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Joe Lucey

Evolution of the 401(k)

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When employer-sponsored 401(k) plans were introduced in the 1980s, an unexpected consequence occurred: Pensions stopped being the norm. One reason is that companies found 401(k) plans less expensive than traditional defined benefit plans.1

At the time, 401(k) plans were touted as an opportunity for greater earnings and a richer retirement lifestyle. While it’s true that potential exists, it has not come to fruition for many of America’s workers. Analysis of data compiled by The Pew Charitable Trusts indicates that only about half of American workers participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, including 401(k) plans.2

As a result, many Americans are woefully short on retirement funds and savings. According to recent data from the Economic Policy Institute, households in which wage earners are between ages 50 and 55 years old have a median savings of only $8,000. It’s somewhat better — $17,000 — for those ages 56 to 61. Worse yet, a 2016 GOBanking Rates survey found that 35 percent of all U.S. adults have only a few hundred dollars in their savings account; 34 percent have none at all.3

These are averages, of course, but the numbers are bleak. Thirty percent of baby boomers will start retirement with less than $50,000 in savings — indicating many will rely almost exclusively on Social Security benefits.4 If you could use some retirement planning advice, please give us a call. We help our clients make decisions about generating retirement income, using both funds accumulated in employer plans and through individual portfolios, as well as insurance products.

In 1978, Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1978, which included a provision for Section 401(k) plans, offering a means for employees to defer compensation from bonuses or stock options from current taxes. The law went into effect in 1980. The following year, the IRS issued rules permitting workers to make tax-deferred contributions to their 401(k) plans directly from wages, which is when their popularity began to explode. By 1983, almost 50 percent of large employers were offering or developing plans.5

It was an easy sell. Employers liked them because they were cheaper to fund with matches, and the expense was more predictable than indefinite pension payments. Employees felt they were in the driver’s seat and could make better investment decisions for higher earnings. These projections turned out well for companies, but perhaps not as well for many employees, as 401(k) accounts rise and fall with the financial markets.6

Automatic enrollments in 401(k) plans, as well as automatic contribution increases each year, appear to have the potential to help Americans save more. According to a study by J.P. Morgan: 7

  • Among workers who automatically enrolled in their 401(k) plans, only 1% opted out and 96% were happy with the feature. Nearly a third of those surveyed said they would not have enrolled in the plan without the automatic enrollment feature.
  • Among those whose contributions were automatically increased each year, 97% were satisfied, and 15% said they likely would not have increased contributions on their own.

In 2006, a new rule allowed employers to offer Roth 401(k) plans, either as a separate plan or as part of their retirement program. The Roth 401(k) is funded with already taxed income, the earnings grow tax-free and qualified withdrawals made during retirement are not taxed.8

For now, 401(k) plans are a primary retirement savings vehicle for American workers. However, one of the caveats is that those tax-deferred income contributions and earnings deprive the government of revenues that could be used to reduce the deficit or for new spending programs. With new deficit concerns on the horizon, the tax status of 401(k) funds could be subject to greater scrutiny in the future.9

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

1 Kelley Holland. CNBC. March 23, 2015. “For millions 401(k) plans have fallen short.” https://www.cnbc.com/2015/03/20/l-it-the-401k-is-a-failure.html. Accessed Dec. 29, 2017.

2 The Pew Charitable Trusts. January 2016. “Who’s In, Who’s Out.” http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/2016/01/retirement_savings_report_jan16.pdf. Accessed Jan. 11, 2018.

3 Ester Bloom. CNBC. June 13, 2017. “Here’s how many Americans have nothing at all saved for retirement.” https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/13/heres-how-many-americans-have-nothing-at-all-saved-for-retirement.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2017.

4 Suzanne Woolley. Bloomberg. Dec. 13, 2017. “Retirement, Delayed.” https://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/retirement-redesigned. Accessed Dec. 19, 2017.

5 Kathleen Elkins. CNBC. Jan. 4, 2017. “A brief history of the 401(k), which changed how Americans retire.” https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/04/a-brief-history-of-the-401k-which-changed-how-americans-retire.html. Accessed Dec. 19, 2017.

6 Ibid.

7 Dan Kadlec. Money. July 27, 2016. “The 401(k) Features Employers Can No Longer Ignore.” http://time.com/money/4422533/401k-features-employers-can-no-longer-ignore/. Accessed Dec. 19, 2017.

