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Month: November 2019

Hope in Humanity Story #2: Kids Today

Written by Minich MacGregor Wealth Management on . Posted in Minich MacGregor Missive, News.

When you turn on the evening news, every broadcast seems to bring more stories of tragedy, fighting, and petty politics.  But if we take the time to look a little closer, we often find that amidst the doom and gloom, people all around the world are constantly demonstrating courage, charity, and sacrifice.  So, over the next few months, we’d like to share some inspirational stories we’ve come across that show how even a little bit of kindness can make a big difference.  

To us, these stories show that there are still a lot of reasons to have…

Hope in Humanity
Story #2: Kids Today

“Kids today,” the saying goes.  It’s something every generation seems to say about the next one, usually with an accompanying eye-roll or sigh.  But in fact, kids often do as much good in this world as anyone.  As a great philanthropist once put it, “You don’t have to be a certain age to make a difference.”1  

That philanthropist’s name is Ethan King, and when he said it, he was fourteen years old.  

Now twenty, Ethan is a college student from Michigan who likes to play soccer.  He’s also the founder of a global charity, who decided to ignore the fact that kids don’t normally found charities, and that people can’t singlehandedly fix the world.  Instead, he decided to focus on what he could do, what he could fix, and that the word normally means absolutely nothing.  

As Ethan himself tells it, it all started in 2009 in a village in Mozambique.2  Ethan had traveled to the southern African country with his Dad, who was working to repair water wells in the area.  Before the trip started, Ethan decided to bring a soccer ball along, thinking he might get the chance to play pick-up games with local kids.  

When he went out into the street, little did he know that a simple kick-about with a ball would lead to so much more.  

“When we arrived at the village,” Ethan says, “there were a few boys standing around, so I tossed them my ball.  In a matter of seconds, dozens of kids were playing and having a good time.”2  

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but the irony is that there are millions of children all over the globe who don’t get a chance to play it.  Kids in rural or impoverished countries often don’t have the access to real soccer balls, or the money to pay for them.  As a result, they’re forced to improvise.  

“I’ve discovered that many kids in poor countries want to play soccer,” Ethan explains, “but they can’t because they don’t have a ball.  If they do have a ball, it’s typically a bunch of plastic garbage bags wadded up and wrapped with twine and it doesn’t last very long.”  Even the legendary Pelé learned to play using a stock stuffed with newspaper, or by playing with a grapefruit.  (Yes, a grapefruit.)  

While playing with the local kids, Ethan noticed how delighted they were to play with a real ball.  When it was time to go, he decided to leave the ball with them.  “As I watched the kids play, it was hard for me to think that I would be heading back to the States where I had several soccer balls in my garage just sitting there.  These kids in the village had none.”  

So, Ethan decided to leave the ball as a gift.  

As he walked away, one of the boys took the ball and ran up to him, offering it back.  “I said to him, ‘No, this is yours.  I’ve given it to you.’  Immediately they ran, laughed, and cheered like they had just won the lottery!” Ethan recalls.2  The gift of a simple, actual ball was enough to bring joy to their lives.  

Then Ethan decided, why stop at one?  

When he returned home, he personally began to call up corporations, asking for donations.2  He spoke to other kids and parents while at soccer games.  His own organization, Charity Ball, was born.  Thanks to donations, Charity Ball delivers brand new soccer balls to kids around the world who can’t afford to buy any.  In the past four years, thousands of balls have been delivered in 45 countries.3  

When Ethan launched his charity, he was just ten years old.

Some people may ask, “Why start a charity based on delivering soccer balls when there are so many other causes that deserve attention?”  Simple – because it brings joy.  And joy is a commodity the world can never have too much of.  Furthermore, children in many countries must contend with disease, war, and other hardships.  While there are many charities helping to combat these miseries, not all provide an escape from them.  The simple act of playing soccer, of having fun, is that escape.  

