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NEW Bluffton Location

117 E Elm Street

Bluffton, OH 45817
419-358-4207

Shots You Never Made

We recently had the opportunity to talk to a room full of high school seniors about investing, debt, managing money, and other great financial questions. Part of that conversation focused on the “time value of money” - a concept that emphasizes the power of compound growth in an investment account. When you start early and save over a period of time, you add interest (or growth) along with the actual contributions.  The results of starting early are incredibly powerful and can far outpace the investment accounts of someone who starts later on in life.

We KNOW this. This isn’t surprising news to anyone. What is surprising is how few people have the power and discipline and foresight to do it! We talk to people regularly who are afraid of doing something wrong, afraid they don’t understand things as well as they should, afraid that the government is going to do one thing or another, and...they are afraid. So rather than do something proactive, they hold back in fear and indecision. And yet the “time value of money” clock ticks on…

Let me suggest something else that is at play called the “time value of decisions.”  This is the idea that every decision, whether financial or not, has an essence of “compound growth” to it.  If you make good  decisions when you are young (about studying or job selection or respecting your parents, etc.) then the fruit of those good decisions seems to compound into good consequences and good life trajectory. If you make poor decisions (or don’t decide anything at all—which is still a decision!) then those things tend to compound as well.

* * * * * * * * *

How do the “time value of money” and “time value of decisions” impact me?  At Faith Investment Services, we believe in the power of good decision-making. Get the information you need to make a good choice, process it in a timely and appropriate way, and then move forward.  Don’t let yourself get stuck.

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying “you miss all of the shots you never make.” This is very true in the financial realm and also very true in life. Of course, there are wildly risky chances and perhaps some shots you should never take. However, if you are going to spend time on the court of life—TAKE THE SHOT! 

What shots should I be taking in my financial life:

¨ Have you been holding a large amount of cash (either in the bank or in ‘cash accounts’ with your adviser or workplace accounts)? Going into cash in the first place required a timing decision and then deciding when to move out of cash requires another timing decision. If you have 5 years or more until you need the money, your best bet is to stay invested for the long-term and stop the timing decisions.

¨ Are you waiting to see what this president or the next president will do? The economy? Certain legislation? We see a lot of wisdom in ‘not waiting’ but rather simply living. Jeremiah 29:5-7 says “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

¨ Have you delayed sitting down with a trusted adviser and having a conversation about your finances and your future? We specialize in listening and helping you move forward.

<b>Do your Medicare options confuse you?</b>

Do your Medicare options confuse you?

We believe that knowledge is power.  Would you like to sit down and better understand your Medicare options, prior to signing up for a plan?

The open enrollment period for those turning 65 is 3 months prior to the month in which you turn 65, your birthday month, and 3 months after.

We can help you learn about and consider your options! Please call our office at (419) 358-4207 to schedule a no-obligation appointment.

 

TIMING THE MARKET?  Or TIME IN THE MARKET!

We believe in the adage “Time in the market beats timing the market.” But what is “timing the market?”

Market timing is “an investment strategy of timing the sale or purchase of securities to maximize returns or minimize losses.”  (Kent Thune) The thing that makes timing the market so difficult is that many of the best market days happen during bear markets (downturns) and some of the worst days occur during bull markets.

The following data demonstrates the growth of $10,000 in the S&P 500 from 12/31/06 to 12/31/2021. Notice that, by missing just 10 days in 15 years, the returns are cut in half. I don’t know about you, but I don’t trust my “gut” to pick those 10 days. Nor do I trust the news media or my neighbors to guide me. 

Let me be very clear. It is SO easy to see this in hindsight!  But it is much more difficult to see good days and bad days in the midst of life. Emotions sometimes arise that blur our objectivity as well.

 

https://www.putnam.com/individual/infographics/time-not-timing/

 

The Value of Starting Early

Each person in the graph invest $5,000 each year for 10 years = $50,000 total for each person.  This chart assumes an 11% return. 

There are other advantages of starting early:

  • You are less inclined to “miss the money” if you grow accustomed to investing.
  • You have options that someone who is “playing catchup” doesn’t have. You may decide at some midpoint in your life that you want a  less demanding career or you want to start a business. You may be in a better position to do so than others.

  • To quote Dave Ramsey “If you live like no one else, later you can LIVE like no one else.”

Don’t let this discourage you! It is not too late to start now, regardless of your age.

https://www.ais.edu.vn/myp-student-finished-her-personal-project-about-financial-investment/ 

Our Staff - by Kathi Dunlap

Our Staff - by Kathi Dunlap

It has been a great experience purchasing Faith Investment Services in Bluffton this year.  I am blessed to have freedom to work ‘on’ the business.  I get to develop my staff, help build systems, research and implement appropriate technology, and oversee our client services. Along the way, I get to meet with many of our great clients, participate in planning meetings and client reviews, and interact with you as needs come up.

Our staff is excellent and I am humbled to partner with them to serve our many clients. Our lead adviser in Gallipolis, Rick McDaniel, has years of experience in the industry and has prepared taxes for many years as well. He has built rapport with our valued clients. Our lead adviser in Bluffton, Orrie Augsburger, is innovative and unafraid to seek personalized solutions for clients. He watches the “tax needle” to be sure it doesn’t tip too far for clients who are straddling tax brackets. He cares deeply about serving clients well.

We are well served by our support staff, many of whom you may be familiar with —Cami Smith (8 years), Renea Zimmerman (7+ years), Susannah Steiner (nearly 3 years), Josh Moore (nearly 2 years), and Hannah Doty (1 year.)  We genuinely enjoy working together and God has given us a spirit of peace.

 

Our Future is YOU

Even though I’ve taken a few minutes to update you on our staff, I want to be clear that our main focus is YOU. Whether you are already a client of ours or maybe you’ve just been getting these newsletters for awhile—we focus a lot of energy and attention on you. If you contact us for help, we take that seriously and we diligently work to follow through to the best outcome for you. We pray for you. We sharpen our skills so that we’re prepared to help in your specific situation. Please contact us today—we look forward to serving YOU!