Presented by Integrity Wealth Consultants.

CAN YOU PSYCH YOURSELF UP TO SAVE MORE?
You have probably spent decades saving for retirement, and you might have a decade or more of saving to go before you actually retire. At times, your resolve may be tested. The stock market may falter; household money pressures may mount; new near-term priorities may arise. What can you do to stay on point and stick with this financial commitment you have made to your future self?

First, keep picturing the future you want. Envision the dreams and goals you want to accomplish. If you want to retire to a certain place, spend a day or a weekend there. If you imagine yourself enjoying a particular hobby or pursuit, try out that pastime today. This could reinforce the importance of retirement saving at a time when distractions threaten. Second, if you are tempted to spend more and save less after a raise or promotion, think about the opportunity cost of that choice. A $100 or $500 expenditure on some consumer good poised to depreciate is not an investment in your future, but $100 or $500 invested in equities or fixed-income vehicles could result in further progress toward your savings objective. Third, automate your saving and investing, if that is not already the case, so you never have to think about it. You can do this with an IRA, not just a workplace retirement plan. Some workplace plans offer you the option of gradually increasing your contribution rate. So, instead of merely saving for something hazy called "retirement," save for the dreams that inspire you. 

Health Tip
Scrub your hands when you wash them
Some people wash their hands more thoroughly than others, and thorough is good. Start by wetting your hands, then apply enough soap to get a good lather going. Then, vigorously scrub your hands, your fingernails, and between your fingers for 15-20 seconds. This scrubbing is what removes the bulk of the germs and viruses, not to mention oil and dirt.

NEW INGREDIENTS ENHANCE CULINARY TOURS
If some of your fondest travel memories center on the cuisine you have savored abroad, you may be intrigued to know how culinary vacations are taking on a whole new flavor. The new trend is toward a deep food experience: exploring the origin and culture giving birth to the food, not merely the food alone.
These trips strive to provide a memorable balance of activities, culture, and cuisine. You might ride a conventional or electric bike from one prime foodie destination to the next in Italy or Spain, fish for salmon and gather edible herbs in Alaska or the Yukon, or go clamming and cook on wild rhubarb-covered rocks in Patagonia. Obviously, trips of this sort are not cheap (think $5,000-$10,000 for two weeks, not including airfare), but they can provide a profoundly immersive experience and lifelong memories. In some areas, you can even add this kind of encounter to a vacation yourself: travel services like NOSHtrekker in Singapore help travelers dine at the homes of locals who share their interest in art, history, and other disciplines. 

DID YOU KNOW?  
Famous fast words
Some celebrated novels and novellas have been written with astonishing speed. Irish author John Boyne wrote the first draft of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in 60 hours. Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote The Gambler in 26 days. Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road in three weeks. 

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
Participants in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) have an average balance of $170,326 by the estimate of the National Center for Employee Ownership, which is more than twice the mean savings that workers have amassed in other kinds of employer-sponsored retirement plans. There are about 6,700 ESOPs nationwide.


This blog was originally posted by Integrity Wealth Consultants.

​by Terri North, Legal Strategies, PC.

Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, was initially produced by gangs on the West Coast. But since that time, meth production has moved to small, residential home labs, especially in rural areas.
 
Meth residue poses significant health risks for the buyers of those homes, especially for the younger members of the family, but there is no obligation for a seller to disclose whether a home was used for meth production.
 
Michigan requires that sellers of residential property complete a Seller's Disclosure Statement for potential buyers. The Disclosure asks about environmental problems, such as asbestos, radon gas and lead-based paint, that could be a risk for future owners. However, the form was created before meth labs were a problem, so there is no question regarding the production of meth in the home. Currently, a seller does not have any legal duty to mention that information.
 
Until the Legislature acts to update the Seller's Disclosure Statement, the burden will be on the buyer of a home to protect himself. There are both home tests available for detecting meth residue and companies that can test for and remediate the contamination if any meth residue is detected.
 

* This blog was originally posted by Legal Strategies, PC.

by UHY LLP

​With the increasing number of cyber attacks and data breaches affecting companies, there are more demands on organizations to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of sensitive data and systems.
 
