Issue 5.10

In past articles I have extolled the many advantages for seniors and their overall physical health to be able to eat properly when they are battling the aging process.  There is enjoyment and satisfaction being able to enjoy a meal alone or with friends and family without pain or embarrassment.  My hat is off to the many that have made good decisions about dental care along the way.  Seniors need to place value and priority on getting and maintaining the best dental health they you can.  What is it worth?  Is it too much to spend one thousand, ten thousand, and twenty thousand dollars?  How much do people spend on cars, vacations, animals, four wheelers and other recreational desires?  Is dental health a budgeted, planned expense?  Or do you spend money on dentistry only if it’s an emergency when a tooth hurts or is broken? 

I frequently hear “I’m on a fixed budget…I have no dental insurance…I’m not going to live that long…I don’t care about how my teeth look, etc.”  I’m a realist and know there are limits that vary with personal budgets.  I’m not saying that every last tooth should be saved at all costs.  Sometimes the best solution has to be tooth extraction or dentures.  My plea is do something about your dental condition that will sustain or improve it while you have choices.  I see difficult and physically dangerous situations that I have to take care of due to prior procrastination, non-treatment, or having chosen in the past the cheapest and quickest fix.  Misery and suffering from dental neglect is costly both financially and emotionally.  Dentists are caring individuals who are concerned about their patient’s well-being.  I feel great satisfaction when I am successful at motivating people to make lasting choices for their dental health.          

Phillip Hall is a practicing general dentist in St. George.  He is also head of the St. George Craniofacial Treatment Center, and operates St. George Dental Careers, a successful dental assisting school.  Appointments for general dentistry or dentures call 656-1111.  For sleep apnea appliances or TMJ problems call 634-8338

Issue 5.10

Many avid golfers contort their bodies into oddly twisted postures, generating a great deal of torque.  Couple this motion with a bent-over stance, repeat 120 times over three or four hours, add the fatigue that comes with several miles of walking, and you’ve got a good workout – and a recipe for potential lower-back trouble.

Most golfers go until they get hurt, then look for help.  Back pain is a warning sign that there is an underlying problem responsible for a symptom that will likely get worse.  Doctors of chiropractic look for the cause of the symptom and help reduce the likelihood of future injury.

If you take the chiropractic approach, you’re in good company.  Tiger Woods says that lifting weights and visiting his chiropractor regularly have made him a better golfer.  I suggest these simple measures to help you avoid back pain or injury and improve your game:

Purchase equipment that fits.  Don’t try to adapt your swing to the wrong clubs.

If you show some signs of arthritis in the hands, consider a larger, more specialized grip for added safety and performance.

Take lessons.  Learning proper swing technique is critical. 

Avoid metal spikes.  They increase stress on the back.  Soft shoes or soft spikes allow for greater motion.  

Warm up before each round. Take a brisk walk to get blood flowing to the muscles; then do a set of stretches. 

Pull, don’t carry, your golf bag.  If you prefer to ride in a cart, alternate riding and walking every other hole – bouncing around in a cart can also be hard on the spine.  Keep your entire body involved.  Every third hole, take a few practice swings with the opposite hand to keep your muscles balanced and even out stress on the back.  Take the “drop.”  One bad swing – striking a root or a rock with your club – can damage a wrist.  If unsure whether you can get a clean swing, take the drop.

Doctors at Advanced Spine and Rehabilitation have specialized training in sports medicine and can provide options for golfers with back pain as well as other health concerns, such as shoulder, knee, arm and wrist pain that could affect your game.  A large portion of their base includes satisfied Medicare patients. Call us if you have any questions at 435-656-3266 or visit our website for more info - www.StGeorgePainRelief.com.

Issue 5.10

In the year 2000, the government, under a program titled, “Healthy People”, set some health goals for the nation to reach by the year 2010.  The results were a mixture of both positive and negative.  For one, there are more obese Americans than a decade ago, not less.  Our eating habits have us eating more salt and fats.   And more of our children have untreated tooth decay. (16% in 2000, the latest is about 20%).

