Well, that was the strangest Labor Day weekend weather! Worked out great as we had a Black Tie wedding event Saturday afternoon which would not have been pleasant in 100 degree weather. Most of you know California Summer weather can last through October, so Sam has put together a Summer salad recipe. We have received so many responses to his recipes that we have adding a page to our website for easy access under blog. (www.harvestfinancial-llc.com).
Summer Panzanella Salad
20 Green Beans, ends cut off
1 Medium Sized Tomato, cut into bite size chunks
½ Red Onion, Sliced Razor thin
¼ c slivered almonds or pistachio
10 Mint Leaves, torn into pieces
10 basil leaves, chiffonade (finely shredded)
2 Cups Each Arugula, Frisee, Endive
2 cups of croutons
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Vinaigrette
¼ c Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 clove of garlic, micro planed or minced fine.
1 tsp honey/agave syrup or granulated white sugar
¾ c Grapeseed Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions for Salad:
- Blanch Green Beans, in Heavily Salted water.
- Make Croutons from day old bread or buy readymade croutons
- Combine Lettuces in a large mixing bowl, then top with the rest of ingredients.
Instructions for Vinaigrette:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, except oil.
- Slowly whisk in oil, little at a time, until fully incorporated and mixture thickens.
Onward with Economic News
With a fair amount of up and down, the S&P 500 is up 17% for the year, NASDAQ is up almost 34% and the Yield on the 10 year Treasury sits at 4.268%. A strange market indeed. Students are headed back to school but here in Napa there was a LOT of weekend business being done at bars and restaurants and the traffic was backed up in the Valley. Unemployment jumped to 3.8% even though payrolls increased higher than expected. Job openings seem to be aplenty though perhaps not in all compensation categories.
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month so our social media will have lots of ideas around life insurance. A couple of thoughts;
- If you don’t have any and people rely on your income, look into it and call us. Getting life insurance can be a relatively painless process and the younger and healthier you are, the better.
- If you have policies, but you haven’t looked at them lately, give us a call. You should review to verify that what you have is still appropriate. Life happens and there are a number of things to check out
- Is the death benefit still appropriate?
- Are the beneficiaries correct?
- Do you have the right kind of insurance for your situation?
- If you have cash value in your policy, is it growing the way you need it to?
Signatures – This has changed over time so I thought I might shed a little light on the subject.
- Most forms can be e-signed, which means electronic or digital signature. Though this can be done anywhere you have access to the internet, it also means some additional verifications to make sure you are the one signing. Normally, they ask 2-3 questions about your past and if you thought BIG Brother was a myth, this will clarify. How did they know I owned a Mercury Capri in my past????
- Wet Signature – Some companies still require us to get an original signature and mail the original in.
- Medallion Guarantee – This is kind of like notary except we (Harvest Financial) have to know who you are and you have an account with us.
- Notary – This can be the most cumbersome, but have no fear, we have a mobile notary for those of you in the North Bay Area. You will need a few pieces of identification and there is normally a small charge unless you have an account at the bank and they have a notary on premise.
Well, there you have it; a weather report, an economic picture, a recipe, life insurance briefing and a lesson on signatures. We are well rounded if nothing else. Have a great end of Summer!
The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Before implementing a strategy involving life insurance, it would be prudent to make sure that you are insurable by having the policy approved. As with most financial decisions, there are expenses associated with the purchase of life insurance. Policies commonly have mortality and expense charges. In addition, if a policy is surrendered prematurely, there may be surrender charges and income tax implications.
The views stated in this letter are not necessarily the opinion of First Allied Securities and should not be construed directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Due to volatility within the markets mentioned, opinions are subject to change without notice. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable; however, their accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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