Humane Society of Boulder Valley Fundraiser

May 20, 2013 – 11:01 am

Harbor recently co-sponsored the annual Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s Puttin’ On the Leash Gala.  It was a fun evening and benefited a wonderful cause.

POTL

“This year’s Puttin’ On The Leash was an incredible evening, celebrating all of the wonderful relationships with pets and people throughout Boulder Valley,” said Lisa Pedersen, CEO of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. “Through the generosity of our community we can provide lifesaving services such as shelter, medical care, and behavioral rehabilitation to 9,000 animals each year. The funds we raised will ensure each animal receives the care and love they need while we find them a new home and a loving family of their own.”

By Denise Hess | Posted in Boulder, Events |

Divide and Conquer

May 15, 2013 – 9:23 am

#4 – 25 Things I Have Learned…

Originally Divide and Rule now commonly referred to as Divide and Conquer is attributed to Philip II, King of Macedon (382-336 BC), describing his policy toward the Greek city-states.  It refers to the strategy based on the fact that many smaller opponents are easier to manage than one larger one.  I have used this phrase to suggest that dividing a project into pieces and sharing the responsibility makes that project or goal easier to accomplish.  What does this have to do with business you ask?

This concept works as well in business as in personal applications.  At its core, dividing a project, job or thought process into logically placed parts then assigning or sharing the work towards the end goal is a very powerful way to accomplish anything.  Look out for the creative genius that comes from spreading the work and responsibility around.

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By Elyse Foster | Posted in Staff |

To be the Person My Children Think I Am

April 30, 2013 – 9:19 am

#3 – 25 Things I Have Learned…

Our children start out thinking we are a combination of superman, wonder woman and they hope the invisible man.  As they grow and reality sinks in why not be the person who is a good example for them and someone they can look up to?  A moral outlook, charitable intent and a non- judgmental attitude are all admirable, as are patience and understanding.  Growing up is hard and while you were young once, remember they are travelling a different path.

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By Elyse Foster | Posted in Staff |

How to Check your Social Security Benefits Online

April 23, 2013 – 10:49 am

Several years ago due to budget cuts the Social Security Administration halted the mailing of the annual benefits statements.  While there is no date in sight to resume the statement mailing they did make online statements available.  With a few minutes of your time you can still check up on what is due you from social security in your retirement years.

SSA-Statement-21

*Go to www.ssa.gov

*Under popular services click on ‘get your Social Security Statement online

*Click on ‘Create an Account’

*Read the terms of service and click the box that you agree to the terms

*Enter your personal information (this consists of name, address, social security number, etc.)

*Answer additional security questions

*Choose a User Name (8 to 20 letters and/or numbers) and Password (8 characters minimum with at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol) for your account

*Answer additional security questions (in case you lose or forget  your User Name and Password)

*Log in to your account and click on ‘Estimated Benefits’

You may also wish to check your earnings record while you are logged on for any errors.

By Carolyn Rice | Posted in Financial Planning |

Buy Straw Hats in the Wintertime

April 15, 2013 – 9:03 am

#2 – 25 Things I Have Learned…

A tip of the hat to Sir John Templeton for this one.  It works especially well for market timing.  Simply put and executed buy when no one else wants it, when prices are much better for everything from stocks to real estate and yes, hats.  I had the pleasure of meeting Sir John Templeton in Lyford Cay, Bahamas when he hosted a party at his club.  He was an early mutual fund proponent, savvy investor and consummate salesman.

Straw Hats

By Elyse Foster | Posted in Staff |

Springing Forward

April 10, 2013 – 12:49 pm

By Brennan Dolan -

As the baseball season kicks off and the weather starts to warm up, it’s hard not to enjoy the hopeful optimism that comes with spring and this time of year. March Madness is in full swing and right around the corner is one of my favorite events of the year – The Masters. Founded by the legendary Bobby Jones and held at iconic Augusta National, the tournament holds a prestigious place in the game of golf and is the first “Major” competition of the year.

Going beyond what takes place on the course however; The Masters is truly a symbolic weekend and annually reminds me of why I play the game. The “Drive Down Magnolia Lane” and grounds at Augusta National are unbelievably beautiful and just seeing the place on TV leaves me in awe every year (Thank you HD television). Having played competitively for nearly my whole life, this first week in April is an annual reminder of the pristine natural beauty, tradition, and camaraderie that make the game so special.

