A little birdy told us…er, tweeted…that social networks are a great way to share valuable information with our community, so now you’ll find us on facebook and twitter.
Please like us at facebook.com/TheMusuneggiFinancialGroup. And follow us at https://twitter.com/MFGPlanners.
Of course, we’re still available the old fashioned ways, too: you can reach us in our office, on the phone, and at www.mfgplanners.com.
THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our 2013 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots toy drive!
On December 5, 2013, we celebrated another successful toy drive. Each year, we are humbled by the generosity of our clients, staff, colleagues, Manor Oak Two neighbors, and even strangers who stop by and help to fill our office with toys.
This year you really outdid yourself: when the South Fayette Student Government members arrived to collect the donated toys, they needed a school bus to transport all of the games, bikes, art sets, skateboards, LEGOs, cars and trucks, books, and stuffed animals to their temporary home, the local Toys for Tots donation center. From there, the toys will be given to local families in need of a little something extra this Christmas.
In just a few months, we’ll start planning for next year’s Toys for Tots drive. But for now, treat yourself to a mug of hot cocoa—you deserve it!—and take a moment enjoy the pictures from our 2013 Holiday Toy Drive party (including a few of that toy-filled school bus!).
We are proud to announce Christopher S. Musuneggi, Vice President of Business Development, recently completed the selective Entrepreneurial Fellows Program at the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
CEOs, company founders and family business leaders who have achieved at least $1 million in sales are invited to join the yearlong program. The program is designed to assist entrepreneurs manage rapid growth, develop strategic plans for sustained success, network with successful entrepreneurial peers, propel their businesses to the next level and match business founders and leaders with established entrepreneurial mentors. Christopher is one of 36 graduates representing a range of businesses, including professional services, real estate and construction, retail and apparel, printing and design, and manufacturing.
The Entrepreneurial Fellows Program is part of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. Founded in 1993, the Institute’s mission is to be the innovative leader of economic renewal and growth serving enterprising people and businesses in the region. A dynamic economic development organization created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh provides the power fueling the entrepreneurial vitality of western Pennsylvania.
Here at The Musuneggi Financial Group, we know first-hand the value of supporting our community’s small businesses.
Rosalind Frazier-Francis, our Vice President of Operations, recently shopped for new tires. A national chain advised her to purchase four tires at a cost of $700. This seemed expensive, and as Rosalind considered her options she remembered that throughout her childhood her father went to a privately owned tire company on the South Side when he needed new tires. Her father was a city firefighter, and she recalled him saying this place treated firefighters very well.
Rosalind drove to the local shop and spoke with the owner, who inspected her tires and determined she really only needed two new tires; the other two were still good and would make it through another Pittsburgh winter. He changed the tires on the spot, and the total cost was $250. Shopping locally saved Rosalind $450 that day, and that savings came with the added value of honest and friendly customer service.
We often think that large companies are more competitive because of their buying power, and in some cases that may be so. But before you walk past the local, family-owned small business assuming it is more expensive, stop in and see for yourself. You have nothing to lose and something to gain: the hidden advantage of local small businesses is often excellent, personal customer service.
November 30th is Small Business Saturday. Whether you need to buy or not, visit the small businesses in your community. They will be more than happy to meet their “neighbors.”
OBAMACARE. AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. MEDICARE. MEDIGAP. MEDICAID. GROUP MEDICAL. HSA. HRA.
Could this possibly be more confusing?
Don’t go there alone!
As a client or friend of The Musuneggi Financial Group, please know we are concerned that your medical choices are in your best interest. To help with these decisions we have engaged George Zaras of 4i Insurance Group and Mike Lauro, Senior Health Specialist at Health Benefit Options, to assist you.
If you are approaching age 65, even if you are still working, you need to sign up for Medicare or face a penalty. If you are no longer covered by your current medical plan as a result of the Affordable Care Act, you need to find an alternative or risk paying a fine. If you have lost your job or been relegated to less than 30 hours, you need to find another form of coverage. If you own a business and wonder what is the best plan for you and your employees, having professional guidance is important.
Please let us know if we can help.
Both Mike and George are here to help you find a plan that fits your needs and to help you find a plan that allows you to keep you doctor and/or your hospital network. Their consultation services are available to individuals, families, seniors and small businesses at no charge.
To learn more about how they can help, please call Emily at our offices, at 412-341-2888 x 0, and she will arrange an appointment for you to meet or talk with either George or Mike.
