Doing well with money has a little to do with how smart you are and a lot to do with how you behave.
Who we serve is as important as why we do it. Our focus is on the people in our communities. Real people, just like us, who want to deal one-on-one with those they do business with. That’s how we all establish trust, in finance and in everything else. Here you can see a few examples of why people have come to us and how we’ve helped.
Paul’s Rollover
Like many IT employees, Paul worked hard and moved through the ranks from a programmer to an IT project manager. Over the years he switched companies several times, negotiating for higher salaries, benefits, and future opportunities. Along the way he accumulated several old 401k plans, some pension benefits, and other miscellaneous IRA and savings accounts on his own. Working and raising his family consumed much of his time and energy. There never seemed to be time to keep track of these accounts, let alone figure out if he had enough to retire on.
When Paul was getting closer to retirement, he felt that he really needed to get organized and plan it out right. At our first meeting, Paul brought along all of his financial account statements. We discussed everything about his plans for retirement, from income needs and social security benefits, to life and health insurance, debts, and income taxes. We explained what we do, how we do it, and where we could help.
By our second meeting we’d prepared a complete analysis of his situation and goals. We presented options for him to consolidate and control his investments, design a specific investment portfolio tailored to his risk level, and map out his path to a successful retirement.
Paul decided to combine his previous plans and move forward with us. We meet with him every four months to update his performance, make proactive changes, and make sure he’s staying on track with his current 401k. Now he feels much more in control of his financial situation and vision for the future, confident he’s prepared to live the life he wants after retirement.
Evelyn’s Inheritence
After being divorced a few years and having carved out a successful career for herself in the corporate world, Evelyn’s children and grandchildren became the joy of her life. Most of her assets were in her 401k at work and she put all she could afford into it, so she can retire and enjoy more time with her grandchildren.
Her ailing mother passed away leaving her and her sister a house, IRA accounts, Roth IRA’s, an annuity, and a brokerage account. These assets were with different financial advisors and she wasn’t sure what decisions to make in managing it all (income taxes, IRS rules, etc.) ―it was all very confusing. She had no idea who to turn to.
A friend of Evelyn’s (our client) suggested she call us about her situation to help make sense of it all. From our first meeting, Evelyn was relieved to get simple straightforward information on options for her mother’s investments. She was also encouraged to get ideas on how she could use her inheritance to make her dream of retiring sooner a reality. She was able to tackle the logistics of her inheritance with ease and with everything now in hand, feels safer and more secure in her and her family’s financial future.
Patrick & Gwen’s Retirement Plan
Patrick and his wife Gwen both worked all their lives and raised three children who are all doing well and out on their own. They had just paid off their house and were starting to think more and more about slowing down and enjoying life a little more. While they were always good savers, raising three kids and paying for college wasn’t cheap. They never really had a consistent financial advisor who stayed with them over the years, so Patrick did a lot of their investments himself.
Once they started thinking about retiring in a year or two, they really wanted someone with experience to analyze their situation and see if they could afford to retire comfortably. And with the volatile stock market, Patrick wanted a second opinion on their investments to make sure they weren’t at risk of losing what they had already accumulated.
Gwen’s co-worker (our client) suggested they call us to find out. They were so relieved to get answers to their questions and felt a lot better about their plans and getting all their “ducks in a row”.
A year later Gwen decided to retire, and we designed a custom allocation for her rollover. The following year Patrick retired. We counseled him on pension options and at his request, designed his IRA portfolio a little more aggressively than Gwen’s. They now both take income from their IRA’s and combined with his pension and social security, feel financially secure. Enjoying their free time and each other with complete peace of mind.
Nobody can predict what the market is going to do from one day to the next. Our value isn't in finding the next big thing for our clients. That's not our job. That's not why people work with us. Our value is in being there for our clients by informing them of market conditions, helping them make proactive changes through volatile times, and providing superior service and attention on a consistent basis.
Call us to find out more: