Finances

Wise Choices. Improved Finances. A Better Life.
New iShares ETFs Have Great Expense Ratios - 2013-02-27 08:00:00-05
I personally invest in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in both my traditional IRA and my Roth IRA. ETFs allow investors to put money into a wide variety of investments at expense ratios that are usually well below those of mutual funds. But just because many ETFs have lower expense ratios than their mutual fund cousins doesn’t mean they’re as low as they could be. A lot of them out there are far too expensive.

Thankfully, BlackRock recently overhauled its core lineup of ETFs by launching four new ones and repositioning six existing ETFs with expense ratios that are very low. I mean WAY low. So now, the choice is obvious (for me) when investing my hard-earned money: the new iShares Core ETFs provide broad, diversified coverage AND are less expensive — two key components that make a healthier portfolio (read my book review of How A Second Grader Beats Wall Street). But before you move your money from an existing ETF or other investment, you may have other factors to consider including tax consequences and any transaction costs in your decision-making process.

Find out the #1 reason people don’t invest.

10 New iShares ETFs

The 10 new iShares ETFs from BlackRock cover three major asset classes, have a really aggressive pricing structure and make up the new “iShares Core”. What’s unique about this move is that it essentially eliminates the pricing differences between the major ETFs from iShares, Vanguard, and Charles Schwab.

Now, the real difference between these three ETF families boils down to how they’re indexed (adjusting how an investment is weighted so that it matches an index such as the S&P 500) because once the expense ratio drop to 0.10%, any further reduction doesn’t produce significantly measurable results for investors. So, when expense levels fall to the 0.10% range (or less), other factors become more important. Factors such as indexing methodology and frequency, transaction costs, and the fund’s distribution policies.

The new iShares Core ETFs track indexes well known and loved by US investors, namely S&P indexes for domestic equities and Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) indexes for international stocks.

The four new iShares Core ETFs were launched back on October 22, 2012. I’ve listed them here, with the underlying index, the fund’s expense ratio, and a link to the fund’s overview page:

IXUS will track the MSCI ACWI ex-USA Investable Market Index with a 0.16% expense ratio.
IEFA will track the MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index with a 0.14% expense ratio.
IEMG will track the MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index with a 0.18% expense ratio.
ISTB will track the Barclays U.S. Government/Credit 1-5 Year Bond Index with a 0.12% expense ratio.
Six renovated iShares Core ETFs (effective Oct. 17) with expense ratios and links to overview pages:

ITOT, 0.07%, previously named the iShares S&P 1500 Index Fund.
IVV, 0.07%, previously named the iShares S&P 500 Index Fund.
IJH, 0.15%, previously named the iShares S&P MidCap 400 Index Fund.
IJR, 0.16%, previously named the iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Index Fund.
AGG, 0.08%, previously named the iShares Barclays Aggregate Bond Fund.
ILTB, 0.12%, previously named the iShares 10+ Year Government/Credit Bond Fund.
BlackRock has two PDF files explaining how their new “core” works:

Strengthen Your Core With iShares ETFs (pdf)
A Closer Look At iShares Core (pdf)
The fact sheet and prospectus for each of these ETFs is available at the overview links I’ve listed above.

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I personally invest and currently hold positions in ITOT, IXUS and AGG, along with one not listed above, HDV (iShares High Dividend ETF with an expense ration of 0.4%). I’m hoping they reduce the fees on HDV as well!

So, check out the new ETFs from BlackRock. You may find that your own portfolio can grow much faster when the fees you WERE paying are now at work

To be happy?

Dear _____,

Many people think the goal of life is to be
happy. I don't think so.

Have you ever been to a funeral? That's not a
time to be happy. It's a time to be sad.

Did you ever take the SAT's, the MCAT's, or any
other important entrance test? That's not a time
to be happy. It's a time for intensity.

Have you ever waited for test results from a
medical exam? That's not a time to be happy. It's
a time to worry.

Have you ever encountered a lot of turbulence on
an airplane? That's not a time to be happy. It's
a time to be scared.

The goal of life is NOT to be happy. The goal of
life is to know what time it is.

In the words of King Solomon:

"Everything has its season. And there is a time
for everything under the heaven."

"A time to be born and a time to die."

