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Staying Focused in Turbulent Times 

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By Richard Bloom

Richard Bloom

While today’s markets can be nerve racking for even the most experienced investors, those who approach it with a long-term plan in place have a much greater chance of protecting themselves from mistakes and seizing the opportunities that lay ahead. The best way to take advantage is to create a goals-based approach to wealth management using a disciplined four-step process. The first–and often the most important–step is discovery, an honest, open conversation about your goals and your entire financial picture. In the second step, your Financial Advisor works with you to assess various scenarios and advise on appropriate strategies designed to help you meet your goals. Your plan should safeguard your short term needs while strategically positioning you to ensure your long term goals will be met. Once you have agreed on a personalized wealth strategy, your Financial Advisor advises how to implement in the most efficient way.  Finally, as time progresses, your Financial Advisor will regularly review your financial situation with you, making adjustments according to your needs, life events and changing market conditions.

In addition to taking a goals-based approach, below are some further tips on how to navigate through this unpredictable period.

When the market is volatile, almost everyone thinks about their financial future and the potential impact such fluctuations may have on their retirement accounts. However, it is during these turbulent times that it’s important to remember certain basic, time-tested principles of investing.

Continue Contributions

It may not seem intuitive, but continuing to contribute to your retirement plan–even during market downturns–can potentially enhance your returns over the long-run. A down market can be an opportunity for you to acquire more shares of your investments at a lower price. Consistent investing through market ups and downs is called “dollar-cost averaging.” If an investment’s price is high, you buy fewer shares, or units. When prices are low, you buy more. Investing regularly, using dollar-cost averaging, can help reduce the risk associated with buying during big swings in market prices.

Diversify

If you’ve ever heard the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” then you already have a basic understanding of diversification. Diversifying your portfolio can reduce risk and volatility. Review your account and make sure your portfolio is not too heavily weighted in company stock, or in any single asset class.

Stay Invested

You may be anxious about the decrease in the value of your investments. But don’t be tempted to move out of the market, sit on the sidelines and wait for prices to rebound. Trying to time the market could potentially jeopardize your financial strategy–and your future goals.

Maintain a Long-Term Focus

Any investment decisions you make should be based on your financial goals and objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance, rather than concerns about market volatility. Even if the market seems volatile, remember that ups and downs are normal. It is important to stay focused on your financial future and refrain from making short-term decisions on long-term investments.

History demonstrates that there will always be some degree of uncertainty and volatility in the markets. While market events are out of our control, we do have control over our financial objectives and how our investments are allocated to help us achieve them. If you would like assistance in determining the mix of asset classes that can help you meet your financial objectives, contact your Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor.

Disclosures:

Article by Morgan Stanley and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor.

Richard Bloom is a Financial Advisor in 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). He can be reached by email at Richard.Bloom@morganstanley.com or by telephone at (212) 893-7597. His website is https://advisor.morganstanley.com/the-mayergelwarg-group.

This article has been prepared for informational purposes only. The information and data in the article has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. It does not provide individually tailored investment advice and has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The strategies and/or investments discussed in this article may not be appropriate or all investors. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives.

Asset allocation and diversification do not guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Any type of continuous or periodic investment plan does not assure a profit and does not protect against loss in declining markets. Since such a plan involves continuous investment in securities regardless of fluctuating price levels of such securities, the investor should consider his financial ability to continue his purchases through periods of low price levels.

This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The strategies and/or investments discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives.

Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice and are not “fiduciaries” (under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code or otherwise) with respect to the services or activities described herein except as otherwise provided in writing by Morgan Stanley and/or as described at www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a retirement plan or account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments made under such plan or account.

Richard Bloom may only transact business, follow-up with individualized responses, or render personalized investment advice for compensation, in states where he is registered or excluded or exempted from registration, http://www.morganstanleyfa.com/mayergelwarggroup.

