7 Ways the SECURE Act Changes Your Retirement and Savings

Just before the holidays got into full swing, when saving for retirement probably wasn’t on your mind, Congress passed a massive spending bill. While that may not sound like something important for your personal finances, it is.

The SECURE Act is the most significant overhaul of retirement and other saving rules passed by Congress in more than a decade.

The SECURE Act, which is an acronym for Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement, was attached to the bill and signed into law on December 20, 2019. It’s the most significant overhaul of retirement and other saving rules passed in more than a decade.

In this post, I’ll cover seven significant ways the SECURE Act changes retirement for individuals and the self-employed. The law makes many updates, but the regulations I’ll highlight affect typical Americans the most.

How the SECURE Act affects your retirement

Here’s what you should know about seven main ways the SECURE Act affects your savings and retirement starting as early as 2020.

1. Traditional IRAs can be used longer

One of the most notable changes in the SECURE Act is the opportunity to save more money. Now, you can make contributions to a traditional IRA for your entire life—or at least for as long as you have earned income—just like you can with a Roth IRA. Previously, the cut-off for making traditional IRA contributions was age 70½.

If you plan on working into your 70s, you can continue saving money in a traditional IRA. If you have earned income of $7,000, those over age 50 can contribute up to that maximum amount to a traditional IRA for 2020. If you’re younger than 50, you can contribute up to $6,000.

Now, you can make contributions to a traditional IRA for your entire life as long as you have earned income. Previously, the cut-off for making traditional IRA contributions was age 70½.

The spousal IRA rule also applies, which allows a married couple filing taxes jointly to each max out a traditional IRA, even if one spouse doesn’t earn any income. If you have household earnings of at least $14,000, both spouses over age 50 can contribute up to $7,000.

Making traditional IRA contributions for a more extended period allows you to save more and get valuable tax deductions. Since contributions are tax-deductible and reduce your modified adjusted gross income, they help older workers cut taxes, reduce Medicare premiums, and get the most out of their Social Security benefits. This new regulation can make a big difference for...

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5 DIY Moisturizing Foot Masks to Get Your Pre-Winter Feet Back

Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Foot Mask

This foot mask is almost good enough to eat! In a food processor, pulse together a quarter cup of rolled oats and a quarter cup of brown sugar. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in a quarter cup of honey, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and one tablespoon of olive oil. Divide the mixture into two Ziploc bags, and place your feet in the bags. Massage the paste into the feet, and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Super-Moisturizing Foot Mask

If you have extremely dry skin, try this ultra-hydrating overnight foot mask. Mix together a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of cocoa butter, and the contents of three vitamin E capsules. After a shower, while the pores are still open, massage the mask into the feet, covering with socks. The next day, you can rinse with warm water. Your feet will feel silky smooth and moisturized!

Cucumber Foot Treatment

Feet getting rough? You’ll love the way they feel after this treatment: In a blender, combine two small cucumbers, the juice of one lemon, and three tablespoons of olive oil. Divide between two large plastic freezer bags, then place your feet inside and secure around your ankles with rubber bands. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, rinse off, and pocket the money you would have spent on a pedicure.

Peppermint Foot Scrub

Here’s a great scrub that will both soothe and exfoliate crusty winter feet. In a small bowl, add one cup of sugar and begin drizzling in two to three tablespoons of grape-seed, or another neutral oil, until you have a coarse, damp mixture. Stir in five drops of peppermint oil until well blended. Store in a Mason jar, and to use, rub a tablespoon or two onto the soles of your feet.

Vegetable Oil Foot Treatment

For the softest feet you’ve ever had, try this before-bed routine: Rub down your feet with vegetable oil, then put on some old socks. When you wake up, the oil will be gone and your feet will be super soft.

See also: 5 Hair Masks That Cure Dry, Winter Hair

For more all natural remedies from all around the internet, check out our Health and Beauty Tips board on Pinterest. And don’t forget to sign up for our ...

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What Are the Health Benefits of Yerba Mate?

Mate is a traditional South American beverage drink that is brewed from the leaves and stems of the yerba mate plant, a tree that belongs to the holly family. It’s widely consumed in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil, where the mate tree is indigenous. You’ll also find mate as an ingredient in energy drinks or in the herbal tea section of your local health food store.

Fun fact: Technically, the word tea only applies to the leaves of the Camilla Sinensis or tea plant. The beverages popularly known as herbal teas are actually tisanes.

Human beings apparently have a universal appetite for stimulants. Depending on where on the globe your ancestors found themselves, they might have enjoyed beverages made from coffee or cacao beans, guarana berries, kola nuts, or tea or yerba mate leaves. Although each contains a slightly different array of active chemicals, all contain caffeine or a closely related molecule with similar stimulant properties.

