Matthew D. Lynch, Product Manager Voya Financial Lifeline, Phone: 866-906-1362 option #2, Email: FinancialLifeline@voya.com, http://financiallifeline.voya.com

Real estate agents justify their commissions by obtaining sellers the best price for a property within a reasonable timeframe. They do so by using their experience to properly price the home and by using effective marketing and sales strategies. While it can be cost-effective to use a professional agent, approximately 10% of all homes in the U.S. are sold directly by owners who want to avoid paying real estate agent commissions.

Selling your home without an agent will most certainly involve extra time and effort, but the savings can be substantial. Decide what improvements or repairs are needed before putting your home on the market. A pre-listing home inspection can help to identify various problem areas early on, before the buyer’s inspection, which could potentially jeopardize the sale. Increase the likelihood of a quick sale by thoroughly cleaning the house, storing personal photos, adding a fresh coat of paint and making the landscaping more attractive. Sometimes updating bathroom fixtures or refinishing hardwood floors can be inexpensive investments that pay off.

Determine an optimal listing price. Start by researching recent sales of comparable properties. A professional appraiser can be helpful by providing an objective evaluation if you feel that you or family members are too emotionally attached to the home to set a reasonable price. If a property is improperly priced, it can sit on the market for far too long; and buyers may shy away from it, wondering why it hasn’t sold. Continually monitor home sales and new listings in your neighborhood and be prepared to adjust your price.

Hire a professional photographer to create an online “tour” of your home. Even if you choose the “for sale by owner” route, you can list your home on the real estate Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for a fee by using sites such as forsalebyowner.com and fsbo.com.

Advertise on Facebook, Twitter, and Craigslist and send flyers to neighbors. Post a professional “For Sale” sign and schedule open houses to attract potential buyers, making sure that you follow up with all interested parties.

Purchase a lockbox at a hardware store so that buyers’ agents can show the property while you are out. Be prepared to have the home clean and available for showing, with pets elsewhere, on weekends and after work on weekdays, as well as other times, often on short notice. Some buyers are uncomfortable when the homeowner is present during the showing; the buyer’s agent should give you ample time to leave the premises.

While handling the sale of your property yourself may save you the selling agent’s commission, don’t expect agents to bring prospective buyers to your door unless you agree to pay the share of the commission that customarily is earned by a buyer’s real estate agent. Even if you do save money on the real estate agent’s commission, you may need to pay an attorney and/or escrow agent to handle the paperwork and closing process. Remember, while you may have emotional ties to your home, it is ultimately a business transaction in which you are trying to get the biggest return on your investment.

Spring 2018 • Life Matters Newsletter • Volume 25, Number 1

Greetings from New England! Finally, we can now officially say it is spring, which should mean flowers are starting to bloom and windows can be opened. And I say it every year; thankfully my kids can now play outside again!

In addition to the kiddos getting some much needed outdoor exercise, so does our 100 pound Rottweiler, Kallie. Kallie is our third child, most of the time needing as much attention and lap time as my son or daughter. As many of you pet owners know, dogs (and cats) provide loyalty, companionship and company. According to some studies, dogs can decrease levels of human loneliness and even help your body release a relaxation hormone (that is when they aren’t “asking” for the last piece of pizza!).

When it comes to deciding which dogs or cats make the best future pets, it really does depend on your lifestyle and the environment in which you live. When it comes to your financial future, partnering with the Voya Financial Lifeline program can provide stability and comfort.

Voya Life Matters2 Wedding gift protocol2 Living with less 3 Lessons from Joe Wilson,

Xerox’s inspiring CEO 4 Stand up straight

SM

For sale by owner

Living with lessWedding gift protocol

Temporary phone numbers

For most of us, it is overwhelming to face the task of decluttering and organizing crowded closets, file cabinets and drawers. Too often, the process takes the form of purchasing storage boxes, file folders and plastic bins and moving the items to new containers.

A different approach is proposed by Maria Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant who published the bestselling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. Rather than attempting to organize, Kondo recommends minimizing – simply getting rid of things that aren’t essential to your life or that no longer give you joy.

Attack one large task at a time. If you put all of your clothes into one big pile, you can visualize how much you own and what is extraneous. Pare down clothing, shoes, jewelry and handbags, keeping essential items that you truly use and enjoy. Only keep those things that you love, and sell or give away the rest for someone else to enjoy.

Once the closet is clean, tackle the desk, bookshelves, kitchen pantry, etc. Your goal is to do a major purge once and then make it a point not to acquire so many things in the future. Technology enables us to scan important papers, and take photos of kids’ artwork or sentimental items and then store these images on a computer or display them in a digital photo frame. It is no longer necessary to retain stacks of magazines with recipes or travel articles, as all of this information is available online.

