Reader Responses February 8, 2016

SURVEY SAYS: First Love

Valentine’s Day is this Sunday.
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Valentine’s Day is a time for those who have a current love to focus on that person and express how you feel, but I thought it would be interesting to reflect on your first love.

So, last week, I asked NewsDash readers, “When was your first love?

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The majority of responding readers (52.6%) reported they fell in love for the first time between the ages of 16 and 20, inclusive. This was followed by 28.9% who indicated their first love was between ages 11 and 15.

More than 10% said their first love occurred between ages five and 10, while 2.63% each selected “younger than five,” “21 to 25” and “26 to 30.” No one reported their first love occurring later than age 30, and interestingly, no one reported never having been in love.

In comments, there were a few expressions of distaste for Valentine’s Day. One reader said the survey made his head spin: “Whoa, Nellie! We go from Super Bowl grrr, rah-rah, crash ’em, bash ’em to soft kitty, warm kitty. I can’t transition that fast. Mercy me, my head just exploded!” There were some very warming stories about first loves ending up to be life-long loves, and some readers shared what drew them to their first loves. Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said: “Valentine’s Day is too commercialized. My husband and I have been known to stand in the card aisle, pick out a card and show it to the other person, and call it good! (Without even buying one!)”

Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey!

Verbatim 

My first love is my only love! We've been married for 46 years.

Just another day for marketing...OMG I have become bitter

My first love was my German Shephard mix. I was a lonely child and she was my best friend and constant companion. I still love dogs more than people to this day. The first "person" I loved is my husband but I didn't know what love really was even with him until my 30's.

My first love was my 2nd grade teacher; it was in Catholic school years ago, so of course, it was a nun. Too bad....

Whoa, Nellie! We go from Super Bowl grrr, rah-rah, crash 'em, bash 'em to soft kitty, warm kitty. I can't transition that fast. Mercy me, my head just exploded!

I was broken hearted when she moved out of town.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. I will never forget my first love.

Isn't your first love always Mommy or Daddy? Or chocolate?

I still have dreams about my first love...even though I am happily married.

She was the cutest blonde girl in 2nd grade and I didn't get over her until I entered high school.

Either luck or fate - Met my wife and fell in love when I was 18. Married her 5 years later after college. Best decision I ever made! We will celebrate our 25th anniversary in April.

 

Verbatim (cont.) 

Valentine's day is too commercialized. My husband and I have been known to stand in the card aisle, pick out a card and show it to the other person, and call it good! (Without even buying one!).

Don't know what happened to her.

He was smart, gorgeous, hysterically funny, had straight teeth without having had braces, and loved me right back!. I look for these same things in men today.

Ah, first love. More like first infatuation. All consuming and mostly fantasy. Eventually, we learn about real love, which is more about will and less about feelings...

He was new to town and came to our door asking me to come out and play. We've been friends since he moved away breaking my heart for 55 more years.

My one and only love and I have known each other for close to 40 years, 34 of those in wedded bliss. We will be celebrating Valentine's Day while on vacation at a warm and sunny beach.

Each day should be Valentine's Day.

It's really hard to differentiate between a true "first love" versus and intense infatuation especially at very young ages. To me, a true first love does not disappear (meaning that you always love the person even if it doesn't work out), whereas an infatuation with someone burns out over time.

I had a puppy type love for the boy in my school & neighborhood - we moved in the same crowd in elementary school. At age 15 he finally asked me out on a date. May 28th we will be married for 50 years and we are still in love.

He was a wild and crazy preacher's son. Occasionally wonder how his life turned out.

I'm not sure that first "loves" actually deserve that name. But I can remember my first kiss like it was yesterday. Fortunately, my wife is a better kisser...

NOTE: Responses reflect the opinions of individual readers and not necessarily the stance of Asset International or its affiliates.
Investing February 5, 2016

TDFs Post First Annual Loss Since 2008

Positive fourth-quarter performance was not enough to pull target-date funds out of negative territory, according to the Callan Target Date Index.
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The Callan Target Date Index posted a 2015 return of -0.86%, its first annual loss since 2008, the investment consultant reported.

The downturn came as several large target-date fund (TDF) managers reported increasing their glide path allocation to equities over the past several years, says Lori Lucas, head of Callan’s defined contribution practice. “After the carnage of 2008, when the median target-date fund lost 26.41%, target-date fund managers generally decreased their glide path allocations to equities and improved their overall diversification,” she notes.

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However, the range of target-date fund performance last year was considerably narrower when compared with 2008. That year the range between best- and worst-performing target date funds (as measured by the 10th and 90th percentiles) was more than 22 percentage points. In 2015, the best and worst performers differed by fewer than 2 percentage points.

Target-date funds did rebound nicely in the final quarter of 2015, returning 3.01% as measured by the Callan Target Date Index. The funds benefited primarily from domestic equity exposure during the quarter, with the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 gaining 7.04%. Though the domestic stock market enjoyed strong performance, bonds declined -0.57% as measured by the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index.

The Callan Target Date Index is an equally weighted composite of 44 target-date fund series, including both mutual funds and collective trusts. It is updated quarterly. The index allows plan sponsors, managers and participants to track the performance and asset allocation of available target-date mutual funds and collective trusts.

More information is at Callan’s Target Date Index website.

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