The Big Picture
 

If you have been watching TV, reading the news, or reading financial magazines, you may believe that the end of our economy is near. The stock market is on the way down, housing may never recover, oil prices are on their way to $200/barrel, and inflation continues to rise. All of this while more and more people are losing their jobs.

Please remember that the media gets interest from viewers/readers by stirring emotion. When things are well, they make it out as though the good times will never end. When things are not going well, they make it sound as though the end is near. I actually heard someone on TV today comparing our current economic conditions to those of the Great Depression!

Listening to the media (who, by the way, knows nothing about your personal financial situation) will have you getting into investments at the peak and running at the trough. This is the exact opposite of the strategy you should employ.

It is likely that most of your market exposure ties to your long-term goals. If your goals or income needs span a time horizon greater than ten years, you want to focus on the long-term prospects of the economy. What we are experiencing today is likely another part of the general economic cycle and in time will recover.

In the end, you are likely to find that you have more money saved than you did in 1999. While the value may be down, you are likely to have equity in your home. If the value of your home is worth less than your purchase price, you still likely have equity from the proceeds of your previous home. Values of your assets will go up and down, but working with a good financial advisor and focusing on the long-term should have you feeling much more secure than the media would like you to feel.

 

 The Office
 Upcoming Events & Schedule

We have recently hired an intern to help us on Mondays and Wednesdays at the office. Our intern, Hailey, is a University of Maryland, College Park, business student. While she is with us, Hailey will be assisting with the day-to-day activities in the office as well as learning more about how we work with our clients. Hailey's internship runs through August.

The grand opening of the Humane Society's real life room will be on Saturday, June 21st at 11AM. Paws for a Cause raised the money to build the room and Heidi has lent her design skills to apply the finishing touches. I highly recommend you visit the opening. The Humane Society is located at 1601 Nicodemus Road in Reisterstown. More information can be found at their website: baltimorehumane.org.

I have completed the College for Financial Planning's CFP Certification Professional Education Program. I am now eligible to sit for the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) final examination. The CFP board only offers the exam a few times a year, so based on their schedule, my target date will be the November examination. I'll let you know how I do.

The office will be closed on Monday, June 23rd and Tuesday, June 24th. Any messages or email will be returned no later than the 25th.

Office Hours: You can reach us from 9AM to 6PM Monday through Friday. The office will close from 12PM to 1PM for lunch. If you call during lunch, please leave a message and someone will contact you after 1PM.

 

 The Family
 

It is amazing how different the personality of dogs can be. Fenway has always been pretty good when left alone- even as a puppy. Roxy, on the other hand, has some separation issues. She has already chewed through several fabric crates, dog beds, and pillows while we've been away. We purchased a metal crate and found a location where she would not be near anything that she could grab through the crate.

On two recent occasions, she has found a way to beat our system. A few weeks ago I left Roxy in the crate in our bedroom and her crate was a few feet from the closest object. When I returned home, I found Roxy in her crate with one of our curtains and some of Heidi's clothes pulled inside. On the other side of the crate, she had pulled in a section of our down comforter. I still don't know how she managed to get so much into her crate from opposite sides.

We took the above photo after Heidi came home (I felt that she needed to see this with her own eyes). I wish I hadn't been so upset, because Roxy was very cute in the crate when I came home. From head to paw she was coated in feathers, which would have made an adorable photo. I did take the opportunity to remind Heidi that getting Roxy was her idea!

 

 Website Changes
 

Our website was updated last month and now contains more information about us and areas of interest for our clients. Please take a minute or two to browse our site.

Updated Website