alpena alcona area credit union newsletter · common myths associated with it — debunked. myth...

Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union Newsletter Volume Issue • March 2016

In This Issue:

Refer a FriendFive Myths About Buying a HomeIgnore these common myths about home buying

Buying Out Your Leased Vehicle: The Pros and ConsWhat are the advantages of a lease buyout?

The Worst Passwords People Keep Using — and How to Create BetterOnesWhy secure passwords are the key to avoiding account hijackers

Retirement Planning in Your 20sFive best practices to jump-starting your savings

Teen Reality FairClosedVehicle Details: What’s a Supercar?The most elite vehicles on the road today are amazing

Movie Magic: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About PixarDiscover some of the magical secrets of your favorite animation studio

How to Go Green in the Garden This SpringEnjoy your favorite outdoor hobby without any environmental concerns

Health Benefits of ChocolateA piece of chocolate a day keeping the doctor away? It may not be as absurd as it sounds

Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union Newsletter


Refer a Friend

You can earn $150.00 each time your refera friend and their mortgage loan isapproved and closed at AAACU. Cashbonus will be deposited into your AAACUregular saving account and your referredfriends regular savings account within 30days of verification of the closed mortgageloan.

The Refer a Friend reward applies to boththe referring member and the newmortgage loan member. Certainrestrictions apply. Offer may be modifiedor withdrawn at any time without notice;offer expires 12-31-16. This offer is fornew mortgage money financed at AAACU. By using this offer, both parties are makingit know to each other that they are accountholders at AAACU who participate in the

above notes service programs. Federally insured by NCUA.

Alpena-Alcona Area Credit Union • 989-354-1538 • http://www.aaacu.com/



Five Myths About Buying a HomeIgnore these common myths about home buying

Buying a home can be a difficult process to pin down. Is it always better to buy than rent? How muchdo you really need to put down? To shed some light on this perplexing concept, here are somecommon myths associated with it — debunked.

Myth #1: It makes more sense to buy a house than rent. Not always. While it’s true that buying a house helps people build equity over time, being ahomeowner comes with lots of other expenses that renting doesn’t necessarily bring. In addition, insome cases, the first few years of paying the mortgage can result in only interest charges paid ratherthan paying down the loan — and that means sometimes buyers might not have as much equity asthey think. It’s a good idea to evaluate your personal situation to see if buying is right for you insteadof basing it off what other people deem the right choice.

Myth #2: You must putdown 20 percent.Sure, putting down a 20percent chunk of the homeis ideal, but you don’tnecessarily need that topurchase a home.Realistically, few people canafford to do that. However,when you put down lessthan 20 percent, you mayhave to pay privatemortgage insurance (PMI).And, some lenders haveeven begun to providepiggyback loans, wherethose with strong credit andlow debt-to-income ratiosqualify for a second loantoward the down payment.

Myth #3: Taxpayers canalways write off the entiremortgage interest.Most of the time, yes, peoplecan use the interest theypay on their mortgage loan as a tax deduction, but the value of it may not be as much as you’d hoped.

“The value of the deduction is really just the extent that it plus other ‘itemized deductions,’ like stateand local taxes and charitable contributions exceed your standard deduction, which is currently $6,100for individuals and $12,200 for married couples filing jointly,” explains Liz Davidson, CEO of FinancialFinesse, the leading provider of unbiased financial education for employers nationwide. “However, theaverage mortgage interest rate in the U.S. is currently around 4.5 percent and the average loanbalance is just under $150,000. Even if the entire annual payment was interest, at $6,750 per year itwouldn’t exceed the standard deduction for a married couple.”

Myth #4: You only need to save enough for a down payment. Having a secure down payment is a good start, but it’s also important to keep in mind closing costs,which can be near 2-5 percent of your home’s purchase price. Also, many people buying homes tend

which can be near 2-5 percent of your home’s purchase price. Also, many people buying homes tendto want to fix up certain areas before moving in, including repairs or improvements. And don’t forget,that house needs to be furnished. Perhaps most important, it’s wise to have enough money in thebank to cover 3-6 months of expenses, in case an emergency or something else comes up.

