A Biggest Threats To A Comfortable Retirement?

If you save and invest for decades, you’d like to know you can retire without financial worries. Nonetheless, you still have to be aware of some threats to a comfortable retirement — and how to respond to them.

These threats include:

• Inflation – Inflation has been high recently, but even a mild inflation rate can seriously erode your purchasing power. In fact, with just a 3% inflation rate, your expenses could double in about 25 years — and your retirement could easily last that long. So, if you’re going to rely on your investment portfolio for a sizable part of your retirement income, you will need to own a reasonable number of growth-oriented investments, such as stocks or stock-based funds, whose potential returns can equal or exceed the inflation rate.

• Excessive withdrawals – Once you retire, you should establish a withdrawal rate for your portfolio — an amount you can take out each year and still feel secure that you won’t run out of money. Some people make the mistake of withdrawing too much, too soon, once they’re retired. Your withdrawal rate should be based on several factors, including your age at retirement, the size of your portfolio and the amount of income you receive from other sources, such as Social Security. A financial professional can help you determine a withdrawal rate that’s appropriate for your needs.

• Market volatility – The financial markets will always fluctuate. When you’re still working, this volatility may not be such a problem, as you have years or decades to recover from short-term downturns. But when you retire, you don’t want to have to sell investments when their price is down. To help prevent this, you can tap into the cash in your portfolio, assuming you have enough to cover several months’ worth on a CD “ladder” — a group of CDs that mature at different times — to provide you with resources for the next few years and allow your equity investments time to recover their value.

• Unexpected costs – You had them when you were working, and you’ll probably have them when you’re retired: the furnace that breaks down, the car that needs a major repair, and so on. But if you’ve established an emergency fund containing a year’s worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid account, you may be able to “ride out” these costs without jeopardizing your investment portfolio. Be sure to keep these reserves separate from your typical day-to-day accounts to avoid the temptation of spending your emergency money.

• Health – Retirees may face more health concerns than younger people, and those concerns often come with important to maximize the benefits from Medicare or your Medicare Advantage plan. Also, if you contributed to a Health Savings Account (HSA) while you were working, and you haven’t depleted it, you can use the money in retirement. As long as the HSA funds are used for qualified medical expenses, withdrawals are taxand penalty-free, and won’t be included in your income. This could help keep your income below certain levels, lower your Medicare premiums or avoid the 3.8% surtax on net investment income that can be assessed on high-net-worth taxpayers.

Retirement can be a pleasant time in your life — and you’ll enjoy it more if you’re prepared for the challenges that face all retirees.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

In Rare Move, Colorado GOP Goes After Republican Congressman

by Bente Birkeland and Caitlyn Kim, Colorado Public Radio

When former state Rep. Dave Williams was chosen to head the Colorado GOP in March, he pledged to be a conservative fighter, not another “timid politician.” He told Republicans at the party’s organizing meeting that he would go toe to toe with “radical Democrats” every chance he gets.

Williams also made it clear that fellow Republicans wouldn’t be off limits.

“It’s not just the Democrats. It’s people like Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney and Mitch McConnell. They need to start listening to us,” he said then.

Now he’s brought that confrontational approach closer to home.

In a recent email to party members, Williams called out GOP Rep. Doug Lamborn, who represents the 5th Congressional District in Colorado Springs, for voting in support of the debt ceiling compromise.

“Deceptively, Congressman Doug Lamborn broke his word and voted to increase our debt while helping Joe Biden continue to fleece American taxpayers,” the email states, before listing some of Lamborn’s previous comments critical of government spending.

“Colorado Republicans are fed up with say-anything politicians like Doug Lamborn who say one thing to gain power but then do the opposite when they think no one is paying attention,” the email goes on.

A second email blasted Lamborn for not signing onto a letter Williams sent to the White House on behalf of the state party regarding Space Command headquarters and abortion policy.

The move has left some Republicans disappointed and questioning why their party head would attack one of its most prominent members. As some have pointed out, the main job of a state party chair is to get Republicans elected, and that includes helping incumbents keep their seats.