Health benefits of yerba mate

There are many impressive health benefits attributed to drinking yerba mate (or mate, for short), including

• Greater energy
• Mental focus
• Reduced fatigue
• Weight loss
• Antioxidant activity
• Enhanced sports performance

It might help you go a little longer or move a little faster, but mate will not turn a weekend jogger into an Olympic runner.

But before you get too excited about this new miracle brew, most of the benefits attributed to mate are available from any caffeinated beverage. There’s no question that caffeine stimulates the nervous system, resulting in great alertness and reduced fatigue. The impact of mate on weight and fat loss is likely to be relatively minor—especially compared to the impact of your food and movement choices. Similarly, expect only incremental effects on your athletic performance. It might help you go a little longer or move a little faster, but mate will not turn a weekend jogger into an Olympic runner.

How caffeine affects the body

Caffeine is not addictive in the true sense of the word, but it is habit-forming. If you drink caffeine regularly, your body will become habituated to its effects. You may feel like you can’t wake up in the morning until you’ve had your first cup. If deprived of your regular caffeine fix, you may develop a temporary headache. If you’re trying to quit caffeine, I recommend weaning yourself gradually to minimize any unpleasant side effects.

Long-term caffeine use appears to have neuroprotective effects, reducing the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

On the plus side, regular consumers also habituate to caffeine’s...

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What Does a Cornucopia Symbolize?

We often decorate for Thanksgiving with a cornucopia: a curved, horn-shaped basket filled with goodies like grapes, apples, and corn. It’s a symbol of fruitfulness and abundance.

But what’s with the word “cornucopia?” And where did its symbolism come from?

To answer those questions, we have to wade into the world of Greek mythology. I hope you’re ready, because this one’s a little strange.

To understand the cornucopia, you have to know Zeus

Let’s start with Zeus. Most of you know who he is: the most powerful of the Greek gods, lives on Mount Olympus, fights with lightning and thunder. Zeus was the son of two titans: Rhea and Kronos. They were the children of Uranus and Gaia. Uranus represented the earth; Gaia, the heavens. Yes, that means that Rhea and Kronos were brother and sister … and husband and wife. That’s just how they did things in Greek mythology. 

It gets weirder.

Kronos was told by his parents that he would one day be overthrown by his own child. So, to be safe, when he and Rhea started to have children, he decided to eat them. Totally normal. One by one, he chowed down on Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon.

Then, Rhea had Zeus. By this time, she was tired of all her children being eaten alive. So she swaddled up a stone and tricked Kronos into eating it instead of baby Zeus. Good thinking, Rhea!

Zeus was raised by … a goat?

Next, Reah took Zeus and hid him away in a cave, high in the White Mountains of Crete, and she left him in the care of a foster mother, Amalthea. Depending on which version of the myth you follow, Amalthea was either a goat who nursed Zeus, or a nymph who let Zeus feed from her pet goat. Either way, Zeus grew up fat and happy, full of goat’s milk, and warmed by the soft winds of the Mediterranean.

Here’s where we get back to the cornucopia. One day, Amalthea’s goat accidentally broke off one of her horns. Amalthea cleaned it up, filled it with flowers and fruit, and gave it to Zeus. In gratitude, Zeus placed the goat and the horn among the stars, creating the constellation Capricornus. 

“Capricorn” comes from two Latin words: “caprum,” meaning “goat,” and “cornu,” meaning horn. Thus Capricornus – or Capricorn, as we say today – means goat-horned.

“Cornucopia” also uses the root “cornu” meaning “horn.” The second part of the word, “copiae,” means “plenty.” Thus “cornucopia” literally means “horn of plenty.” 

We see these two roots in other words we know too. There’s “unicorn,” meaning “one horned.” And “copious,” meaning “...

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Can Pneumatic Compression Help You Recover Faster?

Recovery is a complicated fitness area to navigate. It means different things to different athletes, and each one has their favorite recovery ritual. The problem gets compounded when you introduce something as complex as compression. It can be applied statically or intermittently, and it varies from gentle pressure to very intense medical support. There are many factors to consider when you ask the question: does compression truly aid in athletic recovery?

To help me get through this topic and to help us understand how a device like the NormaTec external pneumatic compression systems works, I brought in Jeff Martin, Assistant Dean of Basic Medical Sciences and Associate Professor of Physiology at the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University, Knoxville, to help us along. As Jeff says, he has "had marked interest and has been involved in research with external pneumatic compression for quite some time now."

Let's start here: compression technology is confusing. To make matters worse, the message behind it can be misleading. The intersection of research and marketing creates confusion. Even professional sports coaches—who struggle to keep their players on the court, field, or ice—can't keep up with the real science. This is why we still see outdated activities like static stretching on the sidelines of football games and hear about ice baths administered during multi-stage triathlons.

