Helping you live the best life possible with the money you have!
Skywriter flyby near Lighthouse Point [Copyright Jaden Schaul]
Although the surfer statue is only 28 years old and his lungs are made of bronze, he practices safe social distancing to protect more vulnerable populations.
May 2020 Financial Focus
Dear Readers:
 
We hope you are all finding small moments of joy in your days to keep you going through these turbulent times. Moments like watching your seeds sprout their first tendrils through the soil, or feeling the morning air grow warm as the sun rises. Moments like getting a free weekly credit report from all three federal credit bureaus. Ahh, the small pleasures of life...

The Least Fun Freebie in the World
That's right, for the next year, all three credit bureaus are offering free credit reports weekly (you normally can only pull a free report once per year). It's usually a good idea to look at these reports every year or so just to make sure nothing is out of place. You can get all three reports by going through the federally authorized site https://www.annualcreditreport.com/

But Wait! There's More!
Another joy you wouldn't want to miss out on: rolling back an unwanted RMD in 2020! If you've already taken an RMD, you can roll it back into your IRA using provisions from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. There's more detail here, but feel free to shoot us a call or email if you're uncertain about whether this could apply to you. We're also looking into Roth conversions for clients who don't need the RMD distribution this year, to save on taxes in the long run. 

Also, Chris is Now a National News Figure, Pretty Much
Chris got quoted in US News & World Report about tax deductions for financial advisor fees after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He's basically famous now, and will be autographing copies of your tax return upon request.
Look at this little bee! He's so excited to defer his RMD!
The Wonderful World of Investing: Second Verse, Same as the First

Stock market reactions after big declines - Did you know that after the stock market goes down, it usually goes back up? Shocking, I know. But who knows when it will go back up? Not me, and probably not you either! The moral of the story: Stick to the plan, and don't try to time the market.

The cost of trying to time the market - If you try to figure out when the market will go back up, you run the risk of missing out on days of big growth. Even just missing the ONE day of biggest growth will hit your portfolio by about 10%. Are you sure you won't miss that day? The moral of the story: please don't try to time the market.

How the market reacts in election years - There is a pattern for how the market reacts in election years, and you can totally beat the market if you know it. Oh wait, hold on, no, there is no such pattern. Give this link to someone you love if they are trying to time the market around election time. You know the moral of the story by now.
If you're ever considering timing the market, just look at this flower instead. Isn't it cute? But maybe it's poisonous. Just like timing the market.
Fun fact: did you know that some gardeners "thin out" seedlings as they grow, to "make room" for their garden to spread out? Moana can't understand how some people can just murder plants in cold blood like that. In unrelated news, she has approximately one thousand pumpkin starters to give away, if you want to come by Felton to pick them up. 

Interesting Articles from the Internet

Redefining Wrong in Poker, Politics, and Beyond
When we move away from right or wrong, we start living in the continuum between the extremes. Making better decisions stops being about wrong or right but about calibrating among all the shades of grey.

Are We In a Recession?
A recession is a significant decline in economic activity “lasting more than a few months,” according to the NBER’s definition. While it’s still on the early side — shelter-in-place orders and the rise in unemployment began in March — the economic decline is likely to continue for at least a couple more months.

Time alone (chosen or not) can be a chance to hit the reset button
"I don’t want to run away from the world – I want to rediscover myself within it. I want to know what happens if we again take doses of solitude from inside our crowded days, along our crowded streets."

The Reason Zoom Calls Drain Your Energy
Video chat is helping us stay employed and connected. But what makes it so tiring - and how can we reduce ‘Zoom fatigue’? At NBFA, we've been meeting with all of our clients online, and it's definitely been hard to adjust. But we'll make it work... even if it takes extra donuts to keep our energy up!
Sunflower seedlings and a growing pumpkin patch in Moana's backyard. 
Natural Bridges Personal Updates

We talked about the 8:00 howl in our last newsletter, and Chris's wife has recently joined in the neighborhood evening cacophony. After spending all day with Chris working from home, she can't be blamed for wanting to get outside, relax, and yell at the sky for a little while.

Anabel is having her first wisdom tooth taken out! That means she is going to be 25% less wise from now on. Chris and Moana both hope that this evens out the playing field a little bit for them.

Moana ordered ten pounds of rice for her mother after she complained about not being able to find any rice at the grocery store. Happy Mother's Day!

Much love,
Moana & the Natural Bridges Financial Advisors Team
831-421-0700
P.S. Do you know someone who needs help rolling back an RMD? Or someone who wants to review their credit report? Or someone who wants pumpkin plants? Please oh please somebody take these pumpkin plants!! If so, feel free to forward this newsletter to them.
Natural Bridges Financial Advisors, LLC provides fee-only fiduciary financial planning without product sales. The Natural Bridges Financial Advisors, LLC newsletter is published using copyrighted material with permission from the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners. 

Contact Information:
(831)421-0700
info@naturalbridgesfa.com
www.naturalbridgesfa.com

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