Winter 2023

For those of you who don’t know, I’m a runner. I mean, I’m not a professional runner or anything but it is something I enjoy doing and have done so for many years now. I have run various types of races, 5ks, 10ks, 25ks, marathons, you name it. One thing that I think about each time I plan a run is what is the weather going to be like, so that I can dress appropriately. There is nothing worse in a run than being over dressed or underdressed for the climate and distance you are running. To help avoid that frustration, I don’t plan my running gear based on how I will feel when I step out the door. In fact, like most runners, I stick to the old adage: Dress for the second mile. While I’m dressing for the second mile, I’m not ignoring the first mile, but I try not to make it my focus. I plan ahead based on the distance I am running, wear layers and sometimes expendable clothing.

Planning for and living in retirement requires the same type of flexibility and attention as my running gear. Ok, maybe it requires a little more attention, but my point is we shouldn’t just focus on the noise or news of the day. If we do, we will be overlooking the more important big picture and make it very difficult to see the forest from the trees. Think of everything that has gone on this year, last year, the last five years: Inflation, Covid, bank failures, rising interest rates, overseas wars, etc. If we were to just focus on those things, it would feel better to stick our heads in the sand and our money under our mattress. But...did you know that the S&P 500 Index, a good measure of the US stock market actually had annualized returns of 11%* over the last 5 years

Our team is always looking at the big picture for you. Remember, we are planners, and we have a plan. Just like when I go out for a run, I have a plan on what I am wearing and how I can adjust that if needed. When we are looking at your investment portfolio, we are planning for your current needs, your future needs and even things you may not have anticipated. We have three buckets of money we want to fill: cash and immediate needs, investments that provide income and those that have a long-term growth objective. Depending on your stage of life and your needs, we change which bucket is our main focus for your portfolio.

Each time we meet with you, we ask about current needs and upcoming expenses. Yes, we listen to what is going in the world and the news, but the bigger discussion is about your needs, your goals and objectives and your upcoming expenses. Our strategy is simple: We prepare for today’s needs and we plan for your future needs.

* returns from 10/31/18 – 10/31/23. The stock market index mentioned is unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or a loss regardless of strategy selected.