© 2020 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

CRC 2992110   03/2020     

14 Reasons Why Moms from ‘It’s Ma Business’ Can’t Wait to Leave Home

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The Moms of It’s Ma Business are looking forward to leaving their homes.  Here are a few reasons:  

14) Stop doing dishes (Cindy Greenstein, The Points Mom)

13) So that I can give a big hug to all the people that I’ve missed!!  (Lisa Sklar, Joy of Stylin’)

12) Really miss actually going into stores to choose my own items! (Sue Bolen of Sue Bolen Publicity, LLC)

11) Looking forward to getting dressed!  (Beth Greenberg, BG Designs Wardrobe Consulting)

10) So I can see my patients outside the hours of my child’s sleep schedule (Rebecca A. Harmon, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist)

09) I CANNOT WAIT to hug, laugh and celebrate in person with friends and family (Lisa Katz, Law Offices of Lisa S. Katz PLLC).

08) Visiting with and hugging my mom! (Karen Roth, Apogee Wealth Advisors)

07) Looking forward to gathering a large crowd around my table to toast to our good health!   And to being able to travel again. (Jackie Polikoff, Courtyard Travel)

06) I have become a short order cook, a laundromat and a barber all before 9 a.m.!!! I miss being a Moober driver! (Kathryn Weinberger, Beauty Releaf)

05) To my kids being able to socialize and get back to their normal schedules. (Jodi Baretz, LCSW, Mindful Mindset Coach and Therapist)

04) I’m excited to get the chance to walk through town, do my errands and run into old friends that I haven’t been able to see for such a long time!  (Debbie Lieberman,  Let’s Sort It Out By Deb)

03) Stop cleaning up in my kitchen 10 times a day! (Karen Graham, Discover Peach)

02) Wishing my kids could stop missing important milestones and enjoy being kids again (Marlo Klein, MBK Interiors/MBK Dorm)

01) Watch my kids play sports with their friends. (Dana E. Berk, SAMCRO Design)

 From our families to yours, we wish you and yours safety and well-being.  Happy Mother’s Day!  Visit all the moms of It’s Ma Business on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/Its-Ma-Business-515394522192063

Expert Advice for Relieving Today’s Increased Eye Strain

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How to Relieve Eye-Related Discomforts Especially During this Period of So Much Additional Screen Time

By Dr. Janet Woo

Many of my friends and family have been asking me what to do about the fatigue and dry eyes that have occurred this past month. Let me begin by saying that digital electronic use will naturally decrease your blink rate. When you are engaged and reading something, you end up staring. This decrease in blink rate will result in an increase in the rate of incomplete blinks. Your top lid doesn’t go all the way down to meet the bottom. When this occurs, the pool of tears that lay at the bottom doesn’t get washed up over the eye to wet it properly by the top lid. This inaction leads to tear film instability and dryness results. There is an eye exercise for this.

Blink exercise:
1. Close your eyes completely with the top lid meeting the bottom. Count 1- 1 thousand and 2 one thousand, then open your eyes.
2. Repeat step one.
3. Squeeze your lids together for a count of 1 one thousand, 2 one thousand.
4. Open your eyes.

There are also Blink Training Apps available to download, but if you put a sticky note that says BLINK on the side of your monitor, it’s less “screen” time.

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DIRECT air vents blowing in your face will also dry your eyes. Forced hot air heating systems can become problematic, if you are near a vent. Air conditioning vents should also be directed away from your face. Don’t forget ceiling fans too. There are small desk top humidifiers that also can help keep the humidity levels comfortable in your workspace during cold weather. Properly clean after each use.

Set up your work space so that your eyes are looking downward at the screen. Standing desks are great if you are mobile, keep a pad under your feet and the screen is slightly lower than your direct view. When you look upward the eyes become enlarged and expose more of the surface to, you guessed it, drying out. Individuals wearing progressives (multifocals) will also suffer from fatigue with computer screens at eye level because the straight ahead position is meant for distance viewing not intermediate where your screen is. You will end up tilting your chin to catch the sweet spot located lower. You will tire from trying to clear up the view and staring will dry out your eyes.

It is also important to keep well hydrated and that means drinking 8-10 glasses of water/day. I advise my patients to keep a very large container filled with water and make sure it is finished before bedtime. Coffee and highly caffeinated beverages are diuretics and you will end up losing water.

Smoking can also exacerbate dry eyes and those individuals that wear contact lenses know that well.

