Financial Planning: As pivotal in our lives as learning to ride a bike

From a young age we are taught skills and lessons that should stay with us throughout our entire lives.  Simple tutorials that are most often hands-on and that entail a few small mistakes.  All of this is to ensure that the most complete comprehension is gained, in a knowledge sense and in respect of consequence.  The physics in riding a bike seem all so uncertain in the beginning, while we start to understand about equilibrium and momentum, rudimentary conservation of energy and, of course, impact forces.  There are many things that we add to our scope of understanding in life because it will greatly alter our ability to meet goals and find footing in this world, knowing what to do with your hard-earned income is the same.  Why should personal finance be any different than riding a bike, learning to make pancakes or mastering the rules of the road?  Besides being basic knowledge that we should all have, not having this understanding can lead to even more precipitous falterings in life.

Having a solid grasp on our individual finances is key to keeping our reality in check and our futures in our controls.  Long term goals do not mean that your life must be planned out and that we are locked into all decision we make at an early age.  Instead it is about learning how to initially balance and manage the wages, salaries and incomes that come our way, with our ability to spend money and live life.  The first time you overdraw an account without having overdraft protection it is like that first fall off of the bike.  Luckily the sting is usually only to the tune of $35 or so, but when you start equating that dollar value to what it could have been, we quickly begin to understand the prospect of loss.  Speaking for myself, I would prefer to have those bottles of wine or other accouterments to daily existence that it could have been.  A lesson such as overdraft, for good fortune, is one of the easier ones that we learn before heading into the lands of retirement benefits, group insurance policies, qualified plans and non-FDIC insured securities that could lose us as much as they gain for us.

For the ease of the conversation, let’s assume that most people understand good basic financial behavior.  That we always know approximately what our bank balances are, know that our expenses must be less than our net income and, perhaps, have already begun to put funds aside for future income or whatever need will arise.  There is a laundry list of investment vehicles sold by knowledgeable and trustworthy individuals who operate, according to their commitments and licensure, to find the best-fit products for their clients, while staying prudent and accurate for the benefit of the companies harboring the bulk of the risk that provides the guaranteed returns on our investments.

The initial wading into financial waters begins with one key step: identifying your financial needs and wants.  Maybe you want a home or to retire early?  Perhaps you want to not burden your family with any expenses you have chosen to take on in your lifetime?  Or it could be as simple as wanting to grow a nest-egg for the future for an undecided purpose, like a child’s education, a real-estate investment, a horse or supplemental income to balance out any funds that might be received from social security.  The important thing to keep in mind as we realize these goals is that they need not be permanent goals, as many investment products that are qualified plans have laws that allow them to become other investments for minor service charges, without losing the advantage of tax-free growth or access to the aggregated cash value.

If you have already taken on large obligation in life that have long-term financial implications, like a mortgage or other liability, you may want to limit the risk exposure to your family if something were to happen in the long run.  Starting at low initial investments, there are manners to transfer the highest level of pure risk to companies that use the statistics based off of the averages of large groups of your peers to evaluate your risk.  Upon evaluation of your personal health, your occupation and the amount of funds you ultimately want to ensure are present in case of an untimely accident, an offer is made to you by the company that will buy your risk and hope that you life a long and healthy life.  In this manner you are protected from financial ruin in case of life-altering accidents and a company will gain from your fruitful life and use what you paid for protection to fill the void in the unlucky individual who has walked the same path as yourself and not arrived as healthy.

Once you start looking into the profile you create for yourself, it will become easier to realize how malleable this experience and situation can be.  Many investment vehicles allow you to use the tax-free grown savings for large purchases, like homes, or to turn cash value from your risk-protection (insurance) into an income stream that you will never be able to outlive.  The flexibility is reality limited to how well you communicate your needs and how you want to go about establishing them.  A producer, broker or financial planner is just a guide through the complicated variety of products and laws to get you the best solution to your needs and wants.

