In his June 28th blog post, Garry highlighted what our process looks like when new people first contact our office after having been referred to us. Today, I want to outline our onboarding process for those people that decide to work with us in a formal planning relationship. Our onboarding process is a very intentional eight-week process that we have built as a structured, comprehensive dive into each client’s personal… Read More

Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day! I hope you all had an opportunity to do something you enjoy. As a reminder, the reason we celebrate is that 246 years ago on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence after deliberating for two days over the exact wording of the document. That was the official date placed on the Declaration of Independence. The founding… Read More

There is no higher compliment than a recommendation from someone we trust. Some of these recommendations are relatively low stakes, such as a restaurant or book recommendation, but others carry much more weight. Certainly, a recommendation from a friend to talk to a particular financial advisor about their financial life is towards the top of the list! Over the years, we have been privileged to receive referrals from many of… Read More

Earlier this year my father-in-law had agreed to pick up some individuals from an airport and transport them about 80 miles to their homes. Some snow was expected during the trip, but he quickly found himself in a much heavier snowfall than what was forecasted. His passengers were kindly adamant about their goal to get home that evening despite the snow. Even though my father-in-law felt somewhat apprehensive about continuing… Read More

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I remember being taught this basic concept in geometry class. This is an accurate statement from a mathematical standpoint when you have a flat surface. As we all know, life is not a mathematical equation or a flat surface. So, when we create expectations about reaching our financial goals in a linear fashion, we set ourselves up for disappointment. In… Read More

I am currently in the midst of studying for the CFP® exam and am scheduled to sit for it in the middle of July. This exam is a 170-question, six-hour exam that carries a historical average fail rate of roughly 40%. Obviously, my goal is to pass this exam. As a result, I began preparing roughly a year and a half ago by enrolling in various courses, making a study… Read More

When we put together an investment model, the primary factor we consider is risk. The amount of potential investment decline one can withstand will determine the mix of investments we use to build the diversified portfolio. When we build a financial plan, we match the risk of the portfolio to the goal it is intended to achieve and, typically, the further out the goal is the more risk you can… Read More

Clients of Master’s tend to have a similar mind-set when it comes to finances and the future. Many of our clients believe they have accumulated and stewarded assets wisely so they could use God-given resources for God-given goals. As the next generation of investors enters the market, I can only hope that these values are being taught and carried forward. After experiencing many years of various mistakes and victories, parents… Read More