How to Write a Compelling Introductory Paragraph

Sometimes, the beginning isn’t the best place to start—at least when it comes to writing essays. Composing a great first paragraph is important, but tackling it before your ideas are fully formed can lead to trouble. Don’t let your essay start with a whimper. Instead, put it on the fast track to success with these four tips for writing compelling introductory paragraphs:

1. Don't write your introduction first

Maybe you have the perfect anecdote in mind for your introduction, or maybe you’re experiencing the anguish of a stubbornly blank computer screen. Either way, a wiser approach is to outline your thesis statement and your main points first—then you can flesh out your introduction. End your first paragraph with a strong thesis statement that summarizes the central idea of your essay clearly and succinctly. Once you know where your destination is, it’s much easier to decide on the direction for your opening paragraph.

2. Incorporate a bit of intrigue

What was the most interesting thing that you learned while studying this topic? Is there a way to use this information to introduce your essay? Starting off with a “wow” factor that’s relevant to your overall argument can be a powerful writing strategy.

However, no matter how interesting your topic is, resist the urge to cram too many ideas or facts into your first paragraph. Your introduction is vital because it frames your writing as a whole. It should hint at what’s to come without giving away every detail. Try these two simple steps to lead into your thesis sentence at the end of your introductory paragraph:

●     Start with one compelling fact or observation that will keep the reader engaged enough to read more.

●     Then, add another sentence or two to show how you are linking that introductory idea to your thesis statement.

It’s that simple. Don’t try to make it more complicated. You have the rest of your essay to fill in the details and give the broader context.

3. Avoid obvious statements

Don’t use broad generalizations that tell the reader nothing about where your essay is headed. Avoid clichés like, “Since the beginning of time... ” or, “The dictionary defines (term) as …” or, worst of all, “This essay will cover…” Those statements don't tell your audience anything new, and worse, they can appear unoriginal.

4. Finally, revise your work

Once you have your introductory paragraph drafted, it's time to review it with a critical eye. Try doing a word count of your paragraph, and then cutting that down by 20 percent. Your introduction may be longer or shorter depending on the overall length of your essay, but for an essay that’s a few pages long, challenge yourself to keep your first paragraph to 100 or fewer words.

Consider this example:

Original draft: The residents of the island of Puerto Rico have been U.S. citizens for 100 years, yet they do not have the right to cast their votes for the nation’s president every four years. Twice in the past five years, people who voted in elections in the Caribbean territory have favored the idea of statehood, yet a deep divide remains over what is the right course of action. The decision to make Puerto Rico the 51st U.S. state would help to stabilize the island’s dire financial situation while benefiting the nation as a whole, both in terms of the economy and the culture. (104 words)

After editing: Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens for 100 years, yet they do not have the right to vote for their nation’s president. Twice in the past five years, voters in the Caribbean territory have favored the idea of statehood, yet a deep divide remains over the right course. Making Puerto Rico the 51st U.S. state would help to stabilize the island’s economy, while benefiting the nation as a whole financially and culturally. (74 words)

See how much stronger self-editing can make your introductory paragraph, just by cutting a few extra words? The faster you can get to your interesting facts and your overall point, the more grateful (and impressed!) your readers will be. 

Lora Wegman is a contributing writer for Varsity Tutors, a live learning platform that connects students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievement.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Singular or Plural Verbs with 'One of The'

 A listener named Mwalimu on Facebook asked,

Which is correct? “This is one of the novels that has made a mark in my life,” or “This is one of the novels that have made a mark in my life”?

Someone asks me a question like this every six months or so, and I always have to look up the answer because, for the life of me, I can never remember whether a sentence like this calls for a singular verb or a plural verb. I actually have a little bookmark in one of my usage guides on the page about this topic because I keep forgetting. Here’s why: these are unusual sentences, usage experts have disagreed about the answer for years, and it’s an active area of language change.

When You Ignore the Prepositional Phrase

You find yourself wondering whether your verb choice should be driven by the word “one” in “one of the novels” or should be driven by the word “novels.” There are some other rules that say when you’re considering subject-verb agreement, you should ignore prepositional phrases such as “of the novels,” but the problem is that those rules apply to simple sentence such as “The age of the novels is surprising.” In that case, you can imagine lifting out the prepositional phrase and ending up with “The age is surprising.”

When You Don’t Ignore the Prepositional Phrase

But the sentence we’re considering today is more complicated: “This is one of the novels that have made a mark in my life.”

In this sentence, the verb you’re considering is inside a relative clause—“that have made a mark in my life.” It’s called relative clauses because it begins with one of the relative pronouns: “that.” “that have made a mark in my life.” And in a sentence like this, you don’t ignore the prepositional phrase because as Garner’s Modern English usage puts it, “that” is the subject of the relative clause, and it takes its number from the plural noun to which it refers. In this case, that word is “novels,” so you use a plural verb: “one of the novels that have made a mark.”

That's the technical answer. On the other hand, Garner also concedes that most people these days would use a singular verb. He puts it at stage 4 on his language change index, which means the singular verb is “virtually universal but opposed on cogent grounds by a few linguistic stalwarts.” Further, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage goes through the long history of experts who argued for a singular verb and those who argued for a plural verb, and their entry concludes by noting that Joseph Addison, a famous writer from the early 1700s, freely used both singular and plural verbs as he thought best fit his sentences, and they think you should feel free to do so too.

