About EngagewithGrace.org

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

Contemplating End-of-Life Dignity

[By Staff Reporters] 

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

According to the website, Engage with Grace, we make choices throughout our lives — where we want to live, what types of activities will fill our days, and with whom we spend our time, etc. These choices are often a balance between our desires and our means, but at the end of the day, they are decisions made with intent.

Somehow when we get close to death, however, we stop making decisions. We get frozen in our tracks and can’t talk about our preferences for end of life care. 

 

 

Death Studies

Studies loom out there — 73% of Americans would prefer to die at home, but anywhere between 20-50% of Americans die in hospital settings. More than 80% of Californians say their loved ones “know exactly” or have a “good idea” of what their wishes would be if they were in a persistent coma, but only 50% say they’ve talked to them about their preferences.

But, end of life experience is about a lot more than statistics. It’s about all of us.

Genesis and Epiphany

In the summer of 2008, Matt Holt (Founder of Health2.0) and Alexandra Drane (President of Eliza) met with some friends for dinner. Over their second cocktail, they got deep into conversation about these very topics. Many of us live with such intent — why do we put the end of our lives in someone else’s control?  Why isn’t this topic a conversation that people are having? How could we help start it? And it hit them — What if we could work together to start a viral movement — a movement focused on improving the end of life experience?  What if we took responsibility for starting a national (even global) discussion that, until now, most of us haven’t had?

Engage With Grace

The One Slide Project was designed with one simple goal: to help get the conversation about end of life experience started. The idea is simple: Create a tool to help get people talking. One Slide, with just five questions on it.  Five questions designed to help get us talking with each other, with our loved ones, about our preferences. And we’re asking people to share this One Slide — wherever and whenever they can… at a presentation, at dinner, at their book club. Just One Slide with five questions to help get all of us talking about death. Just One Slide that we as a community could collectively rally around sharing — in meetings, at a conference, or over a drink.

This is the link to the slide, and this is what we are asking you to do …

Download the One Slide — http://engagewithgrace.org/about/

Share it any time you can — at the end of presentations, at dinner, or at your book club. Think of the slide as currency and donate just two minutes whenever you can. Commit to being able to answer these five questions about end of life experience for yourself and for your loved ones. Then commit to helping others do the same. Get this conversation started.

Assessment

Let’s start a viral movement driven by the change we as individuals can affect …and the incredibly positive impact we could have collectively. Donate just two minutes to adding just this One Slide to the end of your presentations. Get others involved. Help ensure that all of us — and the people we care for — can end our lives in the same purposeful way we live them.

Just One Slide, just one goal. Think of the enormous difference we can make together.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top

-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Product DetailsProduct DetailsProduct Details    

Product DetailsProduct Details

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Estate Planning, Ethics, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Risk Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: , , , , | 28 Comments »

WHAT IS A “CLOSED-END” MUTUAL FUND

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

REVIEW OF OPEN AND CLOSED MUTUAL FUNDS

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

By staff reporters

A closed-end fund (CEF) or closed-ended fund is a collective investment model based on issuing a fixed number of shares which are not redeemable from the fund.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Unlike open-end funds, new shares in a closed-end fund are not created by managers to meet demand from investors. Instead, the shares can be purchased and sold only in the market, which is the original design of the mutual fund, which predates open-end mutual funds but offers the same actively-managed pooled investments.

***

***

TEXTBOOK ORDER: https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Financial-Planning-Strategies-Advisors/dp/1482240289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418580820&sr=8-1&keywords=david+marcinko

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Health Economics, Investing, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

16th NATIONAL: Healthcare Decision Day 2024

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

By Staff Reporters

***

National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is an annual initiative celebrated on April 16th. Its purpose is to inspire, educate, and empower the public and healthcare providers about the importance of advance care planning. NHDD encourages individuals to express their wishes regarding healthcare, and it emphasizes that providers and facilities should respect those wishes, whatever they may be.

Here are some key points about NHDD:

Let’s continue spreading awareness about advance care planning and making informed decisions about our health and well-being.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Subscribe Today

***

***

Filed under: "Advisors Only", "Doctors Only", Estate Planning, Ethics, Experts Invited, Health Law & Policy, LifeStyle | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Investment Adviser v. Mutual Fund Manager

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

“What’s the difference … and why pay fees to both?”

By Rick Kahler MS CFP®

http://www.KahlerFinancial.com

Rick Kahler MS CFPQuestions – from doctors – like these remind me that the workings of the financial services industry which I tend to take for granted but can be confusing to people outside the field.

The following analogy may help to explain.

