Summer is around the corner and we wanted to share some fun Central Illinois outdoor activities for you to enjoy.

·     First Friday in downtown Bloomington runs from 5:00-8:00pm the first Friday of every month. Browse art galleries, shop at local retailers & enjoy several dinning options. downtownbloomington.org 

·     17th Annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival in Pontiac is Saturday, May 4th and Sunday, May 5th. visitpontiac.org

·     Sugar Grove Nature Center at Funks Grove has trails & educational events. Stroll back to the Chapel in the Trees for a peaceful experience. sugargrovenaturecenter.org

·     Bloomington Farmers' Market is a producer only market. The Outdoor Farmers' Market is open every Saturday May-October from 7:30am to noon. downtownbloomington.org

·     Parklands Foundation has several hiking trails to explore. The Bluebells are in full bloom the end of April/early May. parklandsfoundation.org

from Denise Ng

I’ve had the pleasure of serving as an English tutor for 2 adult women during the past year. Both women are eager to improve their English language skills while living and working in Bloomington with their families. The basic commitment is to meet with them once a week for an hour either in person (in designated public meeting places) or virtually. STAR Adult Literacy Program provides all the needed English as a second language materials and training so that you can be successful. One of my students recently passed her test to become an American citizen which brought her great joy and I was happy to be a part of her reaching this important milestone. The program is always in need of more volunteers so if you have a few hours a week I encourage you to look into volunteering with STAR. Julie is a pleasure to work with (in addition to being from the great small town I grew up in!).

Julie Meenen | STAR Adult Literacy Program| Volunteer Coordinator

201 E. Grove St., Suite 300, Bloomington, IL 61701

309-888-5120 ext. 1211 (Office) | 309-242-3574 (cell)

meenenj@roe17.org

Our office is always looking to provide the most reliable and efficient ways to communicate with you. Here is a brief recap of the various ways we can be reached: 

TELEPHONE // Pontiac: 815-842-4393 // Bloomington: 309-290-3743 If no one is available to answer your call, you can always leave a voice message which we will receive and forward to the appropriate person in order to respond to you in a timely manner. 

E-MAIL // All our staff have an email address that is part of a Transport Layer Security (TLS) platform that allows us to send and receive messages in a secure manner. When we need to communicate non-public information electronically with you, we utilize the TLS system by using the words “secure” in the subject. Remember that if you are sending or returning any non-public information to our office, you must send the information in a secure manner from your own email program. 

TEXT MESSAGES // Both of our advisors can receive and send text messages using HEARSAY RELATE Business text messaging. Please remember that text messages are NOT ENCRYPTED and should therefore not contain confidential information. Please contact Denise or Susan if you would like to access this means of communicating with David or Darrell.

Please continue to reach us via our general office number 815-842-4393 (consider adding Douglass Financial to your phone contacts). From there, we are able to direct you to our Bloomington office and/or directly to the person you would like to reach.

What’s new with RMDs these days?

Below are some of the following pertinent changes to RMDs that were the result of the passing of the SECURE Act 2.0

RMD Age Extension
The age for RMDs was increased to 73 — Your first RMD must be taken by April 1 of the year you turn 73, and by December 31 each following year. Then, starting in 2033, SECURE 2.0 again pushes the age at which RMDs must start to 75.

Reduced Penalty
Under the old rules, if a retiree missed the RMD deadline, they would incur a penalty of 50% of the amount not taken on time. That penalty has been reduced in SECURE 2.0 to 25%, and in some cases, 10% if corrected within two years.

Pre-death Requirement Eliminated
Beginning in 2024, the pre-death requirement to take minimum distributions for Roth 401(k) accounts will be eliminated. This aligns with the treatment of RMDs for Roth IRA accounts, which don’t require distributions during one’s lifetime.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office at 815-842-4393.

Thinking of going paperless? We can help!

Visit www.netxinvestor.com and select Register Now to begin the process. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to set up your paperless account.

CLICK HERE

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our office at 815-842-4393.