Investments are as simple as riding a bicycle, when you know where you want to go.  For a simple roll down the street, a basic self-tutoring would probably be enough, but with a more extended journey do the potentials for hazards increase.  Just as you would consult experts before riding bicycles down mountains or in touring foreign landscapes, you should consult financial experts as a means of making yourself more aware of your options in life and what is required to minimize the risk in all of the the endeavors in which we choose to engage.

Taxes with Tea

There was nary a breeze in the well-paved over downtown of Stuart, Florida.  The temperature hovered over the registered 80, as the 90% humidity and heat waves bounced off of the asphalt and up at the Tea Party underway.  The streets in front of the US Post Office are lined from end to end and flowing onto Federal Highway 1 where the intended message of revolution would get better exposure.  News cameras were interviewing anyone who had something to say and lawn chairs started taking up prime curbside real estate.  There were hundreds of people pounding the pavement for governmental change, like fiscal responsibility and term limits in the congress.

The people have something to say and, via keen online organizational strategy that mimics Gov. Howard Deans in the 2004 election, have opted for an evolved Tea Party to exercise their first amendment rights.  The interesting thing about this well-publicized event is that it was not the grass-roots event as it was advertised, but instead a well-organized, cyber-based partisan push against the current administration.  When you have Strategic Activism, LLC organizing your events, Visual Enterprise Systems, Inc., designing your copyrighted ‘grass-roots’ campaign and one of the movement’s national organizers being the founder and director of “Top Conservatives on Twitter”, there is only one more way to show your partisan stripes: having Fox News host a live broadcast on this ‘American Tradition’.  Oh, they did that too.

Being April 15th, everyone is still buzzing from their annual tax shot, so the statements being made were even more poignant as individuals with slogan t-shirts walked around with home-made placards screaming everything from “No New Taxes, Cut Government Spending” to “Fire Congress” to “Freedom Not Tyranny”.  Tea-bags were pinned to hats, shirts and earrings, and for every voice of dissent there was a horn supporting it.  Horns for gun rights, horns for impeachment and horns for that really cute blonde girl with the ‘Freedom Not Tyranny’ sign.

The air was electric with revolutionary spirit and the South Florida Action Committee was out canvassing the youth to get them thinking about democracy and activism.  Standing behind their Gadsden flag handing out pamphlets to the fresh blood, it seemed like the youth were more energized by the social energy that accompanies upheaval and dissent.  The new sons and daughters of liberty were using loud angry voices paired up with the Gadsden flag and it’s defiant, “Don’t Tread On Me” motto, an exciting thing for any age.  The activist energy must have worn off, as the kids who were approached by Action Committee volunteer got impatient during her spiel and just asked how they could get one of those yellow shirts with a snake on it.

A gentleman who wanted to only go by Carl, was giving out leaflets on a corner where the surrounding people were in the midst of the chorus of “God Bless America”.  When asked if he had come up with the “I’ll Keep My Money-Guns-Freedom.  You Keep The Change” message, he said no.  Someone had seen his car all-dressed up for the event that they had asked him to give these out.  He insisted on giving me two.  One for me, and one for the friend that wasn’t with me.

Standing on the curb waving her American flag was another woman whom I asked why she was there.  She questioned me who I was reporting for and I replied that I was doing some citizen journalism for the Huffington Post.  She turned to me and from behind her big sunglasses said, “I have three kids.  One who just lost a job.  One who is on the fringe.  And one who is on the other side of the desk laying people off.  Stop taxing and stop spending.  And you can tell that to Adrianna!”.  Then she promptly turned around and started waving her flag again.

Passing cars were as much a part of the demonstration as the troops on the ground.  One old lady screamed from the comfortable front seat of her SUV, “Fire all of the Idiots!”, then smiled, waved and drove off.  A few photos later a man in mineral blue PT Cruiser comes through the big intersection making a left hand turn and yells, “You lost the election, get over it, Assholes!”, and proceeded to speed away before anyone threw a bottle through his window.  Cars were honking so loud that picketing parents had to take their children out of their strollers and hand them off to the other parent who could take them away from this ruffled feathers parade.

