How do you make sense out of the financial news? Who do you believe and more importantly, who do you trust?   If these questions get your blood pumping at a faster pace, consider your increased heart rate a call to action.   Most of us see financial independence as the day we get off the treadmill called, "my current job," and start a new path. This new journey has us engaged and making a difference. We may be making money, and we may not - and we want to have that option!   It is up to us (either on our own or with the help of an advisor) to navigate the world of asset accumulation, investment, and distribution in a way that is responsive rather than reactive. This requires an investment philosophy, a way of making sense of the financial world, and coordinating it with your goals.   My experience is that your investment philosophy has to carry you through the turbulent times, focusing on long term results and disregarding the sometimes dramatic day to day market fluctuations. If your investment philosophy is too far beyond your personal risk tolerance, you will get into a cycle of buying high and selling low, consistently losing principal with each transaction.   I often say the stock market is an emotional barometer of collective human consciousness. When we collectively feel optimistic, the market generally goes up. When we collectively gather in a place of fear, operating from a cloud of uncertainty, the market tumbles.   For those of us already a bit timid relative to stock investments, media hype can make matters worse. Every commentator has an opinion often filled with fear and emotion.   That being said, an investment plan rooted in emotion is usually a set up for failure. To maintain clarity, it is critical to ignore the hype and focus on the reality of the stock market, its ups and its downs.   Over the long term, stocks rise based on good business results like improved earnings, positive cash flow, increased dividend yields and strong balance sheets. The day to day fluctuations that occur often have little to do with these fundamentals. The day to day results are emotional, not logical.   To help start you down this path, the philosophy we teach is asset allocation. It follows the old adage to not put all of your eggs in one basket. With asset allocation, we decide how many of each type of basket we plan to own. As one basket grows, we sell a portion of those baskets to maintain our pre-determined allocation. This simple idea is supported by many historical research studies.   Take this time of market volatility as an opportunity to check in with yourself. Are you confident in your philosophy? Do you understand your approach? Are you focused on the long term? If any of these answers are no, take action. Here are some suggestions: Call your advisor and talk to them about your investments. Review their philosophy and your account. If you don't have an advisor, get one! Join an investment club.  Join The American Association of Independent Investors and attend the local chapter meetings. Come to one of our Financial Independence seminars this fall. Contact Alicia for the schedule. Move toward your financial independence goal with confidence and clarity, not fear and reactivity. May prosperity be yours today! by Mackey McNeill  back to top

Go Green - To Idle or Not to Idle?   The answer: Turn your ignition off when you will be stopped or parked for more than thirty seconds.   Idling for more than thirty seconds burns more gas than it takes to restart the engine or than if the car were moving, and thus produces more toxic emissions.   For more ways to ease up on your fuel use when in the cruisin' lane, read the Green Guide's Road Trip Tips.   by Alicia Speed  back to top   Practical Prosperity - Beyond Life Insurance   Disability   Lack of disability insurance is the land mine that can destroy all your financial planning.  Your biggest asset is your ability to earn.  Lose that and all your planning can be for naught.  Disability is not just losing an arm or a leg.  More often, it involves cancer, depression, back pain, heart problems and other debilitating diseases.   Disability insurance is generally cheaper through work because the risk is spread out amongst all employees. If you deduct your disability payments from your paycheck, you will pay income taxes on any proceeds you collect. If you don't take the deduction, you don't have to pay taxes on the proceeds. Most of the time, you're better off taking the deduction now since your income would likely be lower if you were taking proceeds instead of drawing salary.   Disability recommendations: Have a minimum of 120-day elimination period.  You can afford to self-cover during that period and you will pay much less in premiums. Keep your policy only long enough to meet your needs.  Don't buy a lifetime policy if you only need coverage until age 62.  Once your income producing days are over, your need for disability insurance goes to nil. Get a waiver of premium, which means you quit paying for the premium if you become disabled.  Also, get an inflation rider, which means your coverage goes up with inflation. The best solution is to get disability insurance through work and augment it if necessary. Long-term Care   Long-term care pays for a nursing home or in-home care.  Many insurance companies are dropping this type of coverage because they are losing money on it.  The average annual cost of long-term care is $57,200, and goes up about 5% a year, higher than inflation.   The emotional costs of long-term care are horrendous.  Sixty-five percent of people rely on their families to care for them in old age.  Many people miss work and even quit jobs to help take care of their parents.  In many cases, you will take care of your parents longer then they took care of you.   Purchase long-term care insurance only if self-insuring isn't an option. However, even if you're financially independent, consider long-term care for two reasons.  First, the market is unpredictable.  And second, it sends a message to your family that you don't expect them to care for you.  Persons with no desire to leave an estate may be alright to self-insure until the money runs out and then let Medicaid pick up the rest.  Long-term care insurance is not cheap so if leaving an estate is not your desire, you might think twice before making that yearly premium payment.   When considering your purchase, be sure to look at whether you have indemnity versus reimbursement coverage.  With indemnity, the insurance company gives you payout cash and doesn't care how you spend it.  With reimbursement, you submit expenses and get reimbursed.  Indemnity is generally the more expensive of the two.   When purchasing long-term care insurance: Buy only from A-rated companies. Look at the daily benefit amount.  You may be able to self-insure for part of it, so that it doesn't cost as much. Look for waiver of premium and home care options. Make sure the payout goes up to handle inflation. Long-term care is fully deductible for C-corporations, and you can discriminate. You don't have to get it for anyone else.   Medicare pays only for some advanced, specific hospital care for 100 days, not for long-term health care.  