Marilynn Levin reflects on her recent retirement

 Client Services Manager Marilynn Levin recently retired after more than 20 years working at The Center. As she says goodbye, she leaves us with some parting thoughts on what might be ahead for her.

Now that I’m retired, I like to think of my days as vacation days and I am getting used to that luxury.  Many people have told me that retirement will keep me so busy that I won’t believe I ever had time to work!  Right now, I am considering many options to volunteer in a way that is meaningful to me, I am spending more time with my husband, and I am looking forward to seeing more of my 7 grandchildren.

People say old age is not for sissies, but I think the same thing can be said about what I’m going through. Retirement is not for sissies!  After almost 22 years at the Center, I am already missing my routines and my colleagues.  I was so fortunate to have worked with such an amazing and caring group of people.  We always found time to share our lives with each other – we laughed, cried, played, volunteered, shared pictures and really and truly cared about each other.

The same is true of the clients I was privileged to have assisted. I was privy to their thoughts and feelings, as well as their financial lives.  With many, we also laughed, cried and shared our family stories. I will miss those relationships, but look forward to seeing many of you at future Center events.

The Hebrew word Shalom means hello, goodbye, and peace. In parting, Shalom and I wish everyone an amazing 2014.

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The Turkey Trot Connection

 It was mere weeks ago that we wished Betsey Schrock well as she left The Center for retirement, promising that it was a “See you later” rather than a “Goodbye”. Guess we were right. It wasn’t long after Betsey’s departure that Client Service Associate Gerri Harmer reported the first sighting:

On Thanksgiving morning, I found myself in unquestionably cold weather handing out coffee and hot chocolate to thousands of jovial runner.  Although the weather was brisk at the Ann Arbor Turkey Trot, the snow was falling beautifully and everyone was smiling.  I was having a great time volunteering at this event; especially checking out the creative and clever Turkey Day costumes when all of a sudden who should appear?   Betsey Schrock.  Just days after her retirement from The Center, Betsey had gone turkey and was hanging out with a wild bunch.  No peaceful serene retirement for her.  Great to see you Betsey Schrock --- Keep on Moving!

At The Center, volunteering is one of the values we most prize. Gerri’s gift of her time to the Turkey Trot is just one of the ways we get involved in our community. It just goes to show that when you give of your time, you just might get something unexpected in return. And it might also suggest that no matter how fast you run, you just can’t escape The Center!

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The Arena Where Hockey and Financial Planning Meet

 As much as I love financial planning, if you were to ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I’d have a different answer. My response would be the same now as it was if you were to ask me when I was five – a professional hockey player!  From a young age, I couldn’t get enough of the game.  It took daily amounts of extreme begging before my mom agreed to let me play and take on the financial burden of becoming a hockey parent.  Being a part of a team at a young age did wonders for me.  It taught me discipline, respect, and camaraderie. I also learned how to work as a team to achieve a collective goal and a long list of other lessons that apply not only to the game, but to how I approach life.    

In my opinion, hockey players are the best true athletes in the world.  The sport combines skill, speed, precision, intelligence, strength and endurance in a way no other sport can rival.  Despite what these athletes do on the ice, it is how they carry themselves that solidifies my love for the game.  When a player scores a goal, he doesn’t prance around and make a scene to let everyone know he just scored.  You might get the occasional fist pump, but that’s usually about it.  They’ve been there before and they act like it.  At the end of each playoff series, win or lose, no matter how much hatred there was between the two teams, players line up and shake hands, acknowledging a hard fought series and congratulating the victorious team in an act of sportsmanship that I don’t see in any other major sport.  Hockey players are not flashy, but rather down-to-earth, regular guys.  I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a few of the Red Wings at local events and if you didn’t know who they were, you would never guess they were professional athletes making millions each year. 

