Best Low Risk Investments

1. Certificates of Deposit

There is nothing more boring than a certificate of deposit. You can get it through your bank, your credit union or even your investment broker.
With a certificate of deposit (CD) you trade depositing your money for a specific length of time to a financial institution.

In return, you get a set interest rate for that period and it does not change, no matter what happens to interest rates. You are locked in until maturity of the term length. You can withdraw from the CD early for a penalty that is usually equal to three months’ worth of interest.

Why are CDs at the top of our best low risk investment list? Because as long as you get a certificate of deposit with an FDIC-insured financial institution, you are guaranteed to get your principal back as long as your total deposits with that lender are less than $250,000. The government guarantees that you cannot have a loss, and the financial institution gives you interest on top of that.

How much interest you earn is dependent on the length of the CD term and interest rates in the economy. Interest rates are low, but if you lock in your money for many years you can get a little bit more interest.

2. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS)

The U.S. Treasury has several types of bond investments for you to choose from. One of the lowest risk is called a Treasury Inflation Protection Security or TIPS. These bonds come with two methods of growth.

The first is a fixed interest rate that doesn’t change for the length of the bond. The second is built-in inflation protection that is guaranteed by the government. Whatever rate inflation grows during the time you hold the TIPS, your investment’s value rises with that rate.

For example, say you invest in a TIPS today that only comes with a 0.35% interest rate. That’s less than certificate of deposit rates and even basic online savings accounts. This isn’t very enticing until you realize that, if inflation grows a 2% per year for the length of the bond, then your investment value increases with that inflation, and gives you a much higher return on your investment.

TIPS can be purchased individually or you can invest in a mutual fund that owns in a basket of TIPS. The latter option makes managing your investments easier, while the former gives you the ability to pick and choose with specific TIPS you want.

3. Money Market Funds

A money market fund is a mutual fund with the main purpose of not losing any value of your investment. The fund also tries to pay out a little bit of interest as well to make parking your cash with the fund worthwhile. The fund’s goal is to maintain a net asset value (NAV) of $1 per share.

These funds aren’t foolproof, but do come with a strong pedigree in protecting the underlying value of your cash. It is possible for the NAV to drop below $1, but it is rare. The interest income is tiny, but your money is relatively secure.

4. Municipal Bonds

When a state or local government needs to borrow money, it doesn’t use a credit card. Instead, the government entity issues a municipal bond. These bonds, also known as munis, are except from federal income tax at the very least. Most states and local municipalities also exempt income tax on munis for issuers in the state, but talk to your accountant before making any decisions.

What makes municipal bonds so safe? Not only do you avoid income tax (which means a higher return compared to an equally risky investment that is taxed) but the likelihood of the borrower defaulting is very low. There have been some enormous municipality bankruptcies in recent years, but these are very rare. Governments can always raise taxes or issue new debt to pay off old debt, which makes holding a municipal bond a pretty safe bet.

5. U.S. Savings Bonds

These are similar to TIPS because they are also backed by the federal government. The likelihood of default on this debt is microscopic, which makes them a very stable investment. There are two main types of US Savings Bonds: Series I and Series EE.

Series I bonds consist of two components: a fixed interest rate return and an adjustable inflation-linked return, making them somewhat similar to TIPS. The fixed rate never changes, but the inflation return rate is adjusted every six months and can also be negative (which of course brings your total return down).

Series EE bonds just have a fixed rate of interest that is added to the bond automatically at the end of each months, so you don’t have to worry about reinvesting for compounding purposes. Rates are very low right now, but there is an interesting facet to EE bonds: the Treasury guarantees the bond will double in value if held to maturity, which is 20 years.

If you don’t hold to maturity you only get the stated interest rate of the bond minus any early withdrawal fees. Another bonus to look into: If you use EE bonds to pay for education, you might be able to exclude some or all of the interest earned from your taxes.

Looking to purchase some Series I or Series EE Bonds? You can do that directly through TreasuryDirect.gov.

6. Annuities

Annuities have a bad reputation with some investors because shady financial advisors over-promoted them to individuals where the annuity wasn’t the right product for their financial goals. Annuities don’t have to be scary things; they can help stabilize your portfolio over a long period.

But talk with a good financial advisor first: Annuities are very complex financial instruments with lots of catches built into the contract.

