March 2025

If you’ve heard me share my story about how I got started in this business almost 30 years ago, you may remember that when I started, I didn’t know anything about investing. Well, I knew what a stock was, sort of, but I really didn’t know much. I’ve learned a lot over the years and the learning never seems to end.

Every year, we have a certain number of continuing education hours that we need to complete to continue to hold our licenses. Some years, there can be additional hours required depending on other licenses and professional designations we may have. It can often feel like an overwhelming task to complete them all, but since we work in an ever-changing industry of rules and regulations, even our day-to-day activities can feel like a learning experience.

I mention this so that you know you are not learning alone. We understand that some of the language we speak are things you hear maybe only a few times a year, but we hear it all day every day. While we try to make sure we are speaking and talking to you in plain language, sometimes it catches up with us and we may end up making our conversation more complex than it needs to be. When this happens, please let us know. Ask questions and tell us we need to explain things in a different way. We aren’t here to talk over your head, we are here to have a conversation with you and about your financial situation.

Did you see the movie Philadelphia (1993)? There is a scene in that movie where Denzel Washington’s character is speaking to Tom Hanks’s character and says, “OK, explain this to my like I’m a 2-year-old.” I had someone say that to me one time in an initial meeting. I love it! It tells me, 1) keep it simple stupid (that’s me), 2) make sure what I am saying makes sense to someone else, and 3) I’m not here to talk above you, I’m here to talk to you.

Sometimes you may not know what questions to ask, and that is OK. We are only a phone call or email away. I’m the type of person that can leave an appointment and think of my questions three hours later as I’ve reflected on the conversation. If that is you too, don’t hesitate to reach out. We want you to always feel comfortable to ask questions, talk through things with us and/or ask us to explain things in a different way. It is important to us that you do understand so that we can advise you best on your personal situation. This is not one size fits all. Instead, it is what is best for you.