So if you want to be proper—if you want me to give you a rule—the rule is use a plural verb and write that “This is one of the novels that have made a mark in my life,” but also don’t get too worked up about it because multiple experts say you shouldn’t be bothered either way, which is probably why I can never remember how to deal with these tricky sentences and have to keep looking it up. My bookmark isn’t going away any time soon.

So that’s your somewhat unsatisfying Quick and Dirty Tip: When you look at a sentence that talks about “one of the plural nouns that” does something, use a plural verb. But also, don’t worry about it too much. Nobody else is sure either.

Sources

“one of the [+pl. n.] who (or that).” Garner’s Modern English Usage, fourth edition. Oxford University Press. New York. 2016. p. 652-3.

“one of those who.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Springfield. 1994. p. 689-90.

Mindfulness as a Fitness Motivator

Mindfulness, or the ability to attend nonjudgmentally to one's own physical and mental processes, has been receiving more and more air time as a potential determinant of health. Sadly not enough is known about mindfulness and its association with cardiovascular health and fitness, in my opinion, but I am none the less completely on board with this idea. I mean, it's not some experimental drug that could cause you to grow a third arm or something... although that would be pretty helpful!

There was a study done back on 2015 titled, Positive Associations of Dispositional Mindfulness with Cardiovascular Health: the New England Family Study that concluded "dispositional mindfulness is positively associated with cardiovascular health, with the associations particularly driven by smoking, body mass index, fasting glucose, and physical activity."

Dispositional mindfulness, as those lab coat clad researchers called it, can be summed up as a keen awareness and attention to our thoughts and feelings right in the very moment that they pop up. It's a thoughtful attunement to what is going on inside your mind and body. Perhaps you can picture it as a keenly aware layer that exists between you and your experience. Or maybe you can imagine it is as a centeredness that keeps your focus on "medium alert" while being fully present in the moment. Personally, I describe it as a methodical, self-aware, deliberate consideration that follows me in all my daily decisions. 

The mindful processing of emotional and physical sensations in this way can steer (purposefully or subconsciously) our responses and choices which in turn can certainly help us achieve our goal body weight, body fat percentage, one rep max, target distance, or whatever our fitness goal happens to be. 

Does it work?

A study published in the Journal of Behavior Research and Therapy performed a super cool trial whereby they examined the relationship between exercise consistency (how often the study subjects went to the gym) and mindfulness on 266 YMCA gym members. According to the authors, “those who were successful at maintaining exercise tended to score higher on measures of mindfulness and acceptance... exercisers having greater mindfulness and acceptance are less reactive; responding with more balanced appraisals to threats to their exercise regimen which in turn promotes increased exercise maintenance.”

Another study of 62 women over 6 months found that those who applied mindfulness meditation practices to their daily or weekly routine had a much higher level of physical activity (i.e. exercise and movement) than those who didn’t use mindfulness. And this is even cooler, they also showed greater reductions in BMI, most likely due to their concurrent reduction in overeating.

How to Develop Dispositional Mindfulness

Although some people are naturally wired toward this type of self-awareness, experts agree that it can be trained and cultivated by anyone. Take a look at this Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and see where you land. The questions have to do with the various ways we use to stay in the present moment - “I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past,” performing one task at a time - “I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time,” and being in touch with your feelings in the moment - “I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until some time later.” 

Now think about where you would like to fall on that scale and how that could potentially effect and benefit your level of current dedication to your own physical fitness. 

My challenge to you is to try to think of one way that you have practiced mindfulness during the past week as you racked up your fitness goals. Even if you didn’t identify it as mindfulness in the moment, when did you experience that quiet focus while you made a healthy choice during your day? If a time doesn’t come to mind, think about how would you like to incorporate this more mindful living into the coming week. Then strive to make it the backbone and motivating factor - instead of grit and determination - of this fit and healthy lifestyle that you have chosen.

Do you practice mindfulness? Do you have any quick and dirty ways to develop it as a habit? Please, join the conversation by heading over to http://ift.tt/1xq4tPg or http://twitter.com/getfitguy. Also don't forget to subscribe to the Get-Fit Guy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Play or via RSS.

What is Psoriasis?

As I sat visiting my father in a physical therapy rehab center (following his recent, unfortunate stroke), I was delighted to find that he is able to distract his mind and enjoy some entertainment by watching all-day rerun marathons of the hit reality show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

Having given up TV (not just cable) a long time ago, I was left wondering about the appeal of this show, which even my 80-something-year-old parents can’t seem to get enough of. Whatever it may be, I am simply grateful that it is keeping my dad occupied and distracted, even for a moment.                                                

For those of you who also can’t get enough of reality TV, you may have discovered (certainly before myself) that Kim Kardashian revealed her diagnosis of psoriasis on her show. And more likely than not, you may know someone in real life who suffers from psoriasis, too, given that up to 7.5 million Americans are estimated to have this diagnosis.

So what exactly is psoriasis? Is is just a cosmetic issue, or more than that? And what are its risks?  Let’s find out in today’s episode.

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What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a medical condition that falls under the larger heading of “autoimmune disorder.”  These are disorders in which the immune system erroneously produces a certain protein called an “antibody,” which then attacks “normal” parts of our bodies, such as the joints or skin.