Contact lens wear and increased screen time will undoubtedly end up with reduced wearing time. That is because the contacts need the water to stay wet and comfortable. The blink exercise or discontinued contact lens wear, using artificial tears formulated for contact lenses will also help with the discomfort. I read somewhere that more people are wearing their glasses because it “makes them look smarter” during the online conference calls. Our patients look fantastic in their eye glasses.

What else can you do to help your dry eyes? Warm (touch to your wrist to test warmth) compresses, light lid massage in the shower (eyes closed, look up and gently, rub your lid margins where the lashes attach to the lid), lid scrubs to remove debris like skin flakes trapped at the base of your lashes (blepharitis), omega 3 fatty acids (triglyceride form of fish oil) about 2-3,000 mg/day- check with your physician for contraindications and artificial tears properly dropped into the eye. Many people miss.

Some of you may have fatigue and dry eyes as a result of simple eye strain with all the near tasks required these past few weeks. A thorough eye exam to eliminate any tear film/meibomian gland dysfunction/lid margin issues as well as a proper refraction and prescription for appropriate lenses ie. progressive, office lenses, computer/reading lenses is in order. Until then, physical/social distance in public, face covering, disinfecting surfaces and hand washing for 20 seconds will help to keep you healthy.

Dr. Janet Woo is an Optometrist and Nutritionist who can be reached via Eye Designs Armonk.

Eye Designs Armonk: 575 Main Street Armonk, NY 10504 W 914.273.7337  mobile 203.554.2084

At the Eye Designs of Armonk 20-Year Anniversary Party

College Planning in a Time of Coronavirus

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Alan Sheptin at his 1979 graduation from Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York.

By Alan Sheptin, MBA, CEP

 We’re all stuck indoors, save the occasional trip to the supermarket, bike ride or walk. The malls are closed. The museums are shuttered. Vacations are a memory for now.

For those of you whose children are sophomores and juniors, college planning is taking on a whole new meaning. Those Spring Break college road trips are now couch surfing. The College Board has cancelled all exams through July 2020. Will the ACT will follow suit? AP exams will be open book and 45 minutes long. Regents and final exams are cancelled.

So, now what? Topic by topic, let’s explore what’s going on and what your students should be doing during this newfound reality.

College Visits

What’s going on: Almost every college and university in the United States (and abroad, too!) have shifted to e-learning. For the foreseeable future, colleges have suspended campus visits and information sessions.

What you can do: For schools that are of interest, go to the college’s admissions page to see when virtual admission talks and tours take place. Connect socially with the school using any (or all) of the media offered. Feel free to reach out to the admissions officer for your region and ask any questions you have. If you have a specific academic interest, send an email to the department chair. The silver lining to all this is that all the college students are home. Find an alum of your local high school that attends a school you want to learn about and make your own informal, personalized information session! Bottom line: continue to do research and make yourself known to the admission folks.

A great website: Youvisit.com has virtual tours of hundreds of colleges and universities worldwide.

SATs, ACTs, Subject Tests:

What’s going on  – SAT and Subject Tests: The College Board has cancelled all its testing through July 2020. It does plan to resume live testing in August with additional testing dates in the Fall, should that be possible. If not, the SAT will be offered digitally. There has been no word on Subject Tests, but I would expect them to start in August, too.

What’s going on – ACT: As of this writing, the ACT still plans to offer the exam in June. However, I think that will change soon.  The ACT will be offering single subject online testing starting in September; however, I think that it will migrate to offering the full test online at that time as well, also with expanded live testing, if possible.

What’s going on – colleges’ responses: We have seen many colleges and universities become temporarily test optional. This may last for only one year or indefinitely. Time will tell.

What you should know: Test optional means that: test optional. Since schools evaluate students holistically (they look at the “whole student,” not just a single parameter), strong scores can only help. Some schools, such as the Ivies and some large state universities have not yet forsaken testing.

What you can do: If your child has been preparing for the SAT or ACT, stay the course. Your child should avoid backpedaling. Remember – a good score can only help your case.

Community Service, Research, Summer Study and Extracurriculars

What’s Going On: Since schools are closed, some clubs are running virtually. Some research may be doable, but more on the humanities or non-lab sciences. On-campus college programs have migrated to virtual media.

