Protecting Your Vacation

By Renee Hanson, Private Wealth Advisor

The time and money you invest in a vacation might just be worth protecting. Travel insurance has been around for a long time and in many forms. It can include everything from recovering your money if the trip is cancelled to paying the cost of a helicopter rescue if you are injured while mountain climbing. The big question – is it worth the investment?

There is no set answer for every person or every travel plan but here are a few guidelines that are worth considering:

•     Determine the financial risk – if the cost of a trip is nominal, you are probably better off not spending extra on insurance. But for bigger ticket trips like international vacations, tours and cruises, the expense might be worth it.

•     Understand the terms – if you buy trip cancellation insurance, be clear on the accepted reasons for cancellation that will allow for reimbursement from the insurance company. Read the fine print carefully. The same is true of purchasing medical or other types of coverage.

•     Deal with a travel insurance company – better to buy coverage through a reputable insurer rather than the operator of a tour or cruise. You want to be sure that if you qualify for a claim, you are repaid in dollars, not vouchers from the operator.

•     Consider medical protection – you may need health care coverage if traveling overseas, and this may be particularly important if you are undertaking sports or recreational activities on your trip where the injury risk is higher. Medicare does not pay medical expenses incurred overseas, and your own health insurance policy may have limitations.

Like any form of insurance, there are different types of policies, coverage levels and even riders for specific forms of protection. Check your options carefully (there are good resources on the Internet that can help – type in “travel insurance information” on a search engine). Make sure your much-deserved vacation plans are not hampered by financial worries if something goes wrong before or during your trip.

About the Author:

Renée A. Hanson, CFP®, CEP®, CDFA™, CFS, is a private wealth advisor with Hanson, Ayala & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Her passion is in helping women achieve their dreams and financial goals, regardless of life’s many obstacles. Renée is licensed/registered to do business with U.S. residents only in the states of AZ, CA, CO, GA, IA, IL, MI, MN, MT, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI. Please visit: www.reneehanson.com to learn more.

Brokerage, investment and financial advisory services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Some products and services may not be available in all jurisdictions or to all clients.

© 2011 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fun Summer Recipes

By Dolores Seright
 

Summer fun always includes trips to the beach, camping, holiday celebrations and an amazing variety of family outings and activities.  It is also a terrific time to add exciting, and fun, new recipes to your celebrations or your daily menus.  Quick to fix recipes will leave you plenty of time for fun as well as an opportunity for everyone to join in and help with the preparations.

You have heard many times that breakfast is the most important meal of your day.  A delicious, and healthy, breakfast that you can prepare almost anywhere from the beach to the campground begins with Greek yogurt. 

Greek Yogurt Your Way

Greek Yogurt

Fresh Fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or any fruit in season)

Granola, nuts, dark chocolate pieces

Place all ingredients on a serving area and let each person create their own.  Children love to create something unique, just for them!

If you love eggs in the morning, and haven’t mastered omelets, you can customize your scrambled eggs and find a combination that everyone will love.

Scrambled Eggs with Veggies

If you like a hot breakfast, add veggies to your scrambled eggs!  Asparagus, mushrooms, tomato, peppers or onion are great additions to add variety and flavor to your scrambled eggs.  Select any veggies you love, saute them in olive oil, add eggs and cook until done.  Season to taste with salt, pepper or your choice of seasoning and add your favorite cheese.

Lunch menus can be exciting and easy to prepare.  The heat and humidity can drain your energy, so recharge with refreshing and light lunch fare.  My favorite is an entree salad with a variety of fresh ingredients and a light dressing.

Mix and Match Salads

Select the salads greens you prefer to get started.  Spinach, mixed greens or Romaine are great choices.   Preparing your favorite shrimp, salmon, chicken or grilled talapia in advance and refrigerating saves time.   You can easily plan to have leftovers from the day before to add to your salad.   Add fresh fruit for something sweet.  Peaches, strawberries, apricots or mango can make your salads compete with the finest restaurant.  Spiced pecans, walnuts, or slivered almonds add crunch, and feta cheese is always a great ingredient.  You can make a tasty dressing in a matter of minutes using 2 Tbsp olive oil, juice from ½ lemon and season with salt and pepper.  This light dressing is the perfect complement to many salads.