8 Denise Appleby. Investopedia. Nov. 30, 2015. “Roth 401(k), 403(b): Which Is Right for You?” https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/06/addroths.asp. Accessed Dec. 14, 2017.

9 Suzanne Woolley. Bloomberg. Nov. 15, 2017. “Why Republican Lawmakers Are Eyeing 401(k)s for Their Tax Plan.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-16/why-senate-tax-cutters-have-an-eye-on-big-401-k-s-quicktake-q-a. Accessed Dec. 29, 2017.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. 

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

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Financial Planning to Care for the Caregivers

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If you picture yourself receiving long-term care at some point, you likely envision a medical professional sitting bedside, tending to your needs. However, the bulk of long-term care in the U.S. is actually provided by family caregivers.1

According to a recent Merrill Lynch study, 20 million Americans become caregivers each year. Moreover, family caregivers collectively spend $190 billion a year of their own money on adult care recipients. And the toll doesn’t end there. In addition to 92 percent of caregivers using their own money and/or coordinating or managing finances to aid loved ones:2

  • 98% provide emotional support
  • 92% provide household support
  • 79% provide care coordination
  • 64% provide physical care

Women usually do more caregiving than men, the study found, averaging six years of caregiving in their lifetime compared to four for men. As a result, caregiving can bring more of a financial burden for women because of the time they may need to take away from their careers to care for loved ones.3

The financial burden of caregiving, for both men and women, should not be underestimated. The study shows 53 percent of respondents have made financial sacrifices as caregivers, and 21 percent have dipped into their savings.4

If you’re in a similar situation and are concerned about having enough income in retirement, please contact us. We work with clients to create retirement strategies through the use of insurance products that help them work toward their long-term retirement income goals.

Increasing attention is also being given to the psychosocial burden experienced by family caregivers. The responsibility and stress can contribute to their own physical conditions, including chronic diseases caused by unhealthy eating habits, sleeping poorly and not getting enough physical activity.5

Caregivers have twice the incidence of heart attack, arthritis, heart disease and diabetes compared to non-caregivers. Their chronic stress can even lead to cognitive reduction such as short-term memory loss and attention deficits. To cope with their complex lives, caregivers also may be prone to develop dependence on alcohol, smoking, prescription drugs and psychotropic drugs for mood enhancement. Caregivers also tend to have higher obesity rates.6

To help family members who are caring for a loved one with cancer, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York developed a support program that included webcasts with staged therapeutic interactions between therapists and informal caregivers, and a message board where study participants could post responses to experiential exercise questions. Initial results found that program participants experienced reduced symptoms of depression.7

Technological advances may also help ease caregiving challenges. For example, wearable devices can monitor heart rate and blood pressure, among other vitals. These devices can be linked to mobile phone apps, alerting a caregiver of any changes that might trigger a serious health issue.8

Some wearable devices use GPS and geofencing technologies to track patients, allowing them more mobility while also helping caregivers monitor patients’ locations. Newer devices use artificial intelligence to recognize trends in vital signs or movement that can lead to health or injury concerns.9

Regardless of what innovations the technology industry creates to aid caregivers, there is some comfort in knowing that the primary skills necessary in a caregiver cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence or a robot. Human caregivers not only offer compassion, empathy and the ability to meet retirees’ emotional needs, but these soft skills can be learned and improved — which will prove to be a critical sector of our workforce in years to come.10

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

1 Advisor News. Nov. 1, 2017. “92% Of Caregivers Are Financial Caregivers.” https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/92-caregivers-financial-caregivers#.WgOptLaZOfU. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Kathy Birkett. Senior Care Corner. “How Are YOU, Family Caregiver — Are You Caring for Yourself?” http://seniorcarecorner.com/family-caregiver-caring-for-yourself. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.

6 Ibid.

7 Meg Barbor. The ASCO Post. April 25, 2017. “Attrition High but Positive Trends Observed in Web-Based Intervention Addressing Caregiver Burden.” http://www.ascopost.com/issues/april-25-2017/attrition-high-but-positive-trends-observed-in-web-based-intervention-addressing-caregiver-burden/. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.

8 1-800-HomeCare. Oct. 12, 2017. “What Are the Top Emerging Tech Trends for Home Care In 2017?” https://www.1800homecare.com/homecare/new-tech/. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.

