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By Michael Christodoulou

Michael Christodoulou
Michael Christodoulou

It’s human nature to want to make things easier for our loved ones — and to have great concern about adding any stress to their lives. In fact, 72% of retirees say that one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their families, according to the Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study. 

How can you address this fear? First, don’t panic. In all the years leading up to your retirement, there’s a lot you can do to help maintain your financial independence and avoid burdening your grown children or other family members. Consider these suggestions:

Increase contributions to your retirement plans and health savings account. The greater your financial resources, the greater your financial independence — and the less likely you would ever burden your family. So, contribute as much as you can afford to your IRA, your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan. At a minimum, put in enough to earn your employer’s matching contributions, if offered, and increase your contributions whenever your salary goes up. You may also want to contribute to a health savings account (HSA), if it’s available.

Invest for growth potential. If you start investing early enough, you’ll have a long time horizon, which means you’ll have the opportunity to take advantage of investments that offer growth potential. So, in all your investment vehicles — IRA, 401(k), HSA and whatever other accounts you may have — try to devote a reasonable percentage of your portfolio to growth-oriented investments, such as stocks and stock-based funds. 

Of course, there are no guarantees and you will undoubtedly see market fluctuations and downturns, but you can help reduce the impact of volatility by holding a diversified portfolio for the long term and periodically rebalancing it to help ensure it is aligned with your risk tolerance and time horizon. Keep in mind, though, that diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market.

Protect yourself from long-term care costs. Even if you invest diligently for decades, your accumulated wealth could be jeopardized, and you could even become somewhat dependent on your family, if you ever need some type of long-term care, such as an extended stay in a nursing home or the services of a home health care aide. The likelihood of your needing such assistance is not insignificant, and the care can be quite expensive. In fact, the median cost for home health services is nearly $55,000 per year, while a private room in a nursing home can exceed $100,000, according to Genworth, an insurance company. To help protect yourself against these steep and rising costs, you may want to contact a financial professional, who can suggest an appropriate strategy, possibly involving various insurance options.

Create your estate plans. If you were ever to become incapacitated, you could end up imposing various burdens on your family. To guard against this possibility, you’ll want to ensure your estate plans contain key documents, such as a financial power of attorney and a health care directive.

It’s safe to say that no one ever wants to become a financial burden to their family. But putting appropriate strategies in place can go a long way toward helping avoid this outcome.

Michael Christodoulou, ChFC®, AAMS®, CRPC®, CRPS® is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones in Stony Brook. Member SIPC.

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By Fr. Francis Pizzarelli

Father Frank Pizzarelli

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost Thanksgiving. The leaves are changing colors and will soon fall to the ground once again covering the earth. As we prepare for this most important American celebration, we have so much to be thankful for.

This brutal pandemic seems to be coming to an end; leaving us with so much death, so much sickness and suffering, but also a powerful reminder that life is fragile and sacred and that we as a people and as a nation are resilient.

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful, to give thanks for our many blessings. It should not be a noun but an action word. In other words, it’s not enough to just say we’re grateful, we need to show our gratitude by our actions.

If we ever needed to come together as a people, it is now. Thanksgiving is a great opportunity for us to build bridges and not walls; for creating a new narrative that is focused on healing and not hatred. It is a time for celebrating our strengths, not harping on our weaknesses.

It is a time to end the vulgar discourse that is infecting and polarizing our political landscape. It is reprehensible when an elected member of Congress stands in that sacred chamber without a mask that metaphorically gives the finger to the elected President of the United States! What has happened to our elected leadership? Have they lost their moral compass and their commitment to lead by example? What are we teaching our children about respect for the dignity of all people, no matter what their political affiliation?

Thanksgiving can be a time for new beginnings. Let us leave all the hatred and venom behind and focus on all the goodness that makes America great today! Professional football player Tom Brady, after a big win, took the time to shake hands with a little nine-year-old boy who is a cancer survivor. What about local students from a youth fellowship who bake cookies on a regular basis and bring them to a local homeless shelter, or the recovering heroin addict who became a social worker and wrote a book about hope and transformation?

Every day there are big and small miracles that are transforming our world. We need to slow down enough in the midst of all of this chaos and take off the blinders.

This Thanksgiving, as you gather with your family and loved ones to give thanks, set an extra plate at your table for that person in our community who might not have a table to sit at. Be grateful this Thanksgiving and remember “it’s not the breaths you take, it’s how you breathe!” (Augie Nieto).

Happy Thanksgiving. I am forever grateful that I live and work among you!