Crab and Avocado Salad

1 lb large lump crabmeat                                              1 stalk celery, sliced very thin

1 medium scallion, sliced very thin                                 ¼ small green pepper, finely diced

½ cup mayonnaise                                                        1 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp small capers                                                      1 ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning

½ ground mustard                                                         1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 ripe avocados                                                            Romaine lettuce

Lightly toss all vegetables with crabmeat, and try to minimize breaking up lumps of crab.  Stir remaining ingredients together and add to crab mixture.  Chill one hour.  Dice avocado and mix lightly with chopped Romaine.  Serve crab mixture over a bed of Romaine with avocado.  Delicious!

When the day is ending and you are looking for great taste and healthy options, stir fry recipes are great fun.  They are quick, easy and you have many options when choosing your ingredients.  Try this recipe for a great dinner.

Chicken Stir Fry with Snow Peas

2 Tbsp olive oil                                                                   2 Tbsp dark sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped                                             2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced

6 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced                                ½ red bell pepper, sliced and cut strips in half

1 ½ cup asparagus, sliced in 1” pieced                                 1 ½ cup snow peas

½ cup sliced green onion                                                      ½  cup cashews

2 large chicken breasts cut in ½” chunks                              ½ cup soy sauce

1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

Saute garlic and ginger in oils over medium heat for 30 seconds.  Add mushrooms, peppers, asparagus and show peas.  Saute 2 minutes.  Add chicken and saute for 2 minutes.  Stir in soy sauce and vinegar.  Mix in green onions and cashews.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Enjoy letting everyone help in the preparation and substituting some of the ingredients based on your individual preferences.

Remember to add a light and refreshing sorbet, the perfect dessert for those hot summer evenings.

Dolores Seright

www.DoloresSeright.com

Fun Ways to Keep Your Kids Learning All Summer Long

By Dr. Ellen Diana, Psychologist & Co-Author of the Charge Up Your Life Book Series

As the school year ends, keeping children busy and happy, but still learning new things for the summer months, is a priority for parents.  Depending upon what is available in your community, you may have lots of options or you may need to get creative.

Consider dividing learning activities into four types: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual. Work on a combination of all four to nurture your child’s body, mind, heart, and soul throughout the summer. Physical activities build strength and stamina. Mental activities broaden the mind and expand your child’s range of interests. Emotional activities appeal to the heart and build connections with family and friends.  Spiritual activities touch the soul and remind your child that he or she is part of a greater whole. Some activities fit in more than one category but try to offer a range of experiences that encompasses all four.

Here are some suggestions:

Physical – Build Strength

·         Individual lessons in swimming, dancing, gymnastics, or a particular sport. For an inexpensive variation, get together with other parents and share your talents with the children as a group.

·         Group exercise activities like a Mom and Me yoga class. To save money, get a CD from the library and have fun doing it at home.

·         Family activities like camping, hiking, and biking.

Mental – Pique Curiosity

·         Check out the offerings at your local public library. Many offer reading incentive programs and on-site workshops for kids and parents.

·         Explore local museums of art, science, and culture. Most offer a reduced rate for families on a specific day of the week.

·         Consider taking some day trips to local historical spots where children can acquire hands-on knowledge of the events they learn about in school.

Emotional – Form Connections

·         Special night – offer each child one night every week, to stay up with mom and dad  for a couple hours, and enjoy special time – while siblings are off to bed and perhaps thinking of what they might like to do on their own night. Activities can be simple like watching a favorite TV show together complete with popcorn; playing a board game; getting or giving a manicure; doing an arts-and-crafts activity; or sharing a building activity using Legos, Lincoln Logs or Tinker Toys.

·         Set up play dates with special friends. Notice how your child communicates and relates to friends. Discuss these relationships and offer suggestions – if asked – for improving their friendship-making skills.

·         Cooking activities when your child might help to plan the family dinner menu and have an opportunity to make a part of it themselves, such as the salad or dessert.

Spiritual - Touch the Soul

·         Take a walk in nature and discuss your personal sensory experience: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.

·         Attend a religious or spiritual type of service or event and discuss the sermon or talk afterwards, to help your child understand how the message relates to their life.