There are several types of annuities. But in all cases, when you purchase an annuity you make a trade with an insurance company. They take a lump sum of cash from you. In return they give you a stated rate of guaranteed return. Sometimes that return is fixed (with a fixed annuity), sometimes that return is variable (with a variable annuity) and sometimes your return is dictated in part by how the stock market does with guaranteed basic level that gives you downside protection (with an equity indexed annuity).

If you get a guaranteed return, your risk is a lot lower. Unlike the backing of the federal government, the insurance company backs your annuity (and perhaps another company that further insurers the annuity company). Nonetheless, your money is typically going to be very safe in these complicated products.

7. Cash Value Life Insurance

Another controversial investment is cash value life insurance. First, this insurance pays out a death benefit to your beneficiaries when you die; a term life insurance policy gives you this. Other types, known as cash value policies, do that and also build up an investment account from your payments. Whole life insurance and universal life insurance are the chief cash value offerings.

While term life insurance is by far a cheaper option, it only covers your death. One of the best perks of cash value life is you can borrow against the accrued investment value throughout your life, but isn’t hit with income tax. It is a clever way to pass some value onto your heirs without either side getting hit with income tax.

Safe Driving Tips for Back to School

1.    Slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits, both in school zones and in neighborhoods surrounding the school.

2.    Comply with local school drop-off and pick-up procedures for the safety of all children accessing the school.

3.    Avoid double parking or stopping on crosswalks to let children out of the car. Double parking will block visibility for other children and other motorists. Visibility is further reduced during the rain and fog seasons when condensation forms on car windows.

4.    Avoid loading or unloading children at locations across the street from the school. This forces youngsters to unnecessarily cross busy streets—often mid-block rather than at a crosswalk.

5.    Prepare to stop for a school bus when overhead yellow lights are flashing. Drive with caution when you see yellow hazard warning lights are flashing on a moving or stopped bus.

6.    Stop for a school bus with its red overhead lights flashing, regardless of the direction from which the driver is approaching. Drivers must not proceed until the school bus resumes motion and the red lights stop flashing, or until signaled by the school bus driver to proceed.

7.    Watch for children walking or bicycling (both on the road and the sidewalk) in areas near a school.

8.    Watch for children playing and gathering near bus stops. Watch for children arriving late for the bus, who may dart into the street without looking for traffic.

9.    Watch for children walking or biking to school when backing up (out of a driveway or leaving a garage).

9 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Back to School

1. Re-Establish School Routines

Use the last few weeks of summer to get into a school-day rhythm. "Have your child practice getting up and getting dressed at the same time every morning," suggests school psychologist Kelly Vaillancourt, MA, CAS. Start eating breakfast, lunch, and snacks around the times your child will eat when school is in session.
It’s also important to get your child used to leaving the house in the morning, so plan morning activities outside the house in the week or two before school.

2. Nurture Independence

Once the classroom door shuts, your child will need to manage a lot of things on his own. Get him ready for independence by talking ahead of time about responsibilities he's old enough to shoulder. Even if your child is young, you can instill skills that will build confidence and independence at school. Have your young child practice writing her name and tying her own shoes.

3. Create a Launch Pad

At home, you can designate a spot where school things like backpacks and lunch boxes always go to avoid last-minute scrambles in the morning. You might also have your child make a list of things to bring to school and post it by the front door.

4. Set Up a Time and Place for Homework

Head off daily battles by making homework part of your child’s everyday routine. Establish a time and a place for studying at home.  As much as possible, plan to make yourself available during homework time, especially with younger kids.

5. After-School Plans

School gets out before most working parents get home, so it's important to figure out where your children will go, or who will be at home, in the afternoons. You might find an after-school program through the school itself, a local YMCA, or a Boys and Girls Club. If possible, try to arrange your schedule so you can be there when your child gets home during those first few days of school. It may help your child adjust to the new schedule and teachers. 

6. Make a Sick-Day Game Plan

Working parents also know the trials and tribulations of getting a call from the school nurse when they can’t get away from the office.  Before school begins, line up a trusted babysitter or group of parents that can pinch hit for each other when children get sick. And make sure you know the school’s policy. You may have to sign forms ahead of time listing people who have your permission to pick up your child.

