Broker Check

NEW Bluffton Location

117 E Elm Street

Bluffton, OH 45817

March 2023 - Switching Gears

Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students.  As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question.  Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?” Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds. She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter.  It all depends on how long I hold it.  If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light.  If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little.  If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor.  In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”

As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water.  Think about them for a while and nothing happens.  Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little.  Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”

In our office, we talk to people every day who are going through some kind of transition or change. These changes can be perceived as positive or negative, but invariably they create some level of stress. Sometimes it is deciding when to retire (or having that decision guided by our health or our company.) Sometimes it is a health concern or financial issue. Sometimes it is the death of a loved one or a major move or a job change. We walk with our clients through transition and change EVERY DAY. We also experience it for ourselves—our recent business transition and move to a new location, for example!

According to www.mindtools.com, there is a difference between transition and change. The difference is subtle but important. “Change is something that happens to people, even if they don't agree with it. Transition, on the other hand, is internal: it's what happens in people's minds as they go through change. Change can happen very quickly, while transition usually occurs more slowly.”  This makes me think of adaptability or flexibility.  The business world calls it being ‘agile’ - poised for change and progress.

At Faith Investment Services, we work very hard to help you not only ‘respond to change’ but to truly adapt and flourish in your new situation. We believe this comes by preparing in advance—simply talking about the impending changes can be a great help! It also comes by education—understanding as much as possible about the changes you are facing. Finally, we encourage you to participate in the process so that you can “own” your situation. It is your life, your finances, your future and we want to partner with you to help along the way!

Our recent business transition has reminded us how important flexibility and adaptability really are. Going through a healthy transition means moving toward change, not fighting against it. We are so very thankful for our clients and friends who have encouraged and supported us through our move, adviser change, and ownership change. You are the lifeblood of our business and we are truly grateful to work for you and serve you.  

 

We Love Our Clients

We Love Our Clients

The staff of Faith Investment Services — Orrie, Kathi, Renea, Susannah, Josh, and Hannah—are humbled and thankful for our clients. Many of you have been kind and encouraging throughout our move, sharing stories that reinforce your kindness.  Just a few days prior to move, with a few boxes sitting here and there in our reception area, we had a client come in for a quick appointment.  She said “at least it is not a hospital!” and then told us about how she was involved a number of years ago in moving an actively running hospital from one building to another, across town!  The logistics of moving patients who were hooked to machines, particularly in the ER, required much advance planning and great wisdom.  The more she shared, the more we marveled!  Indeed “at least it was not a hospital!” It definitely put our move into perspective. :-)

 

Congratulations to our Referral Drawing Winner

We are pleased to announce that Roger of Jenera, OH won our semi-annual referral drawing in January. Every 6 months, we review the people who have referred a client to us and put their names in a drawing. The winner receives a $100 VISA gift card.  We are very thankful for those referrals and do not take that lightly—thank you for telling your friends about us!

It's Not Too Late

There is still time to “soften the blow” on your 2022 taxes, in some situations. It might be helpful to make a 2022 IRA contribution or an HSA contribution—and you can do so until you file your 2022 taxes (or 4/18/23.)

If you are not sure whether this would be beneficial for you, we would be happy to help. Also, if you plan to contribute for 2022 tax year, be sure to ask for our help or clearly delineate which year the contribution is for.

If you are self-employed, you may have additional options such as a SEP IRA to set aside an even greater amount for tax deferral.

FINALLY...

If you have reached 59 1/2, most employers allow you to take an in-service distribution from your company plan. This is a way to roll money out of your 401k or 403b (or other plan) into your own individual retirement account (IRA.)  IRAs often give you more flexibility for tax planning at retirement, more investment options, and the ability to work with a trusted adviser. Call us to ask about this opportunity.

 

Kudos to our staff

Kudos to our staff

Orrie Augsburger recently achieved his ChFC designation. ChFC stands for Chartered Financial Consultant and it is awarded through The American College. This designation focuses on 10+ key areas of financial services knowledge, including insurance, income taxation, planning for retirement, investments, estate planning, and more.

Josh Moore recently completed The Federal Income Tax Course, offered by www.nationaltax.edu.  He is expanding his knowledge and capability in income tax preparation and we hope to offer this service to clients and the community in the spring of 2024.  Stay tuned! 

Refocused

Refocused

We made our physical move on Thursday, February 23 with the help of Manifest Shipping.  They did the heavy lifting and yet somehow, we were all exhausted.  The days prior to the move had been filled with repairs, renovation, strategizing on function and aesthetics and the actual move was somewhat anticlimactic. (I suppose that is good!)  The next day, our great staff unboxed, organized, cleaned, and beautified!!  In one hard day, we were ‘back in business.’ 

We have gone from our days of ‘disruption’ to exploration and now rebuilding. We are refocused and ready to serve you!

Please give us a call and let us help you with your specific change or transition.  Whether it is job-related, retirement-focused, a health issue or dreams for the future—we can help!

We are honored (privileged and energized!) to serve over 400 clients in 19 different states.  Because we are independently owned and operated, we are not limited in what we can offer to meet YOUR needs.  Please call us  today!