One of the less fierce protesters was 6 year old Philip who was dressed in a t-shirt that read, “No More Zer000,000,000,000s”.  Little Philip was an entrepreneur with his parent’s help, running a lemonade stand.  All proceeds from the lemonade and snack sales were going to be sent right to Washington.  I sat back and thought where they were going to send this to.  Maybe to President Obama or maybe to the congress.  What type of note would they include?  Here is all of our six year old’s money, take it now and don’t bill him for it later.  All I knew is that it was still a hot day and people were moving away from the Post Office where people were still driving through and dropping off their taxes in the drop box.  So I decided to donate a couple bucks to Philip’s mission and cool myself off at the same time.  As I handed the cash over, Philip’s dad turns to me and says, “That is the most expensive glass of lemonade you’re ever going to buy.”  He was probably right.

If anything comes from this retro-revolution it just may be that Lipton’s second quarter revenue is going to outpace prior estimates, otherwise it may just be another whopping success in proving the power the internet can play in amassing momentum for a cause.  As an exercise in flexing one’s first amendment might, it was quite visible that people care in this little Florida town, where home foreclosures are through the roof and unemployment is growing by the day.  It seems there was a voice for every issue on the table.  Voices for the left, voices for the right, and voices that just want someone to look out for the people on Main Street.   Many of the voices came from pensioners that found this to be a great time to bond with their kids and their grandkids, especially seeing how everyone is affected by the downturn.  This little tea party might just end up being that really fun day after Easter where the family all got together, made patriotic banners and got loud on the town like it was July 4th all over again.

USA, Your Door Is Now Ajar…

Can a better future be seen, even from the top floor?

We collectively exhale one of many held breaths as President Obama is living up to another part of the campaign promises.  This time it is the one to facilitate a more humanitarian relationship with Cuba. What exactly does that mean? Does that mean that we can all travel unhindered between Cuba and the US, take bike tours of the Vinales valley and do an oooh-aaah tour of Guantanamo’s military prison after some breathtaking peak-bagging in the Sierra Madres? No, think again. Like every valuable coin there are two sides that one must pay attention to. One side with a smiling face on it and the other side with the symbols, numbers and gritty language.

While our currency always states on it’s emblematic seal, E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one) it should probably state the converse, Ex Uno Plura (out of one, many), because as we are now a singular nation, we are more so a body of voices that all want to be heard individually and are willing to say what they should not just to be heard. Obama made promises, or declarations, and is now, in the face of quite intense abnormal forces, aiming to be a man of his word. Though these actions rarely affect one person, but instead hordes who all hold different beliefs on the subject matter. For every person who believes that we need to loosen our policy against Cuba, there is another person who will tell you the difference will be made when the other side takes its own actions. Undoubtedly will relief be felt from the reduced travel restrictions and by empowering people to do more for their family that remains in Cuba then they were able to before the changes. However, giving cell phone flexibility and greater mail parcel value will not change Cuba. This is where the flame gets its heat.

Many devotees to the Cuban cause believe that actions such as these only assist in propping up a communist regime that truly keeps its people under its thumb. Until the Cuban government stops its biast and archaic practices, the Cuban people will never be free. Yes, they will have quick and free access to healthcare and everyone will know how to read, but the Cuban people will never be free.It is impossible to feel free when your government can throw you in jail for not-supporting the system.  By this I do not mean revolting and being outspoken, but more so as by not following the recommendations to the letter.  There is a reason that Cuba boasts that there are nothing but criminals in  Cuban prison, becuase from dissenters to artists, anyone expressing counter-communist beliefs are deemed criminals.