Besides psoriasis, other examples of autoimmune disorders you may have heard of include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Grave’s disease, Hashimoto’s disease (which is related to the thyroid), and Type I diabetes. 

Kim Kardashian’s mom also reportedly has psoriasis, which is not unusual: there’s a genetic component in the disorder, and these genes are inherited from our parents in 40% of those with psoriasis.  Symptoms often first show up sometime between the age of 15 and 30 – typically on the younger side. 

What Does Psoriasis Look Like?

A rash is the primary symptom in those with psoriasis, and just ras there are various types of psoriasis, there are varying appearances of the rash.  But the most common type of psoriasis includes a reddish, well-demarcated (meaning the border or lining is distinct and easily visible) patch, with an overlying white or silvery-scale.  It can be itchy, but for most patients the itchiness is mild. 

The rash also tends to vary in severity. Some patients may have a mild case, with a very small skin patch, on rare occasions throughout their lives, while others might have widespread disease with rashes covering everything from the scalp down to the toes.   

Besides the skin, psoriasis can sometimes affect the nails with a characteristic “pitting” appearance on the surface.  The fingernails are often more affected than the toenails.

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Consequences of Psoriasis

Unfortunately, psoriasis is not always “just a rash.”  When severe enough, or when in very visible areas of our skin, psoriasis can have a pretty significant psychosocial impact. Depression has been reported in 60% of those with psoriasis, with patients describing how the disease negatively interferes with their daily personal lives and career, not to mention self-image.  

Besides the psychological affects, psoriasis does have some other unwanted risks associated with it as well:

• Arthritis:  Studies show that up a third of those with psoriasis can develop some type of joint pain due to arthritis.
• Autoimmune disorders: Those with one type of autoimmune disorder are often at higher risk of developing another one, compared to the general population. In those with psoriasis, there are studies that show a higher risk of developing alopecia areata (distinct patches of hair loss), Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative oolitis of the colon, Vitiligo (the skin condition Michael Jackson reportedly suffered from), and multiple sclerosis.
• Metabolic Syndrome: This refers to patients with concurrent diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity who often develop these conditions simultaneously.  For some reason, those with psoriasis also tend to suffer from one or more of these components, and sometimes even all of the above.
• Heart Disease: An inflammatory condition like psoriasis can also affect the blood vessels, and recent studies have shown increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart disease in those with psoriasis.
• Cancer: Studies in those with psoriasis have also shown slightly higher risks of developing cancer than in the general population. Pancreatic cancer and Lymphoma were two of the most reported types, along with non-melanoma-type skin cancers in those previously treated with UV light therapy.

Treatment of Psoriasis

Anything Kim tries to sell you as the “cure all” for psoriasis, I would surely take with a grain of salt. The truth is, there is currently no cure for psoriasis; it is a lifelong condition, and one that can only be controlled with treatment. 

The disease course can wax and wane, but certain medications can alleviate the symptoms. These include prescription:

• Topical steroid creams
• Vitamin D topical derivatives that help slow down the growth of skin cells (calcipotriene or calcitriol)
• Vitamin A topical derivatives (tazarotene)
• Other topicals like pimecrolimus or tacrolimus
• UV light therapy
• Oral medications (methotrextrate, oral retinoids, cyclosporine, etc.)
• Injectables that target the immune system

For those with difficult to treat or widespread psoriasis, a referral to a dermatologist may be needed.

That's all for this week! Be sure to share your questions and tips with me on the House Call Doctor Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Psoriasis photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Transport Your Car Across the Country

If you’re considering a long-distance move or a cross-country vacation, you may have looked into shipping a car to your destination. Compared to the alternatives of leaving your car behind or driving it yourself, shipping can prove to be much easier and more affordable than you might realize. Save your car from the harsh wear and tear of long trips, and save yourself the headache by booking with an expert car shipper.

Where do you start? Look no further. Here are some tips to help you ship your car safely and easily:

Plan your trip in advance

Start by picking out your preferred travel dates ahead of time. The further in advance you can start contacting companies and getting transport quotes, the better your experience will be. In general, try to book your transport at least two months in advance, to be sure that everything is taken care of with ample time for setup. Last-minute bookings are possible, but similar to buying airline tickets, you’re likely to pay more money.

Shop around and get several quotes

You’ll need to do more than a Google search to find the right shipping service. Ask your friends and family or local members of your community for recommendations.

Find companies on social media, and skim any negative reviews on Facebook to see how the companies handle complaints. Check customer feedback from websites like Transport Reviews, Review Centre, Reseller Ratings, and My Moving Reviews.

Once you’ve narrowed down your search, use company websites to get a quote, entering in your vehicle’s information as well as your planned travel dates. Decide if you need enclosed or open auto transport for your car, as well as whether you’ll be paying in cash or with a card. Keep in mind that any quote you

receive is not set in stone. Quotes are general estimates of how much the service will cost, and that price fluctuates on a daily basis. If you’re using a broker,  they may be able to secure a cheaper transport option for you on one day, and then that option becomes unavailable the next time you call. However, your quote should be fairly close to your final price.

When you’re happy with a quoted price, go ahead and book your order. You’ll receive confirmation and the company will reserve your pickup window. You should receive transport dates within the next week or two, although it may take longer if you’re located in or traveling to a rural area.

