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Financial Checklist for the New Year
The changing calendar presents an opportunity to reflect, adjust and begin again in the direction of your goals. Consider completing this checklist to ensure your financial outlook is as bright as it can be in the New Year.
- Review income and expenses. Has your income changed over the past year? Did you experience any unexpected expenses? Inflation has made an impact on most households; look back to identify where your bank balance was most affected. If your spending has strayed from past financial goals, the New Year is a good time to reset and start fresh. Tally subscriptions and end non-essential or low priority services. Isolate problem areas and set realistic targets going forward. - Review your investments. Market conditions from the past year may have affected your investment portfolio. Are you still satisfied with the amount and diversity of your holdings? Schedule an annual review with your financial advisor to gain personalized recommendations on your investment strategy. This meeting is also an appropriate time to discuss (Financial cont’d on pg 2)
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(Financial cont’d from pg 1) earnings, including real-
other areas of your financial life and determine if your risk tolerance, time horizon or goals have changed. - Confirm beneficiary designations. It is important to ensure all your beneficiary designations are correct. When you die, assets without designations are placed into probate, which means the court determines the recipient according to inheritance laws. The process can be slow and costly. A life event such as marriage, divorce, adoption, or birth of a child can affect your beneficiary designations. If any notable events happened in the last year, now can be a great time to confirm your beneficiaries are still accurate.
ized capital gains. Itemize deductions, if applicable. If you expect a tax refund, the sooner you file, the better, as it allows you to invest your return if you wish. If you anticipate a tax bill, plan now for the disbursement. - Evaluate short-term and long-term financial goals. Vacations, weddings, welcoming a child, home improvements, a new car, retirement— many of the things that enrich our lives also come with a price tag. Be sure you’re on track with plans that require financial commitment.
This checklist is a great place to start to ensure your financial priorities are set for the upcoming year. Working with a seasoned financial advisor can help you determine if - Evaluate insurance your financial goals have coverage. Insurance can changed over the last help protect the financial year and develop a plan security of your family to ensure you feel confiwhen things don’t go as dent for the new year to planned. Home, life, medi- come. cal, auto, disability—all Duane J Lusson, CFP, ChFC, of these coverages can CLU, MSFS, is a Private help restore the financial Wealth Advisor with Ameriimpact of an unexpected prise Financial Services, Inc. event. Conversely, the in Ottumwa, Iowa. He specializes in fee-based financial lack of these coverages planning and asset managecan leave you financially ment strategies and has been vulnerable. Talk to your in practice for 30 years. To financial advisor about contact him, call 641-684insurance plans that allow 4200 or stop by his office at W. Second in Ottumwa, you to build resources for 527 Iowa. the future. - Prepare for tax time. Gather documents you’ll need to complete your taxes. Account for all
Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results
Ameriprise Financial, Inc. and its affiliates do not offer tax
JANUARY 17, 2024
or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specific situation. Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Securities offered by Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2023 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
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We are far enough away from the road; we do not Down in the have road dust drifting by. When we want to go Boondocks fishing or I want to go hunting, both activities When we decided to are a few feet from the build our house on the house. We enjoy watchfarm, we thought of all ing deer and turkey from the positive aspects of the porch as they bring living in the wilderness. their babies out in the We are about four miles spring, and we watch from the small town of them grow throughout Drakesville and about a the summer. In the fall hunting season, I can have my deer and be back at the house before noon. The Pella Regional Health Center is pleased to welcome Board only thing we Certified Orthopedic Surgeon Nathan Nicholson, MD, did not think FAAOS to the medical staff. through was the possibility Dr. Nicholson has more than six years experience of a severe specializing in orthopedic surgery, including hip, knee and winter storm. shoulder replacements, fracture care, sports injuries, joint We injections and more. have lived here at the “My passion is to improve the quality of life for my patients by treating their farm for ten musculoskeletal pathologies through both nonsurgical and surgical interventions years. During in the field of Orthopaedic Surgery” said Dr. Nicholson. “I believe in patient that time, we centered care and going above and beyond for my patients to get them the care have had ice that they need.” storms that kept us in for An Iowa native, Dr. Nicholson graduated from Ottumwa High School and went on a day or so. to attend the University of Iowa where he completed his Bachelor of Science in Any snow Integrative Physiology. He obtained his medical degree at the University of Iowa we have had Carver College of Medicine and performed his residency at the University of Iowa has been Hospitals and Clinics Department of Orthopedic Surgery. handled with my little utility For more information or to schedule a tractor. We consultation call 641.621.2376 have had no significant problems until last week when over a period quarter of a mile off the gravel road. We are officially in the boondocks. We are surrounded by wildlife and woods with no close neighbors. After living about fifty feet from a highway for many years, it has been quite a change. We no longer have traffic noise as most days only two or three vehicles pass by.