There have been numerous cases where charges such as peligrosidad, dangerousness, has been cited as the chief complaint. Peligrosidad is an article defined as behavior or action that contradicts socialist morality, thus the offending individual has a special proclivity to commit crimes. Thus peligrosidad, under the penal code, can be used as a security measure to sentence someone up to four years in prison. In the past peligrosidad has been used to send punk rockers to jail, gays to jail and, now, rock climbers. However, as per the latter, it is not because of the activity itself, it is because the activity puts Cubans in contact with foreigners on a regular basis thus possibly altering the individual’s belief in their government’s system.

So the government has concocted the idea that Cuban climbers are growing marijuana on the mogotes, the picturesque limestone mountains, that have made the Pinar del Rio province famous. The authorities have stated that using heat-sensitive photography they have evidence of such activity, though they have never shown anyone accused or restricted from climbing, or anyone else really, these pertinent photos. Anyone indigenous to the area knows the error in the argument. The only thing that climbing has in common with drugs is that climbing is like a drug. Once you start there is a probability of addiction. Once addicted you just need to climb all of the time.

The problem with climbing often is that it makes you not want to work more and it exposes you to all sorts of worldly people as well as nurturing one’s instinctive analytical nature to question and test boundaries. This does not sit well with the Cuban government. However, returning to the original argument, no matter the energy that the US throws into the Cuban issue, it will not relieve the situation for Cubans, and thus only slightly for Cuban-Americans. The only thing that can be done is to place multi-lateral pressure on the Castro Regime to free it’s people.

Individual voices have been selected throughout time to express the happiness of the Cubans, and I am not here to debunk this. For some Cubans the life they have is all they could ever want. Unfortunately there are many Cubans who want a lot more. Here is a link to a post by a Cuban with a perfect record to wishes to exercise their will to travel, as it has been affirmed by the president of the Writers and Artists Union of Cuba (UNEAC), “that all Cubans can travel, except those who have a debt to the justice system.” This is not the truth and it is unfortunate that misleading information makes its way into the popular media without the appropriate filters or counter-voices.

So, in as much as I applaud our new president for his actions and courage to make the touch decisions that his predecessors could not, I say it will not be enough. It will not be enough until a second revolution originates from the same limestone caves and dark corners that the first revolution did. It will not be enough until Cubans have the right to travel, to earn respectable wages based on their own ambition or to pursue their own dreams as life has bestowed unto them. It will not be enough until the Castro Regime turns the government over to the populous from the greedy hands of a highly-centralized and imbalanced control of power. If the sentiments and declarations of the revolution that just celebrated its 50th anniversary had been universally followed then it might actually have been enough.

news from the mogotes

so now we are two.  starting as a group of six strong, going to eight and then to five and now to two.  we remain to tie up loose ends, give off the items brought to donate to those who need and see a few last sites.  baseball gloves, insoles, soccer balls, toothbrushes, pens, paper, carabiners, powdered milk, sugar and plastic containers.  everything must stay with those who need.  then the climbing gear is given to a trusted local source who can give it to he and she who needs and deserves it.

other news is that the project went.  for days i could feel the soreness in my left shoulder from the multiple large gaston moves, especially the one in the last boulder problem.  in reality, i should have sent the climb my third go and changed my foot beta just a hair, but enough to guarantee a victory, clipping the chains just an hour before the guy who bolted the route, Yarobys, clipped the same chains.  The name is Huracan (hurricane) and I think it goes at 13a.  Definitely agreat route, with three boulder problem cruxes and a mean core tensions sequency crux at the top.  my favorite route in two years, as it is rare that I get the moves of a climb stuck in my head so that I can´t think of anything but it.

Tomorrow we are going to a new crag to bolt a couple of routes to prepare for the national competition.  Normally Cuban climbers don´t climb really strong on average, so these routes will hopefully become classics and be enjoyable for many as time passes and more people come here to clip bolts and crank on the limestone of the mogotes.   The best Cuban climbers are in the mid 5.13 range, but the majority are breaking into 5.12.