9 Ibid.

10 Harry Welchel. ChirpyHire. July 31, 2017. “Senior Care and The Future of Work.” http://blog.chirpyhire.com/senior-care-and-the-future-of-work/. Accessed Dec. 4, 2017.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic retirement income strategies and should not be construed as financial advice.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

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The Impact of Income Inequality

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As it turns out, income inequality can be an issue for all society, not just the poor.

A new study of high-earning clients of a bank’s wealth management unit tracked the fortunes of male and female young adults to learn how income inequity would impact their lives. The assumptions had both genders starting out in the job market earning a salary of at least $100,000 and in possession of an inheritance of $1 million.1 The following are some of the study’s findings:2

  • A 25-year-old woman living in a wealthy country earns 10 percent less, on average, than a man the same age.
  • By age 85, the income gap will result in the woman having 38 percent less wealth than the man.
  • The gap will widen if the woman takes a year off from work or decides to work part time for a while.
  • The problem is exacerbated by the fact that women are expected to live longer and must stretch their wealth over a longer

Retirement planning is challenging enough without the issue of lower wages throughout one’s career. Lower earnings mean fewer opportunities to save and invest, in addition to a reduced standard of living. Whether married, divorced or single, we help clients create retirement strategies through the use of insurance products that help them work toward their long-term retirement income goals. Give us a call to learn more.

Interestingly, the U.S. women’s labor force participation peaked in 2000. At the time, this had a big impact on household income and broader economic growth. Since then, as prime-age women have dropped out of the workforce, the national growth rate has suffered.3

Over the past two years, real median household income in the U.S. has increased by 3.2 percent, but this follows 17 years of stops and starts. Even today’s positive numbers can be deceptive, because they do not reflect areas of the country that are still struggling. For example, an analysis of data from the 2000 Census and the 2016 American Community Survey found that 86 urban areas — including Miami, Orlando, Phoenix, Tucson, Chicago, Indianapolis and Milwaukee — suffered declines in median income between 10 and 15 percent from 1999 to 2016. Many of these areas lost a large number of middle-income manufacturing jobs during the 2000s that have not been replaced.4

A new large-scale study found poverty-level household income can have a significant impact on children’s development, ranging from cognitive and educational outcomes to social development and physical health. The study included data from past research that found that when low-income families do receive an influx of cash, this money is usually spent on fruit, vegetables, books, clothes and toys.5

Aligned with this type of insight, some countries are looking at ways to solve some of their largest societal issues through a basic income. This year, as part of a two-year, limited trial involving 2,000 unemployed citizens, Finland became the first European country to provide a “no-strings-attached” monthly payment to cover essential costs of living. The basic income (about $587 a month) replaces any other current unemployment benefits and will continue even if recipients get a job. Cities in the Netherlands and Canada have scheduled similar pilot programs.6

In the U.S., test programs have found that giving homes to the homeless is the cheapest way to reduce homelessness, and paying high-risk people not to be involved in gun violence has been remarkably effective at reducing a city’s murder rate.7

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

1 Reuters. Oct. 23, 2017. “Pay gap to affect high-earning women’s retirement lifestyle: study.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-women-pay-gap/pay-gap-to-affect-high-earning-womens-retirement-lifestyle-study-idUSKBN1CS0Z7. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

2 Ibid.

3 Jay Shambaugh, Ryan Nunn and Becca Portman. Brookings. Nov. 1, 2017. “Lessons from the rise of women’s labor force participation in Japan.” https://www.brookings.edu/research/lessons-from-the-rise-of-womens-labor-force-participation-in-japan/. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

4 Alan Berube. Brookings. Oct. 12, 2017. “Five maps show progress made, but mostly lost, on middle-class incomes in America.” https://www.brookings.edu/research/five-maps-show-progress-made-but-mostly-lost-on-middle-class-incomes-in-america/. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

5 The London School of Economics and Political Science. Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE). “Does Money Affect Children’s Outcomes? An update. http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case/_new/research/money_matters/report.asp. Accessed Dec. 7, 2017.

6 Drake Baer. New York magazine. Jan. 4, 2017. “What Happens When You Give Free Money to Poor People.” https://www.thecut.com/2017/01/the-psychology-of-basic-income.html. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

7 Ibid.

 

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic retirement income strategies and should not be construed as financial advice.

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

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Are We Moving to a Cashless Society?

