05-31-2018 Columns

What should you look for in an annual financial review? Given the complexities of the investment world, you might consider working with a financial professional to help you move toward your goals, such as a comfortable retirement. You’ll want to establish good communication with whomever you choose, and you should meet in person at least once a year to discuss your situation. At these annual reviews, you’ll want to cover a variety of topics, including these: Your portfolio’s progress – Obviously, you will want to discuss how well your investments are doing. Of course, you can follow their performance from month to month, or even day to day, by reviewing your investment statements and online information, but at your annual meeting, your financial professional can sum up the past year’s results, highlight areas that have done well or lagged, and show you how closely your portfolio is tracking the results you need to achieve your long-term goals. Your investment mix – Your mix of investments – stocks, bonds, government securities and so on – helps determine your success as an investor. But in looking at the various investments in your portfolio, you’ll want to go beyond individual gains and losses to see if your overall mix is still appropriate for your needs. For example, is the ratio of stocks to bonds still suitable for your risk tolerance? Over time, and sometimes without you taking any action, this ratio can shift, as often happens when stocks appreciate so much that they now take up a larger percentage of your portfolio than you intended – with a correspondingly higher risk level. If these unexpected movements occur, your financial professional may recommend you rebalance your portfolio to align it more closely with your goals and risk tolerance. Changes in your family situation – A lot can happen in a single year. You could have gotten married, divorced or remarried, added a child to your family or moved to a new, more expensive house – the list can go on and on. And some, if not all, of these moves could certainly involve your financial and investment pictures, so it’s important to discuss them with your financial professional. Changes in your goals – Since your last annual review, you may have decided to change some of your long-term goals. Perhaps you no longer want to retire early, or you’ve ruled out that vacation home. In any case, these choices may well affect your investment strategies, so it’s wise to discuss them. Changes in the investment environment – Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to establish a long-term investment strategy based on your individual goals, risk tolerance and time horizon, and stick with this basic strategy regardless of the movements of the financial markets or changes in the economy. Still, this doesn’t mean you should never adjust your portfolio in response to external forces. For instance, if interest rates were to rise steadily over a year’s time, you might want to consider some changes to your fixed-income investments, such as bonds, whose value will be affected by rising rates. In any case, it’s another thing to talk about during your annual review. These aren’t the only elements you may want to bring up in your yearly review with your financial professional – but they can prove to be quite helpful as you chart your course toward the future. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Improving road safety for Michigan bicyclists With more than 1,300 miles of biking trails to explore, Michigan has a trail for every interest and cycling level. Michigan also offers more rail trails than any other state and is one of the most scenic states for bicycle touring. As we encourage people to get out and take a bike ride, it is critical that we increase safety for everyone on our roads, especially bicyclists. I recently supported Senate legislation to have Michigan join nearly 40 other states with a safe passing law for drivers passing bicyclists. Senate Bills 123, 124 and 170 would require drivers to allow a safe distance of at least three feet when passing a cyclist on either the left or right side, and would require the state’s initial teen driver education course to include at least one hour of classroom instruction on laws on bikes, motorcycles and other vulnerable roadway users. Drivers would be permitted to pass a bicycle in a no passing zone if it is safe to do so. Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have safe passing laws that mention bicycles. Of those, 29 states and the District of Columbia require a passing distance of at least three feet. The bills were spearheaded by Sen. Margaret O’Brien following a 2016 crash in Kalamazoo, in which a pickup truck hit a group of bicyclists, killing five of them. It is about helping prevent further tragedies by making clear to drivers their responsibilities when they approach bicyclists on the road. I encourage bicyclists to always follow safety rules and drivers to always keep an eye out for bicyclists and to pass with care. As always, I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback on the important issues facing Michigan. You can contact me at 517-373-6960.