·         Volunteer together in the community to help those less fortunate or for a special cause.

Above all, enjoy the activities that you offer your child or choose to do with your child. As much as possible, spend time with them during the summer months. This shows that you appreciate them as a person and value the opportunity to spend time in their company.

About the Author:
Ellen Diana is a licensed psychologist, co-author of the Charge up Your Life Book Series and certified school psychologist with 30 years’ experience working with children, adults, couples, and families in schools and in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. She has published a number of articles in scholarly journals on psychology and education, and co-authored five self-help books in the Charge Up Your Life series. Helping women to evolve into their best selves through personal growth and self-awareness is a passion of hers. Ellen raised three successful children as a single parent and so has special interests in mentoring other women in transition and helping parents to raise resilient children. Contact Ellen at drdiana@ellendiana.com or through her website www.ellendiana.com

Tips to Return to School as an Adult

Making the Transition Back into the Classroom as an Adult Learner
By Karilyn Van Oosten

Making the decision to go back to school will affect your whole family. You can make the transition easier on all of you by planning ahead with these tips:

Set Realistic Goals
What do you hope to accomplish by going back to school? Come up with some clear, specific goals — such as "To finish my nursing degree, secure a better-paying job, and eventually buy a home." Then, with those goals in mind, give yourself permission to let go of some lesser priorities while you're in school. This might mean that your house won't be perfectly clean, or that the bathroom isn't going to get painted until the semester break, and that's okay.

Prepare Your Kids
Though your kids may not know it yet, your journey back to school will be a joint effort. You're going to need their help more than ever to contribute to the household chores, stay on top of their own schoolwork, and willingly participate in managing the household. Decide ahead of time how you're going to accomplish this. Will you offer rewards? Allowance? Restrict their privileges if their chores aren't done? Also, consider what you might need to teach your children before you head back to the classroom. Do they need to learn how to make their lunches? Put in a load of laundry? Doing this ahead of time will make the transition easier for all of you.

Be Organized
Your time is going to be even more limited than it already is, especially if you will be working full time and taking care of your kids while you take classes. One of the best things that you can do for yourself is prepare in advance. Do this by getting yourself and your kids into a regular after school routine so that each family member knows his or her evening responsibilities. In addition, if you don't currently use a calendar to keep track of your family's busy schedule, begin doing that and teach your whole family how to use the calendar as well, so that they can plan their own activities around your classroom and work schedule.

Update Your Technical Knowledge
If it's been awhile since you've been in a classroom, you may find that you need to brush up on your technological skills. Many professors now expect you to e-mail your work instead of turning in traditional typed papers. In addition, you may be expected to participate in an online list serve as part of your course work. Most schools offer free training seminars for adult learners to need to need to gain confidence in these essential technological skills. Look into your school's Student Technology Center to access the learning opportunities available to you, or take advantage of About.com's About U, a collection of free online courses.

Seek Out Single Parent Scholarships
Be sure to look in to the grants and scholarships that may be available to you, as well, before going back to school. Many community colleges and larger universities offer their own single parent scholarships for eligible students. To find out what's available, contact your school's financial aid office or search for legitimate grants and scholarships for single parents online.

About the Author:

Karilyn is the Director of Strategic Alliances at Chamberlain College of Nursing. She has a strong background in business development with more than 10 years of experience. She has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, as well as, Spanish, a masters in language and culture and is a candidate for her Doctorate of Psychology.   

Take a Day to Organize Your Finances

By Renee Hanson, Certified Financial Planner

If you’re like most people, you periodically set aside time to clean out your home, garage or closets. It’s equally as important to take time to organize your finances. The following checklist can help you get started:

•    Cancel unused credit cards — If you’re paying an annual fee on a credit card or other account that you don’t use, you’re throwing money away. So, cash in any rewards points you have earned and then cancel the account. Of course, take into consideration whether canceling the card will negatively affect your credit rating.

•   Cancel unused memberships — If a new at-home exercise routine has replaced your trips to the health club or gym, or if you’re no longer playing golf at a course you belong to, consider canceling your membership. Even if you have to pay a fee, you may quickly recoup your financial losses.