"A time to weep and time to laugh."

"A time to wail and time to dance."

"A time to rend and time to mend."

"A time to be silent and a time to speak."

"A time to love and a time to hate."

"A time for war and a time for peace."

What time is it for you ______? If you're
reading this, then maybe it's time to renew your
marriage. It can be a difficult and painful
process, but maybe that's what time it is for
you. If you like, I'd be happy to help you with
it.

I'm sorry

______,have you ever heard the expression,
"Love is never having to say you're sorry?"

Sometimes I wonder how such utterly ridiculous
expressions become commonly accepted. If you're
close to someone, you're going to step on their
toes occasionally. And when you hurt someone,
ESPECIALLY YOUR SPOUSE, it's important to say,
"I'm sorry."

Not only is it important to say "I'm sorry," but
it's important to say it well. Usually the words
alone are not enough. You have to get inside your
spouse's heart, feel their pain, and in order for
them to forgive you, they have to feel COMPLETELY
understood. Otherwise, you might say, "I'm
sorry," and your spouse might say, "It's okay,"
but nothing will change. You could be stuck in
that hurt for years.

I wish for you and your spouse that you
SUCCESSFULLY move through your past hurt and that
"I'm sorry" restores your relationship the way
those 2 magic words have the power to do.

Morning mind exercise

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

it is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

Lent

Lent
This article is principally about Lent in Western Christianity. For details about Lent in Orthodox Christianity, see Great Lent. For other uses see Lent (disambiguation).

An acolyte preparing to veil religious statues and extinguish candles on the altar. Note the crucifix and statues begin to be solemnly draped in violet while being incensed, and flowers are removed. Ash Wednesday at the Holy Oratory of Saint Francis de Sales, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States of America.

Lent celebrants carrying out a street procession during Holy Week. The violet color is often associated with penance and detachment. Similar Christian penitential practice is seen in other Catholic countries, sometimes associated with mortification of the flesh. Granada, Nicaragua.
Lent (Latin: Quadragesima) is a solemn observance in the liturgical year of many Christian denominations, lasting for a period of approximately six weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. In the general Latin-rite and most Western denominations Lent is taken to run from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) or to Easter Eve.

The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence. The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ's carrying the Cross and of his execution, are often observed. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches devoid their altars of candles, flowers, and other devotional offerings, while Crucifixes, religious statues, and other elaborate religious paraphernalia are often veiled in violet fabrics in solemn observance of this event. In certain pious Catholic countries, the consumption of meat is traditionally yet varyingly[1] self-abstained by the faithful, while grand religious processions and cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary.

Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by the Devil.[2][3] However, different Christian denominations calculate the "forty days" of Lent differently. In most Western traditions the Sundays are not counted as part of Lent; thus the period from Ash Wednesday until Easter consists of 40 days when the Sundays are excluded. However in the Roman Catholic Church Lent is now taken to end on Holy Thursday rather than Easter Eve, and hence lasts 38 days excluding Sundays, or 44 days in total.

This event, along with its pious customs are observed by Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, as well as some Baptists and Mennonites.

Word of the day

Control Your World — Keep Family, Work Balanced


Have you ever felt like pulling your hair out? Everyone wants and needs your attention. You have too many jobs at home, and then you come to work and have another full day of tasks that need to be done.

One of the challenges that many of us face today is balancing our work and family life. If you feel like I do, both are important. One of the things I love about USANA is its values regarding the importance of taking time with your family and keeping both home and family balanced.

One thing that works for me is to give my full attention to whichever place I am at. So if I am at home, I focus on my family. I take time to walk the dog, play with the cats and enjoy my children. I take time to laugh with my girlfriend and daughters, and talk about their day.

As a working father, I have to find time to do something for myself — take a few minutes just for me each day. It is easy to get caught up in going to work, then racing home to take care of the family. Now days, it takes everyone at home to take on more responsibility when we all work. We divide the jobs; take turns cooking dinner and doing the dishes.

When I am at work, I focus and plan my day in order to accomplish the priorities I need to handle as vice president of project management. As I am driving to work, I prepare myself for the day. What are the critical tasks I need to handle?

It is important when I am at work to also take a few minutes to stretch, look out the window and take a lunch break. This keeps me focused and fresh when I am working away behind my barber chair or facilitating a meeting.

