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Back to College

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By Scott M. Kahan CFP®

It’s that time of year when summer draws to a close and your children are going back to or starting college for the first time. Often, families have figured out how to pay for the current year and put off planning how to pay for the next year. Well, if you are like most families you probably have not saved enough to afford that $65,000 per year price tag that comes along with a private school education. Now is the time to get a jump start on planning how to pay for the next few years’ college tuition for your child.

When thinking about funding sources for your children’s college education, you may assume your family earns too much to qualify for Federal grants, loans, and work-study job assistance. However, families with higher incomes are frequently eligible to receive some form of financial aid from the Federal government.

Start with the FAFSA

For most financial aid and loan programs, it is required for you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the initial part of the process. In addition to determining your family’s eligibility for Federal assistance, the FAFSA is the primary qualifying form used by many college, state, local, and private financial assistance programs. The first step in applying for financial aid is filling out the FAFSA. The simplest way to complete the FAFSA is by applying online at fafsa.ed.gov.

The start date to file is October 1st and there is no reason to delay the filing. When completing the FAFSA, you will use your financial information from 2016. This is called prior-prior year since you are filing forms for funds for the 2018-2019 school year.

There are numerous programs available to assist you in paying for college. Stafford Loans, which are student loans and PLUS Loans, which are in the name of the parents are a few of the most popular loan programs offered. Pell Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid.

It can be confusing, but the sooner you get started in planning and preparing, the easier it will be!

Scott M. Kahan, is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and President of Financial Asset Management Corporation, a fee-only wealth management firm located at 26 South Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua. Call Scott Kahan at 914-238-8900.

A Local Healer’s Journey with Lyme Disease

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By Sharon Okun

Sharon Okun

After trying everything, Armonk Licensed Massage Therapist & Wellness Coach Sharon Okun says she researched and benefited from alternative healing modalities in her battle against Lyme. Here, in some answers to our questions, she shares her experience and resources.

1. When were you first diagnosed with Lyme Disease?

I was accurately diagnosed at the beginning of 2014 by a Lyme-literate doctor, after suffering with symptoms for 10 years. My overall quality of life now is excellent, although occasionally I still having challenging days.

2. What treatment did you try initially?

I was given antibiotics, which were partially effective for four to six months but then they stopped working. I than tried alternative therapies which helped greatly. Please keep in mind that whatever works for me may not work for you.

I advise that you first consult your doctor before attempting any alternative methods that are mentioned in this article.

3. There has been a lot of press about debilitating symptoms from the disease that can linger. Can you describe what symptoms you had and how they impacted your life?

My symptoms included fatigue, dizziness, significant neck pain and headaches, tremors, nerve pain and numbness, brain fog, and extreme chemical sensitivities. I stopped working full time as a licensed massage therapist until I could figure out what was wrong.  For a time, I had limited activities outside of the home and primarily focused on managing my family, except that I pushed myself daily to exercise no matter how I actually felt.

4. What made you try alternative medicine to treat your disease? What types of alternative therapies did you use that led to improvement?

I understand the mind-body connection. Through my work as a licensed massage therapist and wellness coach for the last 20 years, I have seen firsthand how alternative therapies transform people’s lives. I needed to find the right combination to start healing my Lyme Disease, so I continued to persevere. I researched extensively and experimented with different supplements and gentle modalities while under strict supervision by a medical doctor. These are the alternatives that I used and continue to use to manage symptoms:

  1. Acupuncture
  2. Cranio Sacral work
  3. Lymphatic Drainage
  4. Meditation
  5. Qigong
  6. Somatic healing
  7. Life coaching
  8. Daily exercise
  9. Paleo Diet

All the above worked. However, once I learned to incorporate mindfulness practices into my life, I started to see more definitive results.

Mindfulness practice is developing an emotional intelligence. It is about creating strategies to readjust expectations of oneself and of others. It is also about managing daily stress by slowing down the body and truly listening to what it needs to feel empowered–even through challenging times. Also, as a massage therapist, I have learned that emotional stressors are stored in the body as well as in the mind. My holistic practice helps people move through ‘stuck pain,’ whether physical or mental, that is held in the muscles, nervous system and the rest of the body.

 I am not a doctor. I do not advise about, diagnose or treat Lyme. As a wellness coach and massage therapist, I champion my clients to find their own inner strength by asking powerful questions that engage them. I actively listen to people’s stories and facilitate awareness to help them design action plans that propel them forward to reach their goals.

 I offer clients massage therapy and teach them meditation and qigong (a formless style of energy movement). I help clients release pain that is held in their bodies, making room for them to truly heal.

Sharon Okun is a licensed massage therapist and wellness coach in Armonk, in practice for more than 20 years. She trained at the Swedish Institute and the Center for Coaching Mastery. She is part of the Global Lyme Alliance and Lyme Connection. After a long journey with Chronic Lyme Disease, Okun says she has successfully learned to manage her illness holistically. Visit www.bodycenteredhealing.massagetherapy.com.