Welcome Nathan Nicholson, MD, FAAOS
of two days we received about eighteen inches of snow with forty mile per hour winds. Not helping the matter was the temperatures were fifteen to twenty degrees below zero making the wind chill factor dangerous. On Friday, after about a foot of snow, I was able to clear the driveway enough to make it passable. On Friday night and Saturday, we received another six inches of snow accompanied by winds that drifted the snow into great piles, most of them in the driveway. I tried to clear a path with the tractor but when enough snow gets packed under it to get all four wheels off the ground, it stops. After several hours of trying and gaining only a few feet, I decided it was pointless. I called several neighbors to see if they had time to plow the driveway with their big tractors which would be more suitable for the job. They were sympathetic to my plight, but they have their own problems. Between plowing out gates to get feed to their cattle and keeping water open in the brutally cold temperatures, nobody had time. I started calling people that do driveways as their business. I was not surprised to find them either too busy plowing for everybody else or
unwilling to drive into the boondocks to do ours. After numerous calls, I found an individual with a skid loader willing to make the journey. He is supposed to be here this afternoon. I have since heard the road maintainer that plows the road for the county has had its diesel fuel gel and cannot clear our road. If that is the case, I am not sure our loader man can get to the driveway to clear it out. If he can, it would probably do no good to get as far as the end of the driveway and be blocked with the road drifted shut. It is a good thing we do not have to go anywhere. Four days of being snowed in can be annoying but we have made the best of it, looking out the window watching the wildlife deal with the weather. Living out in the middle of nowhere has a few disadvantages but more advantages. I will accept being snowed in for a few days to live where we do, down in the boondocks.
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Lab Experiments It was in seventh-grade science class at Schenk Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin. Our teacher, Mr. Anderson, looked like a scientist. His hair was combed back with Brylcreem, and he wore black horn-rimmed glasses. He always wore a black suit, white shirt, a tie, and polished black shoes when monitoring the halls, but during class, he traded the suit jacket and donned a white lab coat. Mr. Anderson was a little...rigid, shall we say; way too serious - all the time. I thought he needed to loosen up and enjoy life. I decided to have a little fun one day in science class.
had a detent in his volume knob to always set it so precisely. Anyway, I would have to do some planning for my experiment.
the top of his shoe.) I knew Mr. Anderson was also hurrying to the teacher’s lounge by the front office; he smoked.
Before school, I called the request line at WISM. I shared my plan with the DJ, Clyde Coffee, asking if he could play a special request, the first song after 10:00. Clyde Coffee was with the younger generation in Madison; he played our music, and he ‘got it.’
“I’m sorry, sir,” I said, then rushed into the classroom. I went behind the teacher’s desk, reaching for the radio on the shelf, turning the dial to 1480, WISM. Next, I increased the volume until the little speaker sounded distorted.
“Are you crazy,” my friend Clyde laughed about my Jeff asked. I put the radio idea but said his shift back on the shelf, letting ended at 9. He would pass Jeff in on my plan. Jeff Mr. Anderson had a small my request on to the next helped me spread the tabletop AM transistor DJ. “Any chance he would word, and soon, other radio that sat on a shelf dedicate the song to Mr. students passed along the behind his desk. The radio Anderson’s seventh-grade message to peers coming was always playing 1070 science class at Schenk into the classroom. Over WTSO, the oldies station. Middle School,” I asked. half of them went along In the early 1970s, oldies with the idea; the rest said, music was from the 20s, “I’ll ask him to play the ‘No way, you guys are go30s, and 40s and quite song,” Clyde said, “but the ing to get in big trouble.’ dull to a 12-year-old. I dedication is not going to planned to use his radio happen. Good luck with A minute or two after 10, in a lab experiment to see your experiment.” At this the DJ announced, “This how many people’s moods point, I rather doubted they song is going out to everyI could alter simultanewould even play the song. one dancing at their desks ously. this morning. Here’s Three I hurried from my first-pe- Dog Night, on WISM.” The radio always played riod class down the hall to That caught the attention at the same volume level. my second-period classof several students who The teacher would turn room. I bumped into Mr. were sitting down. Then the radio very low when Anderson, who came out the song started: “Jeremispeaking to the class, of the room in his black ah was a bullfrog, was a then return the volume to suit coat. “Let’s look where normal once we started we’re going, Mr. Palen,” (Just the Other Day cont’d on our work. He must have he said. (I think I scuffed pg 5)