Although the science is confusing, the anecdotes are clear—athletes like their recovery rituals.

What is compression?

In a nutshell, compression is simply applying circumferential pressure to the body using fabric or medical materials (like wraps or bandages).

Compression is simply applying circumferential pressure to the body.

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) or External Pneumatic Compression (EPC) is essentially the same but more complicated. It is pulsating pressure that surrounds the body by using inflatable sleeves or boots. In theory, the sequence—or pattern that the pressure is applied with—will help with the circulation of blood and lymph, which is something that our circulatory system does extremely efficiently. At least in a healthy individual.

There's evidence to indicate that this process is indeed effective in disease models (or when applied to someone with compromised circulation), but the evidence gets more complicated when healthy and fit athletes are using these compression technologies. Just because compression helps someone with medically diagnosed circulation issues, will it also help someone with very good circulation like an athlete?

When I asked Dr. Martin about this, he replied:

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How to Be Productive when the Organization Isn't

Today’s episode is a conversation between Stever Robbins—the outgoing Get-It-Done-Guy—and me, Rachel Cooke, your incoming Get-It-Done-Guy. Have a listen to our conversation by clicking the link to the podcast platform of your choice or clicking the audio player above.

(SIDE NOTE: You may find yourself thinking, Rachel doesn't sound like a guy at all! It's true! The masterminds at QDT are busy preparing to unveil a brand new show name soon. Stay tuned!) 

An organization-wide productivity problem

In our chat, Stever and I talked about how to be productive in an organization when it feels like you’re fighting an uphill battle. The challenges we highlighted will likely be familiar. But don’t worry—we’ve included solutions too. 

We began with Stever generously sharing a story of “unproductivity” from his past. In short, he joined an organization, was tasked with redesigning a website (an estimated one-days’ worth of work), and found himself laboring for nearly seven weeks to bring the project to completion. 

Stever’s story was incredibly relatable. We’ve all had that experience of staring down a project and knowing exactly how to get it done efficiently and effectively. And then, other people enter the picture, and suddenly we find ourselves thinking “How is this possibly taking so long?”

Organizational productivity is its own animal.

Stever discovered that the problem he had wasn't one of personal productivity. He had that in the bag! The issue was a problem with organizational productivity. 

Right on, Stever. Organizational productivity is its own animal. 

So we talked about why this project took so darn long and we highlighted strategies for improving efficiency the next time around.

So many stakeholders, so little time

While Stever was well-versed in the mechanics of redesigning a simple website, and knew he could easily execute the task at hand in a single day, this project required more than mechanics. The need for brand consistency, strategic messaging, and a clean user experience meant that marketing, corporate communications, and IT all needed a seat at the table.

Unfortunately, only top-priority items tend to get attention.

Stever needed approvals from these other departments. And approvals require attention. Unfortunately, only top-priority items tend to get attention. And while this project was priority number one for Stever, the others had bigger fish to fry.

So what do you do in this situation?

You compel...

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Science Says It Takes This Long to Form a Habit

Flossing every day, running more, eating more vegetables—whatever our goals, around four in ten of us will make resolutions to improve ourselves in the new year. But how many actually keep them? 

One relatively optimistic study that followed a group making new year’s resolutions for six months found that 46 percent were still on track by the end of June. However, a quick google search turns up numerous references to the fact that 80 percent of new year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. As far as I can tell, these mentions all trace back to a single place: a US News article that does not cite the statistic or link it to any study. But the article is written by a clinical psychologist. Let’s at least assume that, for those of us looking to make a change, the statistics aren’t in our favor.

So, how can we get our new habits to stick? What happens in our brain when we create a habit and how long does it take before a behavior becomes second nature?

Brain Anatomy of Habit Formation

A group of nuclei embedded in the midbrain, called the basal ganglia, deals with adopting new, goal-driven actions and integrating them into our consistent behaviors. The basal ganglia also deal with memory, pattern recognition, and motor control, and these nuclei are deeply connected to other parts of the brain.

Studies of brain activity suggest that a key point in habit formation occurs when the basal ganglia take over for the prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex, the frontmost part of the frontal lobe, deals with decision-making. Studies of brain activity suggest that a key point in habit formation occurs when the basal ganglia take over for the prefrontal cortex. 

How long does it take to form a habit?

Again turning to popular internet lore, the most commonly quoted number is that it takes 21 days to form a habit. This belief apparently originates from Psycho-Cybernetics, a book published in the1960s by plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz.

Maltz noticed that his plastic surgery patients took 21...

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