Joy can’t remove hardship.  But sometimes, it can help people cope with hardship.  Sounds like a worthy cause to us.  

Not all of us will have the ability to start our own charity, but we can all follow this young man’s example.  Spreading joy is as valuable an endeavor as anything else we do in this life.  And as a wise philanthropist once said, “You don’t have to be a certain age to make a difference.”  

Kids today, right?

P.S.  If you would like to learn more about Ethan and his organization, visit www.charityball.org. 

1 Sharon Cotliar, “Teen Gives 4,000 Soccer Balls to Kids Around the World,” People Magazine, March 13, 2014.  http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20796491,00.html 

2 “Charity Ball Founder, Ethan King.”  Accessed September 18, 2019.  https://charityball.org/about/charity-ball-founder/

3 “Recipient Map,” accessed September 18, 2019.  https://charityball.org/about/recipient-map/

The Greatest Generation

Written by Minich MacGregor Wealth Management on . Posted in Uncategorized.

In 1945, there were sixteen million of them.
Today, there are less than 500,000 left.

They endured the hardships of the Depression.  They watched firsthand as radio, talking pictures, and television changed how we live.  They witnessed the dawn of the Space Age.  

And, of course, they fought to free the world from the evil grip of fascism.   

We’re sure you’ve already guessed who we’re referring to: 

The American veterans of World War II.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there were only 496,777 veterans left in 2018 – and approximately 348 die every day.1  That means every day, a little bit of courage, valor, determination, and sacrifice leaves the world forever.  Every day, the sights, sounds, and smells of Pearl Harbor, Midway, Iwo Jima, Sicily, Omaha Beach, Bastogne, and a hundred other tragedies and triumphs disappear from living memory.  

But the world will never forget what they did there.  

They slogged in trenches and stormed beachheads.  They parachuted from planes and plumbed the ocean’s depths in submarines.  They built bridges, broke codes, and brought food to desperate, war-wracked villages.  They liberated countries and concentration camps.    

Why did they do it?  Why did they go, leaving their families, jobs, and futures?  Not because they were paid lots of money or promised great rewards.  For most, it wasn’t even because they or their loved ones were in any real danger.  

They went because it was the right thing to do. 

They truly are the Greatest Generation.  And now, they are almost gone.  

But this is why we have days like Veterans Day.  While November is usually dominated by thoughts of turkey, family, and football, we really have two Thanksgivings this month.  There’s the more famous one, sure, and it’s important, too.  

But we also have an earlier Thanksgiving.  A day to give thanks for one of the most important things in our country – our veterans.  

Now, Veterans Day is for all living veterans, not just those who served in World War II.  But, since we don’t have much time left with the men and women who served in that epic conflict, we think it’s important to do all we can to honor and help them before they’re gone.  

Fortunately, there are many ways we can serve those who served our country.  We can share our money, our talents, and our time by:

  • Volunteering at veterans’ hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics.
  • Working with Local Veterans Assistance Programs to run errands or do housework.  
  • Donating funds to various charity organizations that serve veterans.  

Even something as simple as delivering a homemade card, heartfelt thank you letter, or batch of cookies can make a real difference.  

If you’re interested, here are two websites to get you started: 

www.dav.org/help-dav/volunteer/volunteer-locally-help-veterans/

www.volunteer.va.gov/

***

It’s no exaggeration to say the world we know, the country we live in, and the freedoms we enjoy would all be drastically different were it not for those who served in the second World War.  So, this Veterans Day, we hope we all can remember to give thanks for our veterans.  

There were sixteen million of them once.  All serving so that uncountable millions more would live free from tyranny.  Now, they are almost gone – and it’s up to us to ensure that what they accomplished lives on forever.  

Because it’s the right thing to do.

On behalf of everyone here at Minich MacGregor Wealth Managment, we wish you a happy Veterans Day!

1 “WWII Veteran Statistics,” The National WWII Museum, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/wwii-veteran-statistics

Things Most Advisors Don’t Tell you #5

Written by Minich MacGregor Wealth Management on . Posted in Minich MacGregor Missive, News.