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In the days before cash, people bartered goods and services. Then we established various forms of “cash” payments, from paper bills and coins to checks, credit and debit card payments. It seems that the more we progress, the less we use physical cash. Just because we’re not breaking out a wad of bills doesn’t mean we don’t want to have our assets stored elsewhere – perhaps some of it in savings, some of it in investments and some of it in insurance products. In fact, it’s a good idea to position our assets with the goal of generating several different income streams during retirement. We are happy to sit down with you to evaluate your current assets and design a financial strategy to help you pursue that goal.

The world continues to move in the direction of a more cashless society. In Sweden, digital payments represent as much as 80 percent of all transactions in shops. The country is known for its innovation in technology, and consumers have been quick to embrace and utilize non-cash options with a high degree of confidence.1

Another trend moving us closer to cashless is the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies. This started with bitcoin in 2009, but today there are more than 900 different types of digital cash. They are used to make secure electronic payments for goods and services. And yes, they can increase in value. In March 2017 the value of a bitcoin, at a high of $1,268, exceeded that of an ounce of gold ($1,233) for the first time. However, because of the level of anonymity they offer, cryptocurrencies are unfortunately often connected with illegal activity.2

One of the reasons there is so much innovation in new monetary systems is due to the onslaught of fraud and security breaches in recent years, such as the Equifax data breach. In that situation, the personal data of more than 143 million customers was potentially compromised. The apparent inability to prevent breaches has led to consumers having to freeze credit reports, enact fraud alerts and be more vigilant about monitoring bank and credit card accounts to verify charges.3

Then again, the more sophisticated we become, the more we seem to revert to the “old ways” for security. For example, some states are considering augmenting their electronic voting systems with paper backups.4

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

1Alex Gray. World Economic Forum. Sept. 21, 2017. “Sweden is on its way to becoming a cashless society.” https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/09/sweden-becoming-cashless-society/. Accessed Oct. 17, 2017.

2 Cara McGoogan and Matthew Field. The Telegraph. Sept. 27, 2017. “What is cryptocurrency, how does it work and why do we use it?” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/0/cryptocurrency/. Accessed Oct. 17, 2017.

3 Jeff Blyskal. Consumer Reports. Sept. 12, 2017. “How to Lock Down Your Money After the Equifax Breach.” https://www.consumerreports.org/equifax/how-to-lock-down-your-money-after-the-equifax-breach/. Accessed Oct. 17, 2017.

4 Elizabeth Weise. USA Today. Sept. 19, 2017. “Paper ballots are back in vogue thanks to Russian hacking fears.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/09/19/russia-hacking-election-fears-prompts-states-to-switch-to-paper-ballots/666020001/. Accessed Oct. 27, 2017.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. 

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

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Exclusive vs. Inclusive Investing

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There are many different approaches to investing in the stock market, but most fall under two categories: exclusive and inclusive. Exclusive means conducting thorough research on prospective companies and investing in a portfolio of select, thoroughly vetted securities. One of the advantages of this approach is that if an investor’s research pans out, he could have quite a cache of high-performing “winners.”1

An unfortunate disadvantage is that most big “winners” in the market have at some point suffered declines of up to 50, 60 or even 90 percent on their way to success. That type of risk can be difficult for the average investor to stomach.2

The inclusive strategy is quite the opposite. This encompasses ETFs, mutual and index funds, wherein the idea is to diversify across securities to help reduce volatility, yet still yield a positive return on investment. The advantages are that this is usually a lower cost way of investing in a wide array of stocks, and diversification may offer a better defense against capital losses. On the flip side, however, stellar returns can get whitewashed by a batch of underperformers.3

Many factors should be considered in developing an investment strategy. We have the tools to help clients determine how much risk they are willing to take on and what types of investments are appropriate for their financial goals, investment timeline and individual circumstances.  We’re here to help you analyze your personal financial situation and create strategies utilizing a variety of investment and insurance products that can help you work toward your financial goals.