If you are invited to a wedding but cannot attend, are you still obligated to send a gift?

By definition, a gift is something given willingly. You should never feel compelled to give a gift, whether or not you are attending the event. However, it is customary for wedding attendees to give the bride and groom a thoughtful present that is within your budget.

In the past, traditional wedding etiquette held that anyone invited to the wedding should send a gift. However, the thinking has changed, and current protocol is that it is not necessary to send a gift if you are not attending the wedding.

Depending on your relationship with the couple and your personal financial situation, a small gift from the wedding registry or something meaningful to the bride and groom would still be appropriate, even if you won’t be in attendance. It can also be sufficient to send a card with a congratulatory note, stating that you will celebrate with them in person when you next get together.

A temporary phone number or disposable phone may come in handy when you don’t want to provide your day-to-day phone number to strangers. This is particularly helpful if you want to retain privacy when you are selling something online, meeting a new acquaintance via social networks, or if you want to avoid follow-up calls such as when giving a number to a business.

There are various options for creating an alternate number. For example, web-based services like tossabledigits.com permit you to activate a new virtual phone number that is then forwarded to your mobile phone or landline. This service offers features such as text messaging, caller ID and voice mail. Other servers include mightycall.com and freedomvoice.com.

Additionally, apps such as Burner, Text One and Google Voice enable you use your smartphone to create a temporary number that expires after a certain number of contracted days. Another option is to buy a prepaid cell phone and purchase extra minutes as you need them.

Read the fine print on the contract and examine the privacy policy before signing up for any app or service.

Try not to feel guilt over giving away items that were gifts or that belonged to a loved one. Removing things that we don’t really need frees up space and allows us to cherish those precious items that we do decide to keep.

Lessons from LuminariesJoe Wilson’s leadership style transformed a small family firm into Xerox

Joseph (Joe) Wilson was born and raised in Rochester, New York, a city then dominated by Kodak. His father had been the city’s mayor, and his grandfather was the founder of Haloid Corporation, a mid-sized manufacturer of photographic paper. After graduating as a Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Rochester and earning an MBA from Harvard, Wilson began working at his grandfather’s company.

After the end of World War II, Haloid faced a crisis when military and government orders for Haloid’s photographic paper dried up. Wilson, then president of Haloid, bought the rights to a newly-patented technology that he thought could be used to produce clean, odor-free exact copies of any document on ordinary dry paper.

The effort to turn the concept into a commercially-viable product took years of extensive research and development work. Other businesses Wilson approached to partner with his firm, such as IBM, declined his overtures. Yet Wilson was determined, and with a marketable product approaching fruition he renamed the company Xerox, derived from the Greek word for “dry writing.”

In 1959, Wilson introduced the Xerox 914 copier. The Xerox machine was hailed by large and small businesses which had previously resorted to hiring typists to reproduce documents.

The company’s sales surged from $30 million a year to $380 million just six years later. Wilson’s leadership style extended far beyond product development. He fostered a climate that encouraged input from all levels of the company, and he directed that savings from cost-cutting measures he channeled into more research. As a result of an employee’s suggestion, the company’s innovative pricing scheme, involving renting rather than selling the copiers, made the first Xerox machines affordable, encouraging their widespread use.

In 1966, the publicity-shy Wilson stepped down as CEO of Xerox to devote time to social causes. Among other activities, he served on New York Governor Rockefeller’s committee to provide fair delivery of medical care to New York residents, and later was Chair of a Presidential Committee on Health Education. He also encouraged technology companies to act responsibly and to give back to the communities where they were located. Joe Wilson died of a heart attack in 1971, at age 61, survived by his wife, six children and a world awash in “Xerox copies.”

The lessons: 1) Be willing to make changes in order to adapt to circumstances.

2) Have the courage to do what is right, regardless of the current mindset.

3) Recognize that many others have good — sometimes great — ideas and they may need a partner to help the idea flourish.

4) Each of us can give something back to our communities to make the world a better place.

Quick cash for splurgingWhat if you came into some extra cash so that you could splurge on a fancy dinner, expensive theater tickets or a round of golf? These expenses may not be in your weekly budget, but consider the following options for quick ways to make some money to use for such fun activities.

Sell your unworn shoes, old electronics or that bicycle taking up garage space on online websites such as eBay, Craigslist, Shopify and Facebook Swap Room. These platforms provide a large audience for selling new and gently used items, but if you prefer immediate cash, look for local consignment shops that pay up-front.

