Holiday Skin Advice

April 1, 2015 by admin

No-Downtime Treatments to Help You Look Your Best

The holiday season is here once again. While we all have our own approach to celebrating the holidays, we all experience the stress that comes with extra-busy schedules. This can result in what I call “holiday hangover skin” – skin that looks dull and dehydrated, perhaps with atypical acne breakout.

As a skin health professional, I love telling people about quick, easy, no-downtime treatments that keep your skin looking radiant and healthy.

I personally recommend the HydraFacial – the ultimate complexion reviver and the perfect treatment to keep you looking your best throughout the holiday season. In less than an hour, this rejuvenating treatment uses a series of cleansers and serums to repair and protect skin while extracting oil build-up and damaged tissue. You will relax in a calming facial room and enjoy a state-of-the-art, crystal-free exfoliation and the infusion of a light serum. The result? Beautiful, glowing skin. The treatment is customized for your skin type and requires no downtime, yet provides visible results.

You may elect to add LED Light as well – a soothing, plumping treatment that restores firmness and promotes collagen production and healing. This treatment is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive and actinic skin. Anyone seeking a renewed complexion will enjoy this service.

You may be thinking that there’s just no way you can justify the time or expense. I encourage you to think about how you feel when you look your best. This is an affordable gift that you can give yourself to get you through the chaotic days ahead. Or perhaps you can put it on someone’s gift list – someone who is looking for the perfect gift for you!

Call Urban Effects Medspa today to learn more about our services and products to help you look your best throughout the busy holiday season ahead.

Urban Effects Medspa
www.urbaneffectsmedspa.com

Frauds, scams, breaches…

April 1, 2015 by admin

How do I keep my personal information safe?

Security has received a lot of attention recently with breaches of passwords, personal information and card data affecting hundreds of millions of Americans. Personal security should no longer focus solely on preventing breaches, but also accepting that our information will be breached and formulating techniques to mitigate further damage.

The first step remains the same – we need to be diligent in preventing as many simple attacks as possible. Believe it or not, today’s computers are more secure than ever due to multiple levels of firewalls, encryption, anti-malware suites and automatic updates. That leaves us – the operators – as the new weakest link.

Last year, almost all infected computers were compromised due to opening a web page – not from viruses or criminals trolling the internet. According to Cisco’s 2014 Annual Security Report, Java was used to compromise the computer in 91% of cases, followed by Flash. Java and Flash are both wonderful technologies that helped transform the internet and many devices into the multimedia sensations they are today.

The complexities of those technologies, however, became their weakness.

Many websites no longer require Java or Flash. If these technologies are installed, consider removing them, along with any unnecessary internet add-ons or toolbars.
We also recommend that PC-based customers try the free Google Chrome web browser in place of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. In addition to its proven security benefits, we’ve found Chrome to perform significantly faster and render pages more accurately – including our own website.

Next, make a habit of examining a link’s destination (URL) before clicking. Most web browsers and e-mail applications will expose the URL simply by hovering over the link.
If the URL doesn’t lead to a reputable website, and especially if the site doesn’t end with a well-known ending like “.com,” think twice before clicking.

Finally, you can mitigate the effects of compromised usernames and passwords by using a unique password for each website or service. Each password should consist of at least 10 characters. If a criminal uncovers your Facebook credentials, be assured they’ll try to use them to log into Yahoo! Mail, Etsy, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. Desktop and mobile password storage apps like LastPass and KeePass are designed to create and securely store complex credentials, and may increase your efficiency while decreasing your risk. Consider memorizing a handful of passwords (e-mail, online banking, etc.) in case you don’t have access to the password store.

We recommend NOT changing your password more frequently than every 12 to 18 months. It doesn’t matter if a criminal is in possession of stolen credentials for one minute or one month, the same amount of damage can be done. When forced to change passwords often, individuals often develop a predictable password sequence, record passwords in an insecure location, or begin sharing passwords among sites and services, which undermines security.