Myth #5: You don’t need to get a home inspection if the house appraises well. It’s great if the home appraisal goes well, but it’s an entirely different process than a home inspection.While an appraisal estimates the home’s value, an inspection assesses the home’s condition. Andthat means that even if your home appraises for the sale price or higher, there could potentially still beunsafe elements or things that need to be repaired. The good news is that in some cases, buyers cannegotiate with the seller to have certain items fixed. So in general, it certainly pays to have your homeinspected, no matter whether the appraisal goes well.

Buying a home is one of the most costly things you will ever do, so make sure you do your research,and be sure to contact us if you have any questions.




Buying Out Your Leased Vehicle: The Pros and ConsWhat are the advantages of a lease buyout?

The car you’ve been leasing for the past 36 months is amazing — still with low mileage and still ingreat shape; it rides like a dream and is perfect for your lifestyle. You’re strongly considering keepingthe car when your lease is up by buying it out. But don’t be so hasty.

There are certain situations that are better suited over others for a lease buyout, but what are thepositive and negative aspects of the situation?

Advantages

So maybe you didn’t keep your carin such great shape — it’s got acouple of dents and scratches. Orperhaps you went a hundred or somiles over your mileage limit.Unless you purchased the excesscoverage, that “small” damage andthose “few” miles can add up in theform of fees upon return of theleased car. If you decide topurchase the car, all those extra,unforeseen fees will disappear.

You can also potentially saveyourself money by renegotiatingwith a lending company. LucyLazarony from Bankrate.comrecommends letting the leasingcompany come to you.

“Make the first move and you couldblow your best chance of negotiating a good deal on your lease buyout,” Lazarony says, adding thatthis is also the time to ask about other possible incentives, such as eliminating the purchase-optionfee or discounting financing on your buyout loan.

Lazarony notes that successful negotiation is much more likely when you are dealing with a smalltimelender.

On the other hand, if you want to avoid getting those pesky phone calls constantly inquiring aboutyour lease-end decisions and money is less of a concern, then informing the company about yourbuyout choice right away is the way to go.

“Let’s face it, shopping for a car takes a lot of time and energy. Buying your leased car can saveseveral weekends on car lots and most of the frustration that comes with the process,” according toRuss Heaps of Autotrader.com.

Finally, you might get lucky and your vehicle is worth more than its residual value (also known as thepayoff amount), so your purchase price will be much lower than expected.

Disadvantages

The other side of the coin, however, would be that your vehicle’s residual value is higher than what it’sworth, turning a positive into a negative. Furthermore, the entire premise of a lease is to make it moreattractive for those who want to return the car when their term is up. The pricing formula includesadjusting three factors: initial sale price, interest rate and residual value.

“First, automakers typically lower the initial sale price of the car, called the ‘cap cost.’ They may alsolower the interest rate of the lease, aka the ‘money factor,’” explains Tara Baukus Mello ofBankrate.com. “These changes may be done in combination with increasing the residual value or theamount you pay if you want to buy the car at the end of the lease.”

That said, lease buyouts generally end up being more expensive than if you had just decided topurchase the vehicle from the get-go.

Buying, leasing and buying out your lease are not your only options, however.

“If you don’t want to buy the car, you can apply your equity to a new lease,” says consumer expertHerb Weisbaum. “You could also choose to sell your leased car to the dealer. Dealers needlow-mileage used vehicles. So right now they are often willing to pay more than the residual value,especially if the car is in good condition and within the mileage allowance.”

Regardless of which option you are leaning toward, just remember to do your research. A smart,informed consumer always ends up with the best deals. And when you have any questions aboutfinances, give us a call or stop by.




