Welcome to the Winter Edition of The Ultimate Guide For the Successful Steward, Fourth Dimension Financial Group’s newsletter.
So much has been written about the year that’s just passed. It was such a crazy year that I feel like so many of us are just numb to it by now. I’ll simply say that I applaud you for not only surviving 2016, but for profiting during the year as well. The fact that the financial markets came through as unharmed as they did is something of a miracle. That is, unless you had all of your money in savings accounts and bonds; those didn’t fare as well.
So, as we look forward with bright eyes and grand intentions, we can bolster our confidence in the idea that mankind is extremely adaptive and resilient. The survival instinct is alive and well, my friends.
In this Winter Edition of the Steward, we’re focusing on a few key ideas. While retirement planning remains the core of what we do, the turbulence of our times has lead me to reflect on the inner workings of the very investments that are fueling the engines of your respective retirement plans. Specifically, I sought to add even more depth to the nature of the investments our clients are relying upon for long-term financial security. In light of that, I have an introduction to make that will usher in an exciting new era at Fourth Dimension.
The Back to the Basics feature in this issue is provided by Stephen Hanley. I asked Steve to shed some light on the fundamentals of investing that make our retirement plans function as they ought. You see, Steve is an Investment Strategist who has for years been building custom portfolios for individuals and institutions alike, pairing the needs of the client with the very specific portfolios that will fund those needs. In short, he’s really smart when it comes to investing. We have created a very unique opportunity for you to glean Steve’s wisdom, which has already impacted a number of the families we serve in a meaningful and positive way. I hope to introduce you to Steve very soon.
In this edition, I also tackle something so boring as the emergency fund, but in a very unique way. I hope you’ll check out the Briefcase Study feature to see how you might make your emergency fund work harder for you. You’ll also see that we’re preparing for more classes at BGSU at Levis Commons. These Retirement Elevated classes have been a powerful means for helping aspiring retirees enhance their retirement education. I hope you’ll consider who you know that could benefit from attending a class.
Finally, please let us know how we can support you in your preparation for taxes. This may also be the year when you get your affairs in order by establishing a trust or updating your will. Having done some estate planning myself recently, I can attest to the fact that it feels really good to have the end planned out so you can more fully enjoy the present.
Here’s to 2017!
Adam B. Cufr, RICP®
