Beacon Aug 2023

Page 6A THE BEACON August 2023
Master Sergeant Timothy
Lynn “Griz” Martin
MSGT Griz Martin was
born on July 9, 1955. His
father was a career Air Force
sergeant who traveled all
around the country during his
service. Griz traveled with
the family until he was sixteen
when he moved in with
his grandmother in Aurora.
He graduated from Aurora
High School in 1974 and had
already decided to pursue a
military career.
Griz completed Airborne
Ranger School, Jumpmaster
training, Special Forces
qualified, a Combat Engineer,
Special Forces Underwater
training, and Jungle Warfare
training. He proudly wore
the National Defense Service
Medal, Defense Meritorious
Service Medal, Combat
Infantry Badge (CIB), Ranger
tab, Bronze Star with “V”
for valor, and the Purple
Heart. He was also awarded
the Silver Star, our nation’s
third-highest award for Valor,
and just under the Medal of
S
ALUTE
Honor and Distinguished
Service Cross. He was 38
years old when he died doing
the job he loved. On Oct.
3, 1993, Griz was killed in
Somalia on what would have
been his last deployment
before his retirement.
MSGT Tim “Griz” Martin
was serving with the HHC,
2nd Ranger Battalion when
he was mortally wounded as
part of a convoy that became
lost on a mission in Somalia.
His actions are depicted in
the movie BLACK HAWK
DOWN which tells the story
of the eighteen men who died
that day serving our nation.
Griz is buried at Arlington
National Cemetery.
Griz is remembered as a
True American Hero who
volunteered to serve our
great nation. He left behind
a family he had so much
love for, his wife, Linda, and
three daughters, Diana Lynn,
Katherine Rose, and Jessica
Faye. He died during Operation
Gothic Serpent (Battle of
Mogadishu).
Retirement Checklist
TO THE MILITARY
Master Sergeant Timothy
His Silver Star Citation
reads: The President of the
United States takes pride in
presenting the Silver Star
Medal (posthumously) to
Timothy Lynn Martin, Sergeant
First Class, U.S. Army,
for conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity in action against
hostile enemy forces while
serving with the 1st Special
Forces Operational Detachment-Delta,
Task Force
Ranger, Special Operations
Command, during combat
operations in Mogadishu,
Somalia, on 3 and 4 October
1993.
Sergeant First Class Martin
was mortally wounded as a
part of a convoy that became
lost and was taken under fire.
His gallantry in action was in
keeping with the finest tradition
of the military forces of
the United States and reflect
the highest credit upon
himself and the United States
By Alan Thorup, CRMP
Good credit is important
in many aspects of adult life
these days. As most of us
know, if you are applying for
a loan or line of credit at a
lender, having good credit,
including a good credit score,
is an essential factor in determining
whether or not your
application is approved. However,
your credit and score
impact more than that!
In today’s world, beyond
a decision to approve a loan
or not, your credit and score
may impact the pricing/cost
Army.
Gary “Bo Diddley”
Walston lives in Rising Sun,
IN, and graduated with Griz
from Aurora High School in
1974. He said Griz was the
quiet type but always talked
about going into the service
after graduation. Bo recalls
the love Griz had for cars and
that he built an engine for his
“pride and joy,” a green 1969
Dodge Dart Swinger. The car
had a 340-cubic-inch engine
and was his “baby.”
Bo said he had no doubt
that when the time came to
help in any situation, Griz
would be right there doing
the best he could to take care
of the men with whom he
was serving
Griz Martin is a True
American HERO and we
must never forget him or
those who have served to protect
our freedoms. Our children
need to be taught about
of the loan being applied
for as a lower credit score is
indicative of a higher risk of
default than a higher score,
and therefore, the lender
prices in that greater risk with
a higher interest rate, fees,
additional conditions, or a
combination of them. Additionally,
credit and credit
scores are being utilized by
insurance companies, employers,
and landlords in
making business decisions for
their customers.