The Worst Passwords People Keep Using — andHow to Create Better OnesWhy secure passwords are the key to avoiding account hijackers

Passwords are some of those things that humans just don’t have time for. As a result, we tend to usepasswords that are easy to remember. But that means that anyone can remember them, whichincreases your risk of being hacked.

However, creating a strong password decreases the chance that a hacker can easily figure it out andlog in to your account. There’s a reason most websites call for case-sensitive passwords or ones withnumbers and/or symbols. The problem is, most people are still using easy-to-guess passwords.

In an analysis done by SplashData, a security and applications service provider, the top 10 passwordsof 2015 were:

123456password12345678qwerty12345123456789football12341234567baseball

As you can see, these passwordsare extremely easy to guess, andthat makes it easy for hackers tobreak in to your importantaccounts.

Besides avoiding commonpasswords, consider these tips tocreate better, stronger passwordsto reduce your risk of being hacked:

Use special characters

In addition to changing up capital and lowercase letters in your password, experts recommend alsousing numbers and special characters like exclamation points or question marks. In fact, onlinesecurity company Bit9 estimates that it takes a hacker only 3½ minutes to guess an eight-character,lowercase password, which is what most people tend to use.

Don’t reuse the same password

Steer clear of making your password the same for numerous online accounts.

“Reusing a password is like reusing the same key for every lock and having that key be somethingthat you give out to everyone you meet,” Joe Siegrist, CEO of LastPass, says to Business Insider.“And it can also be copied instantly and used remotely.”

Make them long

This may seem obvious, but the longer the password the better.

“Create a phrase like ‘I hope the Giants will win the World Series in 2016!’ Then, take the initials ofeach word and all numbers and symbols to create your password,” Dennis O’Reilly said to CNET. “So,that phrase would result in this: ‘IhtGwwtWSi2016!’”

Avoid using personal information

Because it can be easier to remember, people tend to create passwords using personal information

like their birthdays, anniversaries, relatives’ or kids’ names, favorite sports teams, cities of birth, datesof graduation, etc. However, hackers can easily find this type of information, which is typically whatthey will try first when attempting to breach accounts.

Don’t write them downSince the likelihood of someone breaking into your home and finding your password notes isn’t likely,this tip mostly applies to on-the-job passwords.

“[Writing down passwords is] really not a great idea, particularly at work,” says Boston-based digitalsecurity expert Beth Jones. “Physical security is just as important as online security. Anyone walkingby could see the sticky note next to your machine and then break in to your accounts (especially ifyou use the same password for everything),” she adds.

Avoid public computers

“Be careful when using a public kiosk computer like the ones at the airport. Never let browsers oncomputers you don’t own store passwords,” says Chris Burchett, founder and chief technology officerfor Addison, Texas-based information security firm Credant. “In fact, it would be best not to log in toany website requiring a password from a computer you don’t own.”

Change passwords oftenIt’s important to update passwords every few months, which will increase security. “Treat yourpassword like your toothbrush, according to U.S. Astronomer and Author Clifford Stoll. “Don’t letanybody else use it, and get a new one every six months.”

Since most people spend large amounts of time online, changing your password is becoming moreand more important. Developing a system that works for you can help, so get started today.




Retirement Planning in Your 20sFive best practices to jump-starting your savings

When you’re in your 20s, you are worried more about starting your career than you are about whatyou’ll do when your career is over. Still, it’s important to put down some building blocks at this point tolay a solid foundation for your financial future. Here are five tips to get the ball rolling:

Develop financial habits

You will want to become well-versed in the process of saving. Cash flow may be an issue in thepresent, but your future self will thank you for not letting your expenses get in the way of yourretirement savings.

“These years of saving in yourearly 20s are your prime years. Ifyou deny yourself the opportunity,it will just set you back withretirement planning in the longrun,” says Certified FinancialPlanner Brian T. Jones onBankrate.com. “You’ve got to havebalance.”

