I’m fortunate to be one of many in this country who had a child that graduated this year. While my daughter received her master’s degree, other children have graduated from college, high school and even kindergarten. As parents (and grandparents), we look at these graduates with pride and excitement. And though the circumstances are different for each child and level of education, there is a common thread among all of us as we consider the future for our children. In the end, we just want all of them to be “okay.” “Okay” means different things for each graduate. For the kindergarten graduate, okay likely means that we hope they are off to a good start in their education, are having fun and making lots of friends. For high school graduates, we hope that they are attending the college that they will love or finding a career path that excites them and are looking forward to the possibilities of new relationships. For college graduates, we are hopeful for a great job, a fulfilling career, continued relationships with friends and possibly marriage and a family.
When we work with clients, the hopes are different, but the question is the same. The people we work with express a wide variety of concerns … “Am I ready to retire?”; “How is this crazy economy affecting me?”; “What should I do when the next geopolitical event emerges?”. No matter the concern, each person is asking a different version of the same question: “Am I going to be okay?”. Our job is to answer that question – whether it be through our planning software, our words of reassurance or a review of account performance – we are answering that same question day in and day out with most clients.
Through it all, we are keen to realize that the meaning of “okay” – and how to you achieve it – is different for each person. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with a number of prospects who have become clients recently. Throughout the process, I told them that I could give them a perfect investment plan and it would not necessarily be right for them, because it would have lacked their input and commitment. My plan would have resulted in me knowing they were “okay,” but they might not have felt the same. That’s why we go through the painstaking effort of discovery meetings and planning meetings and periodic check in meetings. It’s our way of helping clients find the answer to their own “Am I going to be okay?”.
Are you an investor who wants to know if you will be okay? If so, reach out to one of our advisors so we can help you find the answer. We love to help and know how to get you there.
Written by: Shaw Pritchett, CPA/Advisor