We’re excited to share a post straight from the desk of our President & CEO, Mary Grace Musuneggi…
So the conversation went something like this…
“I see you just graduated from college?”
Young woman: “Yes, with a Bachelors of Arts Degree.”
“And what kind of career will you pursue?”
Young woman: “I am really not planning on pursuing a career. I am planning on staying at home and raising children.”
“Well that is a terrific career that a young woman can choose when she has children. But have you given any thought to what you might do when they go off to school or grow up and leave home?’
Young woman: “No, as I am not planning on ever working. I am hoping to never need to. I am planning for my husband to provide me the opportunity to always stay at home.”
“Well that’s great! I didn’t know you were married.”
Young woman: “I’m not.”
“You’re engaged, or there is someone special in your life?”
Young woman: “Not yet. But I am sure there will be.
It may sound as though this conversation should have taken place in the 1950’s. But unfortunately, I had this talk with a 23 year old a few months ago. Yes, it is the year 2013. So just at the point where you think “we’ve come a long way, Baby,” and women are making better life choices, there is a segment of the female population who believe that their life goals should center around the man in their life…whether he exists or not.
Studies suggest 87% of all women will spend some part of their adult life as a single. This means they will be totally responsible for their well-being and their wealth. Some statistics tell us that 51% of first marriages end in divorce. And it doesn’t get any better. A reported 52% of second marriages end in divorce, as do an estimated 48 % of third marriages. And the average age of widowhood is 55.
With statistics like these, it amazes me to think that any woman would leave her fate totally in the hands of another human being. And what if you are one of the countless women over age 65 that statistics say is living on an average household income of $1250 a month[1]? Could it be that it’s because your husband had no pension, no savings, no retirement plans? He didn’t pay off the mortgage, buy the life insurance, or handle the finances well? Do you think you would somehow regret leaving all the planning up to the man?
I am sure that during my conversation with this young woman, she saw herself as Cinderella. That someday her prince would come and take her away from it all. But the chances of her losing her glass slipper at the king’s ball are slim to none. I always think the Cinderella story ends too soon. What do you think happens years after the prince took her off to his castle? Are they still living happily ever after?
Even if you have been fortunate enough to meet your white knight, the probability exists that he will ride off into the sunset long before you. Sometimes by choice; and sometimes by chance. And just as a frog can turn into a prince, so can a prince turn into a frog.
And even if you are one of the 13% who stay married until the end, you being educated and financially savvy should be a priority. If he is the prince he seems to be, he will want to do all he can to make sure that you can take care of yourself. So for your sake and his, stay informed, keep on top of your financial situation, and build good business relationships. Only in this way will you truly live happily ever after.
Join Mary Grace Musuneggi at 6:00 PM on November 19, 2013, at the Westminster Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall (Room 176) in Upper St. Clair for her free community workshop, A Man is Not a Plan. There is no obligation associated with this event. For more information, visit https://www.mfgplanners.com/events/.
Securities & Investment Advisory Services Offered Through H. Beck, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC. H. Beck, Inc., and The Musuneggi Financial Group, LLC are not affiliated.
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging (2011). A profile of older Americans: 2011. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/Aging_Statistics/Profile/2011/docs/2011profile.pdf
Sounds awkward, right? Don’t worry, it wasn’t that talk. Whew!
Mary Grace spoke to a full house at Asbury Heights last week, encouraging parents and their adult children to open up a dialogue. She acknowledged that discussing a parent’s wishes for end-of-life issues like finances, medical care, and funeral arrangements isn’t a conversation anyone looks forward to; still, it is a necessary conversation to have. Having the talk means having no misconceptions about what a parent wants and how these desires can be accomplished, as Mary Grace illustrated with personal experience:
“I have one child who I believe knows me very well. But having my wishes in writing means he doesn’t have to guess. He has a track to run on, he is confident that these are my wishes, and in a time of stress or in an emergency, he can bring logic into an emotional situation.”
One way to go from talking to planning is to complete a Family Letter. The Family Letter keeps important information in one place, and it can be adjusted as often as you like. For a complimentary copy of the Family Letter, contact us.
Welcome to The Musuneggi Financial Group’s NEWS & NOTES, where we’ll share our insights and opinions. We’ll even shout out our big news from time to time (but we promise not to use all caps).
Stay tuned!