One way to gauge risk tolerance is to recognize how we each react when the markets start to fall. It’s a very common, natural instinct to want to sell holdings to “stop the bleeding,” but, in fact, the opposite may be more productive. Buying when prices drop — at least well-vetted securities that are expected to recover – can be a means of achieving higher performance. But that’s not generally how human nature works. And, unfortunately, how investors react can have far more impact on performance than the economy or individual stock fundamentals. In fact, Robert J. Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale, believes that markets are more prone to move when investors think they know how other investors will react.4

The one thing about significant market moves, whether up or down, is that they can throw a portfolio off your carefully designed plan. This is why rebalancing a portfolio, at least annually, can be an important investment strategy. However, a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup survey found that less than half of investors rebalance to restore their portfolios back to targeted stock and bond allocations on an annual basis. A bull run can be pretty satisfying as you watch your account’s market value continually increase. However, the problem with this is that an investor could be generating a far more aggressive portfolio than suited for his or her circumstances. In the event of a correction, losses could be significant.5

One suggestion is that investors should consider diversifying any position that climbs higher than 5 to 10 percent of their overall portfolio.6

Another possible strategy is to position some portfolio assets into an annuity. While the approach is slowly starting to catch on, the recently released 2017 “TIAA Lifetime Income Survey” found that only 50 percent of respondents reported being familiar with how an annuity works. However, even that finding can be deceiving. About 63 percent of participants who were invested in a target-date fund thought that it would provide a guaranteed income stream. While this is true of annuities*, it is not the case with most target-date funds. Half of those surveyed expressed interest in having an annuity option in their employer-retirement plans.7

*Annuity guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Annuities are insurance products that may be subject to fees, surrender charges and holding periods which vary by company. Annuities are not a deposit of nor are they insured by any bank, the FDIC, NCUA, or by any federal government agency. Annuities are designed for retirement or other long-term needs.

Content prepared by Kara Stefan Communications.

1 Barry Ritholtz. Bloomberg. Sept. 26, 2017. “So Few Market Winners, So Much Dead Weight.” https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-09-26/so-few-market-winners-so-much-dead-weight. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

4 Robert J. Shiller. The New York Times. Oct. 19, 2017. “A Stock Market Panic Like

1987 Could Happen Again.” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/19/business/stock-market-crash-1987.html?smid=tw-share. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

5 Walter Updegrave. Money. Oct. 4, 2017. “Do This One Thing Each Year If You Want a Better Retirement.” http://time.com/money/4964526/do-this-one-thing-each-year-if-you-want-a-better-retirement/. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

6 Donald Jay Korn. Financial Planning. Aug. 22, 2017. “Convincing clients to let go of huge holdings.” https://www.financial-planning.com/news/convincing-clients-to-let-go-of-huge-holdings. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

7 Karen Demasters. Financial Advisor. Oct. 17, 2017. “Annuities Are Misunderstood, TIAA Says.” https://www.fa-mag.com/news/annuities-are-misunderstand–tiaa-says-35249.html. Accessed Nov. 28, 2017.

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be construed as financial advice. All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. 

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of the desired reference.

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What Is a Cryptocurrency?

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Cryptocurrencies, such as the best-known version called bitcoin, emerged in 2009 as a means to process electronic payments. As we move further away from a cash-based economy, so much of how we conduct financial transactions is based on two factors: Credit and trust.

In order to extend credit, a financial institution must trust that the consumer will pay it back. The consumer, in return, must trust that the institution will keep his or her personal data, account numbers and other financial information secure. As we have learned during the course of this transition to a cashless society, mutual trust can and is breached quite often.

That chasm is what created a new form of currency, referred to as cryptocurrency because it exists only in electronic form. Instead of trusting a financial institution to securely conduct transactions, it takes the institution – and its accompanying need to collect personal data and impose middle-man fees – out of the trade deal. Cryptocurrency is a direct, peer-to-peer electronic transaction system secured by code that only the entity on the receiving end can read and process.

The transaction is secure, instant, irreversible, anonymous and incurs no third-party transaction fees. Also note that it is not backed, controlled or overseen by any central authority, and all transactions are recorded via a central cloud-based database. Because of the level of anonymity they offer, cryptocurrencies are unfortunately often connected with illegal activity.

Danielle Christensen

Paraplanner

Danielle is dedicated to serving clients to achieve their retirement goals. As a Paraplanner, Danielle helps the advisors with the administrative side of preparing and documenting meetings. She is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict, with a degree in Business Administration and began working with Secured Retirement in May of 2023.

Danielle is a lifelong Minnesotan and currently resides in Farmington with her boyfriend and their senior rescue pittie/American Bulldog mix, Tukka.  In her free time, Danielle enjoys attending concerts and traveling. She is also an avid fan of the Minnesota Wild and loves to be at as many games as possible during the season!