Father Francis Pizzarelli, SMM, LCSW-R, ACSW, DCSW, is the director of Hope House Ministries in Port Jefferson.

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Is there a magic bullet to speed the healing process?

By David Dunaief, M.D.

Dr. David Dunaief

Now that many of us are interacting more fully in society, the common cold is becoming common again this fall.

All of us have suffered from the common cold at some point. Most frequently caused by the notorious human rhinovirus, its effects can range from an annoyance to more serious symptoms that put us out of commission for a week or more.

Amid folklore about remedies, there is evidence that it may be possible to reduce the symptoms — or even reduce the duration — of the common cold with supplements and lifestyle management.

I am frequently asked, “How do I treat this cold?” Below, I will review and discuss the medical literature, separating myth from fact about which supplements may be beneficial and which may not.

Zinc

You may have heard that zinc is an effective way to treat a cold. But what does the medical literature say? The answer is a resounding, YES! According to a meta-analysis that included 13 trials, zinc in any form taken within 24 hours of first symptoms may reduce the duration of a cold by at least one day (1) Even more importantly, zinc may significantly reduce the severity of symptoms throughout the infection, improving quality of life. The results may be due to an anti-inflammatory effect of zinc.

One of the studies, which was published in the Journal of Infectious Disease, found that zinc reduced the duration of the common cold by almost 50 percent from seven days to four days, cough symptoms were reduced by greater than 60 percent and nasal discharge by 33 percent (2). All of these results were statistically significant. Researchers used 13 grams of zinc acetate per lozenge taken three-to-four times daily for four days. This translates into 50-65 mg per day.

There are a few serious concerns with zinc. Note that the dose researchers used was well above the maximum intake recommended by the National Institutes of Health, 40 mg per day for adults. This maximum intake number goes down for those 18 and younger (3). Also, note that the FDA has warned against nasal administration through sprays, which has led to permanent loss of smell in some people.

As for the studies, note that not all studies showed a benefit. Also, all of the studies where there was a proven benefit may have used different formulations, delivery systems and dosages, and there is no current recommendation or consensus on what is optimal.

Vitamin C

According to a review of 29 trials with a combined population of over 11,000, vitamin C did not show any significant benefit in prevention, reduction of symptoms or duration in the general population (4). Thus, there may be no reason to take mega-doses of vitamin C for cold prevention and treatment. However, in a sub-group of serious marathon runners and other athletes, there was substantial risk reduction when taking vitamin C prophylactically; they caught 50 percent fewer colds.

Echinacea

After review of 24 controlled clinical trials, according to the Cochrane Database, the jury is still out on the effectiveness of echinacea for treatment of duration and symptoms, but the results are disappointing presently and, at best, are inconsistent (5). There are no valid randomized clinical trials for cold prevention using echinacea. In a randomized controlled trial with 719 patients, echinacea was no better than placebo for the treatment of the common cold (6).

Exercise

People with colds need rest – at least that was the theory. However, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine may have changed this perception. Participants who did aerobic exercise at least five days per week, versus one or fewer days per week, had a 43 percent reduction in the number of days with colds over two 12-week periods during the fall and winter months (7). Even more interesting is that those who perceived themselves to be highly fit had a 46 percent reduction in number of days with colds compared to those who perceived themselves to have low fitness. The symptoms of colds were reduced significantly as well.

Symptom relief

What do I confidently recommend to my patients? If you have congestion or coughing symptoms with your cold, time-tested symptom relief may help. Sitting in a steamy bathroom, which simulates a medical mist tent, can help. Also, dry heat is your enemy. If your home is dry, use a cool mist humidifier to put some humidity back in the air.

Consuming salt-free soups loaded with vegetables can help increase your nutrient intake and loosen congestion. I start with a sodium-free base and add in spices, onions, spinach, broccoli and other greens until it’s more stew-like than soup-like.

Caffeine-free hot teas will also help loosen congestion and keep you hydrated.

Where does all of this information leave us?

Zinc is potentially of great usefulness the treatment and prevention of the common cold. Use caution with dosing, however, to reduce side effects. Echinacea and vitamin C may or may not provide benefits, but don’t stop taking them if you feel they work for you. And, if you need another reason to exercise, reducing your cold’s duration may a good one. Lastly, for symptom relief, simple home remedies may work better than any supplements.

References:

(1) Open Respir Med J. 2011; 5: 51–58. (2) J Infect Dis. 2008 Mar 15;197(6):795-802. (3) ods.od.nih.gov. (4) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2013, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000980. (5) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000530. (6) Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(12):769-777. (7) British Journal of Sports Medicine 2011;45:987-992.

