Women and Finance

Recently, a younger Facebook friend ranted about an older woman in one of her community college classes, who was in school because she had to go to work to support herself after becoming a widow. This woman was old enough to be on social security – and her problem occurred when her husband passed away, she learned there was no savings, and his social security for her would be cut. My young friend was angry at the woman for not planning in advance with her husband for a possible bleak future without him, and receiving social security even though she never worked outside their home.

I bit my tongue on this one – and curbed the urge to let the young lady have it with both barrels. But I’ve been thinking about this all week and decided I need to spout in one form or another on the topic. So dear readers – you lucked out! I’m spouting on my blog.

My own generation (the same as my young friend’s mother), has had the opportunity to learn from the generations of women before us.  My grandparents were married for 70+ years, passed away within months of each other. My grandfather planned carefully and saved all he could so they could live comfortably after he retired. He also had 2 pensions and social security. My grandmother never worked outside the home. Grandma never had to worry about finances, but she always had a hand in planning the family finances. My parents have also saved over the years, and I believe their standard of living actually improved when they retired. Yes, my mother worked a job outside the home. She didn’t make a lot of money, but contributed all the same. Finances are arranged so that Dad’s not worried about Mom should he go first.

I have been fortunate though, to see the alternative to that life. A mother-in-law passed away in her late 50s, penniless. Her standard of living was nowhere near what my parents had, and when she died, she was lucky to have life insurance through her employer that paid for her funeral. Had she lived past retirement age, she would have probably had to continue to work.  Another – the second wife of the same father-in-law – discovered after her husband died that he had closed out all of the savings and cashed in his life insurance years before he died. All she had was a little social security and her part-time job. She lives in subsidized elderly housing now. Just like the woman mentioned at the beginning of this blog – she counted on her husband to take care of her.

Women in previous generations didn’t have the kind of resources of my generation or those coming behind me. In most cases, women were expected to be homemakers and to trust their husband would provide for them, even after he was gone. The average married woman will find herself widowed at 56 (my family beats those odds…), and can expect to live another 27 years (yes, we tend to beat that one too).  The reality is this: (and this is why I find myself fortunate) if we don’t take an active part in our financial planning, we can suffer the consequences.  At 50, chances are pretty good that I won’t remarry. I realize this, and I’m not expecting Prince Charming to come along and rescue me. I started planning for my future some time ago. Granted, with only one income, I don’t imagine that I will live as comfortably as my parents, but I won’t be penniless and living in government housing if I have any say in the matter. And my children won’t have to worry about supporting me in my old age.

I hope not to be in the situation that I have to work until the day I die – provided I live as long as my ancestors. We’re a long-lived bunch. I also want to enjoy retirement – and not retire just to sit around and count days.  And I hope my kids are learning from these things as well – and paying close attention. When they are ready to retire – we may not even have social security. Heck, at the rate things are going, I may not have it when I’m ready to retire. Plan, prepare, save… now. The earlier you start, the easier it is. And always remember – don’t expect someone to take care of these things for you. Things don’t always work out the way we want.

Live Music is Alive and Well in the Quad-Cities

Last weekend I saw more proof than ever that we have a hot music scene right here in the Quad-cities. Although I’ve been hearing rumblings to the contrary from some quarters, I witnessed some really cool and busy events with my own eyes. I wish I could have been everywhere, but I’m only one person, and really want to spend enough time at each location to really get a feel for what is going on. Not only that… but this old gal sometimes needs her sleep too!

There were so many cool locations to choose from, and so little time, so I headed out both Friday and Saturday night. Unfortunately for those on the Illinois side of the river, there was so much to see on the Iowa side, I never made it across a bridge. I started out early Friday evening at the River Music Experience. Although I had previously considered attending the Toasters concert upstairs in the Redstone Room, I knew I wanted to check out a bunch of young blues musicians who were playing downstairs on the Community Stage. Besides – who can turn down a free show? The band downstairs was The Harris Collection. I hear they’re all related, except for one member. And when I say young, well, everyone is young to me. When they played their opening number, I was absolutely drawn in. Yes, the camera came out. So did the camcorder (with their permission).  For an up-and-coming band, they were beyond expectations. I wouldn’t say they were up-and-coming, I would say they’ve arrived. If you like blues, you really owe it to yourself to see these guys. They’re that good. I would also like to mention that Mojo’s was packed for this show. The Harris Collection drew in quite the mix of people – some of whom I’m sure had arrived for the Toasters concert and stopped downstairs when they heard the crazy awesome music coming from Mojos.  I reluctantly left after only one set, as I had another stop to make that night.

I moved on to The Muddy Waters in downtown Bettendorf, one of my favorite stops for blues. Yes, Friday was definitely a blues kind of night. The local blues band Serious Business had been recommended. Serious Business consists of John, Johnny and Lyle Pena, Ron LaPuma and Perry Hultgren. They put on a good blues show – for a packed and rowdy house.

Saturday night I started out back at the Muddy Waters. A band called Schitzengigles was playing. This band was suggested by not one but two people… and I thought what the heck, with a name like that it will probably be a rowdy good time! Schitzengigles is a good band, with a solid sound, but not blues (which is what I’m used to hearing at Muddy’s) and not nearly as rowdy as I expected. From the size of the crowd at Muddy’s (even bigger than the crowd the night before), I would say they have a great following! After a set, I wandered out of The Muddy Waters and headed down the street for a stop at Purgatory’s Pub.

At Purgatory’s I found a band playing in the dark (well, nearly). Conspiracy Theory was playing by the light of four small stage lights … and the reading lights attached to the top of a couple of music stands. It was definitely too dark for my cameras in there! But they had a good crowd, and all seemed to be having a good time.