Prepare your vehicle for pickup

A truck will come to pick up your car for transport within your scheduled timeframe. Most companies will send you alerts to let you know when the truck is scheduled to arrive. Be sure that your car is clean and has roughly a half tank of gas. Go through your car to be sure that all of your personal belongings are removed beforehand. Some services will allow you to ship personal items in your vehicle, with or without fees, but this isn’t ideal. Items in your car become dangerous during transit, moving around in your car and potentially causing damage to the interior. Any damage to your car or to other vehicles caused by personal belongings is not covered under shipping insurance in most cases, so it’s best to transport your belongings separately for safety reasons.

Assign someone to be available for pickup to go over the bill of lading with the driver, and make sure all payments are taken care of ahead of time. During transport, many companies will send you periodic updates to keep you informed of where your car is and when it will reach your destination.

Receive your car at the destination

Similar to pick-up, someone will need to be available to receive the car. Upon delivery, you’ll receive the bill of lading as a receipt from the driver. Perform a final inspection on your vehicle at this time. If you have any concerns or notice any damage, be sure to follow up with the company as soon as possible. Whether your experience is good or bad, consider leaving a review for the company online so that others can make an informed decision as well.

Keep cancellation policies in mind

If there’s a chance you may need to cancel, read up on the shipping company’s cancellation policies beforehand. Many companies will allow you to cancel for free before booking, but most will charge a service fee if you cancel after pick-up dates are confirmed.

To learn more about how car shipping works, here are a few articles that explain the process:

1.    How Auto Transport Works

2.    How Does Car Transport Work from Start to Finish?

3.    How Stuff Works — How Auto Transport Works

It also never hurts to call up a company directly and ask them how their particular process works. This is also a great way to gauge the company’s customer service practices.

Montway is one of the largest and most reputable auto transport companies in the country. Customers include thousands of satisfied individuals, as well as corporate clients in the moving and relocation, dealership, auctions, and OEM industries. It is A+ accredited by the BBB, fully licensed and insured broker and carrier, with a 5-star review rating across all top review sites.

 

How to Open an IRA—Understand Eligibility, Rollovers, and Early Retirement

Understanding retirement accounts and using them the right way can make the difference between having a secure future or just scraping by, after you stop working.

The benefits of using retirement accounts are powerful. You get to skip taxes on either the money you contribute on the front end or on the withdrawals you take out in retirement, depending on whether you use a traditional or a Roth account.

Problem is, these accounts come with a lot of rules that can be confusing, which may be keeping you from using them. No matter if you’re employed, self-employed, or in some cases, unemployed, you can use an IRA to your advantage to accumulate more money and build wealth faster.

In this article, I’ll answer four questions about IRAs to shed light on who’s eligible to use them, how to do rollovers, and tips to retire early.

Free Resource: Retirement Account Comparison Chart (PDF) - a handy one-page download that explains the differences between the main types of retirement accounts.

IRA Question #1

Chris P. says, “I make about $72,000 a year, but if I qualify for a sales bonus I may earn more. I want to open an IRA, but don’t know if I’m eligible based on my income. If not, where should I invest?”

Answer:

Thanks for your question, Chris! Here’s a quick review of the eligibility requirements for traditional and Roth IRAs:

• A traditional IRA is available to anyone with any amount of earned income. You can make contributions to a traditional IRA no matter if you earn $5,000 or $5 million a year. So, Chris can have a traditional IRA if he likes. You contribute to a traditional IRA on a pre-tax basis, which cuts your tax bill in the current year. Then you take withdrawals of contributions and earnings and pay income tax on them in retirement.  
• A Roth IRA is only available to those who earn less than an annual income limit. For 2017, you’re allowed to make contributions to a Roth IRA only when your modified adjusted gross income is less than the following thresholds:

o   Married filing jointly: $196,000

o   Qualifying widow(er): $196,000

o   Single: $133,000

o   Head of household: $133,000

o   Married filing separately and not living together: $133,000

o   Married filing separately and living together: $10,000

See also: Which is Best: A Roth or Traditional Retirement Account?

If Chris is a single taxpayer and his 2017 income doesn’t exceed $133,000, he’s qualified for a Roth IRA. But what if Chris has a great year at work and makes a big sales bonus that makes him ineligible for a Roth IRA?

This is a terrific problem that I hope Chris will have! If you contribute too much to a Roth IRA or become ineligible, it’s easy to fix. So, don’t let that concern keep you from making contributions.

Any time you over-contribute to an IRA, contact the administrator of your account as soon as possible to discuss your options. It’s a common situation that custodians are used to dealing with and helping investors resolve.

Any time you over-contribute to an IRA, contact the administrator of your account as soon as possible to discuss your options. It’s a common situation that custodians are used to dealing with and helping investors resolve. If you make a correction before certain deadlines, you may have no penalty or just a small one.

There are typically four ways to correct excess IRA contributions:

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1.    Recharacterization – involves transferring excess contributions from one IRA to another type of IRA. You could move all or any excess Roth IRA contributions into a traditional IRA, up to the annual limit. This is the best option because you’re still investing money for retirement.

2.    Timely removal – allows you to withdraw any excess or unwanted contributions, plus any investment gains or minus any losses. The deadline is Tax Day, plus a 6-month extension, which is generally October 15. You will owe taxes plus a 10% penalty on any earnings generated by your excess contribution, but not on the contribution itself.