When the Miami Heat won their second consecutive NBA championship this year, Lebron James was interviewed to discuss his team’s success. During a span of seventy seconds, he used the word “I” eighteen times.  When the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this year, their captain, Jonthan Toews was also interviewed.  He used the word “we” thirteen times and did not mutter the word “I” one single time.  I think that says a lot.  A team is not about an individual, it’s about creating success for the entire group – something we are constantly striving for at The Center in an effort to provide the best service possible to our clients.  

I like to think of our team at The Center as “financial planning athletes”.  We train hard and are always looking for ways we can improve our game.   Athletes never stop practicing and neither do we.  We work hard every day to maintain the knowledge necessary to serve you, our clients.  There are a lot of egos out there, in professional sports, financial planning and everywhere in between.  I can proudly say that our team of professionals embodies the furthest thing from an ego.  We have an open door policy with one another; everyone is treated as an equal and is an integral part of our firm.  We have one heck of a team here at The Center and I am very grateful that in some ways I’m living my dream job.

Nick Defenthaler, CFP® is a Support Associate at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Nick currently assists Center planners and clients, and is a contributor to Money Centered and Center Connections.

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Any opinions are those of Nick Defenthaler and not necessarily those of Raymond James.  C13-001965

Teaching kids to get fit

 Giving back to our community is a value we hold in high regard at The Center. Each member of our team is encouraged to take two days off from work each year to make a difference. Our own Angela Palacios did that at her daughter’s school where she helped spread her love of fitness.

As many of you may know, I have a strong passion for physical fitness in my life.  It isn’t always easy to stay motivated and to fit it in with the hustle and bustle of the daily schedule, but I make it a priority and always have since I was about 13 years old.  I like to think this has not only had a positive influence on my life, but also that of my family and friends when I encourage them to join me in one way or another.

I feel fitness is an important lesson that I want to pass along to by daughter who is 6.  From a very young age we have tried to make exercise a fun, daily occurrence.  It isn’t always easy to get her to exercise but it is easy to get her to go to ice skating, dancing, gymnastics, swimming and golf or even just riding her scooter when I take the dog for a walk.  As a result she is a very fit little girl with great coordination.  So when the opportunity came up to visit her school and try to help bring these habits into other kids’ lives, I felt like that was a natural fit for me.

Each year her school participates in the Presidential Physical Fitness Testing in the spring.  However, each fall they do a training session for the kids so they know where they are and what they need to focus on improving.  I think this is a great program that is unique to her school (or at least I had never heard of it before) and could not happen without parent volunteers.  

I have participated twice and both times the kids have energized me.  I have worked with kids from my daughter’s first grade class all the way up to the eighth graders.   We taught them the mechanics of stretching, endurance and strength training in a fun way.  Young children are inherently physically fit just from playing on the playground.   So parents, encourage your kids to go outside and play and most importantly just have fun, which is also a great lesson for us adults to remember.  If you love doing it you will stick with it and experience life-long benefits!

Planners' Perspective: Four words that forever changed my life

 Part 7 of a series that will shed some light on who we are and why we love financial planning. For Laurie Renchik, it was one defining conversation, one extended invitation that led her into the field of financial planning.

We all have defining moments along the course of our lives.  For me, one of the biggest, from a career perspective came in 1992.  I distinctly remember “the talk” I had with my CPA.  I had been her tax client for a number of years and we often mixed the business of completing my tax return with conversations about family and our respective careers.  This year started out the same, but ended up very differently.   She handed me my tax return and said, “I am selling my tax practice and buying an investment advisory firm from an advisor who is retiring.  Then she added, “Think about joining me.”  Those four words were the beginning of my journey into the financial planning profession. 

I accepted the offer.   It was a huge step for me to strike out in this new venture, but I had the support of a trusted mentor and the desire to learn as much as I could about the financial planning process and how it related to investments and financial goals.  My research led me to the conclusion that the industry standard for financial planners was the Certified Financial Planner™ certification.  I was inspired to get enrolled in the Certified Financial Planning program immediately, and earned the CFP® in 1995.  Simultaneously, I made the decision to make a move to Raymond James Financial Services to better align myself with a firm whose culture was more deeply rooted in the financial planning process.  