Some other disturbing statistics: An estimated 28% of adults had high blood pressure in 2000.  The goal was to reduce that to 16%.  But the most recent data suggests the proportion has risen to 29%.   The proportion of cesarean section births has increased despite a 2010 goal of lowering them.  Also the percentage of small, fragile infants born has risen.

But, the “good news” is– the nation as a whole did make progress in other areas.  Vaccinations have improved.  Workplace injuries are down, smoking laws have been initiated, and death rates from cancer, stroke and heart disease are all dropping.

The “Healthy People” project was first designed with the goal for getting Americans to live longer, healthier lives.  It also had hoped to inform the public that many health problems are preventable.  In 1990, 41%  of the goals were achieved.  For the 2000 goals, it was just 24%.  A Healthy People goal for 2010 called for the percentage of obese adults to drop to 15%.  That goal was set when nearly a quarter of all adults were obese.  Now, about 34% of adults are obese, according to the latest federal statistics.

But, to many health officials, simply making some progress is a victory.  Out of 635 of the nearly 1,000 target goals of the past decade, only 117 have been met.  But progress was also made on another 332.  So, in other words, there was improvement in 70% of the measures.  “That’s evidence of a healthier nation”, says Dr. Howard Koh, the federal health official who oversees the Healthy People Project.  As always, statistics are what you make of them.

So—how is YOUR health this year and what will YOU be doing to keep yourself a part of the “good news”?

Care To Stay Home is a state licensed non-medical home care giving business, whose goal it is to keep people in their homes, as they age.

Issue 5.10

The longer I live, the more I realize that life is made up of a lot of small and simple things.  In fact, it’s the little details of our life that really contribute to who and what we become.  Most of us focus on the big things; we put our time, energy and effort there, while taking no thought of the seemingly small and insignificant.  Yet it’s these simple details that cumulatively have the greatest impact.

Being a Funeral Director, I am often asked how we are able to make the deceased loved one look so good.  To most, it would seem there is one big thing we do to make this happen.  In truth the answer is that we do a lot of simple things to make the whole appear significant.  It’s in the details that the whole is perfected.

Earl Nightingale told the story of a small boy who was pleading with his father to come and play with him.  The father was engrossed in the nightly football game and due to the day’s activities was tired and not feeling up to playing with his son.  In an eager attempt to occupy his son, the father took the last page of a magazine lying on the table in front of him, cut it up and handed the pieces to his son.  The picture was of the earth taken from outer space.  The father, upon giving his son these papers said, “Now go and show daddy how smart you are and put this picture back together.”  The boy took the papers and retired to his part of the room.  In a remarkably short period of time the boy returned with the picture put back together.  It wasn’t perfect, but for one so small it was done very well.  The amazed father expressed to his son, “This is very good.  How did you do it?  How did you make it look so good?” The boy replied,   ”There was a picture of a man on the other side.  As I put the man together the world just came together.”  As we put the little things together the larger things, as in this case the world, just comes together.

In our day to day living, let’s not forget the little things.  Remember that in doing the small and simple things; the big things tend to take care of themselves.  At Pine View Mortuary, we like to focus on the small and simple things, the details that make the big difference.  Let us take care of the things we specialize in so that you can take care of yours.  Contact us today to see how we can help you. (435) 986-4222.

Issue 5.10

One of my favorite college courses was statistics.  I love to dig for the truth behind the sales pitch.  On my first day of class the professor put a popular advertisement on the board that read, “Four out of Five Dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum.”  We spent the next hour analyzing that claim and what it really said.  In the end we decided all we knew for sure was that they were able to find four dentists somewhere who recommended sugarless gum.  As it stood the statistic was worthless.

