1 | Week In Review

Employment Hasn’t Joined The Recession – Yet.

While Friday’s job numbers indicated a healthy employment situation, closer scrutiny may show some signs that the employment market may be changing. Are we experiencing a shallow recession, or the shallow beginning to a larger recession? Annex Wealth Management’s Derek Felske and Mark Beck discuss.

2 | Poll

How Long Would You Wait?

In the last Axiom, we asked which region of the U.S. you thought has the most states considered to be the safest in the country.  

Here’s what you responded: 

• 69% – Midwest 
• 12% – Southwest 
• 8% – West 
• 7% – Southeast 
• 4% – Northeast 

Types of dangers vary from state to state. In order to determine the “Safest States in America”, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 53 safety indicators grouped into the following categories: Personal & Residential Safety, Financial Safety, Road Safety, Workplace Safety, and Emergency Preparedness. 

Based on their findings, it was determined there are the most states in the Northeast region of the United States that are deemed the safest, with seven making the top ten. Source  

Are you surprised by these results? At least 4% of responders aren’t! 

Now we want to know your thoughts on electric vehicles, or EVs. 

The latest Tesla takes about 6.5 hours to charge fully using a level 2 (standard home electric) charger. At a SuperCharger, that Tesla would charge in 15-25 minutes. Source

Oops! We could not locate your form.

3 | Client Exclusive

Pack Your Bags, It’s Biking Time.

If you love riding on the open road, then a visit to some of these bike friendly cities is calling your name.

Taking a casual bike ride can be relaxing and a good way to be active. But depending on where you live, there can be other benefits too. Cities are starting to ramp up their commitment to becoming biker friendly…and we do mean bicycles.

In a recent list of the world’s top 20 bike friendly cities, a total of zero were here in the United States.[1] Most of the cities listed are in Western Europe, and we can’t say we’re surprised. The idea of riding around Paris on a bicycle with your baguette and cheese for the day in the front basket is both idyllic and realistic, so it seems!

So, what is it that makes these cities bike friendly and why should you visit so you can experience it too?

Our first stop is in Copenhagen, Denmark. In a recent poll, 62% of inhabitants in the city bike to work or school, averaging about 894,000 miles every single day! Though that many bikers presents a different kind of traffic congestion, the city has invested money on biking infrastructure for bridges, wide bike lanes, and “cycling highways” around the city.[2]

Local politicians even run on the issue of expanding cycling transportation, and the citizens of the city look at pro-car stances as a negative thing. With these feelings ingrained in the city, it has become a point of pride for Copenhagen to be the leader and inspiration for motorless transportation.

Amsterdam is next on the list – only a 40-hour bike ride from Copenhagen, if you’re really in the spirit of being a dedicated biker. A city that is only growing in population, Amsterdam has proclaimed in 2022 it will invest even more in building the biking infrastructure to help alleviate the stress of the influx of cycling commuters. For instance, to help during rush hour, the city plans to widen existing bike lanes and create new routes throughout the city dedicated to bike travel while also redesigning major intersections to make cyclists safer as they traverse busy streets.[3]

Though only just making it into the top 10 on the list of bike-friendly cities, Vienna Austria is certainly unique in their approach. Not only are they continuing to invest in cycling development, they’re actively campaigning and communicating their goal of having more citizens make the switch from four wheels to two.[4] In 2018, the city was filled with the hashtag #warumfährstDUnicht? which translates to #whydontYOUcycle? The ads were aimed at convincing people that cycling has benefits that could outweigh any excuses they might have. We think that’s pretty clever!

Can we say “bike tour” anyone? But don’t worry, you don’t have to figure out a way to get your bike across the sea these days! Bike share companies are all around, especially in cities that take biking so seriously. For only a few crowns (Denmark’s currency) a day, you can tour the city like a local and see just how friendly the city is yourself.[5]

Honorable mentions from the list include Helsinki, Paris, Oslo, Barcelona, and Tokyo. With so many places to choose from, it will be hard to decide which pavement you want to ride down first!

Choosing to ride a bike around the city as a tourist can alleviate learning to drive on the wrong side of the road, having to fight city traffic on roads you don’t know, and somehow manage to read street signs in another language, all at the pace of the traffic on the street.

Though this is all part of the international travel experience, choosing a bike can alleviate a few of those headaches. You’ll be able to take your time as you pedal by the sights, stop to take photos or even read a map if you get lost, and get faster access to places by saving time on finding a parking spot.[6]

And maybe the best hidden benefit of all, you’ll be getting a workout in the process, even on a leisurely ride!

If biking is something that you love to do, or you’d rather find an alternative mode of transportation, consider some of these great bike-friendly destinations as you plan!

[1] https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-design-index/    

[2] https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-design-index/ 

[3] https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-design-index/ 

[4] https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-design-index/ 

[5] https://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/copenhagen-how-to-use-bike-share-as-a-visitor.html 

[6] https://thriveglobal.com/stories/16-benefits-of-biking-to-work/ 

Join Us If You Dare…

Annex Wealth Management is a Spooky Sponsor for the 2nd Annual “Boos & Ghouls Night Out” at The Corners of Brookfield on Thursday, October 27th. 

Enjoy wine and food pairings, stroll through Town Square, and enjoy some music while wearing your best Halloween costume! All proceeds from this event benefit teacher and staff appreciation and recognition across all Elmbrook Schools.

If you’re interested in learning more or would like to buy tickets, click here. Even if you can’t attend, you can still participate!

5 | Ask Annex

Ask Us A Question!

6 | Quote of the Week

Events & Webinars

Annex Wealth Management has always been committed to client growth and education. Planning and saving can be demanding. We’ve found that when our clients master key concepts, it often enhances working together to reach their goals. Because these are not sales presentations, our clients benefit from a truly informative experience.