What you can do: We predict that the colleges will be asking the classes of 2021 and 2022 what they did, outside of academics, during this pandemic. Students can still stand out! If your child likes languages, duolingo is an inexpensive, fun way to try a new language (I’m working on Hungarian. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever undertaken!). Outlier.org enables students to take Calculus 1 or Psych 1 through the University of Pittsburgh and coursera offers many free or low-cost courses. Athletes can find daily workout videos. And volunteering can take on a whole new realm: teensgive, UN online volunteering and translators without borders are some interesting ways of giving back. The more creative your child can get, so much the better.

Being cooped up is not fun. It’s trying on everyone’s nerves. What’s most challenging is that we have no idea where the light is at the end of the tunnel. However, it need not be a deterrent. By thinking outside the box and being clever, your child can make this COVID-19 nightmare into a growing, learning experience.

Do you want to know more? Please feel free to reach out to us at 914-232-3743, or via email at alan@sheptin.com.

Alan Sheptin, MBA, CEP, founder of the Sheptin Tutoring Group in Chappaqua, is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

Sheptin Tutoring, in partnership with Athena College Advisors, is offering a meeting on Tuesday April 21 from 8 – 9 PM: “College planning in a time of COVID-19.” Please call Sheptin Tutoring Group at 914-232-3743 if you wish to join the meeting.

 

 

 

Spring into a Healthier You at Dr. Briones Medical Weight Loss Center

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When Dr. Maria Briones started working with orthopedic patients at Burke Rehabilitation Center in 1999, she noticed that many of her patients’ problems, from arthritis of the knees and hips to broken bones, resulted from carrying extra weight. Much of the natural wear and tear on people’s joints and the need for joint replacement surgery was, according to Briones, exacerbated by excessive weight.

“Losing all the weight can be a lifesaver for these patients with knee and hip problems who use canes to walk,” says Briones, who opened her Medical Weight Loss Center, a Mt. Kisco-based medical weight loss facility in 2007. Briones partners with her patients, motivating them, and investing in their weight loss success.

Individualized Plan for Patients

Briones focuses on whole body health. She works with her patients to set up goals and plans. She identifies any medical causes of weight gain and designs a manageable weight loss reduction program for her patients. She creates individualized nutrition plans, vitamin and supplement regimens, and professionally designed, customized exercise plans. If necessary, she provides FDA-approved appetite suppressants and hormone replacement therapy. 

Most importantly, Briones helps her patients develop a long-term wellness plan, teaching her patients how to maintain their weight loss and offering ongoing support whenever they need it. Her plans are adaptable to the changing needs of her patients. “My patients feel like I am a friend,” says Briones, who credits her warm relationships with her patients for much of her success.

Former Pound Ridge resident Nancy Farkas, who spent three years as Dr. Farkas’s patient, whole-heartedly agrees that Briones’s close relationships with her patients is key to their success. “Dr. B is wonderful to speak with, she’s inspirational. We had a wonderful relationship.” Farkas, who saw Briones approximately once a week, was impressed with the detailed yet flexible program that Briones built for her. “I followed her specific schedule and her careful instructions, and that was a huge thing for me.”

Briones has lived in Westchester for over 25 years, spending the past 15 years in Chappaqua. “This is a great place to raise a family.” She started her career as an internist. Born in Spain and raised in Nicaragua, Briones attended medical school in Costa Rica before coming to the United States.

Long-Term Relationships with Patients

“People tend to stay with me,” says Briones, who has significant client retention and a high percentage of success. She believes that feeling good about yourself is key to staying healthy. That is why Briones encourages her patients to take steps to ensure that they do not look older than they feel.

In addition to weight loss therapy, Briones offers non-surgical weight loss solutions, including cellulite treatments, Cool Sculpting, and Lipo Light Therapy. She started adding cosmetic procedures, like Botox and Ultherapy as well as other anti-aging, skin tightening, and skin rejuvenation therapies. These cosmetic procedures are designed to help patients maintain their youthful radiance.

Briones works with two certified medical assistants, both of whom help with everything from interacting with patients to taking vital signs. “Her staff is so helpful,” says Farkas, who believes that everyone at the Medical Weight Loss Center goes out of their way to “act in your best interest and to motivate you to stick with the program.”

Briones encourages everyone to try to be their best self. “Don’t be afraid to make a change in your life. It’s always better to try. Anything is possible.”