To help, you’ll want to developanother habit, one of overallfinancial organization, recommendsRobert Berger of U.S. News &World Report Money. Any simplesystem for storing digital and hardcopies of records will end upsaving you a ton of time, hassleand money in the future.

Stick to the basics

When you first start learning about 401(k)s and hearing terms like “diversification,” it can make youturn into a deer in headlights. Don’t let that talk deter you from starting your retirement investments. Inthe beginning, the simpler the better. There are several options out there that automatically invest youin a portfolio, including a broad range of stock and bond index funds.

Of course, investing won’t get you anywhere if you haven’t saved up anything to invest.

Boost savings as earnings increase

Ideally, this would be each year; regardless, you should boost your retirement savings as you continueup the career ladder.

“Increasing your retirement contributions is easier than you might think,” Berger says. “Fortax-deferred accounts, keep in mind that each dollar of additional contribution will only cost you about$0.70, depending on your tax bracket. And one easy approach is to use a portion of your pay raise orbonus each year to boost your contributions.”

Once you max out your contributions to your 401(k), which hopefully your employer matches, you canopen a Roth IRA or other brokerage options, but you may need some additional assistance for that.

Choose your advisers carefully

When you get to the point where you want to take your retirement savings to the next level, there areplenty of companies and individuals ready, willing and able to help. Therein lies the challenge for you— sorting the proficient, trustworthy and affordable from the ones who are not so. Therefore, do yourresearch. Ask friends, peers and mentors for referrals, and check out reviews online.

Get your debt out of the way

It’s a lot easier to focus on saving when you have fewer bills to pay. Many bills, such as utilities,cannot be avoided. However, high monthly payments to pay down your credit card debt can be one ofthe biggest obstacles to retirement savings, no matter what your age. Make it your goal to consistentlyknock out your debt through the years, maintaining a solid, smart payment strategy. Then, ensure thatyou don’t add more to your debt.

By starting small and starting early, you will give yourself a huge advantage in the quest to achieve asecure financial future.




Teen Reality Fair

AAACU Holds Teen Financial Reality Fair

Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union partnered with the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL) to host aTeen Financial Reality Fair at Alcona Community Schools. The Teen Financial Reality Fair is an eventthat allows students to simulate the cost of living for one month as an independent adult.

A couple weeks before the event, 9th gradestudents at Alcona Community Schools chosea career path they would like to pursue afterhigh school, then based on that career choicewe assigned them a starting salary. The dayof the fair, students were given a budgetworksheet with their income after taxes, theircredit score, a credit card balance, and asmall savings account balance. The studentsthen visited 12 lifestyle stations to choosefrom different options on how they wanted tolive as an adult. Once the students had visitedall the stations, they then met with a financialadvisor to go over their choices and see if it fitinto their monthly budget. Many students weresurprised at the cost of items and ended uphaving to revisit stations choosing lessexpensive options and even eliminatingunnecessary items all together.

The students at Alcona Community Schoolsexpressed to us how difficult balancing abudget can be and really opened their eyes tothe cost of living on their own. Many studentsstated they would be making different careerchoices and start saving today to be able toafford the lifestyle they would like as an adult.

AAACU serves members primarily in Alpena, Alcona, Montmorency, and Iosco counties with 8locations: a main office located in Alpena, with branch offices in Ossineke, Lincoln, a Tiger Branch inAlcona Community Schools, Atlanta, Oscoda, Tawas, and an additional branch in Alpena. As ofJanuary 31, 2016, AAACU provides service to 27,522 members with total assets equal to$305,942,969.

For additional information contact Alison Jakubcin Marketing Clerk, 1100 S. Bagley St. Alpena MI49707 [email protected] Direct: (989) 354-1531 Toll Free: 1-800-443-3577, ext. 1531 Fax: (989)354-5551 www.aaacu.com.