3.    Late removal – allows you to remove excess contributions after October 15 of the following year. However, you will owe a 6% penalty for every year the excess remains in the account.

4.    Carry forward – allows you to offset any excess contributions by subtracting them from your limit for the following year, as long as you qualify to make a contribution. This could correct a situation when you accidentally contribute too much to either a traditional or a Roth IRA. The downside is that you still owe a 6% penalty on excess amounts for every year that an overage isn’t corrected.

For 2017, the most you can contribute to either a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or a combination of both is $5,500, or $6,500 if you’re over age 50. You can split contributions into any proportion you like, such as $1,000 in a traditional IRA and $4,500 in a Roth IRA.

Chris didn’t mention if his company offers a 401k retirement plan. If so, that’s the first place he should invest. I love employer plans because they come with multiple benefits.

For instance, contributions are automatically deducted from your paycheck before you ever see the money. In addition, you get high contribution limits, legal protection from creditors, complimentary access to financial advisors, and you may receive free matching funds.

For 2017, you can contribute up to $18,000, or $24,000 if you’re over age 50, to most workplace retirement plans. Make a goal to contribute a minimum of 10% to 15% of your income to a plan at work—such as a 401k, 403b, or 457—before using other types of retirement accounts.

Increase your contribution each year until you max it out. If you do that and still have more money to invest, you can max out both a workplace plan and an IRA in the same year.

However, the tax benefits of using both a workplace plan and an IRA depend which type of IRA you have. To learn more about using multiple retirement accounts, read or listen to podcast episode #492, Can You Contribute to a 401k and an IRA in the Same Year?.

IRA Question #2

Jeff W., says, “If my wife decides to quit a job with a 401k and stay home for a few years after we start a family, what options does she have to continue saving for retirement?”

Answer:

Jeff, I’m glad you’re thinking ahead! IRA rules allow the breadwinner in a marriage to fund an account for a non-working partner in any year you file taxes jointly. It doesn’t matter why one spouse isn’t earning income. He or she could be a stay-at-home parent, unemployed, or even working to get a business off the ground.

IRA rules allow the breadwinner in a marriage to fund an account for a non-working partner in any year you file taxes jointly.

Depending on your income, you can choose to contribute to either a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or a combination of both, for you or your spouse. But as I’ve mentioned, if you have a workplace plan, max it out first.

Again, the income threshold to qualify for a Roth IRA in 2017 is $196,000 when you’re married and file a joint return. So, if you earn more, both of you would only be eligible for a traditional IRA.

See also: The Rules for Using a Spousal IRA

IRA Question #3

Molly from Chicago says, “I’m 29 years old, make about $70,000 a year, and have no debt. After listening to your podcast, I’ve saved about $15,000 in a high interest savings account and have been investing in an IRA and the stock market. My job offers a 401k with no matching, so I haven’t enrolled in that plan.

I was born with a chronic heart condition and doctors say that I may live to be 70, but probably not long after that. I have good insurance that allows me to pay for the expensive medical care I need.

Because life is short, I’d love to retire in my 40s or 50s. But I’m stumped on how to save for retirement because I’m concerned about having to pay early withdrawal penalties. Would it be better for me to put more in my savings instead of contributing to a retirement account? I know you have to prepare for the unexpected, but I also want to enjoy what I have while I still can.”  

Answer:

Molly, I really appreciate you sending in this question. There are a couple of solutions to avoid early withdrawal penalties from retirement accounts when you’re younger than 59½. First, let’s cover the benefits you get with a Roth IRA.

With a Roth, your contributions are not tax-deductible, which means you make them on an after-tax basis. Because you pay tax upfront on Roth contributions, you’re allowed to withdraw them at any time for any reason. You don’t owe the IRS additional tax or penalties on the amount of your original contributions, if you’ve owned the account for five years.

However, the earnings or investment growth that your contributions create would be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty. For instance, if you opened a Roth IRA in 2010 and have contributions that total $30,000 and earnings of $3,000, your account is now worth $33,000.

If you’re younger than 59½, you could tap up to $30,000 from the account with no restrictions, tax liability, or penalties. But you’d owe income tax, plus an additional 10% early withdrawal penalty on $3,000—unless you qualify for an exemption.

To learn more details about the exemptions that apply, read or listen to podcast #494, 4 Penalty-Free Ways to Use a Roth IRA Before Retirement. The beauty of using a Roth IRA is that your money is restricted, but not completely locked away. Of all retirement accounts, a Roth gives you the most spending flexibility.

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There’s also a little-known rule you can use to completely avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty from any type of retirement account if you need or want to tap it early. It goes by a few different names including a 72(t) plan, a 72(t) distribution, substantially equal periodic payments, and a SEPP plan.  

The 72(t) rule allows you to set up a plan to take equal monthly or annual distributions from an IRA or a workplace plan, if you no longer work for your employer.

The 72(t) rule allows you to set up a plan to take equal monthly or annual distributions from an IRA or a workplace plan, if you no longer work for your employer. It’s not to be used lightly because it comes with restrictions and financial consequences if you don’t use it the right way.