Recently, we decided to share some non-financial lessons we’ve learned in a series of articles called, “Things Most Advisors Don’t Tell You.”  There are many habits and behaviors that, while not directly related to finance, can spell the difference between reaching your goals or not.  But in our experience, people rarely hear about these things from their financial advisor.    

This month, let’s look at:

Things Most Advisors Don’t Tell You #5:
The importance of asking questions

You’re driving on one of those remote, dusty highways where it seems like there are more buzzards than other cars.  It’s been hours since the last town of any size, which is concerning because according to your carefully laid plans, you should have reached your destination by now.  There’s no internet, and you swear the GPS on your phone is down.  You check your roadmap, but you have a sneaking suspicion you took a wrong turn sixty miles back.  Meanwhile, the other people in the car are drumming their fingers and asking questions like, “Are you sure this is the way?”  

Then, a lifeline!  You see a small town up ahead.  The sign says, Welcome to Backwater, Population 76.  

Now, you have a choice.  Do you keep going, trusting in your own navigational skills…or do you stop and ask for directions?  

Here’s another scenario.  You’re shopping for a new car at the local dealership.  As soon as you hit the lot, a salesman comes out.  “I know just what you need,” he says, and steers you by the shoulders to a car.  “This model has been specifically built for your exact gender, age, family situation, political party, and favorite breakfast cereal.  You could spend months looking at other options and not find anything better.  Here’s a pen.”

Do you sign the lease…or do you ask questions?  

These are two – admittedly extreme – examples of a dilemma people face on the road to their financial goals.  To ask questions…or not?  In our experience, many people fall into one of two potholes.  

The Do-It-Yourselfer.  Most of the time, independence and self-reliance are great virtues.  But for the DIY crowd, it’s easy to take them too far.  Refusing to ask for directions is the classic example, but it can be even more damaging when applied to your finances.    

The fact of the matter is, no one knows everything there is to know about finance. Unless you want to devote thousands of hours of your life to monitoring your investments, researching the tax code, familiarizing yourself with the ins-and-outs of estate law, or constructing a painstakingly thorough plan for reaching your goals, doing everything yourself isn’t an option. There are so many options to choose, potential roadblocks to avoid, and possible shortcuts to use, that it makes more sense to stop and ask for directions.

You see, we all have different life experiences, which means we all have different areas of expertise. Those who take advantage of this fact are often the ones who go further, faster. Now, sometimes this means consulting with professionals like tax planners, estate planners, and investment advisors.  But it can also mean having the humility to ask your friends, family, and neighbors for advice. If someone you know did a great job paying off their student loans and getting out of debt, ask them how! If someone you know got a killer deal on their mortgage, ask them how! Leaning on others for the occasional tip or insight isn’t weak or shameful. It’s smart.

The overly credulous.  While thinking you know everything is dangerous, equally dangerous is believing everything you hear without question. When it comes to reaching your goals, there is never a one-size-fits-all approach.  There is no philosophy, strategy, or school of thought that works for everyone.  And just as everyone has their own skills, everyone also has their own biases and blind spots. 

What does this mean?  It means that when someone gives you advice, whether they’re a professional or not, take time to ask questions. Questions like:

  • How did you come up with this idea?
  • What makes you think this is right for me?  
  • Why this and not that?
  • Are there any alternatives for me to consider?
  • What happens if this doesn’t work?
  • What are the downsides?  
  • What are the risks?

Remember, being careful is not the same as being cynical.  Just as you would never buy the first car a salesman tries to push on you without doing a little digging, never blindly accept financial advice without asking questions first. 

There’s an old proverb that says, “He who asks a question is ignorant for a minute.  He who does not remains ignorant forever.”  We think there’s so much truth to that saying!  So, as you travel along the highway of life, remember: Never stop asking questions.

It’s the surest way to complete your journey.