 

7. Attend Orientations to Meet and Greet

Schools typically hold orientation and information sessions before the start of each academic year. These are good opportunities for you to meet the key players: your child’s teachers, school counselors, the principal, and most importantly, front desk staff.

8. Talk to the Teachers

Of course, teachers are the reason your child is there. When you talk to your child’s teachers, ask about their approach to homework. Some teachers assign homework so kids can practice new skills while others focus on the accuracy of the assignments they turn in. Ask for the dates of tests and large assignments so you can help your child plan accordingly.

9. Make it a Family Affair

Together, you and your child can plan for success in school. For instance, sit down with your child to create a routine chart. Ask your child what she wants to do first when she first gets home from school: play outside or do homework? Her answers go on the chart.

Neil Armstrong - Legacy Lives On!

By By Robert Z. Pearlman, collectSPACE.com                                             

 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA on Monday (July 21) paid tribute to the first man to walk on the moon by naming a building at its Florida spaceport where work is being advanced to send astronauts to Mars.

The "Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building" at NASA's Kennedy Space Center added the late astronaut's name to the historic facility where he, his crew mates and their Apollo 11 spacecraft were readied for a launch to the moon 45 years ago this past week. Today, the building is being used to ready Orion, NASA's next-generation space capsule being developed to send astronauts beyond Earth orbit for the first time since the Apollo lunar landings.

"It is altogether fitting that we rename this facility," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said during a ceremony held inside the Operations and Checkout (O&C) building, where hundreds of space workers gathered. "Armstrong was not only the first man to set foot on the moon... he challenged all of us to expand the boundaries of the possible."

"He, along with his crew Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, are a bridge from NASA's historic journey to the moon 45 years ago, to our path to Mars today."

Bolden was joined at the ceremony by Aldrin and Collins, as well as Armstrong's backup commander, James Lovell, and Armstrong's sons Rick and Mark. During the event, Bolden presented Kennedy Space Center director Robert Cabana with an Apollo 11 patch that the astronauts carried to the moon in 1969 and then inscribed for the first crew to fly to Mars.

"We present this patch because it's here where the Mars 1 crew will lift off on America's next bold mission," Bolden stated. "We salute Neil Armstrong and his crewmates for blazing a path that is leading us all the way from the first footprints on the moon to, very soon, the first footprints on Mars."

                                                        

 

Armstrong, who famously declared his first small step on the moon a "giant leap for all mankind," died in 2012 at the age of 82.

"Neil's spirit lives on in these halls, in our hearts, and now his name will be a constant reminder of where we've been and that in his words 'our opportunities are unlimited,'" Cabana said.

In addition to updating the signs identifying the facility, a plaque and a spacesuit display in the building's lobby also pay tribute to the O&C's new namesake. Mark Armstrong also presented the center with a painting of his father from his days as an astronaut.

"On behalf of the Armstrong family, I would like to thank you for this tremendous honor," Armstrong's youngest son Mark said. "It's our hope the name that graces this facility will inspire those who work here for many years to come."

The five-story-tall O&C building, which was originally titled the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building at its opening in 1964, housed the quarters where the astronauts stayed while at the Kennedy Space Center prior to their launch.

"Since 1965, the Operations and Checkout building has been the final stop for America's astronauts before they embarked on their space journeys," Cabana said. "Like all the others, the crew of Apollo 11 left their mark, not only on the moon, but here in this building."

The building also included the high bay where the Apollo command, service and lunar modules were tested for flight before being stacked atop the Saturn V rocket.

The O&C's crew quarters were used throughout the Apollo program and for the subsequent Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and space shuttle flights. In the early 1980s, the facility's high bay was used to support the European Spacelab modules that flew on the shuttle.

The Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building is in use today to assemble NASA's Orion spacecraft as the space agency prepares to embark on its "next giant leap" in space exploration, sending astronauts out to an asteroid and Mars. The facility is, at present, assembling the Orion capsule that will launch this December on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1).

"I very much like that [Armstrong's] name will be on this building," Collins remarked. "He wouldn't have sought this honor, that was not his style, but I think he would be proud to have his name so closely associated with the heart and the sole of the space business."

"On Neil's behalf, thank you for what you do every day."

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2014 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.

Learn from other's money mistakes!

Just because one may be good at making money doesn’t mean he or she necessarily has the savvy to save, invest and grow that money. The financial failures of some celebrities amplify what can go wrong when you mismanage your dollars and cents. 