The amount you can withdraw using a 72(t) plan is calculated using one of three accounting methods approved by the IRS. I won’t go into the details, but some of the factors include your account balance, age, and life expectancy.

Payments you receive from a 72(t) plan that weren’t previous taxed, such as for a traditional IRA or 401k, would be subject to income tax. And once you begin taking these distributions early, you can’t stop taking them for a certain amount of time.

Once you start a series of substantially equal periodic payments, you must continue the withdrawals for a minimum of 5 years or until you reach age 59½, whichever is longer. Then you can take retirement distributions any way you like. Most traditional accounts force you to take annual required minimum distributions once you reach age 70½, whether you used a 72(t) plan or not.

Another rule you must follow once you begin a 72(t) plan is that you can’t make any new contributions or add any rollover funds. The account is basically frozen while a distribution plan is in place.

So, creating a SEPP can be fantastic if you have plenty of money in your retirement account and are ready to tap it before reaching the official age of 59½. It’s a penalty-free way to start spending your retirement funds early on anything you like, such as medical expenses or travel.

If you decide to begin a 72(t) plan, be sure to get help from a tax professional who has experience setting them up. Taking too little, too much, or missing a distribution deadline can trigger expensive income tax and penalties from the original date you made an error.

See also: Investing FAQs: How to Get Higher Returns, Retire Early, and Do Rollovers (Podcast #495)

IRA Question #4

Allison S. says, “I’m a big fan of the show and listen every chance I get. I love the format of your podcast and the topics you cover. My husband contributes 10% of his income to a 401k with matching. He also has an annuity through a trade association and we’re wondering if he can roll it over into either his 401k or a new IRA. What are the rollover rules we should know? Also, can you contribute the maximum amounts to both a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA in the same year, or is it an aggregate limit?”  

Answer:

Thanks for your kind words and great questions! Both retirement accounts and annuities can be rolled over into other types of accounts without triggering taxes or penalties—if they have the same tax status. For instance, you can roll over a traditional 401k or a SEP IRA into a traditional IRA because they’re all tax-deferred accounts.

But if you own an annuity outside of an IRA or workplace retirement plan, it can only be rolled over to another qualified annuity using a rule called a 1035 exchange. This allows you to move the money to a different annuity contract without paying taxes or penalties (however, an annuity surrender fee may apply).

So, unless your husband’s annuity is owned inside of a retirement plan, you can’t do a rollover to another retirement plan. Distributions from an annuity or from a retirement plan before age 59½ get taxed as ordinary income, plus an additional 10% early withdrawal penalty.

As I previously mentioned, you’re allowed to split the annual contribution limit between a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA in the same year in any proportion you like. For instance, you could send $3,000 to a traditional IRA and $2,500 to a Roth IRA. But I’d encourage your husband to max out his workplace plan first before investing in other types of retirement accounts.

See also: 7 Pros and Cons of Investing in a 401k at Work

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Crossfit 101: Pros, Cons, and Catchphrases

As I begin writing this, I am sitting at the breakfast table, with my first cup of coffee of the day, preparing myself for a new fitness adventure. Crossfit.

I know, I know. I am the Get-Fit Guy, how can this be the first time I have done CrossFit? It’s 2017 and Crossfit is certainly not new. Well, let me tell you: I have raced 10ks, Half Marathons, Full Marathons, Triathlons of every distance, done Zumba, Barre classes, Mass Gain Programs, yoga, calisthenics, boot camps, spin classes, swim meets, hockey, soccer, tennis, baseball, and I am sure I am missing a few things from that list. But for the first time I am heading to the local CrossFit Box to engage in something I have been hearing about for at least 15 years (CrossFit has been in existence since the year 2000 but I live in Canada and some things take a while to get to us - haha).

Injury Rate

For nearly that entire 15 years, I have also been hearing about a ridiculously high incidence of injury coming from the CrossFit community and honestly, that alone was one of the major reasons why I have steered clear up until now.

So, why now do I throw caution to the wind and decide to brave this body breaker? Well, my answer could be long and complicated. But in a nutshell, not only do I believe in my own ability to say when enough is enough but I have also heard that even the inventor of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, has acknowledged the inherent problems with a workout regime that leaves 19.4 percent of his devotees lining up at physiotherapist, sport massage, and chiropractic offices.

In fact, when I dropped in to ask about the pricing at my local CrossFit Box, the strapping young lad who did the sales pitch clearly directed me to the 2-3 times per week package rather than the 5-7 days a week plan and that gave me hope that they have learned and changed with the times.

In a past Get-Fit Guy diatribe, Ben Greenfield said: “The problem with CrossFit is: A) unfit people who join a CrossFit gym getting pressured into performing advanced exercises with poor form; B) fit athletes getting pressured to compete against their peers even when they’ve already trained hard the day before; and C) CrossFit coaches who can get lazy and simple start creating random workouts because they’re “hard.” But when applied intelligently and with good form, I actually think CrossFit workouts are a great way to get fit fast.” Interesting. Well, there is a new Get-Fit Guy in town, so let’s take another look!

What is it?

According to the official CrossFit website: “The CrossFit protocol is designed to elicit a substantial neuroendocrine wallop and hence packs an anabolic punch that puts on impressive amounts of muscle, though that is not our concern. Strength is.”