Please visit us online at LuanaSavingsBank.com for additional information on security, identity theft, credit and much more!

Luana Savings Bank
www.luanasavingsbank.com

Planning for Special Needs Children

April 1, 2015 by admin

It’s been said that the best inheritance we can give our children is a few minutes of our time every day. It’s also true, though, that our children will not always have us in their lives.

Children with special needs may require lifetime assistance, which can necessitate that parents prepare for their child’s care after they are gone, or are unable to care for him or her any longer.

Envisioning a Life Without You

Parents have to think about the potential needs of their surviving child. Will he or she require daily custodial care? Ongoing medical treatments? Will your child live alone or in a group home? Can family assume some of the care? Answers to these and other questions can help form the vision of what may need to be done to plan for your child’s care.

Planning Your Estate

Supporting lifetime needs can outstrip your resources. One funding resource is government benefits, which your child may qualify for when he or she becomes an adult, e.g., Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. Because such government programs have low asset thresholds for qualification, you may want to consider whether to make property transfers to your special needs child.

Ensure you have an up-to-date will that reflects your wishes. Consider creating a special needs trust, the assets of which can be structured to fund your child’s care without disqualifying him or her from government assistance.

Involve the Family

All affected family members should be involved in the decision-making process. You will want a united front of surviving family members to care for your child after you’ve passed.

Identify a Caregiver

In order for a caregiver to make financial and healthcare decisions after your child reaches adulthood, the caregiver must be appointed as guardian. This can take time, so contemplate starting early. Consider a “Letter of Intent” to the caregiver and family to express your wishes, along with information about your child’s care. This isn’t a legal document, but it may help to communicate your desires. Store this letter alongside your will in a safe place.

Planning for a special needs child can be complicated, confusing, and even overwhelming. Be sure to work with qualified professionals to help you navigate the myriad of considerations that are part of this challenge.

Actis Wealth Management
www.actiswealth.com

Orchestrating Your Retirement Accounts

April 1, 2015 by admin

An orchestra is merely a collection of instruments, each of which brings a unique sound.

It is only when a conductor leads them that they create the beautiful music imagined by the composer. The same can be said about your retirement strategy. The typical retirement strategy is a built on the pillars of a 401(k) plan, an IRA and taxable savings. When the instruments of your retirement planning work in concert, they have much greater potential to create the retirement you desire.

Hierarchy of Savings

Maximizing the effectiveness of your retirement strategy begins with understanding the hierarchy of savings. If you’re like most Americans, the amount you can save for retirement is limited. Consequently, you may want to make sure that your savings are directed to the highest-priority retirement funding options first. For many, that hierarchy begins with a 401(k), followed by an IRA, and after that, taxable savings.

You will then want to consider how to invest each of these savings pools. One strategy is to simply mirror your desired asset allocation in all retirement accounts.

Another approach is to implement the income-generating portion of the allocation (e.g., bonds) in the tax-deferred accounts, while investing in assets whose gains will be from capital appreciation (e.g., stocks) in the taxable accounts.

Withdrawal Strategy

When it comes to living off your savings, you’ll want to coordinate your withdrawals. One school of thought recommends that you tap your taxable account savings first so that your tax-deferred savings will be afforded more time for potential growth. Another school of thought suggests taking distributions first from your poorer-performing retirement accounts since this money is not working as hard for you.

Finally, because many individuals have both traditional and Roth accounts, your expectations of future tax rates may affect what account you withdraw from first. If you think tax rates are going higher, then you might want to withdraw from the traditional before the Roth. If you’re uncertain, you may want to consider withdrawing from the traditional up to the lowest tax bracket, and then withdrawing from the Roth
after that.

In any case, each person’s circumstances are unique and any strategy should reflect your particular risk tolerance, time horizon and goals.

Actis Wealth Management
www.actiswealth.com

Pesky Pigmentation…

April 1, 2015 by admin

What summer leaves behind.

