Page 10 - Talk of Tequesta - July '23

Page 10, The Talk Of Tequesta

fiNaNCial foCus ®

Biggest Threats To A Comfortable Retirement?

By Sally Sima Stahl

If you save and invest such as Social Security. A financial professional can help Advantage plan. Also, if you contributed to a Health
for decades, you’d like you determine a withdrawal rate that’s appropriate for Savings Account (HSA) while you were working, and you
to know you can retire your needs. haven’t depleted it, you can use the money in retirement.
without financial worries. • Market volatility – The financial markets will always As long as the HSA funds are used for qualified medical
Nonetheless, you still have fluctuate. When you’re still working, this volatility may expenses, withdrawals are tax- and penalty-free, and
to be aware of some threats not be such a problem, as you have years or decades to won’t be included in your income. This could help
to a comfortable retirement recover from short-term downturns. But when you retire, keep your income below certain levels, lower your
— and how to respond to you don’t want to have to sell investments when their price Medicare premiums or avoid the 3.8 percent surtax on
them. is down. To help prevent this, you can tap into the cash net investment income that can be assessed on high-net-
These threats include: in your portfolio, assuming you have enough to cover worth taxpayers.
• Inflation – Inflation several months’ worth of living expenses. You could also Retirement can be a pleasant time in your life — and
has been high recently, draw on a CD “ladder” — a group of CDs that mature at you’ll enjoy it more if you’re prepared for the challenges
but even a mild inflation rate can seriously erode your different times — to provide you with resources for the that face all retirees.
purchasing power. In fact, with just a 3 percent inflation next few years and allow your equity investments time This article was written by Edward Jones for use by
rate, your expenses could double in about 25 years — and to recover their value. your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Edward
your retirement could easily last that long. So, if you’re • Unexpected costs – You had them when you were Jones, Member SIPC.
going to rely on your investment portfolio for a sizable working, and you’ll probably have them when you’re Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in
part of your retirement income, you will need to own a retired: the furnace that breaks down, the car that needs all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D.
reasonable number of growth-oriented investments, such a major repair, and so on. But if you’ve established an Jones & Co., L.P., and in California, New Mexico and
as stocks or stock-based funds, whose potential returns emergency fund containing a year’s worth of living Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency
can equal or exceed the inflation rate. expenses, with the money kept in a liquid account, you of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of
• Excessive withdrawals – Once you retire, you should may be able to “ride out” these costs without jeopardizing New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency
establish a withdrawal rate for your portfolio — an amount your investment portfolio. Be sure to keep these reserves of Massachusetts, L.L.C.
you can take out each year and still feel secure that you separate from your typical day-to-day accounts to avoid Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors
won’t run out of money. Some people make the mistake the temptation of spending your emergency money. cannot provide tax advice. You should consult your
of withdrawing too much, too soon, once they’re retired. • Health – Retirees may face more health concerns qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.
Your withdrawal rate should be based on several factors, than younger people, and those concerns often come Contact us at (561) 748-7600, Sally Sima Stahl, AAMS,
including your age at retirement, the size of your portfolio with larger medical bills. That’s why it’s important to 1851 W. Indiantown Road, Ste. 106, Jupiter, FL 33458.
and the amount of income you receive from other sources, maximize the benefits from Medicare or your Medicare

all aBouT Kids

Testing Children For Autism

By Jim Forgan, Ph.D., School Psychologist

Autism diagnoses Family Empowerment Scholarship to provide you funding is too precious to squander.
continue to increase. to help your child. Call to discuss your child as we test for autism,
According to results from a I co-authored the book Parent’s Quick Start Guide to dyslexia, dysgraphia, attention-deficit hyperactivity
recent Centers for Disease Autism which provides a quick, but deep dive into what disorder (ADHD), depression, and anxiety. Visit
Control and Prevention to immediately do when your child is diagnosed with JimForgan.com or call (561) 625-4125.
(CDC) funded study, the autism. When it comes to helping your young child, time
autism prevalence was
that one in 36 children had
autism. For every one girl
identified with autism, four
boys were identified. For
the first time, more African-
American, Hispanic, and Asian children were identified
than White children. Researchers agree that early
identification and use of evidenced-based treatments lead
to the best outcomes for children with autism.
We test children for autism starting at age 2. There is
no one test or even a medical test or blood test to diagnose
autism. In our practice we utilize the gold standard
assessment called the Autism Diagnostic Observation
Schedule or ADOS, second edition. In addition, we use
caregiver interviews and tests of language, attention,
intelligence, and memory.
Five criteria should be met for a psychologist to
diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder. First, the child
must demonstrate deficits in social communication and
social interaction across settings. Second, the child
must display restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior,
interests, or activities, currently or by history. Third, the
child’s symptoms must have started early. Fourth, there
must be evidence of a significant impairment. Fifth,
the symptoms must not be caused by another mental or
physical condition.
If your child is diagnosed with autism, we recommend
you start with treatments identified by the National
Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice. These
are 28 evidenced-based practices that independent
research documented best help children with autism.
Treatments include applied behavior analysis (ABA)
therapy, discrete trial training, cognitive behavioral
intervention, and social narratives. Many insurance
companies pay for evidenced-based therapies with an
official autism diagnosis. In addition, Florida offers the