Now, as much as I enjoy carrying some extra muscle around these days (for health reasons and also for vanity… I am only human after all) I like the idea that simply packing on weight is not the only goal they have. Getting strong is a lifetime pursuit that all of us should strive for (refer back to What Do We Mean When We Refer to “Fitness”). But let’s unpack the rest of that jargon filled statement from the official website.

Let’s start with “elicit a substantial neuroendocrine wallop.” What exactly does that mean?

Neuroendocrine System

I am going to borrow here from a paper titled: “Stress and the neuroendocrine system: the role of exercise as a stressor and modifier of stress” for the following explanation.

Stress is something experienced by all of us, no matter who we are, and it has both a positive and a negative effect on our lives. Our society has created an environment where there are tremendous opportunities to experience both negative stresses (distress) as well as positive stress (eustress) on a daily basis. Such stressful encounters have profound impacts upon the physiological workings of the human body, both in constructive and destructive fashions. One physiological system that is extremely reactive to stress is the neuroendocrine system. In fact, many clinicians and researchers use the responses of the neuroendocrine system as a means of assessing the stress effects and reactivity of the human body.

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Physical exercise is an activity that is known to provoke large and diverse stress responses within the neuroendocrine system. However, chronic exercise training is also known to cause abatement (or a decline) in the stress responses of the neuroendocrine system to certain forms of stress.

However, chronic exercise training is also known to cause abatement (or a decline) in the stress responses of the neuroendocrine system to certain forms of stress.

So if we go back to the CrossFit statement of it’s going being to “elicit a substantial neuroendocrine wallop,” we can extrapolate from what we just learned that applying just enough stress to the neuroendocrine system can be very beneficial but applying too much of a “wallop” would actually cause the strength, muscle growth and fitness gains to slow and perhaps even stop.

How exactly does CrossFit wallop your neuroendocrine system? I mean this walloping doesn’t sound like something you can do at a yoga class or even training for an ultra-marathon.

Before we get to that, let’s first look at the second part of the CrossFit doctrine statement: “packs an anabolic punch.” What does anabolic mean and do I really want to get punched in it?

Let’s start by defining the terms anabolic and catabolic.

Anabolic and Catabolic

Being in a catabolic state means that your body is breaking down tissue. When you exercise, you cause tiny tears in your muscle. The longer and harder you workout, the more damage you cause to your muscle tissue.

Catabolism can be thought of as your body basically wasting away. Three factors contribute to a catabolic state. Not getting any exercise or movement, not eating enough nutrient rich food, and not getting sufficient amounts of rest. An easy way to remember this is that in a catabolic state you run the risk of your body cannibalizing muscle.

Being in an anabolic state means that your body is building or repairing tissue. When you give it an opportunity (like taking a recovery or rest day), your body focusses on your damaged muscle tissue and works to repair. An interesting side note is that it is during this rest period, not during the exercise itself when you actually put on all of your beefcake size.

Anabolism is achieved through three major factors: getting an appropriate amount of exercise or movement, eating enough nutrient rich food, and getting sufficient amounts of rest. In a nutshell, the anabolic state acts as the complete opposite of the catabolic state.

So returning to the CrossFit statement, of “packs an anabolic punch that puts on impressive amounts of muscle” we can see that the copywriters at CrossFit are being a little loose with their terms here. Not that it is completely incorrect but it would be more accurate for them to say that CrossFit “packs an catabolic punch that puts your body into an anabolic state that in turn helps you pack on impressive amounts of muscle.” You can see why they didn’t hire me to do their marketing strategy. I am accurate but not exactly catchy.

How does it work?

How do they deliver this anabolic punch and how is this different than a typical gym? Well, instead of lines of elliptical trainers, stationary bikes, treadmills, universal machines and dumbbell racks, you'll find in the CrossFit Box barbells, plates, platforms, ropes, rings, jump ropes, medicine balls, kettlebells, and many more bars to perform pull-ups on than at your 24-Hour Fitness. I had heard that you also don't have to be concerned about dropping your heavy deadlift but that wasn’t true at the CrossFit Box I went to… although that didn’t bother me at all. My mom raised me not to drop my toys but then again my toys rarely weigh more than I do. You’ll also hear more grunting and swearing at a CrossFit box than you will at the local YMCA which is either fun or really annoying depending on your mood, I guess.

At the CrossFit Box, you'll do a “Workout of the Day” (given the unfortunate acronym WOD), which usually includes something called a met-con (metabolic conditioning session).

I’m a big fan of a WOD as an easy way to outsource your training plan and let someone else do the workout programming for you. As far as I know, the term WOD originated in the Crossfit community.

The WOD

So how do WOD’s work? Typically, a gym, website, or newsletter will post a daily WOD (often with variations for various levels of fitness levels) and you simply look at that posted WOD and do the workout appropriate for your own ability - which immediately assumes you that have decent self-awareness and minimal ego. Oops.

In this met-con WOD, the group tries to get as many rounds (or reps) as they can in a set amount of time. The moves, lifts, rounds, reps, and various other details of the workout vary from WOD to WOD, so you’re muscles and nervous system are always in a state of confusion (which is a good thing - mostly).

Again the Hemsworth-esque salesman at my local CrossFit Box said that one day you could run 400 metre sprints and do 100 pull-ups, and then the next day you might do kettlebell swings, rowing, and a bunch of box jumps.

