Since 1986 we have worked diligently to create a team of professionals that are experts in the areas of investing, taxes, and estate planning. I am confident that you will receive appropriate and effective advice.

However, as wealth advisors we will also help you understand and deal with your attitudes toward money. I read a lot about the psychology of money and I am struck by the overwhelming evidence that most of us do not understand our own behavior.

We, as humans, are wired to react emotionally. Personally, it could be the death of a spouse (see below) or globally it could be the disruption in international financial markets.

So our best clients are people who are smart and self-reliant but also realize that they need the discipline we offer in unsettling times.

I'd like to relate the following story to make my point. This client has given us permission to tell her story. We've changed the names in order to maintain her anonymity.

A client's story:
"Do you know how much money you spend monthly?" I asked. It's the kind of question I ask all of my clients. I wanted to see if Judy had a sense of how much money she needed to maintain her lifestyle. Most of my clients really don't know.

Judy opened her purse and pulled out a small notebook. Each page was filled with dates and numbers. "I can tell you to the penny how much I've spent in the last four months," she answered.

She started going through each page. She had written down every penny, yes, every penny. It wasn't just the big ticket items, i.e., her real estate taxes. She had written down the cost of her popcorn at the movies.

Was I surprised? Yes. She continued, "I'm really worried that I won't be able to afford the kind of lifestyle I had before Harry (her husband) died."

Now you might think that Judy was a woman who had been shocked by the sudden death of her spouse, and that she knew nothing of their financial situation.

However it was the opposite. Her husband had been seriously ill for months.

They had reviewed all of their assets. And she had majored in economics in college. She was comfortable around numbers and investments. I thought she would be well-prepared, (as best as anyone can be prepared) for the death of a spouse.

And yet Judy was afraid that she would run out of money. Was she being irrational? At first I might have said yes. However, after getting to know Judy, I realized she was reacting like many of us would. After 38 years of marriage, Judy was alone. She didn't have Harry anymore. And she was afraid.

I wasn't sure what to do next. Initially my instinct as a CPA was to take out a sheet of paper and a calculator and show her that she had nothing to worry about. If we invested her assets wisely she could live and travel as long as she desired. She would easily outlast her assets, and be able to leave her grandchildren funds, even if she lived into her late 90's.

But her real concern was not financial independence. She didn't think she could face the future without Harry.

I could have suggested that we do it all for her, pay her bills and send her a monthly check. However, what she really needed (and wanted) was the self-confidence to make her own decisions. She definitely did not need someone getting involved in the minutia of her daily life.

With our support and time, she rebuilt her financial self-confidence. I came to realize that she understood investment strategies better then many business owners I work with, and she wanted an advisor who took her opinions seriously.
Had we acted hastily we may have satisfied her short term financial needs but we would have set the wrong tone for our long term. She was happy that we were able to truly listen to her and so was I.

This is just one story. Each client faces a different challenge; it could be excessive spending or an irrational fear of market volatility. We never judge you. Instead we work with you to build the best plan for your future.