Sharon’s Resources:

Authors

Healing Lyme by Stephen Harrod Buhner, Master Herbalist

This book includes extensive research on Lyme Disease and effective herbal medicine treatments. Stephen Buhner has written several books on Lyme Disease and on alternative medicine in general along with mind/body techniques.

Why Can’t I Get Better by Dr. Richard Horowitz, M.D.

Dr. Horowitz has been instrumental in changing laws to support Lyme Disease testing and treatment. He has designed Lyme Disease education for medical schools (including at Harvard).

Websites & Facebook Page

(Many of these organizations offer important Lyme prevention advice, too.)

Goodbyelyme.com: Research and information about Chinese medicine for Lyme

TiredofLyme.com: General Lyme information

Gaianstudies.org: Stephen Buhner’s institute

Globallymealliance.org: Patient advocacy organization

Lymeconnection.org: Local patient advocacy organization out of Fairfield County Connecticut

Town of New Castle Task Force on Health & Wellness Facebook Group

Inside Press Disclaimer: The opinions presented here reflect the experience and views of the author; please consult your own doctor for diagnosis and/or treatment.

Getting a Strong Start to 2017

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BY SCOTT M. KAHAN

With the stock market hitting record highs, potential interest rate increases and the ongoing uncertainty as to what is going on in Washington, now is the time to organize. Here are a few quick things to address to get started.

Review your portfolio.

With the rally in equity prices, it’s probably a good time to review your asset allocation. A simple way to re-balance your portfolio is to first set what percent of your portfolio should be in each asset class. Then when reviewing your portfolio, the sectors that have gone up will be over weighted and should be reduced, while the underperforming sectors will be under weighted and can be added to. If you follow this practice, it forces you to sell high, buy low and take the emotions out of investing.

Review Your Taxes and Cash Flow.

If you are getting large tax refunds each year, review your withholding. Financially, it’s actually better to get a small refund or owe a small amount. When you get a refund, it’s your money being returned to you with no interest. In other words, you gave the government an interest free loan. Adjust your withholding or estimated tax payments to ensure you are not over or under paying your taxes by too much. Then look to see if you are fully funding your retirement plans. If not, use that extra money each pay check to fund your retirement plan. The retirement plan contribution usually is tax deductible thus saving you even more in taxes.

Review Your Estate Planning.

When was the last time you looked at your wills and other estate planning documents? Make sure all beneficiaries are in place in retirement accounts. Review to make sure you have named guardians for minor children. If you have avoided setting up your estate plans, now is the time to address this important issue.

Scott M. Kahan, is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and President of Financial Asset Management Corporation, a fee-only wealth management firm located at 26 South Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua. Call Scott Kahan at 914-238-8900.

How to Choose a Reliable and Cost-Effective Heat & Air Service!

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Wondering how to choose a reliable and cost effective Heating and Air Conditioning Service, and what cost increasing mistakes you should avoid at home?  We asked Anthony Marmo, owner of Clover Comfort, a 31-year-old, family run business in Sleepy Hollow, NY, about what can make the difference between SUPERIOR SERVICE or an average or downright bad service, and about the common errors homeowners make that drive up their heating bills.  — Grace Bennett

Manny, a 25-year employee at Clover Comfort in Sleepy Hollow, New York

What to Consider in Choosing a Service:

  • Easy access to the owner. Can you speak to who is in charge easily? 
  • 24-hour service. An emergency needs to be addressed right away.
  • Proper licensing, certifications and accreditation.In Westchester County, for HVAC companies, there is a Westchester Home Improvement license; any service you choose should be licensed through the county for home improvement and also licensed in plumbing. Many heating systems are fired by natural gas and do require a licensed plumber to work on them.

Mistakes that Drive up your Bill:

  • Purchasing a new Energy Star refrigerator and moving the old one to the basement or garage (and plugging it in to store the extra food for a party) will effectively double your utility costs, especially those old avocado or mustard colored ones we grew up with in our parents’ house! “Get rid of it,” advises Marmo, “and purchase a smaller compact Energy Star labeled refrigerator and plug it in as needed. “
  • There are several building construction design/installation faults that cause “Heat Bleed” and these can have a negative effect on home or commercial business heating & cooling utility costs. Most buildings have connections to unconditioned space, for example: roof-ceiling combinations, such as cathedral ceilings, finished dormered attics, cantilevered space or bonus rooms. Also, dropped ceilings, ventilated attics, basements and crawl spaces are a big connection to the outdoors.

Have any more questions about your home’s heating or air needs? To learn more or receive testimonials about Clover Comfort’s service, please visit 914 631-6744 or drop a line with Anthony, amarmo@clovercool.com

 

 

Sunshine Children’s Home

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Sunshine-Childrens-HomeOur happy home probably looks a little different from yours. When you’re nudging young sleepy heads awake, we may be lovingly checking vital signs on ours. When you’re serving your kids breakfast, we may be administering a life sustaining IV to ours. When yours are enjoying bath time with bubbles and toys, we may be giving a sponge bath to keep ours clean and dry. Yes, our happy homes look different–but they’re the same where it counts. For a child, home is wherever you can feel secure that your needs will be met–all of your needs, every single day. sunshinechildrenshome.org

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