I left Purgatory’s before Conspiracy Theory finished their set. I was looking for something and hadn’t quite found it. A short drive to the Village of East Davenport led me to Bleyart’s tap and…

…Justin. Morrissey. Apparently I was looking for acoustic music Saturday night, because I kicked back and enjoyed the heck out of his acoustic set. I even got out the camera and snapped a few shots – though Justin’s face was hidden under a hat and behind the microphone (and his harmonica) for most of the set.

Upcoming, we have a full weekend (especially Saturday night!) of music in the Quad-Cities. Friday night is another opportunity to check out The Harris Collection, as they are doing a 9-1 show at the Brady Street Pub. Or, if you like the sound of brass… check out the horn-driven sound of Secret Squirrel. They’re going to be at Fargo in Moline Friday night.

Saturday night, I’ll be at Tim’s Corner Tap. Steve McFate is hosting an acoustic jam session. Expect to see some of the QC’s finest musicians jamming with Steve. I’m even looking forward to singing a song or two. There might be a surprise guest. We never know who will turn up when Steve is hosting a jam.

If there’s time, I would like to stop by the RME. Our local blues band gone international, The Candymakers, is holding their CD release party Saturday night in the Redstone Room.

There are plenty of other opportunities as well. My pals Wicked Nature will be rocking the house at Purgatory’s in Bettendorf, Rootless Experience is putting on a show at the Eagles Lodge on west Locust street, Danika Holmes is playing the Grape Life (there’s nothing like kicking back on a couch with good wine and enjoying good music) and Cosmic will be playing the Mound Street Landing. There are plenty more shows going on – check out your local bar on Facebook, or check out the event calendars in our papers or online. Support your Local Live Music Scene… because it’s sizzling hot!

The Little Things

I haven’t forgotten the small business owners who have been following my business continuity series!

Overwhelmed yet with the whole planning thing? Wondering how long it will take to put those plans together? What can be done in the meantime? Here are a couple of easy tasks that can mean a lot for a business in an emergency.

The first task is all about communication. Who is contacted and for what purpose? Make a list: go through email contacts, the rolodex and the business card file. The first set of contact information is that of customers! Customers will all need to be reached if the business has to be suddenly relocated. If there is computer database to keep track of them, great – make sure there is always a current copy backed up and off site. If the business is smaller or just uses a less current sort of customer tracking, that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure to keep a copy of the customer list locked away somewhere other than the office.

The same goes for a list of vendors. Vendors can become partners in a time of emergency, anywhere from bringing in replacement computers or equipment to providing the raw materials of the manufacturing process. In some cases, a vendor could even provide temporary space for a business. 

And don’t forget a contact list of employees. Make sure everyone has provided at least one way to reach them in an emergency. An emergency contact for each employee is also a good idea, in case of an incident on the job.

The second task is about financial needs. All information about insurance should be kept together, and copies stored off site along with those contact lists. Insurance information is crucial in the rebuild and restore process that happens after an incident. The faster the insurance company can get started, the faster the company can get back online. Having accessible copies of insurance information can streamline that process.

If payroll is done in-house, then information needs to be stored off-site that would allow payroll to be completed smoothly, even if the business burns to the ground. This includes bank information and employee information.

Something to remember about storing information off site – this IS crucial information. Storage should be secured – on or off site. None of this information should be handled in a way that it could fall into the wrong hands. Even a small business can fall victim to identity theft, so make sure all back-up information is handled securely. Consider a safe at another location, or a safe deposit box at the bank used by the business.

These “little things” are really very small tasks than can mean the world to your business in an emergency.

Writers in the Round

I'm taking a little break from the Business Continuity Planning series. I thought it might be time to get back to the music portion of my blog - and write a little more about the Quad-cities' music scene.

I’m sitting in Mojo’s Café at the River Music Experience (for out-of-town readers, I’m in Davenport, Iowa).  For those not familiar, the RME is a local venue that also includes a music museum and provides music education. On the upper level of the building is a live music venue known as the Redstone Room. The Redstone Room has a stage and sound system, as well as a full bar. The room is often booked for out-of-town acts and those that draw crowds. Next to that room is the Performance Hall. Local bands sometimes book the Performance Hall for all-ages shows. The RME also rents out the rooms for special events. Mojo’s Café in the main level is a coffee/sandwich shop. The Community Stage at Mojo’s is most often host to local musicians.

Today Songwriters in the Round has the Community Stage. This is a big change from my usual report about live music in the Quad-Cities. We’re definitely not talking cover bands today! This is all original music, and for the most part, acoustic. I’ve met some of the members of the local songwriters’ group, but haven’t seen all of them perform.

Today’s performers include:

Linda Pasvogel - Piano

Todd Pirck - Guitar

David G. Smith - Guitar

Robin   McVie- Guitar

Dan Smith – Drums

Each songwriter took their turn, playing their original works. Dan accompanied them on the drums, and sometimes they would accompany each other. I want to make special note about Linda Pasvogel. She played (and sang) a song about a grandmother coming into the Internet Age. It was a fast-moving, fun song – and I hope she records it or finds someone to record it for her. I enjoyed it tremendously. Linda says she will either call it “Living Life Online” or “Granny got on the Internet”.

If you ever want to listen to original, unique music, Songwriters in the Round is held the second Saturday of every month. They also welcome anyone on stage. Stop in some Saturday, have a coffee, and listen – or join the songwriters on stage to play your own music.  And remember - Support Live Local Music!