              

Here are five famous faces, their financial faux pas and the lessons they learned.—Farnoosh Torabi, DailyWorth.com.

 

Katy Perry

After a year of marriage, the top-earning pop singer divorced comedian and actor Russell Brand. She stood to lose half her fortune as a result, since she had no prenuptial agreement. According to Forbes, Perry raked in $44 million while married to Brand and without a contract overwriting California’s 50/50 divorce laws, her ex stood to inherit half of that sum or some $20 million. Very fortunately for Perry, Brand decided not to pursue his share and the couple settled “amicably.” But was failing to sign a prenup really worth the risk?

A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is not romantic, but it can save you agony and time in the event of a divorce, especially if you disagree with your state’s divorce procedures. For example, in California, a “community property” state, sans prenup the divorce laws require couples to equally divide assets including savings, property and even debt acquired during the marriage. (There are nine community property states in all.)

Most states proceed with an “equitable distribution” where a judge considers various criteria—including each spouse’s income and whether one spouse was a stay-at-home parent—to rule who receives what and how much. In 2011, 73% of divorce attorneys cited an increase in pre-nups over a five-year period. And as women earn more, they are asking for them in record numbers.

 

Kristen Bell

The “House of Lies” actress may not be able to qualify for credit anytime soon. Kristen Bell’s Los Angeles 2.5-acre property fell into foreclosure in early 2012 and was auctioned off for a reported $500,000 less than what she paid for it. While the busy actress doesn’t appear to be struggling for cash these days, a foreclosure isn’t an easy stain to wipe off your credit files and could prevent her from obtaining a loan in the near future. In fact, according to FICO, a foreclosure will remain on your credit report for seven years.

The lesson: Don’t buy more house than you can afford (try to keep monthly payments to no more than 28% of your income). And be even more conservative if you have fluctuating income as a freelancer, entrepreneur or, in this case, Hollywood actress.

 

Toni Braxton

Spending money that isn’t technically yours, an appetite for extravagance and some bad luck is what largely led the Grammy Award winning R&B singer to bankruptcy court — twice. While Toni Braxton seems to be making a financial comeback, she has had cataclysmic problems with overspending and debt. 

In 1998, she filed for bankruptcy due to what she says was lavishly living off the millions of dollars given to her as an advance from her music label. The catch was that she had to refund the record label all related expenses from clothing to travel to music videos and was left with very little in the end. Braxton told ABC News, “What happens is they give you advancement on the next record and then the next record…So you kind of stay in debt, in a sense.” While her worldwide sales totaled $170 million, Braxton said she took home a mere $1,972 from her first recording contract.

Her financial problems didn’t go away. In 2010 Braxton claimed she was $50 million in the red, prompting her to file bankruptcy again. This time she cited a life-threatening medical diagnosis that left her unable to perform and follow through with her self-financed concert series. (One reason to get disability insurance.) In the end, however, she was able to settle her case by paying just $150,000.

Moral of the story? A life built on credit is vulnerable to collapse. And a disability related to medical problems can sometimes be enough to obliterate your financial life if you don’t have sufficient coverage.

 

Leona Helmsley

No matter how wealthy you become, you’re never above the law. And certainly not when it comes to paying your taxes. Yet, hotel empress and businesswoman Leona Helmsley managed to avoid paying Uncle Sam for years until she was finally charged and sent to prison. According to the New York Times, a judge sentenced Helmsley to four years in prison, of which she served 18 months. She was also required to pay a $7 million penalty, in addition to $1.7 million in back taxes.

Tax evasion is not uncommon in the celebrity world. Actors Wesley Snipes and Nicholas Cage, along with domestic doyenne Martha Stewart, among others, have reportedly had to pay penalties for failing to pay sufficient taxes.

Deidre Hall

Lending money to family and friends can turn into an ugly scenario, especially if it’s money you, as the lender, can’t afford to lose. Once upon a time “Days of Our Lives” soap actress Deidre Hall lent her wardrobe consultant and her family some $800,000 to help them get through rough times. Hall claimed she tapped her pension plan to come up with some of the money and when her friend failed to pay her back in full she took them to court. The two parties reached a compromise in the mid ‘90s.