Dr. David Dunaief is a speaker, author and local lifestyle medicine physician focusing on the integration of medicine, nutrition, fitness and stress management. For further information, visit www.medicalcompassmd.com.

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A farm stand along Sound Avenue in Riverhead with many edible varieties of pumpkins for sale. Photo by Heidi Sutton

By Barbara Beltrami

As far as I can tell it’s the pumpkin pie filling that everyone craves. Since it’s really nothing more than a pudding or custard, why not forget about the crust and go straight to the filling with pumpkin rice pudding, pumpkin-peanut parfait or pumpkin custard? The farm stands still have pumpkins galore and one I stopped at had a sign that said that all pumpkins are edible. So there’s no need to wait till Thanksgiving for your pumpkin fix; grab one or two modest sized ones or pick up a can of pumpkin puree at the supermarket to treat your family or guests to a smooth and creamy pumpkin dessert. 

Pumpkin – Ginger Snap Rice Pudding

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

2 cups water

1 cup arborio rice

3 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups crumbled ginger snaps

8 whole ginger snaps

1/2 pint whipped cream

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large ovenproof saucepan bring the water to a boil; stir in rice, cover and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. In a large bowl whisk together the milk, puree, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Immediately add pumpkin mixture to hot rice; stir well; cover and place saucepan in oven. Bake until liquid is reduced by one third and mixture is bubbly and foamy, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, stir well, transfer to large bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, spoon mixture and crumbled ginger snaps in alternating layers into wine glasses or stemmed dessert dishes; top with whipped cream and garnish with whole gingersnaps. Serve with hot apple cider.

Pumpkin-Peanut Parfait

YIELD: Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

4 cups milk

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups chopped salted peanuts

DIRECTIONS: 

In a medium saucepan combine 3 cups of the milk, puree, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and ginger; whisk to combine then cook  to a simmer over medium-low heat. In a large bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks and remaining cup milk. Whisk half the hot milk-pumpkin mixture into the egg mixture, then transfer back to saucepan and whisk to combine with remaining hot milk mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture boils; continue to cook, still whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. Layering alternately with peanuts, transfer to stemmed glasses, then refrigerate covered, at least two hours.  Serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Custard

YIELD: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS: 

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

12 ounces evaporated skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch salt

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, milk and vanilla. In another large bowl combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Sift sugar mixture into pumpkin mixture; stir until dry ingredients are completely absorbed; pour into 3/4-cup custard dishes. Place custard dishes in 9” x 13” oven dish and fill it with enough hot water to reach halfway up dishes. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until custard is set and top is nicely browned. Transfer custard to wire racks to cool. Serve with crème fraîche.

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A living room in one of the Overbay apartments in Port Jefferson. Photo from the Northwind Group

Throughout the last few weeks, we have been listening to what different candidates have to say when it comes to revitalization and development of our towns. 

One of the biggest taglines of most elected officials is that they “want to keep young people on Long Island.”

That’s great, and young people appreciate the sentiment, but what many don’t realize is the stresses it takes to buy a house in today’s market. 

Most young people — such as postgraduate professionals — would love to buy their own place at 24 or 25. Unfortunately, many cannot and instead choose to rent as a temporary solution.

While there are mother/daughter suites across Long Island, and plenty of accessory apartments that people utilize, legal and illegal, there are other options popping up from Huntington to Selden — larger apartment complexes, such as the ones built and being built alongside local train stations. 

These developments have been instrumental in keeping young people in our area because, in many cases, the couple fall in love with the town and then proceed to buy a house there. The apartments are simply starter homes to give these new working professionals the freedoms they need to grow up.

A big argument that comes out of the development of different areas is that it makes the place “too urban.” While these complexes bring in more people — but not many — they are just adding a bit to an already developed community. 

Take Huntington village or Port Jefferson — these two areas are already considered downtowns. Adding apartments to a place that resembles a small city isn’t completely out of the ordinary. 

Embracing the development where appropriate can be good for our communities. It can help our children and our neighbors start their own lives. It may look a little different than 30 years ago, but this is the new normal.

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Crinkles
Crinkles

This week’s shelter pet is Crinkles, currently up for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. We can not believe this amazing cat ended up as an unclaimed stray! He is insanely outgoing and affectionate. He adores every single person he meets and will dole out kisses like a dog.  

Crinkles has signs of past surgery on his ear and a procedure to prevent urinary blockages, so he was loved very much at some point. He is estimated to be 8 to 10 years young and has so much love to give.

