July 2018 - Recovery and Purposeful Thanksgiving

On May 25th I woke up from a sound sleep and realized it was one year ago that I had been released from the hospital, the second time, from my “heart event.” (A stent had failed and I was in critical condition for a while.) I quickly texted my daughter and son in law, Hyphen and Craig Mathis in Florida, thanking them for their willingness to have Hyphen take time off from work and assume control of my care. Hyphen, Shannon, and Shannon’s sister Kelly from California guaranteed I was in good hands. But there is no doubt in our minds that Hyphen saved my life by insisting I go back to the hospital where I was diagnosed thankful that Hyphen is a skilled nurse and was there to get me started on the path of recovery. Part of that process was a consistent medicine routine that she planned out for me on charts. I still have those charts. Another part of that process was an hour-long physical rehab program, which I learned at the Hospital Rehab clinic and graduated from in August. I have continued this program, with variations, every day for the last year. This part I will do for the rest of my life.

After a few weeks of recovery, I was soon back to work full time. A few weeks later, I was able to travel to Florida and perform the wedding for our granddaughter Lauren and her husband Hunter. The ceremony was outside in 98 degree weather in the midst of a lightning storm. It was memorable and a thrill of a lifetime. Looking back, I have come a long way in a year. Thank you, Lord! And thanks again to all who had a part in my recovery.

Faith Investment Services has been busy also. Thanks to Kathi Dunlap and my superb and caring staff, the firm did not miss a beat and continued to grow. Soon after my hospital release, we had our first intern working with us during the month of June. He was hired on staff a few of months later and is in training to become a financial adviser in the future. He has chosen to work with us on this career path and we are excited about that expansion of our services.

We also have been assessing the “crowded” conditions in our beautiful little office at 122 N Main Street. An opportunity presented itself and we purchased another building in Bluffton, to hopefully relocate to a larger office. That has been an ongoing project that takes a significant amount of time, but when completed will give our firm three times the space. This will solve a lot of our current issues and help us serve our clients more efficiently.

My bride Shannon and I celebrated 41 years of marriage this spring. 1977 was a good year! So was 2017! We are both very thankful for all the blessings God has given us and we regularly express that to each other and to those around us. We believe it is very important to be thankful. Don’t misunderstand; there are many times we are overwhelmed by life circumstances and struggle with coping. But we choose ultimately to be obedient to God’s call in scripture that admonishes us to be grateful. When we are struggling, we oftentimes are reminded of those we know that have much deeper struggles than we ever will in this life. Perspective is important. As an aside, let me remind you that it is one thing to be grateful and thankful. It is a greater thing to go beyond that and actually use some of our energy to praise Him. That takes initiative and faith in action on our part and is different from simply being thankful in a ‘reactionary’ way. I am challenged to not go through life receiving God’s blessings in a passive manner.

I am reminded to apply that initiative in many areas of my life -- family, church, business, finances, country, culture, etc. I encourage you not to sit passively on the sidelines either. Our practice offers a no obligation, beneficial conversation to anyone who will take a few moments of their time to fill out a questionnaire (designed to make efficient use of our joint time together.) This is totally your call but you are welcome to avail yourself of this opportunity. We are moving forward. Want to join us?

Thanks and Blessings,

SEND US YOUR NEWS!!

Have things changed for you — new home, new phone number or email, new child, family changes? Do you need to change your beneficiaries? Please take a moment and email rzimmerman@cfdinvestments.com We may simply need to update our files, but certain types of information should also be reported to the companies who hold your investments. Let us help you stay up-to-date!

EVERPLANS - Our clients and friends are able to get a complimentary subscription to Everplans through our office. This is a simple online tool that guides you through legal, financial, healthcare and personal decisions—a tool that ensures your wishes are met and your loved ones aren’t left with hassles. Email kdunlap@cfdinvestments.com to request your complimentary membership.

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SOCIAL SECURITY AND HOW IT INTEGRATES WITH YOUR OTHER INCOME SOURCES

How do you learn about Social Security and the way it works? From friends? On the TV? By talking to a Social Security representative?

There are things that you NEED to know before you make decisions about when to draw Social Security and we can help. How will working part– or full-time affect your benefits? How much can you earn without causing your benefits to be taxable? What income sources can you receive without negatively affecting Social Security?

Because Social Security and other income sources are inter-related, it is important to talk to someone who is an expert and who has your best interest in mind. Let Gary review your total situation and help you make good decisions during your retirement transition. Call today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

INHERITED IRAs—Will you or someone you know be inheriting tax-qualified money?

STOP! Before you accept any money through inheritance—you need to know about the tax impact! We strongly recommend that you talk to a trusted adviser BEFORE taking possession of any inheritance money. What you don’t know CAN hurt you!

Setting up a “Beneficiary IRA” (sometimes called Stretch IRA or Inherited IRA) can help you control the timing of the taxes you will pay on the inherited money. However, once you take possession of the money, you cannot go back and set up a Beneficiary IRA after the fact.

Call our office — we help people all the time to understand the tax implications of the decisions they are making. We’d be glad to help you! Email: gary.reese@cfdinvestments.com Call: (419) 358-4207

RETIREMENT GAP

You’ve probably heard the not-so-funny joke “I’ll have to work until noon on the day of my funeral.” There are two common scenarios: 1) Many of us feel our work to be a calling and we’re not neces-sarily planning to retire. We assume we’ll be healthy and able to keep producing income long into retirement. 2) Others simply want to retire at a pre-appointed time and enjoy the fruit of their labors. These folks can ‘under-assume’ their longevity and ‘over-assume’ their potential income from assets.

Neither approach is ‘wrong’ but what may be wrong is assuming too much and not preparing for possible eventualities.

The statistics to the right are sobering. “Less than $5000 for retirement.” “Nothing saved…” “Fear outliving their retirement savings.”

Let’s be honest. Life throws us a lot of punches. You may be in mid-life with very little saved. You never meant for that to happen—but medical issues, poor choices, divorce, or other difficulties have left you with little to spare. Is it time to sit down and talk with a trusted adviser about your situation?

The ‘retirement gap’ can also happen to folks who have saved and set money aside. When you are invested in ways that are too aggressive for your comfort level or not aggressive enough, it can impact your retirement income. What you “think” you can live on and what you might actually have for income could be quite different.

Then Social Security income , pensions, and other income sources also factor in. Talking to someone who has walked alongside hundreds of people through this process is VERY helpful. There is wisdom in the counsel of advisers!

Call us at 419-358-4207 or email Kathi at kdunlap@cfdinvestments.com to make an appoint-ment to have a no-obligation conversation. Please don’t let the retirement gap happen to you!

“I’ll be right here…

until noon the day of my funeral!”