Let this be a reminder that loans to loved ones don’t usually get paid back in full. Best to think of the loan as a “gift” you may never get back. If you do decide to go down the path of lending to a friend or family member, implement a simple written contract to lay out the terms of the agreement, including both your names, the amount borrowed and details of when and how the loan must be repaid.
              

(Farnoosh Torabi is a personal finance expert, author, TV personality, and sought-after speaker whose mission is to help people take control of their finances so they can live their richest, happiest lives. Her latest book is entitled “When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women.” Sign up for her free newsletter and receive Farnoosh’s latest money advice and the first chapter of her book, “Psych Yourself Rich for free.”)

 

Are YOU Happy?

University of California professor Sonja Lyubomirsky details the things research shows the happiest people have in common.

1. They devote a great amount of time to their family and friends, nurturing and enjoying those relationships.

2. They are comfortable expressing gratitude for all they have.

3. They are often the first to offer helping hands to coworkers and passersby.

4. They practice optimism when imagining their futures.

5. They savor life's pleasures and try to live in the present moment.

6. They make physical exercise a weekly and even daily habit.

7. They are deeply committed to lifelong goals and ambitions (e.g., fighting fraud, building cabinets, or teaching their children their deeply held values).

8. Last but not least, the happiest people do have their share of stresses, crises, and even tragedies. They may become just as distressed and emotional in such circumstances as you or I, but their secret weapon is the poise and strength they show in coping in the face of challenge. [The How of Happiness]

The internet has become a firehose of ideas we never implement, tricks we forget to use.
Reading a list of things is easy. Implementing them in your life can be hard. But it doesn't have to be. Let's get down to business.

"Happiness Subscriptions"

Here's an interesting fact about happiness: frequency beats intensity. What's that mean?
Lots of little good things make you happier than a handful of big things.
Research shows that going to church and exercising both bring people a disproportionate amount of happiness. Why?
They give us frequent, regular boosts.
Stanford professor Jennifer Aaker says it's really that simple: the things that make you happy, do them more often.
We have designated work hours. We schedule doctor appointments. Heck, we even schedule hair appointments. We say happiness is the most important thing but fail to consistently include it in our calendars.

Research shows 40 percent of happiness is due to intentional activity. You can change your happiness by up to 40 percent by what you choose to do every day.
And much of what you do, you do on autopilot. Forty percent of what you do every day isn't the result of decisions, it's due to habits.

One paper published by a Duke University researcher in 2006 found that more than 40 percent of the actions people performed each day weren't actual decisions, but habits. [The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business]

Happy things need to be a habit. Part of your routine. Part of your schedule. Stop waiting for random happy events: you need a "happiness subscription."
So how do we take that list and make them things we actually do every day instead of more forgotten trivia? Let's get started.

1) Wake up and say ARG!
It's an acronym that stands for:

1. Anticipation
2. Recollection
3. Gratitude

I've written about the importance of a morning ritual and how research shows your mood in the morning affects your entire day. So start right.
Anticipation is a powerful happiness booster. It's two for the price of one: You get the good thing and you get happy in anticipation of the good thing.
So think about what you're looking forward to. Got nothing you're looking forward to? Schedule something.
Recollecting great moments has a related effect. Memories allow us to relive the good times and kill stress.

People prone to joyful anticipation, skilled at obtaining pleasure from looking forward and imagining future happy events, are especially likely to be optimistic and to experience intense emotions. In contrast, those proficient at reminiscing about the past — looking back on happy times, rekindling joy from happy memories — are best able to buffer stress. [The How of Happiness]

And gratitude is arguably the king of happiness. What's the research say? Can't be more clear than this:

…the more a person is inclined to gratitude, the less likely he or she is to be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, or neurotic. [The How of Happiness]

And the combo often leads to optimism. Another powerful predictor of happiness.
So, corny as it may be, wake up and say ARG! And then do a quick bit of anticipation, recollection, and gratitude.
All that's fine and dandy. But what do you do once you're out of bed?

2) Savor your morning coffee

 

Take a moment and really enjoy it. Smell it. Taste it. Appreciate it. Corny? Maybe.
But other research shows savoring — appreciating the good moments – is what separates the happiest people from the average Joe.
I imagine some of you are saying, "Well, I don't drink coffee." And please imagine me saying, "That's not the point."
It can be anything you do every morning.
And embedding savoring in our little daily rituals is powerful because studies show rituals matter.