I heard a radio ad wherein an insurance salesman declared that none of his clients had ever lost a dime in the stock market.  That’s an impressive statistic!  Of course his ad failed to mention that since he doesn’t have a securities license, none of his clients had ever been in the stock market.  I suppose Steve Young could accurately claim to have not thrown a single interception in 10 years.  Of course in the 10 years since he retired he hasn’t thrown a touchdown either.

If ever there were a business driven by statistics it is financial planning.  I am grateful to my wise professor for giving me a healthy skepticism towards statistics.  Last week another advisor called to tell me his client accounts were up “60% this year.”  After some questioning I found that he meant they were up 60% since March of 2009, but prior to that they had lost so much money they were still deeply in the red.  He carefully left out that statistic.

Another advisor called to ask my opinion of an investment he was anxious to sell his clients.  He rattled off the glowing statistics as if reading directly from the sales brochure.  I simply replied, “As wonderful as it sounds, in reality that is an investment designed for people who can’t do math.”  He thought my answer was a bit abrupt but when you take responsibility for a person’s life savings you better understand what those statistics are telling you, and more importantly, what they are not saying.

Statistics are not all bad.  If we understand them and their relevance to our situation, they can help us make important financial planning decisions.  Unfortunately, when it comes to financial statistics it pays to remember that four out of five advisors are not Certified Financial Planners®.  Although I can’t say for sure what type of gum they chew.

Dan Wyson, CFP®  is author of the book “21 Financial Myths” and owner of Wyson Financial. 1173 S. 250 W #305 St. George 435-986-9525 - Securities offered through Linsco/Private Ledger member FINRA/SIPC.

Issue 5.10

The following tips are suggested by the Family History Department for using New FamilySearch:

1. New FamilySearch provides excellent online helps.  Members should view the short video tutorial and the Help section before getting started.  For additional help, members can contact FamilySearch Support by e-mail support@familysearch.org or by toll-free phone.  In the United States and Canada call 1-866-406-1830.

2. Keep in mind that the New FamilySearch reflects a community view.  The program includes everyone’s contributions, and contributors see each other’s contributions.  For members with extensive pioneer ancestry, there could be many contributions and entries for popular, shared ancestors to sort through; some of the tips below will help deal with that issue.

3. If you are surprised to find a common ancestor is missing in your family tree, search the entire database to ensure that ancestor does not already exist in another tree before creating a new individual.  This helps to avoid duplication.

4. Don’t worry about inaccurate or incorrect data that shows up in the Details section.  If you are confident that it is the correct person, then don’t worry and don’t dispute.

5. The Dispute feature should be used only in rare instances where the information is so false it would damage the summary view of the person, and you cannot contact the contributor of the wrong information to correct it.  Disputing any information locks the record, and nobody, not even the original contributor, can work with it until the dispute is removed.

6. Before you clear any name for temple work, be sure to do an extended search to ensure the work has not already been done.  Combine all records you think are about that person.  Think of this task as filing all notes on a particular person in his or her file folder.

7. Try viewing your family information with the dynamic Family Tree tool.  To do this from the home page of new.familysearch.org, click on See Me and My Ancestors; then click on the arrow next to Change View in the upper left corner.  Choose Family Tree.  This view will allow you to see more generations at a time.  You can also easily see the descendants of a person to determine if they need temple work.

8. Take advantage of products from certified FamilySearch affiliates.  These programs are compatible with the New FamilySearch and provide additional capacity, tools and services like you might find in a robust desktop software program.  These products include: FamilyInsight by Ohana Software, RootsMagic by Roots Magic, Ancestral Quest by Incline Software, All My Cousins by GeneSys Foundation, MobileTree by AppTime, Charting Companion by Progeny Software.

Shanna Jones is a professional genealogist. For additional information, Shanna can be reached at (435) 628-4900 or shannasjones@msn.com.

Issue 5.10

By now, most people have heard of such things as VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and Magic Jack.  Many wonder if their computer can do this and, if it does, will it save them money and provide good service.