With these ideals in mind, I thought it would be fitting to make these my overarching themes for the coming golf season in hopes of emphasizing that once simple enjoyment I had for the game. To do this a couple buddies and I have decided to get together every month or two and play a totally new course somewhere off the beaten path. Since the three of us live in Boulder, Phoenix, and LA, there’ll be a fair amount of traveling but the experiences well worth the time and money. If planning a golf retreat isn’t in your near future, there are still plenty of great courses around the Front Range that can easily fit into a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I’ve put together a list of some of my area favorites, and if you need any more encouragement turn on Sunday at The Masters (April 14th) and then go look at tee times.

Ballyneal Golf Club –Holyoke, CO — This course is absolutely unique. One of the most original links style courses in America and routinely ranked nationally. If you enjoy a challenge, this is a must play.
Ballyneal

 

 

 

 

 

Golf Club at Bear Dance – Larkspur, CO — Admittedly, this is one course I haven’t played but is at the top of my list for this summer.

Golf CLub at Bear Dance

 

 

 

 

 

The Ridge at Castle Pines North – Castle Pines, CO — Most golfers associate Colorado and Castle Pines as one of its top courses, but it can be tough to get an “in” to play at the private club. The Ridge is a perfect alternative right next door that offers a very similar golf experience.

The Ridge

 

 

 

 

 

Rollingstone Ranch – Steamboat Springs, CO — Having grown up in Colorado, I absolutely love mountain golf during the summer. (The ball goes farther… How could you not?) Rollingstone is a great option.

Rollingstone Rance

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Denise Hess | Posted in Staff Picks |

If I Had A Nickel

April 2, 2013 – 8:45 am

#1 – 25 Things I Have Learned…

If I had a nickel for every time someone told me I could not do something I would be rich!  I was told at the start of my career that I couldn’t seek employment in the Financial Planning Industry; everyone who was anyone sought employment at Merrill Lynch.  They were the best, their training was the best.  How did I dare to be different?  What was I thinking?

Nickel

I was thinking that a career existed where I could put my client’s needs and interests first, a career where I would be paid to give my clients unbiased advice and not to have to be paid on commissions.  A career where women would be welcome.  In retrospect, I was very early to the game of Financial Planning, an early participant in the changes that the financial industry would go through over the next 30 years.  The naysayers continued to nag, but I persevered and continued to hold to my goal of creating this business model.  We all know now, 25 years later after much trial and tribulation that my idea was one whose time had come and the rest is history.

 

By Elyse Foster | Posted in Staff |

Telephones to Twitter – A 25 Year Retrospective

March 26, 2013 – 10:22 am

telephone

Do you remember a time when the S&P was at 260, interest rates were 10.5%, average income was $24,450, and a gallon of gas cost 91 cents?  How about the year the Iraq war ended?  It was 1988 and also a time of big hair and bigger shoulder pads, Ronald Regan was president, the Stealth bomber was unveiled and the Hubble Space Telescope was originally scheduled to launch.  Harbor Financial Group was established that same year.  We are celebrating our 25th year and we could not have done it without you!

Tweet

So to borrow from Nike’s famous 1988 ad campaign we decided to “Just do it”.  We have a number of fun events planned, be on the lookout for trivia from 1988 in our newsletter, the top 25 things I have learned in the past 25 years in our blog and a party to celebrate where it all began.

Stay Tuned!

 

By Elyse Foster | Posted in Harbor News |

Beat the Year End Rush

February 27, 2013 – 9:00 am

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Because not much happens during late February (no major holidays, the weather’s not great, football is over, it’s not yet spring break, school isn’t stopping or starting) it’s an excellent time to get a jump on your financial chores for the year.

Consider beating the year end rush and getting these items started or even finished now:

If applicable, take your required distribution from your IRA account

Make an annual contribution to your child’s 529 account

Consider any estate planning that might to be done this year and phone your attorney for an appointment

Check your credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com

Check the www.missingmoney.com web site for unclaimed property

Discuss with your accountant whether or not you might be eligible to contribute to a Roth or traditional IRA for 2013 and, if needed, open accounts

Pull a social security statement from www.ssa.gov to check your benefits

Review your savings plan – consider contributing the maximum to your 401k or other retirement savings plan and adding to the amount you save from personal funds

Review your beneficiaries

Let us know if we can be of assistance with any of these items.

By Denise Hess | Posted in Financial Planning |

Playing Catch-Up

February 22, 2013 – 8:00 am

Elyse was quoted in the February issue of Financial Advisor Magazine.  See the article here  ”Playing Catch-Up”

 

 

By Denise Hess | Posted in Market Commentary, Press |