Gold and silver jewelry and coins can be quite valuable, but don’t expect to get paid the “spot” commodity prices that are quoted daily in newspapers. Go to a coin show to check out several dealers at one venue. It makes sense to seek appraisals for designer jewelry or rare coins as these may be more valuable than you thought.

In addition to selling possessions, look for part-time work that doesn’t require a long-term commitment. You may find a caterer who is looking for some extra hands setting up, serving or cleaning after parties on busy spring weekends. Enroll as a driver for Uber or Lyft, and earn from $8 - $20 per hour after expenses, depending on your location and the demand for drivers. You can usually choose the work hours that are convenient for you. Consider babysitting, house-sitting and dog walking as other short-term income options.

Eship# 3051854.V.C © 2018 Voya Services Company. All rights reserved.

Provided courtesy of Voya Financial Lifeline – proudly serving our customers

This complimentary Advice & Counsel Newsletter is provided as a service to Voya Financial Lifeline customers. While Voya Financial Lifeline is proud to offer this service to Voya customers, we do not take responsibility for materials published herein. We do not independently verify this information, nor do we guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Please contact Voya Financial Lifeline’s customer service team at (800) 625-7440 for specific questions about your account. Thank you for being our valued customer. Advice & Counsel Newsletter is published by Advice Publications LLC, c/o AdviceCo, 2330 Marinship Way, Sausalito, CA 94965. (415) 339-6510. Publish@AdvicePublications.com. The articles abstracted and this newsletter are for general informational purposes only and not intended as professional legal, financial or tax advice. You should consult with a knowledgeable professional for your personal situation

Sources used in this issue include: Bankrate.com, US News & World Report, Forsalebyowner.com, Washington Post, Zillow, Seattle Times, ADDitude magazine, Brides.com, Theknot.com, Emilypost.com, Southern Living, Real Simple, Time magazine, Vogue, USA Today, Refinery29.com, Forbes, Entrepreneur magazine, Washington Post, ZDNet.com, CBS Moneywatch, Techcrunch.com, CNET, PBS, Xerox.com, Investor’s Business Daily, New York Times, Livestrong.com, Harvard Medical School, Huffington Post, Mayo Clinic, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Atlantichealth.org, Cooking Light, Business Insider, ABC News.

Super bowl of foodFast food customers are ditching their plates for the convenience and versatility of all-in-one meal bowls that permit them to customize their meal with a variety of ingredients. Restaurants are offering bowls that include grains, vegetables, tofu and meats; Hawaiian-inspired Poké (pronounced POH-kay) that features marinated raw cubed seafood over rice; or even blended frozen tropical fruit bowls. Combining multiple ingredients such as ramen noodles, taco meat, chicken, vegetables, or salad ingredients revives the tradition of a one-pot casserole.

Whether ordering out or making bowls at home, choose your ingredients with an eye on nutrition, and include whole grains and lean protein in hearty dishes, or blend baby spinach or kale along with frozen fruit in a sweet bowl. Avoid high-calorie toppings such as sugary granola, dried fruit or calorie-laden dressings in favor of pumpkin seeds and fresh fruit. Add spices such as chili powder and lime to grilled vegetables, chickpeas and cheese, or top cooked quinoa with a poached egg and avocado. It’s fun to experiment, and the flavor possibilities are endless.

Get it straightMom likely said to you as a child, “Sit up straight!” Most children ignore such admonitions; but it should come as no surprise that your mother was right. Proper posture and balance can actually provide health benefits, while slouching has been shown to have negative health effects.

Good posture can help to avoid pain, prevent muscle fatigue and strain while helping you to feel better overall. Maintaining proper posture lowers the risk of abnormal stress and wear and tear on the joints. Being upright opens airways to assist in optimal breathing patterns that maximize oxygen flow throughout the body.

A body out of balance can increase the force exerted on joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Results from a large study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that persons with hyperkyphotic posture – hunching over with rounded shoulders and the head pitched forward – were possibly at greater risk of an earlier death compared to those with proper posture. Additional studies have shown that poor posture can impact coordination and balance, possibly increasing the risk of falls; and it is even speculated that increased pressure on the heart from improper posture impacts blood flow.

The good news is that poor posture is usually correctable. Doing targeted exercises for just 10 minutes a day can greatly improve balance and posture. For instance, stand against a wall and try to raise your hands along the wall with arms outstretched. Try also to maintain balance when lifting one foot off the floor for at least 20 seconds without wobbling. Regularly check your posture in a mirror, making sure that your chin is parallel to the floor with your shoulders straight across and hips and body weight distributed evenly on both feet. When sitting, keep your feet pointed straight ahead.

Consult a physical therapist, fitness trainer or health care professional for a workout regimen that is balance-specific and develops core strength. No matter what your age, postural improvement is possible.