Summer is a beautiful time of year. The weather is warm and the days are long. We embrace outside activities with enthusiasm, and our daily routines go by the wayside – including our skin care regimens. It’s no wonder that when many of us see our reflection in the mirror this time of the year, our skin can look a bit haggard.

Summer sun exposure can cause brown spots, freckling and blotchy discolorations. These pesky pigmentation issues are due to the skin’s barrier defense system. When our skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays and environmental hazards, it responds by sending melanin to the outer layers to protect it from burning. This results in what many refer to as age spots.

During the summer, many people apply sunscreen when they go outside. Unfortunately, some over-the-counter sunscreens protect only from UVB (burning). In addition, most people don’t apply an adequate amount every day, and most don’t reapply every 90 minutes.

It’s important to use a broad-spectrum (also called full-spectrum) sunscreen, which protects skin from both UVB (burning) rays and UVA (aging) rays. Choosing the best sun protection can be a challenge for individuals with sensitivities to ingredients and fragrances commonly found in sunscreens. “I’m one of those people,” says Susan Cross, ARNP. “I’ve made it a priority at Urban Effects Medspa to provide quality sun protection products and I’ve developed ‘Susan’s Sun Bar’ so our guests can experience them first-hand and learn which product is best for them and their family members.”

If you’re experiencing age spots and looking for options to enhance your appearance, first make sure you’re using a broad-spectrum sunscreen – and that you’re using the right amount and reapplying as needed. Next, contact Urban Effects Medspa for a VISIA skin analysis and skin consultation to determine the best treatment plan for you. Recommendations for skincare products, medications and/or laser treatments are based on each individual’s levels of severity, time availability, lifestyle and financial resources.

Contact Urban Effects Medspa today to schedule your complimentary VISIA skin analysis or stop by and visit our new Sun Bar to find the right sunscreen for you!

Urban Effects Medspa
www.urbaneffectsmedspa.com

Swimming for Special Success

April 1, 2015 by admin

Standing together, waiting for their picture to be snapped, are two boys wearing gleaming gold medals indicating their spectacular achievement. These aren’t the type of medals given to all participants. These are winners’ medals. They’re evidence of conquered fears, adversities overcome, and races won fair and square.

Screen Shot 2015-04-01 at 12.18.44 PM Like most children, they would rather be outside – playing with friends, making something out of sand and mud, catching bugs, or in this case, swimming.

Brooklyn, 11, and Zachary, 13, used to be fish out of water when it came to swimming in the deep end of the pool. Zachary wouldn’t let the water get up to his shoulders and Brooklyn refused to dive into the deep end of certain pools. Then they met Michelle, the adaptive aquatics trainer at Waukee’s YMCA and a lifelong swimmer with 25 years of coaching experience.

Unique Challenges

Brooklyn, with his sporty tennis shoes and athletic wear, was born with a lesion on the left side of his brain that makes his right upper body extremely weak. Epilepsy comes paired with the lesion. Zachary, with his sweet smile, has extremely low muscle tone as a result of living with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Both boys were in need of a unique aquatics program for therapeutic, health, wellness and youth development reasons.

Great Minds Think Alike

A little over three years ago, Michelle was in the beginning stages of organizing an adaptive aquatics program with Brian Longren, the aquatics program director at Waukee’s YMCA. It was at this time that Zachary’s mother, Edie, was looking for an alternative to group swimming lessons for her son.

“We knew if he [Zach] was enrolled in a regular swimming program, it wouldn’t work out,” Edie said. “We wanted some sort of program where he could safely learn.”

Brooklyn had also tried group lessons but they hadn’t worked well for his swimming development.

“Swimming with Michelle and experiencing the competition have helped Brooklyn take risks, improve his confidence and know that even though he has his differences, he is able to do amazing things,” said Brooklyn’s dad, Brandon.

The physical and cardiovascular exercise is also beneficial for the boys.

“Swimming is one of the best physical activities,” said Edie. “It helps with breathing, puts less stress on the joints than other activities and is a good activity for the
whole body.”