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(Just the Other Day cont’d from pg 4)
good friend of mine…” Many students sitting on their stools jumped up to join the rest of us, dancing on the tops of the lab tables. As more students entered the classroom, they joined in, “Singing joy to the world, all the boys and girls now. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, a joy to you and me.” Nearly everyone was on their tabletop or dancing on the floor by their chair except Megan. She never participated in any such Tom foolery (pun intended) class, never taking his and never got into trouble. eyes off the students. It was like he was waiting for Everything was going the guilty party to flinch. great; my classmates were “Who is responsible for happy. My experiment was organizing this irresponsia success. I managed to ble act?” I was the culprit, alter people’s attitudes just and I wouldn’t give myself by changing the music away. What could he do and then it happened. about it if he didn’t even know who did it? Students on the floor stopped singing and “If someone doesn’t come quickly took their seats. forward right now,” Mr. AnOther dancers, myself derson warned, “this entire included, dismounted the class is getting two weeks tabletops when we noticed of detention. Every one of Mr. Anderson standing in you!” Oh, that’s what he the doorway, and he did could do. not look amused. My classmates fidgeted Everybody was now on their lab stools, looking seated; no one danced around the room for posor sang. The room was sible suspects. Most of the silent, except for a small students honestly didn’t transistor radio that blared know who set it up – exaway on the shelf behind cept Megan and Jeff, who the teacher’s desk in a saw me reset the radio. I large hollow room. knew Jeff wouldn’t rat on me, and I knew that MeMr. Anderson let the radio gan would. I’m sure she’d blast as he walked to his never had detention, and closet. He looked like Fred she wasn’t about to get Rogers in Mister Rogdetention over this. ers’ Neighborhood as he methodically removed his I looked at Jeff; he suit coat, hanging it perwouldn’t even look my fectly in the closet; off with way. Jeff kept looking the black coat, on with the at the floor, trying not white coat. It was a ritual to laugh. So, I watched that started and ended Megan instead. She also every period. looked at me several times. As she was getting The teacher adjusted his ready to say something, I lab coat, fastened the raised my hand, “I’m the button, and then calmly one who did it.” But I didn’t walked over to his radio, confess just for the sake of turning it off. I don’t think coming clean. the radio had ever been turned off before. He didn’t Although no one in the say anything; he looked classroom wanted detenover the students intense- tion, they also disliked ly. Finally, he spoke, “Who squealers. I worried more repositioned the dial on about Megan getting hamy radio?” No one anrassed; it would have been swered. my fault and that wasn’t fair to her. Mr. Anderson paced back and forth in front of the Mr. Anderson marched
swiftly to my lab table; he looked nine feet tall, towering over me. He was angry, but not about the kids dancing on table tops; he was mad that I touched his sacred radio. “That radio is my personal property, Palen. You have no right to touch my belongings. Pick up your books, and let’s go.” The class began to murmur. “The rest of you review your work from yesterday until I return.” I had no idea where he was taking me, but it didn’t sound like I was coming back. Being escorted down the hall, I imagined I was hearing Don McLean singing, “…the day the music died…” Mr. Anderson took me straight to the principal’s office, reporting what I had done. The principal called in a student counselor. The counselor was threatening things I didn’t like at all, and I told her in no uncertain terms what I thought of her idea. The punishment was too severe for the crime. The next thing I knew, my mom was being shown into the office. “Mrs. Palen, you have too many children to care for. We think it would be best if Tommy was removed from the home and placed in foster care,” said the counselor. Then, Dad entered the office. Yikes, this harmless joke was becoming a federal case!
and show him who is in charge,” I told Steve. Steve asked me to demonstrate, so I got on the floor with Bentley.
The tabletop dancing deterred my creative lab experiments, but only in the laboratory. Later in life, I began experimenting with labradors. My friend Steve had a yellow lab that was about a year old. Bentley.
peting, “For Pete’s sake, Tommy! Get some paper towels and clean that up.” Felicia handed me a towel, and I began wiping off my arm. Bentley just lay on the floor; he didn’t know if he should get up yet.
Bentley was at the age where he was bursting with energy but didn’t mind very well yet. I watched Steve and Bentley interact one day in the office at Ottumwa Flying Service. It seemed they both wanted to be in charge, the dominant male. “You need to alpha roll that dog
“So that’s how you do it,” Steve joked. “Can you show that to me one more time?”