If you would like to meet this handsome boy, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with him in a domestic setting, which includes a Meet and Greet Room. 

The Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Shelter operating hours are currently Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). Call 631-360-7575 or visit www.smithtownanimalshelter.com.

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By Daniel Dunaief

Daniel Dunaief

Have you ever watched someone who was cheering for their team at a sporting event?

Aside from the potential enormous and mindless consumption of calories in the form of hot dogs, chips and beverages, superfans scream at the players, tilt their heads when they want a ball to move in a particular direction, or beg a higher power to help their player outperform people on the other team whose fans are pleading for the opposite outcome.

As fans, we have little control over the result of a game, especially if we’re watching it on television. Sure, home field advantage likely helps some teams and players, as fans urging their favorites on, standing and shouting at the tops of their lungs could inspire athletes to raise their level of play.

But, really, all of that pleading, begging and cheering into the ether or at the blinking lights on our screens gives us the illusion of control, as if we have some way to influence games.

We generally don’t accept or give up control because we like to think that, somewhere, somehow, our wishes, goals and desires mean something to a deity, a guardian angel, or a fairy godmother. To be human is to hope to control the uncontrollable.

Give me the inspiration to pick the right lotto numbers, please! Let me ride the subway with my future spouse. Keep me from hitting the curb on my driver’s test!

Millions of Americans sit each night with a remote control in their hands, surfing channels, changing the volume and traveling, without getting up from the couch, from a program about ospreys to a fictional story about a female secretary of state who becomes an embattled president. We sometimes revel in the excitement that comes at the point that teeters between control and a lack of control. When we’re young, we ride a bike with both hands. At some point, we take one hand off the bike. Eventually, we learn to balance the bike with no hands, as we glide down the street with our hands on our hips or across our chest.

In our entertainment, we imagine people who have higher levels of control, like wizards with wands or superheroes who use the force to move objects.

When we become parents, we realize the unbelievable joy and fear that comes from trying to control/ help/ protect and direct the uncontrollable.

When our children are in their infancy, we might determine where they go and what they wear, but we generally can’t control the noises they make, even by finding and replacing their pacifiers. These noises are their way of preparing us for the limited control we have as they age.

They make numerous choices, some of which we feel might not be in their longer term best interest. We can see the bigger picture, which can be as simple as recognizing that taking eight classes while working part time at night and joining the marching band is likely creating an  unsustainable schedule. We know how important the basics — sleeping, eating, exercising — are to their lives, even if they make impulse driven choices.

One of the hardest parts of parenting may be knowing when to give them the space and opportunity to make decisions for themselves and to encourage them to learn from their choices.

Parents are lifetime fans of their children, supporting and encouraging them, leaning to the left to keep a ball in play, to the right to keep it out of a goal, or higher when we want their voices to hit the highest notes in their range during a performance of “West Side Story.”

It’s no wonder so many parents are exhausted and exhilarated after a big moment in their children’s lives: we might not have done anything but sit in a seat and clap our hands, but we tried, from a distance and in our own way, to control the uncontrollable.

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By Leah S. Dunaief

Leah Dunaief

One hundred years ago, it was the “Roaring Twenties.”

The Flappers were the icons then. They were women who shortened their skirts and shortened their hair. They wore makeup and looser clothing, smoked cigarettes in public, drank alcohol, drove cars, and otherwise reveled in what would have been considered unacceptable behavior in the past.

Oh, and then there was a more liberal attitude toward sexual behavior. It was, in a couple of words, more relaxed. Or so they say.

It seemed that after the carnage and sacrifices of World War I, the goal was to have fun. The Great War had dramatically changed lives, bringing women for the first time into the factories to replace the men, forcing them to manage the farms, making them the breadwinners on a national scale. They won the right to vote. When the men returned, they carried with them from across the Atlantic some of European culture and broader horizons.

It was a time of positivity, of innovation. A key word was “Modern.” Labor saving devices were invented, like the washing machine and vacuum cleaner. The radio came into its own and into living rooms. Thanks to the Ford Model T at $260 in 1924, cars became affordable, offering more freedoms. Credit became cheap, and the economy surged. Presidents Harding and Coolidge issued tax cuts; the stock market took off; people flocked to the cities where they drank, danced new dances, thrilled to jazz and partied. With prohibition came the bootleggers, making it all more exciting. This also gave birth to organized crime figures like Chicago’s Al Capone. By the end of the decade, it was estimated that three-quarters of Americans went to the movies every week. F. Scott Fitzgerald chronicled the decade in his novels.

