WHY KNOWING YOUR ROOTS MATTERS MORE THAN YOU THINK

Perched atop a windswept cliff along California's iconic 17-Mile Drive stands the Lone Cypress...

A tree that has defied time, storms, and the relentless ocean winds for more than 250 years. Alone, yet unwavering. Rugged, yet graceful. It's more than just a tree; it's a symbol of resilience, legacy, and strength in solitude.

We chose the Lone Cypress as a symbol of our practice because it reminds us that every family, like this tree, stands on something deeper...

Roots that go back generations and branches that stretch toward the future.

No tree survives alone.

Beneath the surface, there's a vast root system, interconnected and quietly supporting its strength. The same is true for your family. Your financial legacy doesn't begin and end with you. It's shaped by those who came before you and defined by the impact you'll leave on those who come after.

That's why documenting your family tree isn't just a nice-to-have — it's essential.

When we, as your financial advisors, understand the players — the aging parents who may one day need care, the children you hope to educate, the siblings you support, or even the grandchild with special needs — we can design a strategy that supports the whole system, not just the trunk.

It's about clarity. Continuity. Intentionality.

Too often, families wait until a crisis to have conversations that should've been started years earlier. But when we map your family tree together — capturing relationships, responsibilities, and dreams — we're not just gathering data. We're creating a living blueprint that guides decisions, avoids conflict, and ensures your values are passed down alongside your wealth.

The Lone Cypress teaches us that legacies aren't built by chance. They're built through planning, through perseverance, and through understanding the bigger picture.

A documented family tree can bring structure to what’s often left unspoken. It can reveal where future responsibilities may lie. It can also highlight opportunities to be intentional—whether through education, support, or legacy decisions that align with your values.

When families have these conversations early—when they take the time to map out the relationships and responsibilities that define their world—they tend to make decisions with more clarity. With fewer regrets. With a stronger sense of purpose.The Lone Cypress didn’t stand the test of time by accident. It was grounded in something deeper.

And so are you.

We’re thinking a lot about how to incorporate this into the work we do—and we’re looking forward to helping families make it part of their planning process, one conversation at a time.

The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Austin Storck and not necessarily those of Raymond James.