As I found out at my first session, CrossFit pushes you beyond what you might normally do in the weight room at the YMCA. Instead of doing 3 sets of 10 of this, 12 of that, 15 of the other thing and then stopping - you keep doing it over and over again until time runs out. That is what they mean when they say “for time.”

So, once again returning to their sales pitch: “The CrossFit protocol is designed to elicit a substantial neuroendocrine wallop and hence packs an anabolic punch that puts on impressive amounts of muscle, though that is not our concern. Strength is.” We can now verify that by confusing your nervous systems (and your muscles) by throwing a different workout at them each time you do your WOD and by doing everything “for time” and attempting to beat that time each time you step in the CrossFit Box, you certainly are walloping your neuroendocrine system and punching your anabolism. But is that really going to pack on muscle and build strength in the best, fastest and safest way possible?

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Will it work?

Well, CrossFit does have its plusses for sure. It is fun and satisfying to work that hard and congregating at the Box is a nice way to meet people who have a similar penchant for self-punishment. Plus the workouts are freakin’ tough, involve doing some cool moves, and you will see results if you stick to it.

But I want to dig into a 2009 paper called Molecular responses to strength and endurance training: are they incompatible? from RMIT University, which found “combining resistance exercise and cardio in the same session may disrupt genes for anabolism.” Which is a fancy way of saying that combining endurance and resistance training impaired muscle’s ability to fully adapt to either.

Which is a fancy way of saying that combining endurance and resistance training impaired muscle’s ability to fully adapt to either.

The study also found that doing cardio before resistance training suppressed anabolic hormones such as IGF–1 and MGF, and on top of that, doing cardio after doing resistance training actually increased muscle tissue breakdown.

Several other studies found similar outcomes. A study called Concurrent strength and endurance training: from molecules to man, found that “activation of AMPK by endurance exercise may inhibit signaling to the protein-synthesis machinery by inhibiting the activity of mTOR and its downstream targets.” Other studies from the Waikato Institute of Technology, and the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland), agreed that training for both endurance and strength simultaneously impairs your gains on both fronts.

Does this mean CrossFit won’t do anything for your strength or endurance? Well, no. Any workout with some intensity, combined with the right amount of rest, will certainly benefit your fitness level. But if you truly want to Hulk up (yes, I worte Hulk not bulk), or if you want to really max out your aerobic capacity, science says that CrossFit is not your first choice. Science says that the most effective way to both build strength and improve aerobic endurance is to separate your weight lifting from your cardiovascular exercise.

Now how does CrossFit’s mission statement stack up now? Well, let’s try another rewrite: “The CrossFit protocol can elicit a substantial neuroendocrine wallop if you have the self awareness to push just hard enough and, if done correctly, packs a catabolic punch that elicits an anabolic response that can put on some muscle but not as much as you would if you weren’t also maxing out your cardiovascular system.” Wow! I think I have a hit on my hands.

Back home at the ranch...

A couple weeks have passed now since my first CrossFit workout and I am waiting for an introductory session to start. There is a mandatory 10 class intro period where you learn how to do all of the various workouts safely and effectively. The presence of this mandatory training session again helped allay the injury fears I had for all those years I spent avoiding CrossFit. I had the choice to do the 10 sessions in a one-on-one setting or with a group and I chose the group because sweating your butt off is always more fun with other people - am I right?

In preparation for my sessions, I am studying some olympic lifts and I went out and purchased a jump rope. Embarrassingly enough, doing 100 jumps was the most vomit inducing part of the workout for me. And that will not stand!

Like many things in the fitness world, skipping has a lot to do with efficiency and I was clearly not being efficient. Luckily, humans are masters of efficiency. Due to our inherent laziness (and I don’t mean that in a particularly bad way in this instance) with pure repetition and little else, our bodies will automatically find the most efficient way to do something. So I have been skipping rope a few times a week now and I can nearly do 100 without feeling my breakfast sneaking back up from whence it came.

Since I am more interested in learning something new than I am in bulking up more or ever trying to recreate my marathon PR of 5 years ago, I will go forward with my CrossFit plans and check back in with you once I have a few months of CrossFit under my belt.

My Approach

I have to admit that I am already planning to take more days off than the normal CrossFitter might and if I don’t see the gains I am hoping to, I will likely add in some heavy lifting days. And if my 10k running time starts to falter or my hill climbing ability on the bike starts to wain, I will also add in some sport specific workouts. For those of you who are interested, it will likely look like this:

Day 1: Crossfit + easy recovery run

Day 2: Crossfit + short swim or bike intervals

Day 3: Rest (foam roll or maybe a massage)

Day 4: Lift Heavy (no cardio)

Day 5: Cross fit + easy recovery run

Day 6: long aerobic run or bike + swim drill workout

Day 7: Rest (maybe light yoga)

I will also strive to be the guy at the back of the class who is more preoccupied with form than reps, equally focussed on recovery and WODs, and I plan to never look like the unofficial CrossFit mascot “Pukey the Clown” if I can help it. Given my current jump rope prowess, I make no promises. 

If you are a diehard CrossFit fan or have more questions about whether CrossFit is right for you, head over to http://ift.tt/1xq4tPg or http://twitter.com/getfitguy. Also don't forget to subscribe to the Get-Fit Guy podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Play or via RSS.