Month: October 2019

How to Hold a Violin Bow

Minnesota-based Michael J. Antonello is the principal of Golden Valley Financial, the owner of Antonello Fine Art, and a concert violinist. Michael “Mike” Antonello has recorded and released several CDs with pianist and composer Peter Arnstein.

For many intermediate and beginner violinists, holding the bow properly feels unnatural. To help train the hand, violinists can practice good technique without a bow. This is done by making the letter C with the thumb and fingers curved. From this position, players should touch the middle finger and ring finger to the thumb, and raise the curved index finger and pinky slightly upward. This creates a “bunny” with the pinky and index finger as the ears.

When holding the bow, most of the support comes from the thumb. Because of this, violinists must place the thumb on the underside of the bow stick first. Ideally, the thumb sits in the small space on the end of the bow. Meanwhile, the middle finger rests on the bow stick directly opposite the thumb. The ring finger is relaxed next to it.

Finally, the pinky is placed on top of the bow stick at a slight distance from the ring finger. The pinky should remain curved so players retain control of the bow. The index finger is wrapped around the bow similar to the middle and ring fingers.

For information about Michael J. Antonello, visit https://michaelantonello.com/home.

Should I Sell My Life Insurance Policy?

Michael J. Antonello, an accomplished violinist and fine art collector, leads Golden Valley Financial as principal. With Michael (Mike) Antonello’s oversight, the company provides services in business, retirement, estate, and life settlement.

Life settlement refers to selling a life insurance policy to a third party. This process grants policyholders a one-time payout of a portion of the policy’s value, ensuring they have the cash they need to cover healthcare costs, living expenses, or other needs.

Since life insurance policies pay a death benefit to the policyholder’s dependents, selling such a policy may be a good option if you have no dependents. In this situation, there is no one to use the death benefit of your policy, so you have no reason to continue paying premiums on it. You may also decide to sell your life insurance policy because the premiums have become unmanageable with your income.

When you decide to sell your life insurance policy, there are some considerations to remember. Usually, the death benefits paid to your dependents are tax-free. But this is not the case with cash payouts from the sale of your policy. When you sell your policy, you will have to pay normal income taxes on the amount you receive.

If you do not need the money from a life settlement, you may be tempted to halt premium payments and simply let your policy lapse. However, donating the policy is a better option. This keeps you from having to pay income taxes on the payment since you will not receive any money from the sale of your policy.

For information about Michael J. Antonello, visit https://michaelantonello.com/home.