Computer based phone service is based on using broadband (high-speed) internet to connect to other people (and their phones).  This is done by using your computer and their software and hardware to connect to that particular phone company’s computers.  Their computers contact the computers of the company who supports the phone service of the person you are calling.  The connections are all made and you can talk to them without long distance charges.  You are usually charged a monthly or yearly fee for this service.

If you are using DSL as your broadband link, you must have landline (usually Qwest) phone service already, because that is how the internet signal is routed to your computer.  Other broadband services such as cable or antenna-based services do not require a regular phone line (landline).  If you are using DSL, it is usually not financially helpful to purchase VOIP in addition, because you can get unlimited long distance for a low price as part of your regular service.  Using VOIP with cable or antenna service can save you money however, since you can discontinue your landline service and just use the computer.

There are a couple of possible drawbacks to this that you need to be aware of.  First, if your computer service is interrupted for any reason (power-outage, internet service interruptions, billing disputes, broken cables, etc.) you will be totally without regular phone service.  Second,  in some cases, you will be somewhat stuck with your current internet provider if you want to keep your phone number, since it is difficult and time-consuming to move your phone number whenever you change providers.  There is also the mixed blessing/curse of not being listed in any of the phone books if you are not a Qwest customer.

The Magic Jack is a pretty cool invention that gives you basic VOIP capability at a lower cost.  Most VOIP contracts are around $25-$30 per month.  Magic Jack runs $40 (discounts and deals are occasionally available) for the first full year and additional years are discounted, especially if you commit to and pay for multiple years.  The drawbacks are (in my experience) occasional problems being able to use the phone, some software conflicts that can cause problems with your phone service and other programs, and scratchy sound quality at times.  These problems seem to be worse on older and less-powerful computers.  I have used it as a second line, but wouldn’t choose to use it as my primary line since my phone access is very important to my business.  By contrast, my VOIP has been virtually trouble free with the exception of having to use my cell phone during a recent power outage since I had no other phone capability.

I hope that will help those of you looking at this option.  Remember to stay safe – and always have a backup of anything important.

Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 28 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him at 668-7118.

Issue 5.10

After a year of so of ballet lessons came the opportunity to perform in high school plays and musicals.  My world of dance expanded from ballet to musical comedy theatre as I danced in “Our Town,” and other long forgotten musicals.  Then came the high school talent show.  I prepared a toe dance to classical music and won despite great classmate competitors who sang popular rock‘n roll songs of the day, played the piano or performed magic acts.  The student body wasn’t too happy with a toe dancer winning first place and the coveted prize of a portable black and white TV set over the other more popular contestants, but the adult judges liked ballet dancing.

I was hooked.  I loved dancing.  Who needed boy friends or dating when you could have so much fun dancing?  At this time, I discovered the world of professional ballet dancing and became a member of the Los Angeles City Ballet.  So many opportunities had been opened to me that wouldn’t have been possible if I had stayed in my hometown of Eureka, Utah with a population under 5,000 and no ballet teachers.

The only problem was, ballet is not social dancing and it didn’t help me overcome my shyness with the boys.  Being taller than most of the guys in high school also didn’t help.  Add to those problems, the addition of glasses for near sightedness, and I began to feel like an “old maid” at sweet sixteen.  Invited to one high school party-a dance party, I discovered I had no social dance skills.  The popular music of the day included Elvis and the twist.  Well, my mom decided to help me out by teaching me some popular dances from her youth.  Unfortunately, the Charleston and the waltz weren’t well known at the one and only party I attended in high school.

Somehow I survived high school by focusing on dancing and my studies.  Self conscious and skinny at 5’9” and 110 pounds, I couldn’t be seen if I turned sideways, but I did excel in my math and science classes.  I took an accelerated English and college prep seminar class that pointed me towards college.  I would start a new tradition in my family of attending college.  After high school graduation, I received free tuition at one of California’s great junior colleges and was to have my first dating experience. Contact lin@sunrivertoday.com to purchase a bound copy of Looking Back columns for the past two years.

