Welcome to the August Edition of The Ultimate Guide For the Successful Steward, Fourth Dimension Financial Group’s newsletter.
A couple of weeks ago, I sent an email to respond to the stock market’s sudden decline. In it, I reminded readers that planning for both good times and bad is essential. Retirement will certainly contain both extremes. What I failed to do was warn you about the water. As Toledo’s “Watergedden” struck, many of us were without even the most basic essential of drinkable water. Talk about a sudden change in perspective!
The benefits of having water delivered directly to our homes suddenly presented some notable and unexpected risk. Meanwhile, our well water-endowed friends took the opportunity to brag about the benefits of country living. Some even claimed that well water tasted better…what?! I grew up with well water and I’m not going to vote for it in a taste challenge, nor am I going to fondly remember carrying 50 pound bags of salt from the garage to the basement to load the water softener. Yes, well water is reliable, but there are certainly some strings attached.
In this issue of the Steward, I’ll address some of the strings attached to various investments and financial products. My goal is to help you plan for financial extremes without losing the basic benefits that allow you to focus on the other important things in your life. Good planning requires a sort of double vision: seeing opportunity while also managing potential risks.
As you read, you‘ll find a fresh perspective on costs and fees in our Briefcase Study. Some quick analysis of investment statements can alert us when to consider a more in-depth study. Why do fees matter? Read the Briefcase Study to find out. I also want to take a second and thank all of those that joined us at our Port of Call client appreciation event at W.W. Knight Nature Preserve. I think you’ll agree that it was a really wonderful evening. If you were not able to join us, you were certainly missed. We had great conversations, fantastic food, travel tips, live music, even a gorgeous sunset to cap off the night. Many thanks to each of you for making it such a wonderful experience.
Please enjoy the weeks remaining in summer. I hope you’ll have ample opportunity to pause, take stock in all of your blessings and spend some time with those you care most about. It is truly a blessing to serve you in your planning.
To your success,
Adam Cufr, RICP®
