Where is your focus? Are you preoccupied with the daily swings in the financial markets? Do your emotions rise and fall with the economic prediction of today’s financial “expert”? Do you worry about when to get in and when to get out of the market? With the constant bombardment of the financial media, is it even possible to live a life that is not obsessed with money and trying to outmaneuver the market?

We believe our clients should concentrate more on their financial plan and spend less time worrying about the market and their money. As advisors, we spend considerable time understanding your values and goals. Only after we have a clear grasp of what is important to you can we create a plan that is specifically designed for you. We address each one of your stated goals and map out action steps that you will need to take in order to accomplish that particular goal. Because we have ongoing relationships with our clients, we are able to monitor the progress you are making toward achieving each one of your goals.

Our role as advisors includes helping you take prudent, measured steps so that you avoid the knee-jerk reactions that could derail your plan in the long run. Listed below are three of our fundamental recommendations:

• Have short, intermediate, and long-range goals, and structure the amount of risk you take with your investments in accordance with each of these time frames.
• Focus on your plan and complete the action steps necessary to pursue your stated goals.
• Ignore “market noise” in the financial media, especially predictions about how the market will perform in the short term.

A well-constructed financial plan provides a solid foundation that leads to wise decision-making. An ongoing relationship with a financial advisor who is committed to helping you follow your plan increases the probability of your success. We believe our clients can live their lives more freely when they systematically pursue a thoughtful financial plan and refuse to become distracted by today’s financial headlines.