The solvency of your organization can be jeopardized with a single click by one employee. Ransomware, phishing and online banking fraud are on the rise and targeting the middle market and sole proprietors at an ever-increasing rate. Cybersecurity events are not a matter of if, but when. You can no longer prevent an attack. You can, however, manage the impact and magnitude.
 
WHAT WE'VE SEEN

UHY has seen first-hand the damaging effects of cyberattacks. We have numerous clients who have been the victim of a ransomware attack which disabled their business. We have clients who have been hit with wire-transfer fraud resulting from Business Email Compromise (BEC). Other clients have had individuals within their payables group individually targeted through a phishing campaign and had malware installed on the banking laptop, resulting in fraudulent ACH transactions in excess of $250,000.

MORE THAN ONE 'NO'? ALARMING, BUT WE CAN HELP!

We share our clients' vision to minimize risks, enhance security, avoid pitfalls, implement best practices and ensure stability. One of UHY Advisors' cybersecurity experts can schedule 30 minutes to further define the scope of services needed.

NEXT LEVEL OF SERVICE

UHY's commitment to client service is personable, value-centric and cost-effective. We call it The Next Level of Service. Our goal is to exceed our clients' expectations. Our professionals are committed to helping you develop an approach to cybersecurity that protects your organization. We have designed our service offerings to be cost-effective and impactful. Please contact your local UHY professional to learn more about cybersecurity and mitigating the risk to your organization.

THE NEXT STEP
 
For a strong and compelling cybersecurity program aligned to your client's business, please contact the UHY Advisors' Technology, Risk & Compliance team at cyber@uhy-us.com. 

by ASE - American Society of Employers

Attend this seminar on Thursday, January 24, 2019
at the Macomb Department of Planning and Economic Development

The purpose of this training is to increase career progression, business results and value to the organization by identifying and leveraging contribution value.

CEUs: .70 (6.5 Clock Hrs)

Objectives: This class will assist leaders in growth and development by clarifying areas they can control and influence, exploring career stages and identifying personal strengths/opportunities.

Who should attend  “Next-level” leaders below executive/senior leaders, cascading to mid-level managers/leaders.
​
Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Distinguish between irrelevant performance tasks and high-performance contributions that add value and positively influence business goals
• Clarify what they can control and focus on in their career for greatest business impact
• Define different development stages and how career contributions change from one stage to the next
• Analyze their comprehensive personalized report and pinpoint behavioral blind spots in each of the competencies
• Identify tasks in current job that do not contribute to long-term goals and ways to minimize, eliminate or delegate these tasks to develop others

Register at ASE Online

​by Integrity Wealth Consultants

THE MONTH IN BRIEF
For most of November, the stock market was plagued by the same skepticism evident in October: the sense that corporate profits were declining and economic growth was slowing. Then Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell threw investors a line: he delivered a speech late in the month that soothed some of the considerable anxiety in the equity markets. Helped by Powell’s comments, the S&P 500 gained 1.79% on the month. While analysts sensed the bull market was in its late phase, consumers remained confident, enthusiastic participants in an apparently thriving economy. In a surprise, home sales picked up. Oil fell. The United Kingdom scheduled a critical parliamentary vote on the Brexit; China and the U.S. returned to the negotiating table regarding tariffs.