I have learned the hard way — it is OK to say NO. This has been a tough lesson for me both at home and at work, but let’s face it, none of us are Superman. I know there are some things I can’t fix, so I let them go. I also have to prioritize when I need to do business work at home such as check emails or participate in conference calls and when it can just wait for the next day.

Life has turned into a fast-paced race, but you can control your world and slow down to keep both family and work balanced. Take time to breathe prioritize what is really important and start enjoying life. You will end up happier and healthier.

Where are you?

How to Be a Man

What does it mean to be a man today? How can men consciously express their masculinity without becoming cold or closed-hearted on the one hand… or wimpy and emasculated on the other? What’s the most loving way for a conscious man to express himself?

Here are 10 ways to live more consciously as a man:

1. Make real decisions.

A man understands and respects the power of choice. He lives a life of his own creation. He knows that life stagnates when he fails to decide and flourishes when he chooses a clear path.

When a man makes a decision, he opens the door he wants and closes the doors he doesn’t want. He locks onto his target like a guided missile. There’s no guarantee he’ll reach his target, and he knows this, but he doesn’t need such guarantees. He simply enjoys the sense of inevitability that comes from pushing the launch button.

A man doesn’t require the approval of others. He’s willing to follow his heart wherever it leads him. When a man is following his heart-centered path, it’s of little consequence if the entire world is against him.

2. Put your relationships second.

A man who claims his #1 commitment in life is his relationship partner (or his family) is either too dishonest or too weak to be trusted. His loyalties are misplaced. A man who values individuals above his own integrity is a wretch, not a free thinker.

A man knows he must commit to something greater than satisfying the needs of a few people. He’s not willing to be domesticated, but he is willing to accept the responsibility that comes with greater challenges. He knows that when he shirks that duty, he becomes something less than a man. When others observe that the man is unyieldingly committed to his values and ideals, he gains their trust and respect, even when he cannot gain their direct support. The surest way for a man to lose the respect of others (as well as his self-respect) is to violate his own values.

Life will test the man to see if he’s willing to put loyalty to others ahead of loyalty to his principles. The man will be offered many temptations to expose his true loyalties. A man’s greatest reward is to live with integrity, and his greatest punishment is what he inflicts upon himself for placing anything above his integrity. Whenever the man sacrifices his integrity, he loses his freedom… and himself as well. He becomes an object of pity.

3. Be willing to fail.

A man is willing to make mistakes. He’s willing to be wrong. He’d rather try and fail than do nothing.

A man’s self-trust is one of his greatest assets. When he second-guesses himself by worrying about failure, he diminishes himself. An intelligent man considers the prospect of failure, but he doesn’t preoccupy himself with pointless worry. He accepts that if a failure outcome occurs, he can deal with it.

A man grows more from failure than he does from success. Success cannot test his resolve in the way that failure can. Success has its challenges, but a man learns more about himself when he takes on challenges that involve risk. When a man plays it safe, his vitality is lost, and he loses his edge.

4. Be confident.

A man speaks and acts with confidence. He owns his attitude.

A man doesn’t adopt a confident posture because he knows he’ll succeed. He often knows that failure is a likely outcome. But when the odds of success are clearly against him, he still exudes confidence. It isn’t because he’s ignorant or suffering from denial. It’s because he’s proving to himself that he has the strength to transcend his self-doubt. This builds his courage and persistence, two of his most valuable allies.

A man is willing to be defeated by the world. He’s willing to be taken down by circumstances beyond his control. But he refuses to be overwhelmed by his own self-doubt. He knows that when he stops trusting himself, he is surely lost. He’ll surrender to fate when necessary, but he won’t surrender to fear.

5. Express love actively.

A man is an active giver of love, not a passive receiver. A man is the first to initiate a conversation, the first to ask for what’s needed, and the first to say “I love you.” Waiting for someone else to make the first move is unbecoming of him. The universe does not respond positively to his hesitation. Only when he’s in motion do the floodgates of abundance open.

Man is the out-breath of source energy. It is his job — his duty — to share his love with the world. He must wean himself from suckling the energy of others and become a vibrant transmitter of energy himself. He must allow that energy to flow from source, through him, and into the world. When he assumes this role, he has no doubt he is living as his true self.

