JBL Financial Services, Inc.Jeffrey B. Lapidus, CEBSPresident7710 Carondelet AveSuite 333Clayton, MO 63105MO: 314-863-0008FAX: 314-863-0009jeff@jblfinancial.comwww.jblfinancial.com

December 2015When a Saver Marries a Spender, EveryPenny Counts

Give Your Retirement Plan an AnnualCheckup

Periodic Review of Your Estate Plan

Cartoon: Compound Interest

The Coach's CornerFrom your Retirement Coaches and Advisors

When a Saver Marries a Spender, Every Penny Counts

See disclaimer on final page

Happy Holidays Everyone!

We hope that you all had a greatThanksgiving with your friends andfamilies and that you continue to enjoythe Holiday Season. It's the last month of2015 and (like the article in thisnewsletter says) now is a great time togive your Retirement Plan an AnnualCheckup.

Are you where you want to be? Can youretire in your desired time frame? Asalways, Erin and I are here to help andanswer any questions you may have.

You can set up your FREE CoachingSession today by calling our office at314-863-0008!This meeting is cost-free andobligation-free.

Happy Holidays!

Jeff and Erin Lapidus

If you're a penny pincher butyour spouse is penny wise andpound foolish, moneyarguments may frequently

erupt. Couples who have opposite philosophiesregarding saving and spending often havetrouble finding common ground. Thinking ofyourselves as two sides of the same coin mayhelp you appreciate your financial differences.

Heads or tails, saver or spenderIf you're a saver, you love having money in thebank, investing in your future, and saving for arainy day. You probably hate credit card debtand spend money cautiously. Your spenderspouse may seem impulsive, prompting you tothink, "Don't you care about our future?" Butyou may come across as controlling or miserlyto your spouse who thinks, "Just for once, can'tyou loosen up? We really need some things!"

Such different outlooks can lead to mistrust andresentment. But are your characterizations fair?Your money habits may have a lot to do withhow you were raised and your personalexperience. Being a saver or a spender maycome naturally; instead of assigning blame, tryto see your spouse's side.

Start by discussing your common values. Whatdo you want to accomplish together?Recognize that spenders may be more focusedon short-term goals, while savers may be morefocused on long-term goals. Ultimately, whetheryou're saving for a vacation, a car, college, orretirement, your money will be spent onsomething. It's simply a matter of decidingtogether when and how to spend it.

A penny for your thoughts?Sometimes couples avoid talking about moneybecause they are afraid to argue. But talkingabout money may actually help you and yourspouse avoid conflict. Scheduling regularmoney meetings could help you gain a betterunderstanding of your finances and provide aforum for handling disagreements.

To help ensure a productive discussion,establish some ground rules. For example, youmight set a time limit, insist that both of youcome prepared, and take a break in the event

the discussion becomes heated.Communication and compromise are key. Don'tassume you know what your spouse isthinking--ask--and be willing to negotiate. Hereare some questions to get started.

• What does money represent to you?Security? Freedom? The opportunity to helpothers?

• What are your short-term and long-termsavings goals?

• How much money is coming in and howmuch is going out? Never assume that yourspouse knows as much about your financesas you do.

• How comfortable are you with debt, includingmortgage debt, credit card debt, and loans?

• Who should you spend money on? Do youagree on how much to give to your children orhow much to spend on gifts to familymembers and friends, for example?

• What rules would you like to apply topurchases? One option is to set a limit onhow much one spouse can spend on an itemwithout consulting the other.

• Would you like to set aside somediscretionary money for each of you? Thenyou would be free to save or spend thosedollars without having to justify your decision.

Once you've explored these topics, you cancreate a concrete budget or spending plan thatreflects your financial personalities. To satisfyyou and your spouse, make savings an"expense" and allow some room in the budgetfor unexpected expenses. And track yourprogress. Having regular meetings to go overyour finances will enable you to celebrate yourfinancial successes or identify areas where youneed to improve. Be willing to makeadjustments if necessary.

Finally, recognize that getting on the samepage is going to take some work. When you gotmarried, you promised to love your spouse forricher or poorer. Maybe it's time to put yourmoney where your mouth is.

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Give Your Retirement Plan an Annual CheckupFinancial professionals typically recommendthat you review your employer-sponsoredretirement savings plan annually and whenmajor life changes occur. If you haven'trevisited your plan yet in 2015, the end of theyear may be an ideal time to do so.

Reexamine your risk toleranceThis past year saw moments that would tryeven the most resilient investor's resolve. Whenyou hear media reports about stock marketvolatility, is your immediate reaction to considerselling some of the stock investments in yourplan? If that's the case, you might begin yourannual review by reexamining your risktolerance.