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Vehicle Details: What’s a Supercar?The most elite vehicles on the road today are amazing

There’s no shortage of practical and economical vehicles on the road today, and many of them arewell-priced too. According to U.S. News & World Report in May 2015, the average transaction pricefor a new vehicle was $33,560.

Many people consider a luxury car from Lexus or Mercedes-Benz the symbol of choice to show othersthat you’ve made it. They offer luxurious interiors, lots of cutting-edge technology features and strikingdesigns. But when a $70,000 vehicle isn’t good enough, there are those supercars that most peoplecan only dream about, with features like seats stitched with gold thread, headlights with diamonds,engines that crank out 1,000 horsepower and price tags that top $1 million.

Bugatti Veyron

Since 2005, the Veyron has elevated the supercar game as few cars before it had. Sure, entries fromLamborghini and Ferrari enabled buyers to achieve neck-snapping speeds in the lap of luxury, but theVeyron brought the supercar to the current generation. With over 1,000 hp, zero-to-62 in 2.5 secondsand a top speed of just shy of 250 mph, the Veyron did what many thought was impossible. The pricetag for such a car hovers around $1.7 million.

Koenigsegg Agera RS

When people think of Swedishvehicles, Volvo is traditionally thefirst thing to come to mind. But forthose lucky enough to be able toattain a supercar in the first place,the Koenigsegg brand has a realtreat. The Agera RS is as fast andpowerful as nearly any othersupercar on the market, andallowed the brand to securedeposits for all 25 units it put up forsale. And with an asking pricesomewhere around $2 million,that’s no small feat. Koenigseggsays the Agera RS can achieve1,100 hp with 95 octane fuel, andeven more when you put in E85through the twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8engine.

W Motors Lykan Hypersport

With its love for the lavish, it was only a matter of time before Dubai got into the supercar arena. Thefirst creation of W Motors is the $3.4 million Lykan Hypersport, meant to invite Instagram posts all overDubai. And with so many insane spectacles all around the country, that’s saying something. TheLykan Hypersport goes beyond raw power and adds features like gold stitching and diamondheadlights.

“Diamonds in the headlights are something we don’t need at all, actually. It was a true marketinggimmick that we integrated. But people talk about it,” according to Ralph R. Debbas, the WMotors’ CEO.

Sure, the majority of people will never be able to buy their own supercar, but as long as your vehiclegets you where you need to go and you love it, there’s nothing wrong with dreaming. And when youfind your dream car, let us help you with the financing.



Movie Magic: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About PixarDiscover some of the magical secrets of your favorite animationstudio

In the last 20 years, Pixar Animation Studios has become a household name. The film studio hasproduced such memorable movies as “Toy Story” (including its two sequels), “Ratatouille,” “WALL-E,”“Up,” “Monsters, Inc.” as well as more recent films “Inside Out” and “The Good Dinosaur.”

While Pixar is famous and well-respected in the industry, much of the quirkiness of the companyremains unknown. Here are five strange things you might not know about your favorite animationstudio.

What’s in a name?

While Pixar’s origins as a companyare interesting in their own right(involving such players as SteveJobs and George Lucas), the originof the name “Pixar” is perhapseven more intriguing. BusinessInsider reports that the company’stwo co-founders stumbled upon thename “Pixar” while considering twodifferent options. The firstco-founder, Alvy Ray Smith, waspartial to a word he had madeup—“Pixer”—because he thought itresembled a fake Spanish wordmeaning “to make pictures.”Co-founder Loren Carpenter,however, liked the name “Radar”because it invoked the future.Ultimately, the pair combined thetwo words, and “Pixar” was born.

The success of “Luxo Jr.”

While many think of “Toy Story” as the film that launched Pixar’s success, it was actually nearly adecade before, in 1986, when Pixar released its first 3D computer-animated film, a short called “LuxoJr.” The short was so well received that it was the first 3D computer-animated film to earn an Oscarsnod, according to Disney Insider. This short helped launch Pixar’s famous lamp, named Luxo Jr., andthe just-as-famous Pixar toy ball emerged. That ball has been used as an Easter egg (hiddenmessage or item) in every Pixar film produced to this date.