Orchestra Analogy

Think of an orchestra. The investment adviser is the equivalent of the director/conductor and the money managers are the instrumentalists. Each one is a specialist who plays a particular type of instrument, and it takes a variety of these specialists to make up the orchestra.

Specialists

The broad specialties are the types of instruments, such as strings, brass, winds, and percussion. These are the equivalent of fund managers who specialize in asset classes like equities, bonds, real estate, commodities, and absolute returns.

Sub-Specialists

Within each specialty are a variety of subspecialists. Winds, for example, include clarinets, oboes, and saxophones—which are further divided into alto, soprano, tenor, and bass. The brass section has French horns, trumpets, and trombones. The divisions and sub-divisions go on and on. Similarly, within the various asset classes are a great many mutual fund managers who specialize in narrower subcategories.

Conductor

The task of the orchestra conductor-director is to pick, not just the best musicians, but the best mix of musicians. A group with only trumpets or every subspecialty of percussion, no matter how skilled, isn’t an orchestra. Before auditioning a single musician, the director’s first task is to clarify the purpose of the ensemble being created. A different mix of instruments will be required for a symphony, a marching band, an intimate chamber group, or a dance band. It all depends on what the audience wants.

The conductor-director needs to weigh the various musicians’ abilities against their cost and their specific specialties against the needs of the orchestra. When the right mix of players has been chosen, the director needs to pick the appropriate music, assemble the group, and rehearse. The director’s talent, experience, and leadership skills all serve to help the right players produce the right sound for their audiences.

***

globe

***

It takes similar coordination and skill to put together the right mix of asset classes and mutual fund managers to produce the best results for various clients, especially since there are some 17,000 mutual funds to choose from.

Fees

Just as both the orchestra director and the musicians are paid based on their skills and their work, both mutual fund managers and investment advisers are paid based on the assets they manage. Mutual fund managers earn 0.05% to 3.0%. Financial advisers earn 0.30% to 3.0%. An informed consumer could pay as low as 0.35% while an uninformed consumer could pay up to 6% a year, which would eat up most of the investment returns.

One essential responsibility for an adviser, then, is to choose mutual fund managers whose fees are low.

However, the cost of the mutual fund manager isn’t the be-all and end-all. One must also weigh performance, just as an orchestra director might pay more to get an outstanding musician who would add significant value to the performances.

Example:

For example, my firm’s overall average fee for mutual fund managers is 0.5%. We could get that as low as 0.1%, which might be impressive at first glance.

However, we would give up 0.25% to 1.00% of net return in some areas, resulting in poorer outcomes for the clients.

***

INV_03_15_XMIT.indd

***

Assessment

Skilled direction of an orchestra is obviously more art than science. Skilled coordination of mutual fund managers is the same. Both require knowledge, integrity, and commitment to the quality of the final product.

Channel Surfing the ME-P

Have you visited our other topic channels? Established to facilitate idea exchange and link our community together, the value of these topics is dependent upon your input. Please take a minute to visit. And, to prevent that annoying spam, we ask that you register. It is fast, free and secure.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners(TM)

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Funding Basics, Glossary Terms, Investing | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

DAILY UPDATE: Dental and Digital Health Start-Ups as Stock Markets Collapse Again!

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

***

Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

***

http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

Daily Update Provided By Staff Reporters Since 2007.
How May We Serve You?
© Copyright Institute of Medical Business Advisors, Inc. All rights reserved. 20224

REFER A COLLEAGUE: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/sponsors/

ADVERTISE ON THE ME-P: https://tinyurl.com/ytb5955z

***

Here’s where the major stock market benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500 index fell 61.59 points (1.2%) to 5,061.82; the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 248.13 points (0.7%) to 37,735.11; the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) dropped 290.08 points (1.8%) to 15,885.02.
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) surged almost 12 basis points to 4.618%.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX) rose 1.92 to 19.23.

Interest-rate-sensitive sectors like real estate and utilities were among the weakest performers Monday. Technology shares were also under pressure. The small-cap Russell 2000® Index (RUT) shed 1.4% and ended at a two-month low.

In other markets, the U.S. dollar index (DXY) strengthened for the fourth consecutive trading day and hit its highest level since early November, reflecting expectations rates will stay elevated. Volatility based on the VIX jumped near 19.50, its highest level since late October.

Monday’s session also produced technical damage on the charts of benchmarks like the S&P 500, which closed under its 50-day simple moving average, currently around 5,114, for the first time since early November. The S&P 500 has dropped almost 4% from a record intraday high posted March 28th.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

And, after a tough funding year for digital health startups, the first quarter of 2024 saw a flurry of deals announced—a “positive signal” that the funding landscape is looking up, according to Adriana Krasniansky, head of research at digital health strategy group and venture fund Rock Health’s advisory arm. Overall, the number of digital health funding deals (133) that closed in Q1 was the highest in six quarters, though the average deal size ($20.6 million) was smaller, according to a Rock Health report. Total funding for digital health startups was $2.7 billion, the lowest level since 2019. An increase in the frequency of deals—even if they’re smaller—is a good sign, according to Krasniansky.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/2h47urt5

Dental startup Tend aims to simplify the patient billing process via a partnership with health tech startup Cedar, the companies announced on April 11th, 2024. The US spends roughly $165 billion per year on dental services as of 2022, according to professional organization the American Dental Association—but the payment experience can be “opaque” and “confusing,” Matthew Fitzgerald, chief marketing officer at Tend, told Healthcare Brew. “From the outset, Tend has sought to innovate the dental experience by leveraging technology and hospitality to build a company around the patient,” Tend CEO Troy Bage said in a statement. “By partnering with Cedar, we’ll be able to streamline and simplify the payment process for all our members—further enhancing their overall experience with Tend, while unlocking new ways for us to elevate engagement.”

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE: MarcinkoAdvisors@msns.com

Thank You

***

***

***

***

EDUCATIONAL TEXTBOOKS: https://tinyurl.com/4zdxuuwf

***

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Breaking News, Experts Invited, Financial Planning, Health Economics, Health Insurance, Health Law & Policy, Healthcare Finance, iMBA, Inc., Information Technology, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Recommended Books, Sponsors, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Understanding the Failure to Recognize Mutual Fund Fees

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA

 Going Granular and Deep with Obligatory “Fund Facts”

SPONSOR: http://www.MARCINKOASSOCIATES.com

[By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA CMP™]

DEM blueAn attractive investment and a polished sales pitch can often hide the underlying costs of the investment, leading some medical professionals to give up a significant portion of the long-term growth of their assets to fees. Fees absolutely matter.

In a good market investors have a propensity to ignore them and in challenging markets they are scrutinized, but in the end no matter what type of market we are in fees do make a substantial difference in your long-term investment returns.

Assessing the Worth of the Investment

The first step in assessing the worth of the investment under consideration is figuring out what the fees actually are.  If a medical professional is investing in a mutual fund, these costs are found in mutual fund company’s now obligatory “Fund Facts”.

This manuscript clearly outlines all the fees paid – including upfront fees (or commissions/loads), deferred sales charges, and any switching fees.  Fund management expense ratios are also part of the overall cost of ownership. Trading costs within the mutual fund can also impact performance.

The List of Fees Keep Coming … and Coming!

Here is a list of the traditional fees from investing in a mutual fund:

  • Front end load: It is the commission charged to purchase the fund through a broker or financial advisor. The commission reduces the amount you have available to invest. Thus if you start with $100,000 to invest and the advisor charges a 5 percent front end load, you end up actually investing $95,000.
  • Deferred Sales Charge (DSC) or back end load: Charge imposed if you sell your position in the mutual fund within a pre-specified period of time (normally five years). It is initiated at a higher start percentage (i.e. as high as 10 percent) and declines over a specific period of time.
  • Operating Fees: These are costs charged by the mutual fund including the management fee rewarded to the manager for investment services. It also includes legal, custodial, auditing and marketing.
  • Annual Administration Fee: Many mutual fund companies also charge an additional fee just for administering the account – usually under $150 per year. A 1 percent disparity in fees for a medical professional may not seem like a lot. But fees do make a considerable impact over a longer time period. [For example, a $100,000 portfolio that earns 8 percent before fees, grows to $320,714 after 20 years if the client pays a 2 percent operating fee. In comparison, if the investor opted for a fund that charges a more reasonable 1 percent fee, after 20 years, the portfolio grows to be $386,968 – a divergence of over $66,000! For many investors, this is the value of passive or index investing. In the case of an index fund, fees are generally under 0.5 percent, thus offering even more fee savings over an elongated period of time].

***

  fd9dd41a78cfc9c81d890534ddf26cce

[The Carousel of Fees]

Assessment

Fees and expenses can have significant impact on the performance of your investments. Always monitor the costs of an investment program to ensure that fees and expenses are reasonable for the services provided and are not consuming a disproportionate amount of the investment returns.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners(TM)

Filed under: "Ask-an-Advisor", Accounting, Experts Invited, Financial Advisor Listings, Financial Planning, Investing, Marcinko Associates, Taxation, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: , , , , , | 7 Comments »