How To Make Philanthropy Fit Into Your Financial Plans
One of the universal truths is that, while money can help meet your needs and provide you with the basic necessities of life, it can’t make you happy.
However, it can be a powerful weapon of self-satisfaction when used the right way – such as through philanthropic endeavors. And since April 15 is around the corner, it is a good time to contemplate how you can integrate charitable giving into your tax-planning strategies.
“Money can be an incredible tool when you align it with your values,” says John Hagensen, founder and managing director of Keystone Wealth Partners (www.keystonewealthpartners.com) “It enables you to feel a sense of contentment that your money is working hard for you to help you accomplish goals that match your values.”
And if you value giving back to others – to your community, to your favorite cause or to planet Earth – then money will enable you to accomplish that goal.
But as you look at your budget for 2019, you may not know where the money will come from to give to your favorite charity or cause. The answer is that it is probably sitting right underneath your nose, Hagensen says. But it will take discipline to find it.
Hagensen practices what he preaches; his company Keystone Wealth Partners has made a commitment to donate up to $10,000 to help create clean-water projects in Africa. That aligns with his values because he adopted two children from Ethiopia and wanted to give something back to their native homeland.
Hagensen has three tips for those who want to give to their favorite charities in 2019, but aren’t sure where the money will come from:
Write down your values. Spend a few minutes to really examine what is important to you. Make sure all your monetary decisions support your values. If you have older children, include them in the discussion so you can create a teachable moment for them.
Write down your long-term and short-term goals. Compare those goals to how you are spending your money.
Spend intentionally. If you value traveling, then cut down your expenses at home so you can travel more. Align your expenses with what you value in life and your wants and needs.
Cut out all of the expenses that don’t align with your values. There is no one size fits all when it comes to what is important to people. Most people think that a house is a necessity, but some people would rather live in a tent and travel all the time than own a home. It just depends on what you value so make the most of your money.
“It usually does not take a major financial overhaul to give more to philanthropic causes,” Hagensen says. “It just takes a consistent approach that aligns with your values.”
About John Hagensen
John Hagensen is the founder and managing director of Keystone Wealth Partners (www.keystonewealthpartners.com) in Chandler, AZ. He holds the financial designations of CFS, CAS, CIS, CTS and CES. Hagensen’s vision for Keystone Wealth Partners is to deliver objective and transparent financial planning strategies. He takes an informational approach when helping people prepare for retirement and is passionate about coaching his clients to remain disciplined and committed to a long-term financial strategy.
=======================
If you didn’t know, American law currently allows doctors to leave newborn babies who survive abortions to die.
This means newborn babies can be left to die on an abortion table simply because they survived an abortion.
This has to change. We have to fight for these babies lives. Will you help?
Right now, Heritage Action is teaming up with conservative allies in Congress and across the country to save the lives of these innocent newborn babies and stop this evil practice. But we still need you.
Will you partner with us to protect these babies?
You can fight for the lives of these babies with a gift to Heritage Action.
Fight for innocent newborn lives now >>
There is not a moment to lose. You and I must act fast to change this law and save countless lives.
Please help change this law.
Tim Chapman
Executive Director
Heritage Action for America
================
Bothered By Chronic Pain?
Its Source May Surprise You
Pain that lingers or worsens is usually a signal to see a doctor. Medical professionals, however, don’t always diagnose the problem correctly in the initial visit.
Chronic pain sufferers, in particular, may want to get a second opinion. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have reported that 40 to 80 percent of chronic-pain patients are misdiagnosed. Being misdiagnosed can lead to ineffective treatments and perhaps surgery the patient did not need.
One way to save time, money and worry – and most importantly, to receive the right treatment - is to find the source of the pain, says Dr. Victor Romano (www.romanomd.com), an orthopedic surgeon and author of Finding The Source: Maximizing Your Results – With and Without Orthopaedic Surgery.
“You treat the source, not the symptoms,” Dr. Romano says. (www.romanomd.com). “Finding the source of pain can help cure a problem using non-surgical means, and it can change someone’s life.
“It comes down to peeling back the layers to figure out what is contributing to the pain. Finding and treating the source of an injury helps determine whether surgery is warranted at that time.”
Dr. Romano uses a patient evaluation tool called Autonomic Motor Nerve Reflex Testing (AMNRT) to identify the source of symptoms. Sometimes patients are surprised to learn the origin of their pain.
“The body compensates for injuries,” Dr. Romano says. “For instance, a patient may have shoulder pain because they are adapting their stance to accommodate a back injury. Pain in one area of the body is often associated with an injury on the other side.”
Dr Romano also points out, "Obstructed breathing - for instance, if you have a cold, allergies, or a deviated septum - will contribute to weakness and pain in your back, shoulders, and hips. Believe it or not, improving your breathing - with nasal sprays or rinses and allergy medication, or fixing your crooked nose - will help improve your strength and relieve your pain."
Dr. Romano lists five common physical ailments that produce chronic pain, some possible sources for the pain, and non-surgical remedies to relieve it:
Tennis elbow. “Why are you using more force on that elbow for gripping or lifting?” Dr. Romano asks. “Testing could reveal the hand is weak from carpal tunnel syndrome. Fix your carpal tunnel problem and your elbow pain will begin to heal on its own.” For therapy, he suggests self-manipulation of your wrists, grabbing the back of the hand while resting a forearm on your stomach, then pulling on the wrist and bending it downward.
Slumping shoulder. “Shoulder weakness can be associated with neck or back problems and obstructive breathing disorder,” Dr. Romano says. “Lower back stretches and a pelvic stabilizing program can help.”
Runner’s knee. The medical term is patellofemoral pain syndrome, felt as vague pain around the kneecap from prolonged sitting or more strenuous activities like stair climbing. “The injury is thought to come from overuse, excess weight, or arthritis,” Dr. Romano says, “but the true source for, say, right knee pain is often a weakness in the right hip flexor. Physical therapy, stretching the outside structures and strengthening the inside muscles are often better solutions than surgery.”
Sciatica. This affects about 40 percent of the population at some point. It’s characterized by pain in the lower back going down the leg. There can be several non-obvious sources, such as obstructed breathing and its associated back problems or a tilted pelvis. Dr. Romano suggests a variety of stretches in yoga, along with rotational and hip flexion stretches.
Achilles tendinitis. “ Sometimes the source can be foot maladies in the same or opposite foot such as peroneal neuropathy and Morton’s neuroma,” he says. “The Peroneal nerve ends on the top of the foot; Morton’s is the nerve branch between the third and fourth toe. Stretching and strengthening exercises for the calf muscles can help heal it.”
“You’re going to keep on getting hurt and have pain,” Dr. Romano says, “unless you find and fix the source of the problem.”
About Dr. Victor Romano
Dr. Victor Romano (www.romanomd.com) is an orthopedic surgeon in Oak Park, Ill.,
and the author of Finding The Source: Maximizing Your Results – With and Without
Orthopaedic Surgery. He is board-certified in orthopedics and sports medicine with
over 25 years of experience in the field. He graduated cum laude from the University of
Notre Dame and completed medical school at the University of Loyola-Chicago.
