Last month we vacationed on Captiva Island in Florida, and my entire family loved it! One of the highlights of our week was our daily meetings with the local manatees at the nearby marina. It was one of those experiences that I think the kids will remember for a long time. It was a great week for the parents, too. If you’ve ever been to Captiva then you know that there isn’t a whole lot to do…which was absolutely perfect! I usually have trouble relaxing and “getting away” from the real world while on vacation, but this week was different and it felt great to relax and recharge.
Manatees aside, one of the highlights of my week was waking up early to watch the beautiful sunrises and have some time to myself before the kids woke up to seize the day. It was my time to read and reflect and think about the many things for which I’m grateful. Of course, I thought about my work and our clients, and one of the things I love most about the work we do with our clients, is having the opportunity to help empower them to worry less about their financial situation and their future. There’s no shortage of headlines, tweets and stories that are all created to trigger our emotions, but I think that will always be the case to some degree. The key is to have a sound plan in place which includes the right asset allocation (stock and bond mix) so that you can avoid having to make difficult decisions that might be driven by your emotions. While this won’t necessarily eliminate all of your worries, we think it will help you feel more confident that your future is well-planned.
As you may know if you’ve been reading The Heron, we are featuring components of the Freedom7 process each month. Last month, we featured steps in our process, including the Financial Inventory Assessment and the Personal Net Worth and Budget Summaries.These steps are key in assessing your present financial situation and essential to establishing a foundation for the future. This month, we are featuring components that look towards the future, Goal Planning and Monitoring and Investment Policy Statement, both aimed at setting a course for your future financial freedom and making sure we are always aligned on the goals. To read this month’s feature, click here.
In last month’s edition of The Heron, we gently suggested that September is the ideal time to schedule a checkpoint meeting. Although we’re very sorry to see summer sadly coming to an end, we’d love to see you in the office and continue partnering with you to incorporate all the Freedom7 features into your financial plan. If you think friends or family may benefit from meeting with us, please don’t hesitate to connect us. For an appointment, please call 301.595.8600.
We hope to see you soon!
To read the article on Goal Planning and Monitoring & Investment Policy Statement, click here. To learn more about Freedom7, click here.
Todd M. Wike, CFP®
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Managing Partner, Potomac Financial Group
2018 RJFS Chairman’s Council Member*
The information contained in this material does not purport to be a complete description of the securities, markets, or developments referred to in this material. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any opinions are those of Todd Wike and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected. Keep in mind that individuals cannot invest directly in any index, and index performance does not include transaction costs or other fees, which will affect actual investment performance. Individual investor’s results will vary. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Future investment performance cannot be guaranteed, investment yields will fluctuate with market conditions. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the services or opinions of the various podcasts or applications discussed in this material. Chairman’s Council Membership is based on prior fiscal year production. Re-qualification is required annually.