As my language gets better I feel a hurdle with three languages.  You start to think about a word and end up referencing all three when you should be able to go and focus solely on one.  maybe once I break through this hurdle will I ultimately understand more about languages, or at least more than I already do.  Such a determinable link to culture and the people, expressions and intonation alone mean so much.

The people become more and more like family, playing a nd joking and giving signs of affection that we normally do not see in the US with people other than close friends and family that you´ve known fo ra long time.  It is such a nice feeling that a sense of community gives.

The day I sent the project I traveled out to the crag with Yarobys on a Guagua, one of the local Cuban buses.  It was so chill and talk about economical.  I don´t know why we have taken so many taxis when it is completely convenient to take the local travel methods and thus pay local prices.  Ten cents for a ride instead of six bucks.  I know how that sounds on the absolute scale, but on the relative scale it is much more astronomical.  and as for convenience, it is only a limited factor as some friends of ours took a taxi, paid for half of the ride and then the  guy never came back for them.  after walking five dark miles on Cuban roads did they find a place with a phone where they worked their Spanish and called a taxi.  luckily by that point our friend, Raytheon, knew something was wrong and asked our host to go and get them.  Thus we could all eat a fine meal together and laugh about the incident.  Oddly enough it was the day I took the local hitchhike and bus option.

So I stare here at the two holes on the sides of my finger that are the remnants of my work on the project.  my sequence included a solid five feet or so of pulling on a mono with my right hand as I pull into the clip, lock off, clip and pull a few more feet to a sloper.  When such work culminates in a victory you often have no more than the vestigial feeling of elation, a few photos and perhaps some worn down skin.  It all grows back and then you are left with a memory.  How does this end up changing us in the end. That for a small period of time we are infatuated, fully in love and head over heels for this climb and think and dream about it like a stranded castaway dreams of water, friends and comfort food.  Then after this zealous fit of emotion it is gone.  Does this make us callus to intense emotion after a while, knowing that we will be changed just for period of time and then life as usual goes on?  Hmmm.

In the end, I sit here with less skin then yesterday, four minutes left on my tarjeta, and thoughts of family and of the political discourses that separate such incredible places that have so much in common, and only 90 miles of water between their secured borders.

When will our governments see the light, that we are all brothers and sisters under the same sun with the same passions and family that resides on both sides of the line.  How much it would benefit both parties for us to open borders.

Anywho…it is time to go as the seconds tick by on this card and it will probably take all 56 seconds for this blog to load.

Saludos

90 miles south of the keys

it´s beautiful down here. palms, piñas, and tobacco fields are the green that contrasts the red soils that nourish the worlds best cigars. campesinos work their oxen as people bustle around in the streets .

The limestone climbing has been as exceptional as the peple and the cuisine.  we are lucky to have such a gastronomical master preparnig our nightly feasts of basic staples like rice and beans, along with whole roasted red snapper, seasoned pork, jutia, lobster and massive chicken legs. 

Normally I would think the portions are large, but walking kilometers between the casa and the crags, let alone the wildly steep limstoen, takes a lot of calories.  Then the roosters that sing all night make me less pained about eating large portions of chicken. The sounds of the night are not limited to poultry, but include the howling dogs that roam around masterless, fighting cats and salsa and reggaetone tha bump until two in the morning.

Rum is cheaper than water and it is drank exactly as such.  A weak belly as my own is ok with drinking the stone filtered water, but it cannot hang with the straight from the bottle Habana Club.  Though the hand rolled tobacco is smoother than any other I have swirled around in my mouth.  Honestly, the hardest thing about this mystical place is the fact that internet is spotty and the keyboards symbols do not correspond to the images that appear on the screen. 

So far I have a project.  It´s called Urrican.  Yarobys bolted it in december of this past year and doesn´t think anyone has sent it yet.  I am so close and have fallen off of the last move three times.  Tomorrow I will send and celebrate the stellar line.  My hands are sweating jjust thinking about it. 

 

Anywho…time is off my card…ciao