Risk tolerance refers to how well you can rideout fluctuations in the value of your investmentswhile pursuing your long-term goals. Anassessment of your risk tolerance considers,among other factors, your investment timehorizon, your accumulation goal, and assetsyou may have outside of your plan account.Your retirement plan's educational materialslikely include tools to help you evaluate yourrisk tolerance, typically worksheets that ask aseries of questions. After answering thequestions, you will likely be assigned a risktolerance ranking from conservative toaggressive. In addition, suggested assetallocations are often provided for consideration.

Have you experienced any lifechanges?Since your last retirement plan review, did youget married or divorced, buy or sell a house,have a baby, or send a child to college?Perhaps you or your spouse changed jobs,received a promotion, or left the workforceentirely. Has someone in your familyexperienced a change in health? Or maybe youinherited a sum of money that has had amaterial impact on your net worth. Any of thesesituations can affect both your current andfuture financial situation.

In addition, if your marital situation haschanged, you may want to review thebeneficiary designations in your plan account tomake sure they reflect your current wishes.With many employer-sponsored plans, yourspouse is automatically your plan beneficiaryunless he or she waives that right in writing.

Reassess your retirement incomeneedsAfter you evaluate your risk tolerance andconsider any life changes, you may want totake another look at the future. Have yourdreams for retirement changed at all? And if so,

will those changes affect how much money youwill need to live on? Maybe you've reconsideredplans to relocate or travel extensively, or nowplan to start a business or work part-time duringretirement.

All of these factors can affect your retirementincome needs, which in turn affects how muchyou need to save and how you invest today.

Is your asset allocation still on track?Once you have assessed your current situationrelated to your risk tolerance, life changes, andretirement income needs, a good next step is torevisit the asset allocation in your plan. Is yourinvestment mix still appropriate? Should youaim for a higher or lower percentage ofaggressive investments, such as stocks? Ormaybe your original target is still on track butyour portfolio calls for a little rebalancing.

There are two ways to rebalance yourretirement plan portfolio. The quickest way is tosell investments in which you are overweightedand invest the proceeds in underweightedassets until you hit your target. For example, ifyour target allocation is 75% stocks, 20%bonds, and 5% cash but your current allocationis 80% stocks, 15% bonds, and 5% cash, thenyou'd likely sell some stock investments andinvest the proceeds in bonds. Another way torebalance is to direct new investments into theunderweighted assets until the target isachieved. In the example above, you woulddirect new money into bond investments untilyou reach your 75/20/5 target allocation.

Revisit your plan rules and featuresFinally, an annual review is also a good time totake a fresh look at your employer-sponsoredplan documents and plan features. Forexample, if your plan offers a Roth account andyou haven't investigated its potential benefits,you might consider whether directing a portionof your contributions into it might be a goodidea. Also consider how much you'recontributing in relation to plan maximums.Could you add a little more each pay period? Ifyou're 50 or older, you might also review therules for catch-up contributions, which allowthose approaching retirement to contributemore than younger employees.

Although it's generally not a good idea tomonitor your employer-sponsored retirementplan on a daily, or even monthly, basis, it'simportant to take a look at least once a year.With a little annual maintenance, you can helpyour plan keep working for you.

As you reconsider yourretirement income needs, itmight also make sense tocheck your expected SocialSecurity benefit and anyother potential sources ofincome. To get an estimateof your future SocialSecurity payments, go tosocialsecurity.gov andselect "my Social Security."

Asset allocation does notguarantee a profit or protectagainst a loss; it is amethod used to helpmanage investment risk.

All investing involves risk,including the possible lossof principal. There can beno assurance that anyinvestment strategy will besuccessful.

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Periodic Review of Your Estate PlanAn estate plan is a map that explains how youwant your personal and financial affairs to behandled in the event of your incapacity ordeath. It allows you to control what happens toyour property if you die or becomeincapacitated. An estate plan should bereviewed periodically.

When should you review your estateplan?Although there's no hard-and-fast rule aboutwhen you should review your estate plan, thefollowing suggestions may be of some help:

• You should review your estate planimmediately after a major life event

• You'll probably want to do a quick revieweach year because changes in the economyand in the tax code often occur on a yearlybasis

• You'll want to do a more thorough reviewevery five years

Reviewing your estate plan will alert you to anychanges that need to be addressed.

There will be times when you'll need to makechanges to your plan to ensure that it still meetsall of your goals. For example, an executor,trustee, or guardian may die or change his orher mind about serving in that capacity, andyou'll need to name someone else.

Events that should trigger a periodic reviewinclude:

• There has been a change in your maritalstatus (many states have laws that revokepart or all of your will if you marry or getdivorced) or that of your children orgrandchildren

• There has been an addition to your familythrough birth, adoption, or marriage(stepchildren)

• Your spouse or a family member has died,has become ill, or is incapacitated

• Your spouse, your parents, or other familymember has become dependent on you

• There has been a substantial change in thevalue of your assets or in your plans for theiruse

• You have received a sizable inheritance orgift

• Your income level or requirements havechanged

• You are retiring• You have made (or are considering making) a

change to any part of your estate plan

Some things to reviewHere are some things to consider while doing aperiodic review of your estate plan.

