Kevin A. Brown - Financial Advisor

Today is National Postal Workers Day!

Did you know celebrities like Steve Carell, Walt Disney, and Bing Crosby were all postal workers?
Along with political figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, and Harry S. Truman.

Here are 5 insights about Postal Workers to keep in mind today.

Hopefully they inspire you to show your appreciation to your local mailman or woman. But keep in mind, while a little ‘thank you’ gift is much appreciated, anything over $25 requires them to report it to management.

🐕 In 2017, there were 6,244 canine attacks on postal workers.

🥵 Many of the postal trucks do not have air conditioning, making summers in most places unbearable.

🛰️ They are being tracked at all times, thanks to the scanners they use for deliveries.

🥫 The second Saturday in May each year, the National Association of Letter Carriers holds the nation’s largest single-day food drive. It’s known as ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ and benefits local food banks, pantries, and shelters in more than 10,000 cities. You can contribute by leaving a bag containing nonperishable food items next to your mailbox.

✍️ If your handwriting is illegible, your mail may not get delivered. While postal workers make a genuine attempt to read sloppy or difficult penmanship, it’s not always possible. There is even a special center in Salt Lake City where a team of 1,000 postal workers are dedicated to deciphering difficult-to-read writing, processing an average of 5 million pieces of mail a day. And when they aren’t successful, there is an entire facility for unreadable mail.

Saving for retirement is hard. That’s why more and more people use the equity in their homes to fund retirement.

One way to do this is through a reverse mortgage. It’s an increasingly popular tactic—but is it right for you?

A reverse mortgage is essentially a way to convert your home equity into cash. To qualify, you must:

• Be a homeowner (naturally)

• Be at least 62

• Have significant equity in your home

• Have the financial means to continue paying property taxes and insurance.

If you meet those requirements, a bank will provide a loan on your house, much like a normal mortgage, with the house itself as collateral.

Once you no longer reside in your house, the loan comes due. Most people repay the loan by selling their house.

The loan itself can be taken in one of three ways: lump-sum, annuity, or line of credit. Typically, financial professionals like ourselves recommend a line of credit, because it may increase in value over time, and you can access it whenever you want.

Whatever you choose, you can apply the money to retirement in several ways. For example, it could be used to cover living expenses, or as a safety net. Some people even use it to make improvements to their house.

While all this may sound great, there are some scenarios where a reverse mortgage is not a good idea.

For example, say you want to leave your house to your children. In order for them to keep the house after you pass away, they would need to repay the loan themselves.

People with poor health should also think twice. That’s because if your health requires you to move to a nursing facility or live with other family members, the loan will come due, at which point you’ll have just six months to repay.

Finally, there are many costs you’ll need to pay upfront in order to take out a reverse mortgage. Lender fees, insurance, closing costs, appraisal fees…it’s not the simplest way to save money for retirement.

Ultimately, whether a reverse mortgage is right for you can only be determined by carefully looking at your own goals, needs, and assets. It can be a powerful tool, but not a universal one.

Ever seen this image?

This breathtaking view of Wharariki Beach in New Zealand, often featured on screen savers, is more than just a beautiful photograph.

It represents a destination. A dream. A reward for years of hard work and disciplined financial planning.

Unfortunately, we speak with many individuals who, despite having the financial means to visit places like this, struggle to shift from a lifetime of saving to actively enjoying the wealth they’ve built.

The same discipline that created your success can sometimes make it difficult to embrace the freedom it was meant to provide.

The goal of wealth accumulation isn’t just to secure the future. It’s to fund a life filled with the experiences you’ve always imagined.

Whether that means chartering a yacht through the Greek Isles, embarking on a multi-generational safari in Tanzania, or spending a quiet month in a secluded Scottish cottage, your wealth should be a tool that serves your ambitions—not a treasure that remains locked away indefinitely.

Knowing that doesn’t necessarily make the psychological transition from a saver’s mindset to a spender’s mindset any easier.

We understand.

That’s why we help people navigate this transition all the time.

If you’re finding it difficult to start enjoying the wealth you’ve worked so hard to build and preserve, let’s have a conversation.

As Dr. Seuss wrote:

> “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose… You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! So… get on your way!”

During the 1920s, a bank robber named Willie Sutton stole more than $2 million.

After being arrested, Sutton was asked by a reporter why he robbed banks. His answer was probably apocryphal, but it’s gone down in legend anyway:

“Because that’s where the money is.”

These days, thieves still go where the money is… usually by targeting private individuals who have a lot of it.

But modern theft isn’t about lock-picking a safe or blowing a bank vault with dynamite. More often, it comes in the form of cyberattacks.

All investors are potentially vulnerable because nearly every investor has digital vulnerabilities that can be targeted by thieves.

As a financial advisor, my job is to help people plan for the future they want to achieve. I’ve found that with each passing year, protecting your privacy becomes more important when it comes to securing that future.

The good news is that while cybercrime, identity theft, and other forms of fraud are very real problems, you can protect yourself and your privacy with a little advance planning.

I like to think of it as building a castle.

🏰 First, you must understand where you are vulnerable.

🏰 Second, you must build the necessary walls, gates, and drawbridges to protect those vulnerabilities... with a wide digital “moat” surrounding it all.

To help, I’ve put together a few basic, simple tips for both understanding your vulnerabilities and protecting them from cybercriminals

Every Memorial Day, we commemorate our nation’s greatest heroes.

Words cannot fully express the awe and gratitude we feel for the work and sacrifice of our military personnel.

But there are others we should commemorate too.

The families those heroes leave behind. The mothers and fathers who gave their sons and daughters to the cause of freedom. The wives and husbands who became widows and widowers. The children who lost parents, the brothers and sisters who lost siblings.

We must remember their sacrifice.

Their devotion.

There are no words appropriate enough.

No gestures adequate enough.

But we must do our best to show that at least we remember…and that we will never forget.