Swimming Buddies

At the Regional Special Olympics Spring Games held at the Indianola YMCA, Brooklyn placed first (and achieved personal bests) in his age division in both of his races – 25-yard freestyle and 25-yard backstroke. He advanced to the state competition where he again placed first and recorded personal bests in both events.

“I get nervous before a race, but when I win, it feels awesome,” said Brooklyn.

Zachary won the 25-yard backstroke in his age division at the Regional Special Olympics Spring Games. This qualified him to converge with nearly 3,000 other athletes at the Special Olympics State Summer Games in Ames. There, he swam to a first-place finish in his age division as well.

Although swimming is an individual sport, Michelle added that camaraderie is another benefit of swimming, noting that YMCA programs encourage teamwork and cheering for one another. “Friendships are built here,” she said.

A Bright Future Ahead

Next April at the regional Special Olympics meet in Indianola, look for the boys who are doing their best, competing with the rest – for it’s in these moments that their confidence grows bigger than all of the obstacles placed in front of them.

Waukee YMCA
www.dmymca.org

Leading the Market

April 1, 2015 by admin

Luana Savings Bank is leading the Des Moines market with competitive interest rates and a “No Origination/No Closing Cost” loan special.

No matter where you are in the home buying process, Luana can help you explore your financing possibilities. Whether you’re a first-time home buyer, or you’re upgrading or downsizing, Luana has a variety of mortgage products to fit your needs for a single family home, investment property or condo/townhome purchase.

Our no-cost mortgage special is very popular for both purchases and refinances. This special limited-time offer allows customers to lock in a competitive rate at no cost. Eliminating closing cost fees protects you from being overcharged. Not all lenders are able to offer this type of lending – but we do!

Luana’s In-House opportunities set us apart from our competition

Our lending guidelines go further than those directed by Fannie Mae’s guidelines. We have our own programs and products to meet each individual’s needs. This allows a “common sense” approach and enables us to be more accommodating with our clients’ needs and situations.

We offer local decisions with a local service approach

Luana also understands the importance of quick loan approvals and local loan decisions. We’re unique because we approve and service loans locally. We retain the servicing on all of our mortgage loans. Our customers know upfront that their loan will not be sold to another company after the loan is closed. This means our customers make local payments and can call anytime with questions and get the answers they need.

We strive to build close relationships with our customers beyond numbers, which leads to a much more fulfilling experience for our customers as we work to meet their needs.

Luana Savings Bank
www.luanasavingsbank.com

Cyber Liability

April 1, 2015 by admin

For many years, it’s been widely known and accepted that companies should be accountable for the private records they handle or control.

One law that raised awareness of this issue was the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. In 2003, a privacy rule went into effect for the private healthcare information protected under HIPAA. Since then, 46 out of 50 states have amended their state laws or codes to also address how companies and state agencies must respond to leaked personally identifiable information (PII).

Insurance that protects you in case of cyber attack may seem like something only large corporations would need or be able to afford. But believe it or not, cyber liability insurance makes a lot of sense for small companies as well.

Here’s why:

1. It’s more affordable than you think.
Policy premiums can be as low as $2,000 a year. You can get coverage as high as $30 million and deductibles as low as $10,000, depending on your needs and how much you’re willing to pay.

2. It can cover more than you think.
Many policies offer “first party” coverage – that is, they’ll pay for things like business interruption, the cost of notifying customers of a breach, and even the expense of hiring a public relations firm to repair any damage done to your image as a result of a cyber attack.

3. You probably don’t have a risk management team.
Big corporations have entire departments devoted to analyzing the risks the company could face and helping set policies and procedures to protect against them. Many smaller companies don’t – but a good insurance broker can perform a similar function.

4. Even if you don’t host your data yourself, you’re still responsible for it.
Is your website and/or any of your data hosted or stored in the cloud? Take a good look at your contracts: You’re still legally responsible, which is a significant risk.