Medicaid pays long-term health care, but only for the impoverished.  When it comes to long-term care, you have three basic options: Go broke. Insure for it. Have enough money to pay for it. Pay attention to your parents.  Unless you help them develop a plan, you may be their long-term care plan.   by Andy Pulsfort back to top   Reader Responses   Response from Cyd in regards to Mackey's recent Top Ten Women in Accounting Award:   Many, many congratulations Mackey!  I thoroughly enjoyed your talk at the Banker's Club...so nice to see and hear you again.   Response from Stacey about Mackey's award, living green and the value of good advice:   Congratulations on being chosen as one of the top ten Women in Finance!     I am thrilled that you are holding SRI seminars!  I will keep that in mind and recommend your seminars to others, every chance I get.  Marty and I are greenies, too.  (I grew a huge kitchen garden this year, and we plan to buy a Prius.  And, of course, we recycle everything, including kitchen waste for compost.)  I really appreciate all of your tips in your recent newsletters about going green and am trying to implement as many of them as I can.   Thank you, again, for all of your advice and support.  I recommend your services to others every chance I get.  I am thrilled to see that you are adding wonderful teaching opportunities to your repertoire.  It is great to see your business evolving and expanding.   Response from P.:   Thanks for including me in your mailing lists. I forward your newsletter to my children and other persons who are interested. Congratulations on all you accomplishments.   We look forward to your comments and feedback! back to top

Buy the Book: "Prosperity begins as a state of being and thereby must be initiated from within."   Mackey's new audio book, The Dynamics of Money, Using the Enneagram for Conscious Transformation gives you the power to discover your personal key, unlocking the door to your true potential for unlimited prosperity. Through the power of the Narrative Tradition of the Enneagram you will hear three exemplars of each of the nine personality types sharing their unique perspectives on the subject of money and prosperity.     * Do you find yourself worrying about money?     * Are you concerned about your current level of savings?     * Would you like more options in your money life? If you answered yes to any of these questions or simply desire to understand yourself and others in the realm of finances, this audio book will provide you with insights not found elsewhere.  Allow The Dynamics of Money to consciously transform your financial life to one of unlimited prosperity.   To order your copy of this newest release from Prosperity Publishing by Mackey McNeill and Dr. Deborah Ooten, please click here!  back to top   Also from Prosperity Publishing, Mackey's first book, The Intersection of Joy and Money, exposes the fantasies and illusions that sabotage your money life, and then offers a step-by-step guide to create a life of prosperity and abundance.  To purchase your copy of The Intersection of Joy and Money please click here.   back to top Hear Me Speak:   Friday - August 17 - 11:00am Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity Exact Software   Location: 8180 Corporate Park Dr # 124 Cincinnati, OH 45242   Mackey will be presenting Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity for Exact Software's annual team meeting.  This will be a private speaking engagement.  Contact us to have Mackey speak to your group.   Wouldn't it be amazing to love your work; to be surrounded by other people who love their work; to know that everyone was utilizing their talents to the fullest; to be energized by the motivation of those around you?  This is not a utopia.  It is an achievable reality if we open ourselves to the abundance that surrounds us and encourage our communities, our families and our co-workers to do the same.    Through her presentation, Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity in Your Business, Mackey McNeill awakens participants to the limitless possibilities of creating a prosperous company culture and illuminates the opportunities for success therein. Tuesday - August 21 - 9:00am The Dynamics of Money: Using the Enneagram for Conscious Transformation Conscious Living Radio   Location: WAIF Radio, 88.3FM   Mackey joins Dr. Deborah Ooten to discuss their most recent project, The Dynamics of Money: Using the Enneagram for Conscious Transformation.   Dr. Deborah Ooten, founder of the Conscious Living Center and the School for Conscious Living, will be co-hosting a program each Tuesday morning from 9-10 am on WAIF.  The format will be a discussion about matters of the body, mind, and spirit and how we can integrate ourselves into a more conscious way of being.  Also explored, in the scope of this program, will be alternative health topics. Join Dr. Ooten and frequent guests for this summer's program,  every Tuesday from 9:00 - 10:00 am on WAIF radio, 88.3 FM   For more information, contact: ConsciousLiving.Center@fuse.net Wednesday - September 5 - 11:30am Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity Metropolitan Women Connect   Location: Metropolitan Club, Covington, KY 41011   Mackey will be weaving her prosperity lessons into a presentation for women through a new group, Metropolitan Women Connect.  If you would like more information about joining this group, please contact the Metropolitan Club at (859)491-2400. Sunday - September 16 - 10:30am Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity New Thought Spiritual Co-op   Location: Vernon Manor Hotel, Cincinnati, OH 45219   This will be Mackey's second sharing of Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity to a spiritual community.  If you were not able to make it to Beacon of Life in May, please join us with New Thought Spiritual Co-op.  We would love to see you there. Wednesday - September 19 - 7:30am Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity Life Success Business Breakfast Networking Series   Location: West Chester Conference Center, West Chester, OH 45011   Mackey has been invited to present to a Life Success audience.  This will be an exciting opportunity for those of our friends who have not yet seen Mackey offer her lessons of prosperity to join us.  For more information about the breakfast networking series, please visit Life Success. Monday - October 1 - 12:00pm Cultivating a Culture of Prosperity Top Tier Leadership - NKY Chamber   Location: 300 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 330, Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017   Mackey will once again join the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in offering a program aimed at providing concrete tools and resources to build visionary top tier leaders.  Applications are being accepted for the fall series through Friday, August 17.   For more information, contact Ruth Eger at the NKY Chamber.  You may reach her by phone at 859-578-6388 or email her. Please remember to contact us to have Mackey speak to your group of twenty or more. back to top