Up & Coming Weekly

February 11, 2020

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM FEBRUARY 12-18, 2020 UCW 9 Black History Month is an annual com- memora on that honors the contribu ons of African-Americans to the United States. Several noteworthy African-Americans called Cumberland County home. We've highlighted two below. Born in Faye eville in 1827, Hiram Rhodes Revels was elected as the first African- American to serve in the U.S. Senate and AUTHOR Melody Foote Director of Communications Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau B U L L E T I N Download a mobile app for exploring Cumberland County. CUMBERLAND COUNTY CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH the first to serve in the U.S. Congress. He served from 1870-71 dur- ing the Reconstruc on era following the Civil War. America's first great African-American novelist, Charles Chesnu , se led in Faye eville with his family at age 8. In 1877, he became assistant principal of the Normal School, which is known today as Faye eville State University. A er several years, he moved his fam- ily to Ohio and began his law and literary career. His first book, "The Conjure Woman" was published in 1899, fol- lowed by "The House Behind the Cedars" in 1900. Many of his works dealt with racism and other social issues in the south during Reconstruc on. Learn more about the legacy of local African Americans on the African-American Heritage Trail at Faye evilleNCTrails.com. For a list of all Black History events, navigate to VisitFaye evilleNC.com. GIFT SHOP SALE Our Visitor Center at 245 Person Street is having a Buy One Get One sale through the end of the month. For the en re month of February, purchase one item and get another similar item at the same price for free. The gi shop sells T-shirts, postcards, key chains, hats, locally made jelly, honey and other food and gi products. The gi shop is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In your life, you will have all sorts of relationships — with your family, your friends, your coworkers and even with civic groups and charitable organiza- tions you support. But have you ever considered another key relationship — the one you have with money? Of course, this type of relationship has several aspects, such as saving, spending and investing. And your fellow Americans clearly face some challenges in these areas. For ex- ample, in a recent survey by financial services firm Edward Jones, only 21% of respondents reported that they feel happy when thinking about saving money, while 92% said they see room for improvement in their financial health. Yet only one in four plan to im- prove their spending habits. Further- more, just 26% said retirement was a top savings priority. If you share some of these concerns, what should you do? Here are a few suggestions: • Identify your money-related emo- tions. Try to recognize the emotions you feel in connection with saving and investing. Do you get nervous about spending? Does putting away money for the future give you satisfac- tion or not? Do you worry that you don't know how much you should be investing, or whether you're investing in the right way? Clearly, these types of questions can cause some anxiety — and, even more importantly, they may lead you to make poor decisions. Emotions are obviously closely tied to money — but they really should not play a big role in your spending, sav- ing and investing choices. • Develop a financial strategy. By developing a sound financial strategy, you can reduce money-related stress and help yourself feel empowered as you look to the future. A comprehen- sive strategy can help you identify your goals — a down payment on a new home, college for your children, a comfortable retirement, and so on — and identify a path toward reach- ing them. Your financial strategy should incorporate a variety of fac- tors, including your age, risk toler- ance, income level, family situation and more. Here's the key point : By creating a long-term strategy and sticking to it, you'll be far less likely to overreact to events such as market downturns and less inclined to give in to impulses such as "spur of the moment" costly purchases. And with- out such a strategy, you will almost certainly have less chance of achiev- ing your important goals. • Get an "accountability partner." Your relationship with money doesn't have to be monogamous – you can get help from an "accountability partner." Too many people keep their financial concerns and plans to themselves, not even sharing them with their partners or other family members. But by being open about your finances to your loved ones, you can not only avoid misplaced expectations but also enlist the help of someone who may be able to help keep you on track toward your short- and long-term goals. But you may also benefit from the help of a financial professional — someone with the perspective, experience and skills necessary to help you make the right moves. Like all successful relationships, the one you have with money re- quires work. But you'll find it's worth the effort. Can you improve your relationship with money? submitted by JONATHAN PROFFITT Sometimes managing your money feels complicated. MONEY JONATHAN PROFFITT, Financial Advisor at Edward Jones Investments. COMMENTS? 910-488-7535

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