Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Streamline Financial Services! By "all of us", let me refer you to the picture at the left.  While 50% of us do not know a Roth IRA from an annuity (25% of us can't even repeat those words yet), the other 50% of us are taking up the slack until they are ready, and we count it our honor to have YOU as our client and friend this year.  We are proud to be a "family business" with a personal touch, and hope to stay that way for years to come.  Thank you for choosing us to be your financial advisory team!   Before 2006 is in the books, I thought I would leave you with a few thoughts below.  Enjoy.

College Football Deep Thought: The #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (12-0) will meet the Florida Gators (12-1) on 1/08/07 in the national championship college football game instead of playing the Appalachian State Mountaineers for the title.  This is, in my opinion, a black eye for the BCS system.   Before you think your advisor is off his rocker, please note: Appalachian State beat MontanaState, who beat Colorado, who beat Iowa State, who beat Missouri, who beat Mississippi, who beat Vanderbilt, who beat Georgia, who beatAuburn, who handed Florida their only loss of the 2006 season (source: NCAA).   And now you have some trivia to throw out during that John Mellencamp Chevy commercial that is airing for the fourth time in one quarter.

IS 2007 WHEN YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS WILL BEGIN? If not, what year will yours begin?  In a recent survey, 60 percent of workers aged 55 and older gave an incorrect answer when asked the age at which they will become eligible for full Social Security benefits.¹ Read more...   And, if you need more info, you can go to the Official Website of the U.S. Social Security Administration.

DEATH.  TAXES.  2007 FOLLOWS 2006.  ANYTHING ELSE? Rarely do we find guarantees these days.  Here's what the annuity industry has been doing to assist the 21st century investor with some creative ways to provide a safety net for those of us in charge of our own retirement planning. Read more...     The risk to today's retiree is not only market fluctuations, but longevity risk, or inflation risk.  It's an art designing retirement income scenarios with flexibility and inflation adjustments in them.  After reading the above article, take a look at what we're up against once we call it quits, and why planning is an essential component. Read more...

'TIS THE SEASON   Here's a link to the best version of "O Holy Night" I've ever heard, with a free download, courtesy of NBC.com.  May it warm your heart this time of year.  (you can stop and download and play now, if you want).   Let's not forget that in the midst of buying presents, long distance travels, crowds, government clashes, and chaos in general, long about 2000 years ago not much was different.  A young pregnant woman traveled hundreds of miles because of a Roman Emperor's decree, to a place where she could not find a room to have her baby.  Chaos was and always will be with us.  And yet, on that Holy Night, the world stood still for a baby to be born to her, to us, in Bethlehem.  My hope is that you (and I) will take that time to stand still, even for a moment, and ponder the reason we celebrate this time of year.    Have a blessed Christmas,   Toby and Murphy Meisenheimer

140 S. Commonwealth , Aurora, IL 60506
Phone: 630-844-8733 | Cell: 630-205-9786 | Fax: 630-892-8198
Email: toby@streamlineplanning.com | Website: www.streamlineplanning.com

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