Political consultant Dick Wadhams, who led the Colorado GOP from 2007 to 2011, said he can’t remember ever seeing a party chair openly hostile to one of their own elected officials.

“I guess if Dave Williams wants to be in that category openly opposing a Republican incumbent or a Republican candidate, I guess that’s his choice. But this is virtually unprecedented.”

Williams defends his actions. He told CPR that for too long “establishment Republicans” have sold out conservative values and weakened the party brand, “rather than supporting hardworking taxpayers.”

Williams said the party members who selected him chairman “gave me the job to advance our grassroots platform.”

Well before his current role as chair, Williams and Lamborn already had a combative relationship. Last year, when Williams was still a state lawmaker, he mounted a primary challenge against Lamborn. The acrimonious race included an unsuccessful effort by Williams to have Lamborn’s campaign criminally investigated for allegedly making false statements about him.

Lamborn ended up defeating Williams by more than 15 points.

Wadhams said he believes Williams’ critical emails violate the party’s rules, which ban a party official from getting involved in a primary election because the goal of the organization is to “elect duly nominated or designated Republican candidates to office.”

According to party bylaws, no candidate should be opposed by a state officer ahead of a primary unless “such candidate is unopposed in the Primary Election.” While no Republican has launched a challenge against Lamborn yet, there is still plenty of time ahead of next year’s election.

“I think that when you attack a Republican incumbent elected official, you are violating the spirit of that bylaw,” said Wadhams.

Williams did not respond to a follow-up question about whether he believes the emails fall within party rules.

Latest episode reflects division over best course for Colorado GOP

The tumult comes as Republicans in Colorado are trying to chart a new path forward following several rounds of steep election losses. The party holds no statewide elected offices and hasn’t controlled a chamber of the legislature since 2018. Its margins at the statehouse are currently its lowest in state history.

A number of Republican consultants and analysts described Williams’ actions as baffling and extremely unhelpful to the party — although some declined to speak on record for fear of professional retribution.

They also fear these divisions could have a chilling effect on other Republicans considering a run for office, especially in the toss-up 8th Congressional District, which has the potential to be the most competitive race in Colorado next cycle. Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo is in her first term and the seat is a top target for national Republicans hoping to expand their margin in the House.

“This is not only wildly inappropriate for a party chair but seems utterly unmoored from any serious strategy to build a robust, statewide election-winning organization,” wrote communications strategist Sean Duffy in a column for Colorado Politics. Duffy was deputy chief of staff to Republican Gov. Bill Owens.

Some Republicans who’ve known

Williams for a while say the situation is reflective of his combative political personality at the statehouse and even while working on other campaigns.

Williams volunteered on President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign in Colorado but was fired from the position, according to the campaign’s regional director, Brian Seitchick, for abusing his title. In regards to the public criticism of Lamborn, Seitchik described Williams as the antithesis of a team player.

“He has no interest in anything other than his own personal gain. If he has to burn the state party down to get ahead, he’ll do it. If he has to cost us winnable races at the ballot box to further his own political career, he will do so,” said Seitchik.

While the emails surprised many political observers, it’s long been clear that Republicans are split on the best course of action to reverse their recent losses. Some believe the party should take a more moderate approach to try to appeal to unaffiliated voters, while others — Williams among them — argue they need to instead tack farther to the right to rally the base.

And many involved in Republican politics admit that there is a desire by the base, especially those Republicans who show up at conventions and caucuses, to have leaders willing to instigate public fights with Democrats — and with fellow Republicans, if they break from hard right positions.

And Colorado isn’t the first state where party leadership has taken on one of their own for their actions in Washington, D.C. The Wyoming GOP censored Rep. Liz Cheney after she voted to impeach former president Trump, and just last week, delegates to North Carolina’s state GOP convention took similar action against Sen. Thom Tillis for his voting record.

In debt ceiling vote, Lamborn followed national party leadership

When asked by CPR about the Colorado GOP emails, Lamborn declined to comment. But he did respond on Twitter to criticism about his debt ceiling vote, noting it would “cut spending.”

The deal to avoid a June 5 default deadline was brokered by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden. While the email from Williams characterized Lamborn as “extreme” for supporting it, the bill passed the House, 314 to 117, with 149 House Republicans, including GOP leadership, voting yes.