•    Consolidate your debt — Make sure any balances you carry are on low-rate cards. If you carry debt on more than one card, consider consolidating it all to one of your low-rate cards. Even if you have to pay a fee, run the numbers. It’s likely you’ll still come out ahead over the longer term.

•    Negotiate better deals with your service providers — Whether it’s your cable, Internet or waste removal company, chances are you can negotiate a better rate. Simply take time to get quotes from competitors. If they are offering lower rates for the same services, go back to your service provider to see if they will price match to keep your business. If not, switch to someone new.

•    Update your financial records — Make a list of your current financial accounts, contacts and passwords. Keep this information in a safe and secure place.

•    Update your beneficiary designations — Your beneficiary designations override your will. So, if you’ve experienced a marriage, divorce, birth, adoption or death, make sure your beneficiary designations reflect your wishes.

•    Review your home and auto insurance coverage — Make sure your coverage reflects your present needs. Also, price shop the same coverage with different providers. Whether you switch to a new provider or use this information to strike a deal with your current provider, you could save a significant amount.

Consult your financial advisor for more ideas and strategies on ways you can save.

Renée A. Hanson, CFP®, CEP®, CDFA™, CFS, is a private wealth advisor with Hanson, Ayala & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Her passion is in helping women achieve their dreams and financial goals, regardless of life’s many obstacles. Renée is licensed/registered to do business with U.S. residents only in the states of AZ, CA, CO, GA, IA, IL, MI, MN, MT, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, WI. Please visit: www.reneehanson.com to learn more.

Brokerage, investment and financial advisory services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. Some products and services may not be available in all jurisdictions or to all clients.

© 2011 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

Tips to Set Strong Boundaries

By Samantha Peters, Freelance Writer & HR Blogger

Navigating through life and relationships is by no means an easy task, and it often forces you to learn along the way.  However, you don't necessarily have to navigate through life blindly in order to obtain and maintain the life and relationships that you want.  Simply setting personal boundaries can make your journey much more easy and directed.

What Are Boundaries?
When someone mentions personal boundaries, they are referencing to the emotional honesty in which they live their lives.  Boundaries are what we achieve when we live with our authentic selves and communicate directly and honestly.  They allow us to walk through life without having to worry about the outcomes of everyday interactions whether in your personal or professional life. 

Why Are They Important?
Establishing boundaries is important as it is a way to protect yourself from negative feelings and emotions. It is also the only way to keep and maintain healthy relationships.  Without personal boundaries, a relationship can become imbalanced, leading to resentment and other negative feelings.   A person living without boundaries is also more likely to hurt others, or allow themselves to become victimized.

How to I Create Boundaries?
While it may seem strange or out of the norm for your personal behavior, setting boundaries means stating your feelings aloud. The following list provides you with guidelines for setting and establishing proper boundaries for your personal self:

1. Consider how you need to be treated for your own well-being: When you are establishing boundaries for yourself, you need to be as honest as possible. What types of behaviors will you not tolerate from both yourself and others? Are their specific words or treatments that you feel like prohibit you from your goals? Take the time to actually determine which behaviors you will accept from both yourself and others in your life, and how you can provide yourself with the best emotional life possible.
   
2. Assert your decisions: Once you have created boundaries for yourself, start living them. Don't simply create your boundaries and then set them on a shelf. They are there to provide you with better emotional health, and should be practiced from the start. So if one of your personal boundaries is maintaining personal responsibility, letting yourself skip a few advanced coursework classes or becoming apathetic during that large work project is no longer acceptable.
   
3. Stand Up for Yourself:When others cross your boundaries, such as an inappropriate comment or intruding on your personal space or time, let them know politely and firmly that their behavior is not okay. That being said, should you catch yourself crossing your own boundaries, be willing to tell yourself “no.” If you aren't used to having boundaries, they will take some time to get used to, so be prepared to be accountable to yourself.

If you are looking for a better way to involve yourself in personal relationships, consider setting boundaries. Overall, boundaries should keep you emotionally honest and emotionally responsible. They not only provide you with a set of rules in which people should treat you, but also you with guidelines for how you should treat others.

About the Author:
This is a guest post written by Samantha Peters, who enjoys blogging on career and HR, covering topics of particular interest to women in the workplace.