I explained the procedure, “You’re going to grab his two far legs, pulling them out from under him, rolling on his back. Then you’ll grab him by the neck and look him right in the eyes. As soon as Bentley looks away, he has submitted To make a long story to you, let up on his neck. short, Mom and Dad had very harsh words with the That is how the alpha male wolves keep order principal and counselor. I in the pack. It works, trust thought Mom was on my me.” Then, I began the side until we got home; I quickly learned Dad wasn’t alpha roll just as I had on my side either – not for explained. the stunt I pulled. I recall Bentley seemed shocked being grounded for a long that I threw him to the floor time. so quickly, and he im-
chocolate lab named Cocoa. “What was that move you showed me with Bentley,” Steve asked. I demonstrated the alpha roll again on Cocoa. Let’s just say that I am a slow learner! It happened again! I was done with labrador experiments, too, until just recently.
Our new neighbors, Troy and Sylvia, have two male labs: a four-year-old chocolate lab named Waylon and George, a two-yearold black lab. Their dogs are well-behaved and keep to their own yard. Troy told me the dogs wear collars and have a GPS boundary or fence. It’s a pretty neat concept. If the dogs get close to the edge of their property, the collar gives them a little When I returned to school mediately submitted. I let off his neck and held his tickle, and they back away the next day, the counchest for a moment while I from the boundary. selor told me I would be boasted. “That’s it,” I said. finishing the year in Mr. “That’s how the alpha Waylon and George have Savoy’s science class. roll works.” Suddenly, my seen Nova and me walkThat was fine with me. Mr. Savoy made science fun, arm felt warm. “Bentley,” I ing in the road, but they aland he kept his ashtray in shouted. “You’re peeing on ways stayed in their yard. his desk drawer – he didn’t my arm!” I let off the dog’s Our dogs would get along try to hide the fact that he chest, but Bentley finished just fine but haven’t been what he’d started. formally introduced yet. smoked. I tried to make Mr. Anderson’s class fun, Steve and Felicia roared, The other day, I was but apparently, he didn’t laughing. Donna was visiting another neighbor, want it that way. concerned about the car- Tony. Nova Mae was with
Laugh if you will, Steve. But from that day forward, Bentley minded me. (At least better than you.) Several years later, Steve and Felicia got a new
me. On the short walk home, I decided to let Nova run off-leash, and I got a good education on labs that day. Nova decided to sniff around in Troy’s yard. “Nova, get over here right now,” I said. “That is not your yard.” But Nova continued about twenty feet farther. “Nova, now!” The neighbor’s dogs were outside. No sooner had I called my dog than the two labs (Just the Other Day cont’d on pg 6)
PAGE 6 (Just the Other Day cont’d from pg 5)
came barking, growling, and charging from the backyard. Nova spotted them and started to run toward them to play. In a split second, she figured out the boys were not playing! Nova was in their yard, their territory, and they intended to rightfully protect their domain. Nova took off running toward our yard with both labs in pursuit. The labs ran right over the wireless fence. Sylvia was calling her dogs, but they weren’t letting up. I called Nova to come to me, but she was trying to escape. The line of dogs ran through the thick pine trees into my yard, and I couldn’t see where they went from there. I pushed my way through the pines, running toward my dog. Unfortunately, the barking stopped, and I feared the worst. Waylon came trotting from the corner of the house and walked right up to me, friendly as could be. “Where’s Nova,” I asked. Next, George ran around the house, coming from the driveway. He ran right past me and went home, where Sylvia called him. “Nova? Nova, come here, baby girl.” I was worried. Just then, Nova sheepishly poked her head around the corner of the house and came out with her tail between her legs. “Come here, sweetie,” I called. I was looking Nova over. She didn’t have any wet or slobber marks on her, so she must have suc-
SAVE OTTUMWA POST cessfully illuded the labs. “Sweetie, you can’t go in the neighbor’s yard like that. This is your yard, that is theirs.” Waylon returned to the yard, and Nova Mae jumped into my arms. This time, the lab was not aggressive. Waylon was just curious to see who this critter was that he’d chased out of his yard. Being cautious, I took hold of Waylon’s collar. Nova Jumped out of my arms and ran back to the driveway again. “Waylon, come back here,” Sylvia called. “It’s okay,” I answered. “He’s coming back now.” In the driveway, Nova came out from under our Scamp. The camper sits too low for the big labs to get under. “That was a smart hiding place,” I told Nova Mae. “But this wouldn’t have happened if you stayed out of their yard.” The incident also would not have happened if I had Nova on her leash. I know any dog will protect their turf, but I learned a lot that day: 1) Full-size labs are a lot faster than I ever imagined. 2) A border collie is still faster, especially when she’s scared. 3) Those GPS boundaries do not affect a dog chasing an intruder while protecting their property. Maybe one day, we will introduce the dogs, and I’m sure they’ll all get along fine. But in the meantime, I think I’m done with lab experiments in the laboratory and with labradors.
JANUARY 17, 2024