your health smart choices

It’s...
your health
smart choices
Make...
Financial Directions
July is UV Safety Month®
UV Safety Month is celebrated every July, and is a great time to spread the message of sun, fun and UV safety to your
community. Read on to learn more about UV Safety Month and the importance of keeping yourself protected from those
harmful rays this summer.
Lori Spivey
Christy Kim
Becky Mayle-Tyndall
Jeff Gambrel
Millie Buchanan
Sandra Archer
Amanda Hayden
Our Health & Welfare Team
lspivey@financialdirections.com
ckim@financialdirections.com
btyndall@financialdirections.com
jgambrel@financialdirections.com
mbuchanan@financialdirections.com
sarcher@financialdirections.com
ahayden@financialdirections.com
l
Skin cancer is almost 100% curable when it’s found early and treated right
away. That’s why it’s a good idea to check your skin every month for new
growths and other signs of cancer. Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you
find a change.
What is the goal of UV Safety Month?
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main cause of skin cancer.
Anyone can get skin cancer, but the risk is greatest for people with:
 White or light-colored skin with freckles



Blond or red hair
UV rays can also damage your eyes.
Blue or green eyes
We stress the importance of protecting your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays
by wearing sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.
A large number of moles
Studies show that exposure to bright sunlight may increase the risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and growths on the eye,
including cancer.
You can take these steps to help
prevent skin cancer:
 Stay out of the sun between
10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
 Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.








Cover up with long sleeves and a hat.

Check your skin regularly for any changes.
Wear sunscreen even on cloudy days. UV rays can still harm your skin
through the clouds.
Plan ahead – put sunscreen on 30 minutes before you go outside.
Be sure to use enough sunscreen (a handful).



If you wear very light clothing, put sunscreen on under your clothes.
Put on more sunscreen every few hours and after you swim or sweat.

Why do I need to protect my skin from the sun?
Protect your skin from the sun today to help prevent skin cancer later in life.
Most skin cancer appears after age 50, but damage from the sun can start
during childhood.

Staying out of the sun and using sunscreen can also help prevent:
 Wrinkles



(919) 678-0007
(919) 678-8422
(919) 534-0567
(919) 534-0580
(919) 678-8426
(919) 678-8421
(919) 678-8425
Blotchy or spotty skin
Other damage caused by the sun
Don't focus on color or darkness of sunglass lenses: Select sunglasses
that block UV rays. Don't be deceived by color or cost. The ability to
block UV light is not dependent on the price tag.
Check for 97-100% UV protection: Make sure your sunglasses block 97
to 100 percent of UV rays and UV-B rays.
Choose wrap-around styles: Ideally, your sunglasses should wrap all the
way around to your temples, so the sun's rays can't enter from the side.
Wear a hat: In addition to your sunglasses, wear a broad-brimmed hat to
protect your eyes.
Don't rely on contact lenses: Even if you wear contact lenses with UV
protection, remember your sunglasses.
Don't be fooled by clouds: The sun's rays can pass through haze and
thin clouds. Sun damage to eyes can occur anytime during the year, not
just in the summertime.
Protect your eyes during peak sun times: Sunglasses should be worn
whenever outside and it's especially important to wear sunglasses in the
early afternoon and at higher altitudes, where UV light is more intense.
Don't forget the kids: Everyone is at risk, including children. Protect their
eyes with hats and sunglasses. In addition, try to keep children out of the
sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun's UV rays are the strongest.
What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in the United States. There
are 3 different kinds of skin cancer.
The 2 most common kinds of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. They are both also called non-melanoma skin cancer.
The most dangerous kind of skin cancer is called melanoma.
5001 Weston Parkway Suite 200 Cary, NC 27513
*
employee benefits
*
Source: http://www.healthfinder.gov, http://development.aao.org
tel 919.678.0007
business owner and executive benefits
*
fax 919.678.0065
individual financial planning
*
www.financialdirections.com
investments
*
life insurance
*
It’s...
your health
smart choices
Make...
Financial Directions
Five Items for Your Mid-Year Financial Check-Up
On New Year’s Day, you had plans and promises to get your finances in order in 2011. But the calendar has jumped from January to
July in barely more than a blink of an eye. With the July 4th weekend come and gone, your thoughts are hopefully turning to a mid-year
review of your finances. So today, check your financial pulse and ask yourself the following five questions.
Our Financial Advisors
Lori Spivey
Robbie Spivey
Linda Housand
John Mitchell
Steed Rollins
Shawn Startti
Kent Thompson
John Young
1.
How are you progressing versus your financial planning goals? Assuming you have a financial plan in place, this
is a good point in the year to review your progress toward goals
such as retirement and saving for college. If you don't have a
financial plan or if your plan is many years out of date, this is a
great time to get one in place.
2.
Are your investments properly allocated? A key element
of your financial plan should be an asset allocation strategy for
your investments. As in most years, some investment categories
have done well, others not as well. Mid-year is a good time to
review your portfolio's overall allocation and rebalance as needed.
3.
If you are self-employed, have you started a retirement
plan for yourself? You work hard to grow your business and
serve your clients. There are many options available to you ranging from a Solo 401(k) to many
other options. What is best for you
will depend in part on factors such
as whether or not you have employees, the predictability of your
company's cash flow, and the
amount you are willing to contribute. Whichever plan you choose,
start a retirement plan for yourself.
You deserve it.
4.
Parents of minors, have you made provisions for your children in the event of your death? Do you have a will? Have you
selected a guardian for your children in the event of your premature death? Have you selected someone to administer your estate and your assets for the benefit of the children? If not you
should consider consulting an estate planning attorney today.
5.
Is it time to finally get the financial planning help you need?
Maybe you don't want to spend the money. Maybe you are convinced you can do this yourself. In reality, ask yourself a few
questions:
5001 Weston Parkway Suite 200 Cary, NC 27513
*
employee benefits
*
(919) 678-0007
(919) 678-0007
(919) 678-8423
(919) 678-0007
(919) 534-0579
(919) 534-0581
(919) 678-4835
(919) 678-8428
lspivey@financialdirections.com
rspivey@financialdirections.com
lhousand@financialdirections.com
jmitchell@financialdirections.com
srollins@financialdirections.com
sstartti@financialdirections.com
kthompson@financialdirections.com
jyoung@financialdirections.com

Do I devote time to my finances and investments on a regular
basis?

Does my portfolio consist of a random collection of stocks, mutual
funds, and other investments (financial clutter)?

Do you know how much you will need to accumulate for financial
goals such as retirement or college?

Do you have a clue how your investments are performing? Do you
benchmark your portfolio's performance? Do you review your investments as a portfolio, or just as individual holdings?
Managing your financial future is critical to meeting your goals, and it
isn't always as easy as it looks. If you don't like your answers to these
questions, consider hiring a fee-only financial adviser to help you.
July 4th has come and gone. Take the time to sit down and take stock
of where you are financially at mid-year. It's easy to put this off, but the
rewards of staying on top of your finances can pay off for a lifetime.
Source: http://money.usnews.com
Securities offered through First Allied Securities, Inc. A Registered Broker
Dealer, Member FINRA / SIPC
tel 919.678.0007
business owner and executive benefits
*
fax 919.678.0065
individual financial planning
*
www.financialdirections.com
investments
*
life insurance
*