January is the beginning of a new year with unlimited potential. This blog post will both look forward and also reflect back on important milestones that may interest you.
First off, your 2016 year end statement will have a lot more information on it about your cost to invest and performance reporting. I look forward to discussing this at our next in person meeting. Of course you don’t have to wait, feel free to contact me anytime.
So what has changed in the 18 years since I got my first qualifications to work in the financial services profession? I thought it might be useful to take a look back.
My entry into the profession coincided with the dawn of the internet. When I first started the only modes of communication were landline phones, fax and regular mail. Cell phones and email were in their infancy. Fast forward to 2017 and there are 7 possible ways for you to reach me.
Has the proliferation of social media meant we have become more effective communicators? Sometimes I think not. A lot of people only have cell phones and never answer them when it rings. Some people do not check their voice mail. Apparently email is becoming old fashioned and easily ignored. The disappearance of landlines has created dilemmas for me such as if wife and husband only have cell phones who do I call?
The internet has created the democratization of specialized knowledge. The amount of information that is easily accessible has proliferated exponentially. And the speed of conveyance of this massive amount of data is incredible.
Has that meant that society’s citizens have become better informed? Or that we make better decisions? Unfortunately not. Sure there is a lot of information out there, but how much of it is relevant to you, unbiased, and most importantly TRUE?
Regulations and benefits in the tax and financial fields change rapidly. I don’t blame wage earners for feeling overwhelmed. I know that a lot of my value to you as your financial professional is to present to you the information that will help you reach your financial goals. I know that how I advise clients has changed over the years. One tenet holds true throughout all the changes. It is not the financial product that will get you to your goals, it is your own dedication, behavior, and habits that will help or hinder you. I am here as your objective third party accountability partner, that will walk with you on your life’s journey.