Issue 5.10

What should you do if Social Security pays you too much?  That may seem like a strange idea at first, as most people worry about not having enough money.  If you receive monthly Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, an overpayment can occur for many reasons, including work or another benefit that requires a reduction in your Social Security or SSI payment.

If Social Security does pay you too much, you will receive an overpayment notice in the mail.  The notice will explain why you were overpaid, your repayment options, and your appeal and waiver rights.  You should read the notice carefully.

If you agree with the overpayment decision, you have options for repaying it.  We can withhold your overpayment from your monthly benefit payments or withhold a portion of your payment until the money is paid back.  If you no longer receive benefits, you can send a check to Social Security for the entire amount or set up a plan to pay back the amount in monthly installments.

If you are not receiving benefits, and you do not pay the amount back, we can recover the overpayment from your federal income tax refund, from your wages if you are working, or from future SSI or Social Security benefits.  

If you believe that the overpayment decision is wrong and you should not have to repay it, you have the right to appeal the decision or request a waiver of recovery.  You can file an appeal within 60 days of receiving the overpayment notice.  If you agree that the overpayment is correct but you believe it was not your fault and paying it back would cause you financial hardship or be unfair for some other reason, then you can request a waiver of recovery.  Whether you submit an appeal or waiver request, all recovery would be suspended until a formal decision is sent to you.

It’s also important to know that Social Security will not take action to begin collecting on an overpayment without first notifying you and giving you the chance to appeal the decision.  

If you’d like to learn more about Social Security and SSI overpayments, we have a convenient and easy-to-read electronic fact sheet on the subject.  You can find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10098.html.

Learn more about Social Security at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Issue 4.10

Many people use trusts to achieve specific estate planning goals.  Such trusts are designed to save money by avoiding probate fees and delays, and by deferring or reducing estate taxes.  For example, a revocable “living trust” can avoid the cost and delays associated with probate.  A will or living trust may also create a separate trust when one spouse dies, in order to shield later estate taxes.  Such trusts are designed to save money by avoiding probate fees and delays, and by deferring or reducing estate taxes.

But if there are disputes about the management of the trust, litigation can be very expensive.  Trust litigation may also take longer than probate to uncover mismanagement or theft, thus reducing the odds of recovering lost property.

Normally, a trustee (the person administering the trust) is not subject to court supervision.  However, a trustee or beneficiary may initiate a court action.  The court can compel the trustee to account for the trust’s assets and income, or to change investment and distribution policies to conform to the trust’s instructions.  

Trust disputes can have different causes.  A trustee may decide to pay himself a high fee, or may distribute trust property in a way that conflicts with the trust instructions.  A beneficiary may want more money distributed, or may object that the trustee’s investment strategy is too risky (or too conservative).  

Adult children are often concerned about the management of a “living trust” by a step-parent after a parent has died.  The children are concerned, yet they are uncomfortable insisting that the step-parent provide information, especially if the step-parent is entitled to all income during his or her lifetime.  The result may be resentment, alienation, and a loss of family harmony.

Many problems can be avoided by making sure all family members understand their rights and receive adequate information about the trust’s management.  Ideally, information should be shared before either parent dies.

If the beneficiaries are well-informed, they can more easily express any concerns about the trust’s administration to the trustee, who can then act quickly to address those concerns properly without the need for lawsuits.

There are ways to set up trusts and trustee provisions to minimize future problems and conflicts, and to prevent family disharmony.  An experienced estate planning attorney can suggest innovative solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.

Jeffery J. McKenna is a local attorney serving clients in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. He is a shareholder at the law firm of Barney, McKenna, and Olmstead with offices in St. George and Mesquite.  If you have questions you would like addressed in these articles, you can contact him at 435 628-1711 or jmckenna@barney-mckenna.com.