Life was not all fun, however. An anti-Communist “Red Scare” gave rise to nativism and anti-immigration movements. Quotas were set that limited Eastern Europeans and Asians in favor of Northern Europeans and Brits. The Great Migration of African Americans from the Southern countryside to Northern cities was seen as a threat and gave a couple of million people impetus to join the Ku Klux Klan by the middle of the decade. Discriminatory hiring and housing practices led to urban ghettos. The horrific Tulsa Race Massacre took place in 1921. The NAACP moved into higher gear. Finally, in 1928, the first African American congressman since Reconstruction was elected to the House from Chicago.

There was what historians call a “cultural Civil War” as well. This consisted of city-dwellers versus small town residents, Protestants versus Catholics, Blacks versus whites and “New Women” versus those with old-fashioned family values.

Many of these themes are repeated a century later. Women, of course, are still working toward a more equitable playing field in the workplace and in politics. Our society has become more liberal, embracing gay marriage, for example, and health care reform. Connectivity, thanks to the internet and social media, defines us in a much more sophisticated, two-way fashion than the radio did. And technology innovation advances at a faster speed than most of us can catch up. Just as the assembly line revolutionized the production of cars, electrically powered self-driving vehicles are taking to the road. While indoor plumbing was replacing outhouses, today’s toilets can be connected to the internet and send up-to-the-minute diagnostic urine samples to physicians.

Just as there were threats then, we see them now. Will artificial intelligence or AI put those with lower skills out of work? There are still outcries against immigrants, attributing fears to them from COVID to taking away jobs. Climate change is a more powerful catalyst for environmental protection than Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir. The stock market and the economy have reached unimaginable heights. And while nationalist groups are longing for the imagined glorious past, activists are working toward national ideals that have never quite been realized.

We are just emerging from a kind of world war a century later, the villainous COVID-19 pandemic. How will our decade be named?

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By Nancy Burner, Esq.

Nancy Burner, Esq.

Couples who are both U.S. citizens receive the benefit of the unlimited marital deduction on federal estate and gift taxes. The idea is that the surviving spouse pays any estate tax at their death.

In contrast, transfers from a U.S. citizen to a non-citizen spouse do not enjoy this benefit. The IRS figures they may return home to their own countries and avoid U.S. estates taxes at their death. Instead, lifetime transfers to non-citizen spouse are only tax-free up to the annual exclusion amount –$159,000.00 in 2021.

Remember, with the current high federal estate tax exemption, a U.S. citizen can gift up to $11.7 million dollars during their lifetime or at their death to anyone, including a non-citizen spouse. But, for high net worth international couples or those planning for when the estate tax exemption is lowered, a Qualified Domestic Trust (“QDOT”) is as an exception to this rule.

A QDOT allows the marital deduction for property passing to a non-citizen surviving spouse. It does not avoid estate tax, just defers it until the surviving spouse’s death. The overall purpose is to ensure that the IRS will eventually be able to tax property for which a marital deduction is claimed.

The requirement that the surviving spouse place property in a QDOT ensures that if the marital deduction is allowed, the property will still ultimately be subject to death tax.

A QDOT, like a qualified terminable interest property trust (“QTIP”), mandates that all income be paid to the surviving spouse and that no other person have an interest in the trust during their lifetime. However, QDOTs have additional requirements and limitations, such as:

• At least one Trustee must be a domestic corporation or a U.S. citizen.

• The trust must be subject to and administered under the laws of a particular state or the District of Columbia.

• Property placed in the QDOT must pass from the decedent to the surviving spouse in a form that would have qualified for the marital deduction if the surviving spouse was a U.S. citizen.

• The trustee must have the right to withhold the estate tax and pay it to the IRS.

The IRS imposes different security requirements depending on if the assets in the trust exceed $2 million dollars, whether the trustee is a U.S. Bank, and what percentage of the trust property is located within the United States. These requirements ensure the IRS get its due on the surviving spouse’s death.

A QDOT can even be set up after the U.S. Citizen spouse passes away. A trust created for the spouse which fails to meet all of the requirements can be amended to qualify as a QDOT. Additionally, under certain circumstances, an executor can, with the permission of the surviving spouse, make an irrevocable election to a QDOT.

A QDOT would not be needed if the surviving spouse becomes a U.S. citizen before the deceased spouse’s estate tax return is filed. This is usually nine months from date of death, but can be extended six months. Multinational spouses should seek out an experienced estate planning attorney, as the rules are complex and always changing.

Nancy Burner, Esq. practices elder law and estate planning from her East Setauket office. Visit www.burnerlaw.com.

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