Wliliams did not respond to a follow-up question from CPR about why he considered Lamborn’s support out of line with the party.

Lamborn was Colorado’s only GOP member to back the debt ceiling deal. Rep. Ken Buck from the 4th CD cast a no vote and Congresswoman Boebert from the state’s 3rd Congressional district missed the vote, but publicly opposed the deal. In his email to party members, Williams praised Boebert and Buck for their positions.

And Williams’ discontent with Lamborn isn’t limited to disagreements over fiscal policy. In a separate fundraising email, Williams blasted Lamborn and former Colorado Springs mayor John Suthers for not signing onto a letter Williams wrote that declared Space Command should leave Colorado Springs if it becomes clear that Colorado’s abortion access laws are factoring into the decision.

Asked about the letter, Lamborn told CPR News emphatically that abortion is not part of the equation.

“I’ve already made it real clear, and others have also, that abortion plays no part in this decision and should not play any part in this decision,” the congressman said. Lamborn and the entire congressional delegation have been fighting for the headquarters to remain in Colorado Springs.

Politicians and parties often disagree, but rarely in public

What makes the state GOP’s recent emails so unusual is that when policy differences arise between a state party chair and candidates or elected officials, they’re typically navigated delicately, with both sides trying to avoid any public face off.

The 2022 U.S Senate race saw GOP candidate Joe O’Dea at odds with party leadership over abortion. O’Dea broke with the party to support legal abortion in the In Rare Move, Colorado GOP Goes After Republican Congressman continued on page 12...

In Rare Move, Colorado GOP Goes After Republican Congressman continued from page 11...

earlier stages of pregnancy. The party’s chair at the time, Kristi Burton Brown, got her start in politics as the author of the anti-abortion personhood amendment.

While Burton Brown emphasized that the Colorado GOP remained opposed legal abortion, she was careful not to publicly criticize O’Dea and still urged party members to volunteer for his campaign and vote for him.

“She was a great partner and we worked closely together,” said Zack Roday, O’Dea’s campaign manager.

However, O’Dea’s defeat played a role in changing the party’s approach. Leaders like Williams argue that moderate candidates have failed to bring voters back to the Republican Party and instead have, in Williams’ words, essentially apologized for Republican values.

Instead, said Williams, “If we build a clear contrast with Democrats on defense and align ourselves with voters without compromising, then we will win again.”

Meanwhile Colorado Democrats say they would welcome Williams backing even farther right candidates. And in a jab to both men involved in the current conflict, the party also thanked Lamborn for supporting the bipartisan debt ceiling bill.

“We’ll happily give credit where credit is due. Lamborn voted with Democrats to prevent devastating cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, good for him,” said Shad Murib, the Democratic state party chair.

That credit is likely only to reinforce Williams in his campaign against “wayward elected Republicans.” As he said at one point, if the chairman of the Democratic party praises your vote, “you should know it’s wrong.”

Mother’s Day: Inspiration for Father’s Day

The “Mother’s Day” we celebrate today has its origins in the peace-and-reconciliation campaigns of the post-Civil War era. During the 1860s, at the urging of activist Ann Reeves Jarvis, one divided West Virginia town celebrated “Mother’s Work Days” that brought together the mothers of Confederate and Union soldiers.

Did you know? There are more than 70 million fathers in the United States.

However, Mother’s Day did not become a commercial holiday until 1908, when–inspired by Jarvis’s daughter, Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honor her own mother by making Mother’s Day a national holiday–the John Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia sponsored a service dedicated to mothers in its auditorium.

Thanks in large part to this association with retailers, who saw great potential for profit in the holiday, Mother’s Day caught on right away. In 1909, 45 states observed the day, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson approved a resolution that made the second Sunday in May a holiday in honor of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America.”

Origins of Father’s Day

The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm–perhaps because, as one florist explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.”

On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, but it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday.

The next year, a Spokane, Washington, woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on June 19, 1910.

Slowly, the holiday spread. In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day.

Today, the day honoring fathers is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June: Father’s Day 2021 occurs on June 20.

