Summer 2023

In every partnership, it seems that there is one partner or spouse that handles the finances. That responsibility can fall on either spouse and in our household, that person is me. While each year, I sit down with my husband, Roger, and discuss our investment accounts, show him our spreadsheets and remind him how everything is set up for the finances, there is truly only one thing he has to remember. That one thing is that if something happens to me, his next phone call is to our team, Kindred Financial Partners.

It might sound a little silly, but the fact is, I know that our team will do what we do for each of our clients. They will sit down with him, commiserate because everyone will be so sad I am gone, and then talk with Roger about next steps he needs to do to keep moving forward financially. That is one of the benefits of having a financial advisor!

Recently, I had a newly widowed woman referred to me. What I found out when we met was her husband was the one who always took care of everything. Not only did he always take care of everything but also he did it all himself, without the advice or help of a financial advisor. As a result, not only did she not know what they owned, but she didn’t know how much money she really had, or how to get to her money. He handled everything while he was alive, and she was in the dark when he died. Had he benefited from the helpful guidance of a financial advisor, at the very least, his spouse would have known who to call to help her with next steps. Not to mention, that the advisor would have known the family history and had an understanding of their financial situation to best advise her.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do things yourself, but whether you are married or single, what happens when you can no longer handle your own affairs? If you are married, does your spouse know the day-to-day workings of your financial plan and how to continue? A financial advisor has already put a plan in place for you and your spouse, so if you can handle things, there is no need to re-create the wheel, your spouse just needs to step into the driver’s seat and call your advisor. Alternatively, if you are single, does the person you have stepping in to help you have a relationship with a financial professional who will help guide them for your best interest? While we all want to believe we have chosen an honest and trustworthy individual to carry the baton (and 90% of the time we have) there are those few bad eggs that will take advantage of your situation. Having a financial advisor in the picture gives a second set of eyes to ensure matters are being handled appropriately.

I know I am preaching to the choir when it comes to the benefits of working with a financial advisor and we appreciate and thank each of you for your loyalty and business. I would bet, however, that you have at least one friend, who boasts that they don’t need a financial advisor; they do it themselves. Our team has over 88 cumulative years of experience. We go through rigorous licensing to be able to advise and recommend investments to you. In addition, we undertake many hours of continuing education each year, not only to retain our licenses, but also to keep up to date on new practices and information that we bring to our annual meetings with you. You wouldn’t allow your friend to perform a surgery on themselves, so why would you allow someone without proper training to manage their own investments?

Your team, Kindred Financial Partners, is a team of investment management and financial planning professionals. We are here to guide you through different stages of your financial life and to help those who you leave behind when you are gone to do the same.