“A113”

The “Luxo Jr.” ball is not the only Easter egg hidden in every Pixar film. In fact, Pixar is famouslyknown for hiding small clues about future films or links between films in every movie it produces. Oneof the most interesting and recurring hidden elements is “A113,” which refers to a classroom at theCalifornia Institute of the Arts, where Pixar’s own John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter and AndrewStanton all honed their skills. If you watch movies such as “Up” or “Finding Nemo” closely, forexample, you will see “A113” appear on a courthouse or an underwater camera, according to DisneyInsider. Spotting the numbers can make watching a Pixar film an interactive challenge.

Unusual work life

Employees at Pixar maintain their constant creativity through an atypical work setting. Theentertainment website The Richest reports that Pixar president Ed Catmull encourages associates todecorate their cubicles however they choose, up to and including turning them into tiki huts,dollhouses and castles with turrets reaching 15 feet high. Disney Insider also explains that Pixar longago scrapped the idea of conference tables and instead opted for more intimate tables thatencouraged communication and idea sharing, no matter the position a person holds at the company.

encouraged communication and idea sharing, no matter the position a person holds at the company.The campus even includes a swimming pool and a basketball court to help associates relax.

Lucky John Ratzenberger

Fans of the 1980s sitcom “Cheers” might recognize John Ratzenberger as Cliff, a know-it-all postalworker. What many don’t know is that Ratzenberger has also voiced a character in every singlefull-length Pixar film to date. His most memorable role was his first as Hamm in “Toy Story,” “ToyStory 2” and “Toy Story 3.” However, Pixar’s filmmakers have kept him in every film from “A Bug’sLife” to “Brave” in some capacity, and, according to MovieFone, he is seen as the studio’s “good luckcharm.”

Pixar has produced a host of magical movies that children and adults can enjoy together. It is perhapsthe company’s unique background, from recurring Easter eggs to building castles inside the office,that has made those movies so magical.




How to Go Green in the Garden This SpringEnjoy your favorite outdoor hobby without any environmentalconcerns

Gardening is a peaceful pastime that can create a beautiful habitat for local animals, but can also bedifficult to maintain due to a variety of pests and natural dangers. Protecting a garden from pests, suchas bugs, and drought can be difficult, but it doesn’t mean you need to turn to harsh chemicals thatcould hurt the environment. Instead, consider following these easy methods to go green in yourgarden this spring.

Use natural pest control

When gardening, it might feel as ifthere is a constant battle betweenyou and pests. Rather than fightingthis battle with the harmfulchemicals frequently found inpesticides, choose a natural route.The Mother Earth News websitesuggests using garlic oil spray as away to fight off insects, such aswhiteflies, aphids and most beetles.

For the garlic oil spray, simply mixthree or four cloves of mincedgarlic into two teaspoons of mineraloil. Let it sit overnight. Strain thegarlic out of the oil and add it toone pint of water, then add ateaspoon of biodegradable dishsoap. Spray it on and around theplants in your garden, and the majority of bugs will avoid them.

Be water-smart

Gardening can take a lot of water, so it’s important to be smart when watering your garden. Drip ortrickle irrigation systems are a great way to use less water while keeping your plants fresh. Try towater early in the day to avoid evaporation. FarmFlavor.com even suggests harvesting rainwater tokeep your garden fresh. Simply use rain barrels to collect the water as it falls, then fill your wateringcan with it. This is an eco-friendly yet easy method of keeping your garden green without wasting anywater.

Compost and recycle

Composting is one of the best ways to take care of a garden. A compost pile allows you to get rid ofleaves, twigs, weeds, dead annuals and kitchen waste without sending it to the local landfill. Using oldleaves from the fall as mulch also saves a lot of money in the long run, while also providing theperfect nutrients for a garden to flourish.