In other countries–especially in Europe and Latin America–fathers are honored on St. Joseph’s Day, a traditional Catholic holiday that falls on March 19.

Bet You Didn’t Know: Founding Fathers Play Video

Father’s Day: Controversy and Commercialism

Many men, however, continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products–often paid for by the father himself.”

During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park–a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together.”

Paradoxically, however, the Great Depression derailed this effort to combine and de-commercialize the holidays. Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards.

When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution.

In 1972, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday at last. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.

It’s still early, but each day Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo doesn’t have a challenger is another day she can build her fundraising advantage by Jesse Paul, Colorado Sun

National Republicans say Colorado’s highly competitive 8th Congressional District is one of their top 2024 targets. But first the GOP has to find a candidate to run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo of Thornton.

No Republican has filed to run against Caraveo next year in the district that spans Denver’s northeast suburbs along U.S. 85 into Greeley. She beat Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer by less than a percentage point, or roughly 1,600 votes, in 2022.

It’s still early, but each day Caraveo doesn’t have a challenger is another day she can build her fundraising advantage. Candidates must file to run before they can start raising money.

Caraveo’s campaign began April with about $300,000 in the bank.

The 8th District is expected to be the GOP’s best shot at flipping a seat of consequence in Colorado next year, and the outcome of the contest could help decide which party controls the U.S. House.

A number of Republican politicians are weighing whether to toss their hat into the ring, including Kirkmeyer.

“I’m still considering it,” Kirkmeyer told The Colorado Sun last week. “I haven’t said that I’m going to and I haven’t ruled it out at this point.”

She plans to make a decision by July 4. If she makes another congressional bid, she’ll have to forgo running for reelection to another four-year term in the state Senate, where she is a member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee. Republicans, however, are in a 23-12 minority in the chamber, and they aren’t expected to take control of the Senate after the 2024 election.

State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Republican running to represent the 8th Congressional District, speaks to a voter at an event Saturday at her campaign’s headquarters in Thornton. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)

The GOP’s next real shot at taking power in the Colorado Senate will be in the 2026 election.

State Rep. Gabe Evans, of Fort Lupton, is also mulling an 8th District bid.

“I haven’t said ‘yes.’ I haven’t said ‘no,’” he said. “I can definitively tell you I have no concrete plans right now. Everybody and their brother has been reaching out to me.”

Another Republican considering a bid for the seat is Weld County Commissioner Scott James.

“I have received numerous inquiries from folks and have been asked to run,” he said. “I’m honored by the encouragement and am taking the time to discuss this with my colleagues and my family.”

Weld County Commissioner Steve Moreno and former state Rep. Dan Woog, of Erie, are taking a look, too.

“There are multiple seats I’m keeping my eye on,” said Woog, who narrowly lost reelection to the state House last year, “but I haven’t taken steps toward any at this point in time.”

Moreno said an 8th District bid is on the table.

“I’ve had some encouragement,” he said. “I’ve had some conversations.”

Politico suggested last month that Joe O’Dea, the Denver construction company owner who made an unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate bid, is considering whether to make a run in the 8th District.

The Sun confirmed he is interested, but hasn’t taken any steps toward launching a campaign.

One big hold up: O’Dea lives in the Cherry Hills Village/Greenwood Village area, far from the 8th District’s boundaries. While congressional candidates don’t have to live in the district they are running to represent, O’Dea would almost certainly be painted as a carpetbagger by opponents if he launched a bid to unseat Caraveo. That fact reduces the likelihood he would jump into the race.

O’Dea’s federal campaign account — which remains active — had about $50,000 in it at the start of April. He gave millions to his campaign. O’Dea lost to Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet last year by 15 percentage points.

The GOP primary in the 8th District will be held on June 25, 2024.

Obituary

Phyllis Lee (Thyfault) Kildal

Phyllis Lee (Thyfault) Kildal, age 65, passed away on January 29,2023, at her home in Mesa, Arizona, after a 14-year struggle with ovarian cancer.

Phyllis was born on February 1, 1957, to parents Meddie (Babe) Lee Thyfault and Carolyn Ruth Thyfault in Denver, Colorado. Phyllis grew up in Fort Lupton, Colorado where she graduated from Fort Lupton High School. That area is where she would call home until 2018 when she and husband Ted moved to Mesa, Arizona.

