Giggles & Grins

Q: “Imagine you’re in a room with no windows and no doors; how do you get out?” A: “Stop imagining.”

A guy is driving around the backwoods of Montana and sees a sign in front of a broken-down shanty-style house: ‘Talking Dog For Sale.’

He rings the bell, and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador Retriever sitting there. ”You talk?” he asks. ”Yep,” the Lab replies. After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says, ”So, what’s your story?”

The Lab looks up and says, ”Well, I discovered I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all, they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping, I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running... but the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger, so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired.”

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog. ”Ten dollars,” the guy says. ”Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?” ”Because he’s a liar. He’s never been out of the yard.”

Partners

Submitted by: Brian B Smith, CFP®, Bryan M Masten, CFP® & Riley W. Smith

Life is all about Perspective

Have you ever heard the saying “It is hard to see the forest for the trees”? This is a perfect description of the problem many people face when trying to invest. How do you pay attention to your investments on a regular basis and yet stay focused on the long-term goals you have set for your family?

In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with news on every subject imaginable. Often it feels as though the world is falling apart. We have inflation, pandemics, and wars. These news items dominate our TV, smartphones, and other devices. Daily news impacts our financial markets, but not always in the way we would expect. How is an investor to see the forest through all the trees (or news)? How are you to stay focused on the bigger picture?

First, work with someone you trust to identify those long-term goals and help you stay on track. It is difficult to leave your emotions out of your investments. Having someone help you look at things objectively can help. By having goals identified, you are more likely to see the long-term perspective as opposed to the news of the day.

Second, understand the process. If working with someone to invest on your behalf, ask about the process they use to identify investments and what would prompt changes to those investments. Many times, negative news in one area could be very positive in another. How do they adapt to changes and attempt to position investments for the best outcome? In addition, how does this process account for you as an individual and adapt to you as your life changes? It is important that you understand a process exists and you are confident in how they manage it for you and your family.

Third, stress test your plans. Not all plans work out exactly as they are intended. It is important to talk about your goals and progress regularly. While having those discussion, it may be beneficial to look at events that could negatively impact your progress. What if market returns are lower than your projections for an extended period or life changes force additional expenses? These questions will affect your probability of success and adjustments may be necessary.

Take some time to look at the forest. The bigger picture may provide some peace in a world full of chaos. If you need some help with your bigger financial picture, we would be honored to help. At Global Financial Partners we have been helping clients like you for over 35 years.

www.financialpartner.net

(936) 294-0201 • 1211 Financial Plaza • Huntsville

Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member, FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a registered investment advisor. Cambridge and Global Financial Partners are not affiliated. Cambridge does not provide tax advice.