6. Re-channel sex energy.

A man doesn’t hide his sexuality. If others shrink from him because he’s too masculine, he allows them to have their reaction. There’s no need for him to lower his energy just to avoid frightening the timid. A man accepts the consequences of being male; he makes no apologies for his nature.

A man is careful not to allow his energy to get stuck at the level of lust. He re-channels much of his sexual energy into his heart and head, where it can serve his higher values instead of just his animal instincts. (You can do this by visualizing the energy rising, expanding, and eventually flowing throughout your entire body and beyond.)

A man channels his sexual energy into his heart-centered pursuits. He feels such energy pulsing within him, driving him to action. He feels uncomfortable standing still. He allows his sexual energy to explode through his heart, not just his genitals.

7. Face your fears.

For a man, being afraid of something is reason enough to do it. A man’s fear is a call to be tested. When a man hides from his fears, he knows he’s fallen out of alignment with his true self. He feels weak, depressed, and helpless. No matter how hard he tries to comfort himself and achieve a state of peace, he cannot overcome his inner feeling of dread. Only when facing his fears does a man experience peace.

A man makes a friend of risk. He doesn’t run and hide from the tests of fear. He turns toward them and engages them boldly.

A man succeeds or fails. A coward never makes the attempt. Specific outcomes are of less concern to a man than his direction.

A man feels like a man whenever he faces the right way, staring straight into his fears. He feels even more like a man when he advances in the direction of his fears, as if sailing on the winds of an inner scream.

8. Honor the masculinity of other men.

When a man sees a male friend undertaking a new venture that will clearly lead to failure, what does the man do? Does he warn his friend off such a path? No, the man encourages his friend to continue. The man knows it’s better for his friend to strike out confidently and learn from the failure experience. The man honors his friend’s decision to reach out and make the attempt. The man won’t deny his friend the benefits of a failure experience. The man may offer his friend guidance, but he knows his friend must fail repeatedly in order to develop self-trust and courage.

When you see a man at the gym struggling to lift a heavy weight, do you jump in and say, “Here… let me help you with that. Maybe the two of us can lift it together”? No, that would rob him of the growth experience — and probably make a quick enemy of him as well.

The male path is filled with obstacles. It typically includes more failures than successes. These obstacles help a man discover what’s truly important to him. Through repeated failures a man learns to persist in the pursuit of worthy goals and to abandon goals that are unworthy of him.

A man can handle being knocked down many times. For every physical setback he experiences, he enjoys a spiritual advancement, and that is enough for him.

9. Accept responsibility for your relationships.

A man chooses his friends, lovers, and associates consciously. He actively seeks out the company of people who inspire and challenge him, and he willingly sheds those who hold him back.

A man doesn’t blame others for his relationship problems. When a relationship is no longer compatible with his heart-centered path, he initiates the break-up and departs without blame or guilt.

A man holds himself accountable for the relationships he allows into his life. He holds others accountable for their behavior, but he holds himself accountable for his decision to tolerate such behavior.

A man teaches others how to treat him by the relationships he’s willing to allow into his life. A man refuses to fill his life with negative or destructive relationships; he knows that’s a form of self-abuse.

10. Die well.

A man’s great challenge is to develop the inner strength to express his true self. He must learn to share his love with the world without holding back. When a man is satisfied that he’s done that, he can make peace with death. But if he fails to do so, death becomes his enemy and haunts him all the days of his life.

A man cannot die well unless he lives well. A man lives well when he accepts his mortality and draws strength from knowing that his physical existence is temporary. When a man faces and accepts the inevitability of death… when he learns to see death as his ally instead of his enemy… he’s finally able to express his true self. So a man isn’t ready to live until he accepts that he’s already dead.

William hood

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Live your passion

2. Life is short.

It may be a little disheartening to have people around you discourage you, but remember, life is short.

Do you really want to spend your time feeling down over others’ words when they’re completely unwarranted, baseless, and probably not making any kind of sense?

Do you really want to pull back on following your dream or doing what you want because of others, and start living a life that probably doesn’t fulfill your potential?

Remember that life is short, and it will be easier to stick to your own convictions when other people disagree with your choices or put you down.