Phyllis is best known for her career in the food service industry. She owned/ operated The Chuckwagon Café 1&2, in Brighton, and the Ironhorse Roadhouse in Keenesburg. She would finish her career in the Bistro at Platte Valley Medical Center.

Phyllis is survived by her husband of 33 years, Theodore (Ted) William Kildal, her 3 children, Amy Lee Frazier-Gibson, Brennon Scott Frazier, Matthew Scott Frazier, and 4 grandchildren.

Phyllis is predeceased by her father Meddie (Babe) Lee Thyfault. She is survived by her mother Carolyn Ruth Thyfault and brothers and sisters, Carl Edward Thyfault, Denise Marie (Thyfault) Wittmus, JoDe Ann (Thyfault) Brown, Randy Allen Thyfault, and Michael Shawn Thyfault.

A mass will be held at St. Augustine Church, 178 South 6th Avenue, Brighton, CO on Friday June 30th at 11:00 a.m., rosary at 10:30 a.m.

A Celebration of Phyllis’s life will be held at the Elks Lodge, 101 North Main Street, Brighton, CO on Friday June 30th at 1:30 p.m.

The family asks that all flowers and notes be sent to Amy Frazier-Gibson at 219 Poplar Street, Lochbuie, CO 80603.

Irrigate Safely: Be Aware of Electrical Hazards

by Morgan County Rural Electric Association

Irrigation systems are vital in supporting local agriculture. While the equipment helps farmers combat dry spells and summer heat, it also introduces an electrical hazard. Electrical hazards with irrigation equipment include contact with overhead power lines, short circuits, and lightning strikes. Morgan County REA reminds owners and farm workers to be aware of the potential hazards and to stay safe.

Electrical safety becomes a concern when lifting equipment overhead. Common irrigation pipe is long enough to reach overhead power lines when lifted up. Accidental contact can result in severe electrical shock. Take time to survey your surroundings. Look up and around, and make note of any power lines that could be close enough to come into contact with equipment. Always maintain proper clearances.

The combination of water and electricity is also hazardous. The sprays of water from irrigation systems should never be directed near overhead power lines. Because the impurities in water serve as conductors of electricity, a stream of water reaching non-insulated wires will become the path for deadly voltage and can energize the entire irrigation system.

Wiring maintenance should also be a safety priority. Read all operator manuals and follow the manufacturer’s suggestions for inspection and maintenance. When working on the system, always turn off the power first. Also, make sure all equipment is grounded. Call a professional electrician to check the pump and wiring and to complete any needed repairs.

Storms can also pose dangers for irrigation systems and those who operate them. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and stay away from piping during storms with lightning.

Follow these additional precautions to help ensure the safety of those working around irrigation equipment:

• If fuses continually blow or circuit breakers repeatedly trip, have a professional check the wiring. This could indicate a potential electrical hazard.

• Avoid moving irrigation equipment on windy days when pipes could blow into nearby power lines. Keep pipes horizontal to the ground rather than vertical to minimize the risk of power line contact.

• Store unused irrigation pipes far away from power lines or electrical equipment.

• Position irrigation pipes at least 15 feet away from power lines.

• Position the water jet streams so that there is no chance of them spraying onto power lines. If this happens, the entire system could become energized, creating a danger for anyone nearby.

• If an irrigation pipe comes in contact with a power line, never try to remove it yourself. Stay away from the pipe, and call Morgan County REA for help.

For more information on electrical safety, call MCREA at (970) 867-5688 or visit SafeElectricity.org.

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Angelo State University Announces Spring 2023 Dean’s List

SAN ANGELO, TX (05/30/2023)-- Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas, has announced the students achieving the Dean’s List for the 2023 spring semester, including Hannah Kinnison of Grover.

To be eligible for the ASU Dean’s List, full-time undergraduate students must maintain a 3.25 or better grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Kinnison is majoring in Food Animal Science Marketing at Angelo State. The complete spring 2023 Dean’s List is available at angelo.edu/commencement.