So what other habit can we build into our schedule that boosts joy? How about one that can make you as happy as sex does?

3) Sweat your way to joy
When you study people to see what makes them happiest you get three answers: sex, socializing, and exercise.

Their findings confirm what had been found previously: happiness is high during sex, exercise, or socializing, or while the mind is focused on the here and now, and low during commuting or while the mind is wandering. [Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life]

People who exercise are, across the board, mentally healthier: less depression, anger, stress, and distrust.

A massive Dutch study of 19,288 twins and their families published in 2006 showed that exercisers are less anxious, less depressed, less neurotic, and also more socially outgoing. A Finnish study of 3,403 people in 1999 showed that those who exercise at least two to three times a week experience significantly less depression, anger, stress, and "cynical distrust" than those who exercise less or not at all. [Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain]

Don't like exercise? Then you're doing the wrong kind.
Running, lifting weights, playing any sport… Find something you enjoy that gets you moving.

Okay, time to head to work. What's the best thing to do when you start the day? It's not about you — but it will make you happier.

4) The five minute favor
Who lives to a ripe old age? Not those who get the most help, ironically it's those who give the most help.

And a great way to do that without taking up too much time is Adam Rifkin's "5 Minute Favor":

Every day, do something selfless for someone else that takes under five minutes. The essence of this thing you do should be that it makes a big difference to the person receiving the gift. Usually these favors take the form of an introduction, reference, feedback, or broadcast on social media.

So take five minutes to do something that is minor for you but would provide a big benefit to someone else. It's good karma — and science shows that, in some ways, karma is quite real.
Yes, some who do a lot for others get taken advantage of. But as Adam Grant of Wharton has shown, givers also succeed more:

Then I looked at the other end of the spectrum and said if Givers are at the bottom, who's at the top? Actually, I was really surprised to discover, it's the Givers again. The people who consistently are looking for ways to help others are over-represented not only at the bottom, but also at the top of most success metrics.

Alright, you have to start work for the day. Ugh. But there are ways that work can make you happier too.

5) Life is a game, and so is work
Like the research shows, the happiest people have goals.

In his studies, the psychologist Jonathan Freedman claimed that people with the ability to set objectives for themselves — both short-term and long-term — are happier. The University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson has found that working hard toward a goal and making progress to the point of expecting a goal to be realized don't just activate positive feelings — they also suppress negative emotions such as fear and depression. [Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life]

Many of us feel like work can be boring or annoying but the research shows many of us are actually happier at work than at home. Why?
Challenges. And we reach that state of "flow" only when a challenge presents itself. So how can work make us happier?
Three research-backed things to try:

1. To the degree you can, do things you're good at. We're happier when we exercise our strengths.
2. Make note of your progress. Nothing is more motivating than progress.
3. Make sure to see the results of your work. This gives meaning to most any activity.

Enough work. You've got some free time. But what's the happiest way to use your free time?

6) Friends get appointments too

 

You have mandatory meetings in your schedule but not mandatory time with friends? Absurd.
One study says that as much as 70 percent of happiness comes from your relationships with other people.

Contrary to the belief that happiness is hard to explain, or that it depends on having great wealth, researchers have identified the core factors in a happy life. The primary components are number of friends, closeness of friends, closeness of family, and relationships with co-workers and neighbors. Together these features explain about 70 percent of personal happiness. – Murray and Peacock 1996 [The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People]

Why does church make people so happy? Studies show it has nothing to do with religion — it's about the socializing. It's scheduled friend time.

After examining studies of more than three thousand adults, Chaeyoon Lin and Robert Putnam found that what religion you practice or however close you feel to God makes no difference in your overall life satisfaction. What matters is the number of friends you have in your religious community. Ten is the magic number; if you have that many, you'll be happier. Religious people, in other words, are happier because they feel connected to a community of like-minded people. [The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More]

And if you have the cash, pay for dinner with a friend. Money definitely can make you happier — when you spend it on other people.

By the end of the day, individuals who spent money on others were measurably happier than those who spent money on themselves — even though there were no differences between the groups at the beginning of the day. And it turns out that the amount of money people found in their envelopes — $5 or $20 — had no effect on their happiness at the end of the day. How people spent the money mattered much more than how much of it they got. [Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending]

What's the final thing happy people have in common? They cope with adversity. So what should we do when life gets tough?