In hindsight, my decision to make the move to Raymond James was the right course adjustment for me as I refined my professional career path and set new goals.  An added bonus that I did not anticipate was a chance meeting with Marilyn Gunther, CFP® a founding partner of The Center.  We met at a Women’s Financial Symposium and the reality is that this chance meeting was literally life changing.  Marilyn has the unique ability to hear what is not spoken and to see what is not obvious.  She shared her insights and experiences freely.  Ultimately, she opened the door for me to join the Center team in 2006; an organization that has given me the opportunity to be part of something really special.

As a mentor, Marilyn encouraged me to let my passion for financial planning shine, to listen first and keep my mind open to an array of possibilities that could unfold.  I encourage you to do the same.  Keep listening for your invitation to chart your own course.  It may come in four words.  It may come in forty.  But they can be your catalyst, just as they were mine.     

Planners' Perspective: Finding home after 8 years

 Part 5 of a series that will shed some light on who we are and why we love financial planning. From an integral visionary teacher to an 8 year journey to the Center, Tim Wyman tells us how he found his calling and his calling finally found a home.

Ever since my junior year at Albion College I knew that I was meant to be in personal finance.  I found my way to Albion to play football – or at least that’s what I thought at age 17. Four years later I came away with a passion for personal finance. A young professor, Jon Hooks, played an important role in my academic interests.  It’s fair to say that he saw something I didn’t at first. We all need a coach/mentor/cheerleader and I owe him a great deal of gratitude.

As much as I’d like to say my path to the Center was a straight line filled with success – it wasn’t.  Early in my career I had stints with an insurance company and a few brokerage firms before striking out on my own; hanging out my shingle for a number of years.  This was also the time that I decided to attend Law School and begin a family.

In 1999 I was introduced to the partners at The Center.  From my first encounter, I knew it was the place I had been looking for the last 8 years.  Dan Boyce, Marilyn Gunther, and Estelle Wade were not only some of the finest financial planners I ever met; they were some of the best human beings I had met.  Our values of family, doing what’s in the best interest of clients at all times, passion for financial planning, and building a long-lasting firm to serve clients and staff was evident from day one.  My calling found a home.

After 14 years here at the Center, my passion burns as strong as ever. Helping clients make sense of all of the options to meet their personal objectives fuels the fire.  Along with current partners Matt Chope and Melissa Joy, I am excited to continue to build on the Center’s strong 28-year foundation for many years to come.  

Planners' Perspective: From PR to Finance

 Part 4 of a series that will shed some light on who we are and why we love financial planning. Sandy Adams never set out to be a financial planner, but that’s right where she landed and today she’s our resource on Elder Care issues.

I like to think that the Center and I found each other at just the right time.  It was 1996 and I had spent nearly four years searching for the right fit.  I graduated in 1992 from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Business Management.  My goal had been to use my public relations degree in the non-profit sector; in 1996, I found myself working in the communications department at Hospice of Michigan, with my job on the line due to funding issues.  Just at that time, I received a call from my friend Eric Wade (Estelle Wade’s son who was also the guy who hired me for my first job out of college) to see if I might be looking for a job.  I set up an interview with Dan Boyce, and Marilyn Gunther and that’s where my journey in financial planning began.

I had little experience or knowledge of the industry, but immediately recognized that this was an area where my strengths in organization, problem solving, and helping people could be put to use.  I had learned strong money and savings skills from my parents, but began to learn about financial planning in detail on the job.  Dan, Marilyn and Estelle were all wonderful mentors, willing to share their knowledge and experience with me…and I was more than willing to take it all in.  When I made the decision to pursue my Certified Financial Planner™ designation, the Center was more than supportive in helping me make it happen.  Not only have I learned valuable technical knowledge and strategies, but even more important, I have learned how important trust, relationships, and the desire to help clients is to being a good financial planner.