• Who are your family members and friends?How do you feel about them?

• Do you have a valid will? Does it reflect yourcurrent goals and objectives about whoreceives what after you die? Does yourchoice of an executor or a guardian for yourminor children remain appropriate?

• In the event you become incapacitated, doyou have a living will, durable power ofattorney for health care, or Do NotResuscitate order to manage medicaldecisions?

• In the event you become incapacitated, doyou have a living trust, durable power ofattorney, or joint ownership to manage yourproperty?

• What property do you own and how is it titled(e.g., outright or jointly with right ofsurvivorship)? Property owned jointly withright of survivorship passes automatically tothe surviving owner(s) at your death.

• Have you reviewed your beneficiarydesignations for your retirement plans and lifeinsurance policies? These types of propertypass automatically to the designatedbeneficiary at your death.

• Do you have any trusts, living ortestamentary? Property held in trust passesto beneficiaries according to the terms of thetrust.

• Do you plan to make any lifetime gifts tofamily members or friends?

• Do you have any plans for charitable gifts orbequests?

• If you own or co-own a business, haveprovisions been made to transfer yourbusiness interest? Is there a buy-sellagreement with adequate funding? Wouldlifetime gifts be appropriate?

• Do you own sufficient life insurance to meetyour needs at death? Have those needs beenevaluated?

• Have you considered the impact of gift,estate, generation-skipping, and incometaxes, both federal and state?

This is just a brief overview of some ideas for aperiodic review of your estate plan. Eachperson's situation is unique. An estate planningattorney may be able to assist you with thisprocess.

An estate plan should bereviewed periodically,especially after a major lifeevent. Here are some ideasabout when to review yourestate plan and some thingsto review when you do.

Page 3 of 4, see disclaimer on final page

JBL Financial Services, Inc.Jeffrey B. Lapidus, CEBSPresident7710 Carondelet AveSuite 333Clayton, MO 63105MO: 314-863-0008FAX: 314-863-0009jeff@jblfinancial.comwww.jblfinancial.com

Prepared by Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. Copyright 2015

There are many ways to receive more straight talk and inputfrom your favorite Adviser and Retirement Coach:

Listen to my show "Straight Talk on Retirement" everySaturday from 10-11am on KTRS 550-AM.

I am accepting new clients so please do not hesitate to offeryour friends and family members the chance to visit me for afree coaching session- let's help them get their financial life ontrack!

Securities and advisory services offered through NationalPlanning Corporation (NPC), Member FINRA/SIPC, and aRegistered Investment Adviser. JBL Financial Services, Inc. andNPC are separate and unrelated companies. The information inthis article is not intended to be tax or legal advice, and may notbe relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal taxpenalties. You are encouraged to seek tax or legal advice froman independent professional adviser. The content is derivedfrom sources believed to be accurate. Neither the informationpresented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitationfor the purchase or sale of any security. This material waswritten and prepared by Broadridge.

What is compound interest?When Benjamin Franklin diedin 1790, he left the equivalentof $4,400 each to the cities ofBoston and Philadelphia in hiswill, under the condition that

the money be loaned and invested. Hestipulated that the cities would have access to aportion of the funds after 100 years and receivethe remaining funds after 200 years. When thecities received their balances after 200 years,the combined bequest had grown to $6.5million. How did such a small initial sum grow tosuch a large amount? Through the power ofcompound interest. (Source: Benjamin FranklinInstitute of Technology, Codicil to BenjaminFranklin's Will)

There are two basic types of interest: simpleand compound. The main difference betweenthe two is that simple interest generates interestonly on the initial principal amount, whilecompound interest generates interest based onboth the initial principal amount and allaccumulated interest. Here's an example ofhow each works.

Say you put $10,000 in an account that earns2% simple interest per year. In the first year youwould generate $200 and end up with a total of

$10,200. In year two, you'd earn another $200,bringing your total to $10,400.

If you put that same $10,000 in an account thatearns 2% compound interest per year, in thefirst year you would generate $200 and end upwith a total of $10,200. At the end of the secondyear, however, interest builds on the interestfrom the previous year, and now you earnmoney on the amount in your account ratherthan the initial principal alone. Therefore, theinterest earned in that second year is $204,bringing your total to $10,404.

While the interest may not seem like much atfirst, it can add up over time, especially whenyou invest an additional amount each month.For example, if you invest that $10,000 in anaccount that generates 2% compound interestper year, and then invest an additional $400 permonth, your initial investment would grow to$214,943.55 after 30 years. In another 10years, you would have $315,141.32. Withcompound interest, time is your friend, so theearlier you can start saving, the better.

Note: This hypothetical example ofmathematical compounding is for illustrativepurposes only and does not represent anyspecific investment. Actual results may vary.

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