7) Find meaning in hard times
Research shows that a happy life and a meaningful life are not necessarily the same thing.
It's hard to be happy when tragedy strikes. But who lives longer and fares better after problems? Those who find benefit in their struggles.

For example, in one study researchers interviewed men who had had heart attacks between the ages of 30 and 60. Those who perceived benefits in the event seven weeks after it happened — for example, believing that they had grown and matured as a result, or revalued home life, or resolved to create less hectic schedules for themselves — were less likely to have recurrences and more likely to be healthy eight years later. In contrast, those who blamed their heart attacks on other people or on their own emotions (e.g., having been too stressed) were now in poorer health. [The How of Happiness]

In many cases, Nietzsche was right: what does not kill us can make us stronger.

A substantial number of people also show intense depression and anxiety after extreme adversity, often to the level of PTSD, but then they grow. In the long run, they arrive at a higher level of psychological functioning than before… In a month, 1,700 people reported at least one of these awful events, and they took our well-being tests as well. To our surprise, individuals who'd experienced one awful event had more intense strengths (and therefore higher well-being) than individuals who had none. Individuals who'd been through two awful events were stronger than individuals who had one, and individuals who had three— raped, tortured, and held captive for example — were stronger than those who had two. [Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being]

So when you face adversity, always ask what you can learn from it.

See that? I took the eight things happy people do and squeezed them into just seven habits. You can thank me later.
Now how do we tie all of these happiness boosters together?

SUM UP
If you want every day to be happier try including these seven things in your schedule:

1. Wake up and say ARG!
2. Savor your morning coffee
3. Sweat your way to joy
4. Do a five minute favor
5. Make work a game
6. Friends get appointments too
7. Find meaning in hard times

We're all quick to say happiness is the most important thing… and then we schedule everything but the things that make us happiest. Huh?
So what's going to make you happy today? Have you thought about it? Is it on your calendar?
Reading happiness information is useless trivia unless you use it and you won't use it unless it's part of your routine.
If happiness is the most important thing then make it the most important thing.

Celebrate .. it's National Ice Cream Day!!

It's National Ice Cream Day!

Here's how to 'healthy up' your favorite frozen treat - Just because it's dessert, doesn't mean it has to be unhealthy. Check out these nutritious additions that are perfect for summer.

 

 

 

Add fresh fruit: If you start with a more neutral base — chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mint chip or pistachio are all great — you can add fresh fruit, which is now at the height of flavor in mid-summer. Adding fresh strawberries to your strawberry cone, or a cascade of berries to chocolate or vanilla ice cream is obvious (and adds few calories, tons of taste, and lots of vitamins and antioxidants to your dessert).

But don't stop there. Try throwing some peaches, nectarines or black plums on the grill once dinner's done and letting them cool a bit before tossing them on top of some vanilla, or adding quickly braised orange chunks to mint chip (chocolate, mint and orange are a super-yum, but not totally obvious combo).

Go nuts: You can turn a bowl of ice cream into a meal if you add nuts and fruit. But even if you just add nuts, you've got a truly nutritious snack. You can try mixing nuts — peanuts and cashews, for example, or swirling nut butters through slightly softened ice cream.

Macadamia nut butter swirled through chocolate ice cream with some blueberries on top? Or how about some crunchy peanut butter scooped into a vanilla caramel swirl? Either way, you're getting the health benefits of nuts — packed with protein and minerals — along with satisfying your sweet tooth.  You could easily make your own with flax, hemp or sesame seeds, which triples the health benefits, bringing omegas and even more protein, as well as additional antioxidants from the seeds.

Double the chocolate: As a dark chocolate aficionado, I rarely go a day without the good stuff, which is filled with antioxidants, isn't highly sugary, and has been shown by a ream of scientific studies to have very real heart-health benefits.

You can melt dark chocolate in a double boiler and pour over your favorite ice cream for a much healthier chocolate sauce (the commercial jarred versions are filled with preservatives, unhealthy oils and other additives), or just break a piece up over whatever flavor you've got on-hand.

Or, do what I do: break off a chunk of chocolate, cover one end with a bit of foil, and use it as your spoon! The coldness of the ice cream means you just get a bit of chocolate with each bite, which means you really get to savor the flavor.