Protecting Michigan children Protecting our children is a responsibility that all of us share. To that end, the House passed a wide reaching package of bipartisan bills to address a number of issues brought to light by the Nassar sex abuse scandal. My specific piece of legislation in this package increases the number of authority figures who must report evidence of abuse. It received unanimous bipartisan support. More specifically, my bill mandates athletic trainers and physical therapists working with K-12 school sports and college athletic activities to report suspected abuse to the proper authorities, as a measure to better protect Michigan children from child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse. Trainers and physical therapists, like other mandatory reporters, can be in the best position to identify abuse. As a teacher, I was required to be a mandatory reporter, so I understand what it entails and how important it is. It’s a responsibility shared by educators, nurses and psychologists, and a number of other licensed professionals. While each have their own specific reasons for interacting with children, we all are unified in our efforts to make certain children are safe and healthy. You deserve to know that these people are actively involved in keeping our children safe. There is no higher responsibility, as far as I’m concerned. Ensuring more responsible adults are mandatory reporters is an important piece of this plan, but it is part of a bigger obligation to protect Michigan’s kids. Medical professionals, educators, students, subject experts, and survivors of Nassar’s crimes spoke up about all of these bills during over 19 hours of committee testimony. This is a solution for a problem Nassar exposed and this is a sizable step forward to strengthening our protections for all Michigan’s residents. This package now advances to the Senate for its consideration. As always, please contact my office with any questions or concerns. You can reach me at 1-800-577-6212.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month May is Mental Health Awareness Month, making it an important time to share critical resources for individuals and families who might be in need of help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a national helpline that is operational all day, every day. Individuals in need of help can call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for a free and confidential conversation, including referrals for treatment and other information. Additionally, of note, a government funding package, that was signed into law in March, funded critical mental health programs included in the landmark 21st Century Cures Act, a bill I spearheaded. The policies included in the package represent the most significant reforms to our nation’s mental health system in more than one decade. From improving mental health care for children with serious emotional disturbances, to strengthening community crisis response systems, to developing school-based mental health crisis intervention teams including specialized training for school officials, to active shooter training programs for law enforcement, the 21st Century Cures Act and recent omnibus, made significant strides in this area and many of these programs are just now coming online. As Congress continues to work to implement the 21st Century Cures Act, this month presents an important opportunity to highlight both the tremendous reforms Congress has instituted, and the ways individuals facing mental and/or substance use disorders can find the help and support they need. To learn more about this and other important legislative issues, please visit my website: upton.house.gov or call my offices in Kalamazoo (269-385-0039), St. Joseph/Benton Harbor (269-982-1986), or Washington, D.C. (202-225-3761).

Swimming pool safety The Berrien County Health Department (BCHD) wants to remind residents of safe and healthy swimming practices, including ways to prevent illness and injury, whether swimming in a public or private pool. We each play a role in preventing injuries, such as those from mishandling pool chemicals, or illnesses caused by germs in the places we swim. Exposure to bacteria or chemicals in pools can cause harm or illness; however, both of these can be prevented through a few simple precautions. While chlorine and other pool disinfectants kill most germs within minutes, some germs can live in pool water for days. Contaminants from the human body, like urine, feces, and sweat mix with chlorine and form chemicals that can make our eyes red and itchy as well as trigger asthma attacks. Most commonly, the germs present in water we swim in can cause diarrhea, especially if the water is swallowed. It’s very important to keep these germs from contaminants, like urine and feces, out of the water we all swim in. To prevent recreational water illness, you should avoid swallowing pool water or getting water in your mouth, wash hands thoroughly after changing diapers, using the restroom, and before eating or handling food. Never swim if you have diarrhea – you can spread germs in the water and make others sick. Take children on bathroom breaks every 30-60 minutes and only change diapers in the bathroom or diaper-changing area – not poolside where germs can rinse into the water. Everyone can help create healthy swimming experiences this summer. By following these basic steps, Berrien County residents and visitors can prevent injury and death due to many waterborne infections and outbreaks and enjoy all that the water offers. For more information, visit the Berrien County Health Department website at www.bchdmi.org or Facebook page.