DOMESTIC ECONOMIC HEALTH
Speaking to the Economic Club of New York on November 28, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell delivered a rather dovish message: if interest rates were not quite where they should be, given the robust economy, they were at least close. In his view, rates were “just below the broad range of estimates of the level that would be neutral for the economy – that is, neither speeding up nor slowing down growth.” This was what Wall Street wanted to hear. The Dow Industrials rocketed north 618 points on the day. Just a month earlier, Powell had sounded distinctly hawkish, commenting that rates were a “long way from neutral.” 2,3
A trio of reports affirmed that the economy was indeed in good condition. Even after nine years of recovery from the Great Recession, the pace of hiring was still noteworthy: the Department of Labor’s October jobs report said that 250,000 net new jobs were created in the tenth month of the year. Annualized wage growth was at 3.1%, the best in ten years; headline unemployment was at 3.7%, and U-6 unemployment (unemployed and the marginally employed), at 7.4%. According to a Census Bureau report, the pace of retail sales improved 0.8% in October, quite a change from the 0.1% retreat a month before. Finally, as the month ended, the Department of Commerce announced a 0.6% rise in personal spending in October along with a 0.5% improvement for personal incomes. 4,5
Burgeoning economies go hand in hand with inflation, and the annualized gain in the Consumer Price Index did grow in October to 2.5% from the previous 2.3%. The yearly advance for the core CPI ticked down 0.1% to 2.1%, however. The federal government affirmed third-quarter growth at 3.5% in its third GDP estimate. 5
Consumer confidence indices retreated slightly from recent lofty heights. The University of Michigan’s monthly barometer ended the month at 97.5, down from 98.3; the Conference Board’s index declined to 135.7 from the prior 137.9. 5
Now to the factory front. The latest monthly reports from the Institute for Supply Management showed its manufacturing purchasing manager index at 57.7, below the 59.8 level it was at in September. ISM’s service sector PMI dipped 1.3 points last month to 60.3. While these were descents, both readings were quite strong. Hard goods orders declined 4.4% last month, but that mostly had to do with aircraft orders in the defense industry; minus defense and plane orders, they were simply flat for October. 5,6
Industrial output rose 0.1% in October, while manufacturing production advanced 0.3%. The Producer Price Index rose 0.6% in October; a 7.6% jump for wholesale gas prices was instrumental in the gain. The October PPI increase left yearly wholesale inflation at 2.9%. 5,7

* This blog was originally posted by Integrity Wealth Consultants.

The Official Detroit Tigers Yearbook is offering Chamber Members Only a 30% Discount on advertising in the yearbook! Along with each purchase, each member that buys will receive a minimum of four lower level tickets to a ballgame or concert at Comerica Park. 
 
This is a great way  to cost-effectively align with the team and reach hundreds of thousands of fans inside Comerica Park, as well as throughout Metro Detroit. 
  
This Official Tigers Yearbook is a beautiful glossy magazine that will reach hundreds of thousands of fans inside Comerica Park and at area retailers throughout the region. Advertisers gain terrific repeat exposure because this souvenir collectible is taken home and used as a reference piece throughout the MLB season.
 
     Standard Rate:                                 Sterling Heights Chamber Members  Rate (30% OFF):

• Full Page: $16,500                                               Full Page: $11,550 ( 36 Lower Level Tickets Included)
• Half Page: $10,000                                              Half Page: $7,000   (24 Lower Level Tickets Included)
• Quarter Page: $5,000                                          Quarter Page: $3,500 (12 Lower Level Tickets Included)
• 1/6th Page: $2,650                                              1/6th Page: $ 1,855 (8 Lower Level Tickets  Included)
• 1/12th Page: $1350                                             1/12th Page: $ 945 (4 Lower Level Tickets Included)
  
  

Payment can be deferred until March of 2019 and can be made in  installments! This is a great way to have a low risk high reward return. Just having people see your ad will do your business wonders!
 
Free Artwork and Design if needed is offered from our company in New York City, and will ask for approval before publication.
 
Click here for a sample of the yearbook.

If you are interested or have any questions, email John Mitroka at jmitroka@ppmmarketing.com.

by Excelerate America

​While the holidays are indeed the most wonderful time of year, they're also the most dangerous for businesses everywhere.

During the height of shopping season, hackers are even harder at work, doing their best to illegally obtain important customer data.

Target, Neiman Marcus, and even eBay have all been victims of costly cyber hackers. And small businesses are even more susceptible, even though you may think you're doing enough.

“Protecting my customers' information is my top priority.”
Or
“It's covered through our insurance policy.”

Everyone thinks they're all set or that it couldn't happen to them. Unfortunately, they're wrong.

Having a reliable IT management service can prevent costly data breaches.
In 2017, cyber attacks cost small and medium sized businesses an average of $2,235,000. 

And 60% of small businesses say cyber attacks are becoming more severe and more sophisticated. 

That's why it's so increasingly important to have the right expert tech team, during the holidays and the whole year through.