My desire to help others has led me even further to focus on Elder Care financial planning, which keeps me challenged every day.  I feel that this knowledge helps me to assist not only the Center team, but Center clients and others who are facing challenges as they, or their parents, age.  As the population shift continues, I hope to be a leader in the field when it comes to educating the financial planning professionals and the public in general on aging-related financial issues.  My best advice…plan ahead for EVERY stage of life.

My heart couldn't be bigger

 Behind every smiling newborn is a parent counting down the minutes until she can be with her baby again. This was my very thought during my first day back at the Center after what felt like too short of a maternity leave  (how could 10 weeks go so fast?). My husband Kelly and I welcomed our first child, Emma Lynn into this world on May 30^th. We were fortunate to have the 4 weeks together as we explored life with a little bundle of joy.

The Re-entry

The first day back to work, the alarm jolted me up at 5:00 AM, a challenge since Emma and I would typically wake at 6:00 AM or later. I amazed myself by getting ready in a short 30 minutes. Now what? She’s not up, I don’t want to wake her, but it’s time to GO! I’m a scheduler and I am learning Emma is the one setting the pace from this point forward! We made it out the door on time with bottles in tow. We were greeted with a warm welcome from her early morning caregiver, who almost had to kick me out the door!

Planners' Perspective: Progress by the decade

 Part 3 of a series that will shed some light on who we are and why we love financial planning. Matt Chope talks about taking the long view on investing and why to look at decades rather than days.

If we’re being honest, I was inspired to enter the financial planning profession for selfish reasons. I went in hoping to find the deep sense of personal satisfaction gained from helping someone make the most of the one life they have to live. In the beginning, it was about helping people achieve a higher, more consistent return on their investment, beating the tax man at his game, or beating the market.  I wanted people to think I was smart and good at something unique.  That made me feel special and it still does. 

In those younger years, life was very quantitative and simple. It was a numbers game; I thought that if someone had more money they could do more and be more.  While that is still an undercurrent to some extent, today this area of energy has evolved to helping clients achieve a better return on their life, which might sound kind of corny or even ridiculous.  But, to me it is about making the most out of what you have in the time remaining. 

After having worked for a decade or longer, I’ve noticed many investors gain a noticeable amount of relief and even a deep sense of fulfillment toward achieving or making considerable progress toward their lifelong goals.  I ask continually what my client’s goals are and I listen and capture those goals to help them turn goals into reality.  It’s so cool to see it transpire.   Not too much generally changes over a year but I have found that it’s absolutely amazing what can transcend over a decade when you’re dedicated to achieving something.

Center Family Picnic

Imagine your financial advisor, laying it all on the line in a grueling, high stakes battle … of a water balloon toss. Oh, we stop at nothing to make sure our team is ready, especially when it comes to picnics! The Center social committee organized a wonderful weekend gathering August 17th at Island Lake State Park in Brighton. The event was filled with good food, good company, and lots of your typical summer picnic games. And to put the icing to the cake, we couldn’t have had a more beautiful day for it.

About 50 people – Center team members and their families and friends – came out. Everyone contributed a dish or two to go along with the burgers and dogs on the grill, and we ended up with enough food to feed closer to 100 people!

Megaphone in hand, our Dan Boyce officiated the day’s games, including that water balloon toss that quickly turned into a water balloon fight. Next up was the 3-legged race, and last but not least was an egg & spoon relay race. There were also side competitions in corn hole, ladder golf, bocce, and a very intense game of sand volleyball. Some unexpected competitive sides came out, and spectators enjoyed watching the players diving all over the court.

Great memories were made with our Center family and we have the pictures to prove it! Overall, the first annual Center Family Picnic was a terrific success, and a tradition that will undoubtedly be repeated.