Are You Watching the Gas Gauge?

Written By: Alex Hammersley, CPA

Some of you may have already heard this story, but I want to share it because it can relate to your retirement. The story goes like this…A family set out on a vacation to Arizona driving through the desert. The wife is in the passenger seat and notices that their gas light turned on. They pass a couple of gas stations as they drive on. Soon after, the husband and wife see a sign that says, “Gas station in 50 miles.” The husband checks how many miles they have left in the tank and the car reads “57 miles.” The wife insists they go back for gas, but the husband assures the wife that they have just enough gas to get to the next stop. The husband makes the executive decision and heads in the direction of the next gas station. About halfway through their journey to the next gas station, their gas gauge shows that they have 29 miles left in the tank. As the family gets closer, they see a sign that says, “Gas station in 10 miles.” The gas gauge says they have 12 miles’ worth of gas left in the tank. Everyone in the car has not taken their eyes off the gas gauge for the last 50 miles. In suspense, the family holds their breath as they truck through the desert. Luckily, the family finally arrives at the gas station and their gas gauge is below the zero line, but they made it! The family walks into the gas station convenience store and they are greeted by the cashier who asks, “Did you enjoy the ride here?” The family hesitantly says “Yes…” and the cashier responds, “Good! The route you took here was voted as one of the most beautiful scenic routes in the United States.” The husband and wife look at each other and realize they spent all their time worrying about running out of gas, not taking in the scenery.

This story highlights the importance of enjoying your retirement life. At Carlson Financial we are here to help you do just that. Our goal is to put you in the best position possible to enjoy your retirement. We want to help you take your eyes off the “gas gauge” and instead be able to focus on the beauties of life.

Say What?

Everyone in South Korea just became a year or two younger as new laws changed the way age is counted. Under the age system commonly used, people are deemed to be a year old at birth and a year is added every January 1. The country has now passed laws to scrap the traditional method and fully adopt the international standard. A 27-year-old office worker in Seoul said, “I was about to turn 30 next year but now I have some more time earned and I love it. It’s just great to feel like getting younger.”

This week in history

1943 – Happy 80^th birthday to Mick Jagger. The Rolling Stones front man, actor, and film producer was born July 26, 1943, in Dartford, Kent, England.

1958 – NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is created by the National Aeronautics and Space Act to make sure America will win the space race. 11 years (and billions of dollars) later, Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module Eagle and onto the moon’s surface on July 20th, 1969.

1965 (July 30) – President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law.