Verse of the Week

Howe to get started investing in your 30s

Hey Taylor - I’m 34 and I’ve never really invested before I’m still paying off student loans but know I need to start saving for retirement

Taylor Kovar

Any suggestions?

- Monique

Hey Monique - Glad you’re looking ahead! It’s hard to save for the future when you’re still paying off debt, but it’s always smart if you can do both It will take a lot of patience, but it will be worth it in the end

To start, you need to make sure you stay aggressive on those student loans When the debt is gone, it frees you up to do so much more with your money Make sure to pay down the balances with the highest APR first so you don’t keep getting hammered by interest forever

Of course, I’d love if you were able to contribute to a retirement account at the same time as you pay down debt It might not be feasible at first, but getting yourself to a place where you can do both will be hugely beneficial down the road Every extra year you have money growing in an investment account makes a big difference when it comes time to retire and live off those funds, so even starting with a small amount of money will be helpful

If possible, open your own IRA In a recent article on GoFarWithKovarcom, I talk about how people, especially millennials with limited investment capital, should use Roth IRAs retirement funds becau flexibility I prefer an I employer-sponsored 40 because of performanc hidden fees some 401( managers sneak in, but you have a retirement a through your work than account at all You can y roll that 401(k) into an IRA later

You can also handle your own investing through the stock market if that appeals to you Save up a few hundred dollars so the trading fee doesn’t eat up too big a percentage of your purchase (or use the Robinhood investing app since trades on it are free) and then buy shares of a company you like There are more complicated ways to approach stock trading, but investing in businesses you love is usually the most effective

Taylor Kovar, CEO of Kovar Capital Read more about Taylor at GoFarWithKovar com

Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies

Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar com, or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901

Thank you from Howe 8u Bulldogs

Living with children

My recent column pertaining to a 12-year-old who told his parents he’d thought about suicide several times over the past six months stirred a fair number of folks to respond Feelings toward the column ranged from

“many thanks” to “how interesting” to fear and loathing

Said pre-teen was obviously welladjusted He enjoys several good friendships, displays no signs of depression or anxiety, and is not “problematic” in any way A child who shares with his parents that he’s thought about suicide is likely to tell his parents if suicidal thoughts worsen In my experienced estimation and using guidelines published online by the likes of the Mayo Clinic, the boy is not at any significant risk of taking his life He simply thought about suicide

Most if not all of today’s pre-teens and teens have thought about suicide Beginning in middle school, kids attend talks on suicide; before high school graduation, most kids know the name of a peer who has taken his or her own life In and of themselves, such thoughts are not necessarily cause for alarm Thinking about what it would be like to commit suicide is not the same as seriously considering suicide In other words, not all suicidal thoughts are equal They are certainly worth assessing and addressing, which is what said youngster’s parents were asking help with

Some respondents chided me for not recommending that the boy see a therapist According to an article from Stanford Children’s Health, the strongest risk factors for teen suicide are depression, drug abuse, and persistent aggressive or disruptive behaviors The child in question did not come close to exhibiting any significant risk factor, so I disagree that he should see a professional

Besides, therapy with a young person is a dicey proposition The first question to be asked is, “Which therapist?” Lots of parents have reported to me that their kids’ emotional and behavioral states worsened considerably after they began seeing therapists Not all therapists are equal Besides, many kids who commit or attempt suicide are seeing mental health professionals. It would be nice to think that therapy is a one-sizefits-all solution for kids with suicidal ideation, but it’s not Indeed, certain forms of therapy have been found to be helpful on average, but again, mere “thoughts” of suicide in an otherwise well-adjusted youngster are not reason enough to take said child to a therapist They are reason to keep a sharp eye open, but not to jump to apocalyptic conclusions

Most of my respondents – the upset ones – said I should have recommended that the boy begin taking anti-depressant medication Unfortunately, a young person who begins seeing a therapist for thoughts of suicide is likely to end up taking one or more of several psychiatric medications; the problem being that several studies have shown that the medications in question may actually increase the risk of suicide, especially in children and teens

Some respondents were very appreciative of my advice One heartbroken father whose teenage son committed suicide while seeing a therapist and taking medication asked me to warn my readers of the medication-therapysuicide relationship. The mom of a pre-teen put on medication told me she is convinced that the medication caused her son’s depression and suicidal ideation When she stopped giving him drugs, he stopped thinking about committing suicide At this point, I’d say the medication-suicide relationship is not conclusive but nonetheless strong enough to warrant significant caution –precisely what the FDA pointed out several years ago

Correlations don’t prove cause, but worth pondering is the FACT that as the rate of teens seeing therapists and taking psychiatric medications has increased exponentially, so has the child and teen suicide rate

Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond com, parentguru com

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society

Independent Bank, Van's Transport, Britton Brooks - Attorney at Law, Greener Earth Tree Service, Cowboys BBQ, Douglas Floral, Mom's Bakery, Frosted Shoppe, A1 Dog Grooming, JD Welding, Ron's Roadside Repair, Slaughter Septic, HGP Trucking, Howe Sonic, Billingsley Construction, Nash Enterprise, Scoggins Funeral Home, Torque Plumbing, Tricounty Drywall, Murley Plumbing, Wire Solutions, Inc, Infinity Mechanical, Dungan's Floors, Elysian Hospice, TheraCare Home Health