Choose the right plants

There are millions of plants available, so it is important to choose the right ones for your garden.Choosing disease- and insect-resistant plants is a great way to reduce the amount of work and worryyou put into a garden. If you are looking to entice bees and butterflies into your garden, then considerplanting at least ten pollinator-attracting plants. The California Native Plant Society even suggestsplanting native plants to encourage their growth in your area.

Regardless of the type of garden you wish to plant in your backyard, there are several ways to stayeco-friendly. Help out the environment while enjoying your favorite hobby by using green practices,and your garden is sure to flourish.


Health Benefits of ChocolateA piece of chocolate a day keeping the doctor away? It may not beas absurd as it sounds

When one imagines the kind of indulgences that quickly derail diets, chocolate is certainly one of thefirst things to come to mind. It may come as something of a surprise, however, to learn that there areactually a number of healthbenefits to eating chocolate.

Before you go grab a wholehandful of chocolate candies, it isimportant to understand thecaveats. If you eat chocolate withreckless abandon, you will gainunwanted weight. Commercialchocolate products are high inadded fat and refined sugar, whichadds up to unnecessary calories.Eating chocolate to excess putsyou at risk not only for weight gain,but also for high blood pressure,heart disease and diabetes. Assuch, you should always eatchocolate in moderation; using acalorie-counting app to monitoryour intake will help prevent addingon extra pounds.

It is also important to note that not all chocolate is created equal. Of all varieties of chocolate, darkchocolate, cacao and cocoa are considered by several experts to have the most beneficial qualities.According to Scientific American, a 2012 review of 20 different studies found that daily, moderatedconsumption of dark chocolate or cocoa resulted in an average drop of two to three points in bloodpressure readings over a period of time.

To be sure that you are getting the proper benefits, Mary Engler, Ph.D., a professor of physiologicalnursing at the University of California at San Francisco, recommends to Women’s Health that, in aday, you eat no more than seven ounces of chocolate that consists of no less than 70 percent cacaoor cocoa.

Just what are those benefits, though?

Antioxidants

According to WebMD, if a chocolate product contains a sizable amount of nonfat cocoa solids, then ittends to have a high level of antioxidants. Dark chocolate in particular contains a great deal ofantioxidants, which help rid your body of cell-damaging free radicals. Steady consumption ofantioxidant-rich foods is associated with a lowered risk of cancer and a slowing of the aging process.

Reduced heart attack risk

The presence of flavanols in cocoa not only introduces antioxidants into the body, but the flavanolsare also the ingredient best associated with lowered blood pressure and a lower risk of cardiovasculardisease. According to Diane Becker, M.P.H., Sc.D., a researcher at the John Hopkins UniversitySchool of Medicine, daily consumption of flavanol-rich dark chocolate can reduce the risk of heartattack by up to 50 percent due to its connection with slowing clotting in blood vessels.

Weight loss

Overconsuming chocolate will lead to gaining unnecessary weight, but according to the University ofCopenhagen, tempered chocolate intake can actually help you shed pounds. The research alsoshowed that eating a small amount of dark chocolate on a daily basis helps curb your appetite forother sweets and fatty foods. By indulging your sweet tooth within reason, you will better overcome

the mental hurdle that comes with cutting junk foods out of your diet.

Rich in essential vitamins and minerals

Another added benefit of dark chocolate in particular is its high potassium, copper, magnesium andiron content. These vitamins and minerals are key components to ensuring your health: copper andpotassium are useful in lowering your risk of stroke and heart disease; iron helps prevent anemia; andmagnesium fights high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Again, it should be noted that chocolate will only prove beneficial for your health if you consume it inan appropriate fashion. If you are able to regulate your intake and limit it only to the purest chocolatespossible, then you may find yourself benefitting in a number of surprising ways.


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