5. Your general policy won’t cover you.
Typically, a general liability policy specifically excludes losses incurred because of the Internet. A good cyber liability policy will pick up where your general policy leaves off.

Contact INSPRO today for assistance in selecting the best policy for your business.

INSPRO Insurance
www.insproins.com

Planning for the Future — What Motivates You?

April 1, 2015 by admin

The truth is there is ample motivation to make the most of retirement planning opportunities.

Reality Check

It used to be that Americans could count on a pension plus Social Security to get them through their Golden Years. But traditional pensions only account for an estimated 18% of the total aggregate income of today’s retirees, and Social Security accounts for only about 38%. Alas, the responsibility for the bulk of your nest egg now rests with you.

As you begin thinking about a comfortable retirement, consider that by most estimates you’ll need at least 60% to 80% of your final working year’s income to maintain your lifestyle after retiring. And don’t forget that your annual income will need to increase each year — even during retirement — in order to keep up with inflation. At an average annual inflation rate of more than 3%, your cost of living would double every 24 years.

You’ll also have to consider the likelihood of increased medical costs and health insurance premiums as you grow older. The average cost of a year’s stay in a semi-private room in a nursing home, for instance, is now over $80,000 a year and could rise more than $130,000 per year by 2030, assuming an annual inflation rate of 3%.

Getting a Leg Up

If this dose of reality makes you glum, cheer up — you have some allies. Investment vehicles, such as your employer-sponsored retirement plan and individual retirement accounts (IRAs), allow you to put off paying taxes on your earnings until you begin taking withdrawals, typically during retirement when you may be in a lower tax bracket.

Additionally, time can be an ally — or an enemy. Delaying the process of investing can significantly reduce your results. Consider this example: Jane begins investing $100 a month in her employer-sponsored retirement plan when she’s 25. Mark begins investing the same amount when he’s 35. Assuming an 8% annual rate of return compounded monthly, when Mark retires at 65, he’ll have $150,030. Jane will
have $351,428.

While this is only a hypothetical scenario and there are no guarantees any investment will provide the same results, you can see the remarkable difference starting early may make. But no matter what your age, contributing the maximum amount to your employer-sponsored retirement plan and IRA each year could help you achieve the comfortable retirement that each of us desires.

Actis Wealth Management
www.actiswealth.com

What is a Medspa?

April 1, 2015 by admin

A relatively new trend in the spa industry, a medical spa (or “medspa”) is the fusion of a medical office and day spa – a perfect balance between clinical treatment and luxurious pampering.

As defined by the International SPA Association, a medical spa is an institution whose primary purpose is to provide comprehensive medical and wellness care in an environment that integrates spa services as well as conventional and complimentary therapies and treatments.

When visiting a medspa, guests can be pampered with traditional spa services – such as facials, peels and microdermabrasion, but also have the option of getting medical services like Botox, fillers, laser hair removal, and medical-grade skin therapies.

Urban Effects Medspa is operated under the full-time supervision of board-certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Susan Cross and managed by Janet Calhoun.

Take one step inside, and you’ll immediately notice the relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Their attention to detail is apparent – from their office décor to the way in which they design their treatments. A soothing, comforting ambiance helps to put their guests at ease to pursue knowledge and reach decisions concerning what some consider to be uncomfortable or elective medical procedures.

Urban Effects Medspa takes a comprehensive approach to caring for their guests before, during and after these treatments take place. Integrating her skill and experience in dermatology, endocrinology and facial plastic surgery, Susan designs optimal treatment plans to address her patients’ skin health and weight loss objectives.

A Medspa is also able to use prescription and clinical-grade products; therefore, the spa services show greater results. All product and treatment recommendations result from a skin analysis, medical health history and a personal consultation.

Susan and Janet actively participate in continuing education programs to further their product knowledge and to learn more about less invasive treatment therapies. “If you walk away with one pearl,” Susan says, “it’s one more than you had yesterday.”

Urban Effects Medspa
www.urbaneffectsmedspa.com