Consumers’ ability to be
able to review their credit was
The BEACON - Great News for Great People.
Lynn “Griz” Martin MSGT
these two types of heroes so
that they know why they can
enjoy the many freedoms we
have today. May Griz rest in
eternal peace.
The Importance of Good Credit / Credit Score
After spending decades in the working world, the last thing you want is for small details to trip you up
in the home stretch toward retirement. Doing each of the things on the checklist below can help ensure
that once you leave your job behind and enter retirement, you’re financially prepared to stay there.
Track Monthly Expenses
Knowing exactly how much you’ll spend each month goes a long way toward ensuring you don’t
run out of money earlier than anticipated.
Analyze Health Care Costs
As many expenses often decline in retirement, health care typically becomes more costly with age,
as a majority of seniors eventually need some form of long-term care.
Update Beneficiaries
To prevent avoidable disputes among your loved ones, be as clear as possible when explaining how
you want your finances divided among your spouse, children, relatives or charities of your choice.
Research Social Security
All of those monthly contributions toward Social Security are about to pay off. Choosing when and
how you start receiving benefits determines the size of your payouts from this point forward.
Attack Debt
Once you stop receiving regular paychecks, every dollar spent will come from your hard-earned
savings. You’ll likely want to pay off as much debt as possible while you’re still working and making
an income.
Evaluate Investment Portfolio
Your investment allocations may have worked well thus far, but it’s common for retirees to change
their approach to avoid volatility once they have saved enough for retirement.
If you’re uncertain or need help with any of the
areas above, a dedicated financial professional from
Conservative Financial Solutions would be happy
to help. Contact our team today to set up a no
obligation appointment!
CONTACT US
Phone: 513.367.1113
Email: info@conservativefinancialsolutions.com
Securities offered through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals
through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a Registered Investment Advisor. MAS and Conservative Financial Solutions are not affiliated companies. AEWM and
Conservative Financial Solutions are not affiliated companies. 835296 - 3/21
enhanced years ago by the
development of the website
annualcreditreport.com by
the three major repositories
of credit; Equifax, Experian,
and TransUnion. This site
allows consumers to access
their credit report with each
repository for free once every
twelve months. This report
can be printed out, and for
a fee, consumers can obtain
a credit score. However, the
credit score that is on there
will not be the same one used
by lenders or others for two
reasons: 1) Credit scores are
‘dynamic’ and are subject
to change every day, and, 2)
Credit scores vary based on
the reason the credit report
is being used as there are
different scoring models for;
mortgages, consumer loans,
employment, insurance, etc.
Credit scores, developed in
the late 1950s by Fair, Isaac,
and Company (FICO), were
introduced into the consumer
market in 1989 and gained
wide acceptance. The five major
components are payment
history (35%), amounts owed
(30%), length of credit history
(15%), credit mix/types of
credit (10%), and new credit/
applications (10%). What is
not considered in the score
is the consumer’s age, income,
race, or occupation.
These models are periodically
updated with new information
and evaluations of their
performance.
Also, credit inquiries
include what are called ‘hard
pulls’ such as for loans and
lines of credit, and ‘soft pulls’
such as consumers checking
on their credit as well as general
promotional offers such
as for credit cards. In the case
of hard pulls, multiple credit
inquiries for different purposes
(i.e. a mortgage, credit
card, auto loan), will bring
down a credit score, whereas
soft pulls will not. However,
multiple credit inquiries for
the same type of loan within
thirty days will be treated as
one as the models take into
consideration that a consumer
may be shopping for the best
deal/rate.
Finally, if there are errors
in the report, consumers have
the opportunity to challenge
them and have them removed,
and, resources for this are
available on the annualcreditreport.com
website with
links to the Federal Trade
Commission and the Consumer
Financial Protection
Bureau. This is especially
critical these days given that
identity thefts and the number
of ‘hacks’ in organizations’
systems across the country
continue to grow.