Of course, small business budgets are always tight.

Comprehensive, quality IT support is worth so much more than what a cyber attack could cost you.

Office Depot OfficeMax Managed IT Services provides the security you need at a price point that also works for you.

They have multiple plans depending on your business needs, concerns, and budget.

Plus, when you’re an Excelerate America customer, they’ll waive the initial set-up fee, a savings of up to $399. 

So, keep your holidays merry and all right.

Protect your customers and your business today with Office Depot OfficeMax Managed IT Services.

​​
by UHY LLP

The Social Security Administration (SSA) increased the maximum amount of wages subject to Social Security tax to $132,900 for 2019 which is an increase of $4,500 from the 2018 amount of $128,400. Employees with wages of $132,900 or greater would pay in a maximum of $8,239.80 in 2019 and the employer would pay an equal amount.

The SSA also announced a cost-of-living adjustment of 2.8 percent for recipients of Social Security benefits. In addition the annual earnings which can be earned before a recipients benefits are reduced is $17,640 before full retirement age and $46,920 once full retirement age is reached. ​

This blog was originally posted by UHY LLP.

​By Sandler Training

Gwen’s closing rate wasn’t looking good; she had missed quota for three consecutive quarters. She asked her manager Eileen for a little help in figuring out what she could do to improve. Among the questions Eileen asked during their one-on-one meeting was this one: “Can I take a look at your proposals?”

The answer was “Yes”. After the coaching session, Gwen quickly passed along all the proposals she had put together over the past ninety days. What Eileen saw gave her pause.

Gwen’s proposals were dense, long, and, for long stretches, virtually impossible for someone who wasn’t an expert to understand. They were loaded with technical details that Eileen felt sure Gwen’s prospects didn’t need and hadn’t asked for, and they each included so many product options and service plans that Eileen wondered how Gwen’s prospective buyers could even understand what she wanted them to do next.

Eileen said, “I have some ideas I’d like to share with you before you put together your next proposal. How would you feel about working on the next offer together?” Gwen, grateful for help, said that would be fine with her.

“IT’S COMPLICATED”

The relationship-status label “it’s complicated” may be popular online…but these words should never drive the offer you pass along to a prospective buyer.

Too many salespeople over-complicate their offers. This occurs primarily for one of two reasons.

Some salespeople convince themselves that they must present complex solutions in order to establish intrinsic value. They believe that the greater the number of elements included in the offer, the greater its perceived effectiveness will be...and the more readily it will be accepted by the prospect. Usually, the opposite is true: a complex, multi-tiered offer is more likely to be perceived as requiring close review from the prospect’s side to make sure everything is in order, and thus more likely to result in a “think-it-over” stall.

Other salespeople overcomplicate their offers to establish financial value. They’re insecure about what they’re charging and are looking for ways to justify the price tag they’ve attached to their recommendations. As a result, they include a number of “value-added” elements which may be helpful, but which are not essential to addressing the prospect’s needs – and which sometimes haven’t even been discussed with the buyer. 

These “value adds” are included for no other reason to bolster the perceived value of the offer… and thereby substantiate the required investment. Usually, they don’t. Gwen, unfortunately, was routinely making both of these mistakes. What she failed to recognize (until her conversations with Eileen) is that prospects appreciate elegant solutions.

Elegant solutions are well-ordered, simple and concise.

Elegant solutions make it easy for prospects to connect your product or service to the outcomes they are after. The easier you make it for them to establish that connection, they more likely you are to make the sale.

FROM OVERCOMPLICATED TO ELEGANT

With Eileen’s help, Gwen began creating solutions that were less complicated, more elegant, and centered on the solutions she had actually discussed with her prospects.

Not only that, Gwen began withholding her proposals until she was certain about the pain the prospect was experiencing, her firm’s ability and willingness to alleviate that pain, the budget available for making that pain go away. And the decision process for allocating that budget. As a result, her proposals were briefer, more direct, and more focused on the key issues she had discussed with her prospects. Her closing ratio improved… and she found that, in some cases, she didn’t even need to deliver a proposal in order for the prospect to say “Yes”!


This blog was originally posted by Sandler Training.