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: We're back! June, July and August were very hectic months for us. We moved to a new office, hired two new staff members, and revamped our brand. With the move, we felt it was a good time for a change. While our core values have remained the same, we have made some changes with our look (logo, stationary, etc.), marketing, and website. We appreciate your patience during this time. To keep up to date with all of our upcoming changes, become a "friend" on our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. |
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Heavenly
In May, Heidi and I took a whirlwind tour of New England. We stayed in a
new room nearly every night for a week. While we were traveling, I told
Heidi that even with all of the driving and room changes, I had slept remarkably
well. For the most part she agreed. She also reminded me that she's been telling me for years that we should
get a new bed to enjoy this type of comfort at home, but that I didn't think that
a quality bed made that much of a difference.
Our first night home I quickly
noticed how uncomfortable our bed was.
That night I couldn't sleep. I
tossed and turned and woke up tired with a sore back. Maybe after all of these years, Heidi was
right...when will I learn? I decided it
was time to eat some humble pie, admit the error of my ways, and buy a new bed. Luckily, Heidi's not one to say, "I told you
so."
Years
ago, Westin Hotels decided that they wanted to have a bed that stood out from all of
the rest. Making your stay with them as comfortable (or
more so) than sleeping at home, you would want to stay at a Westin during every
trip.
Having experienced the comfort of
the Westin bed, I contacted them to find out where I could buy one. After I got off the phone, Heidi and I hopped
into our car, went straight to the mall, and made our way to the Heavenly
Bed™.
Since the purchase of our new bed,
we have slept like babies. Our backs
have felt more relaxed and we seem less tense and irritable than before. The upgraded bed truly was a heavenly
decision.
As we experienced this change, I
started thinking about other aspects of our lives that should be heavenly. We've been meaning to make improvements
around the home and make areas of our lives more organized, so we decided to
change things one step at a time. As we
complete each task, we ask ourselves, "What else can we make heavenly?" This has been a gradual process that has been
paying dividends.
The current economic downturn has
shifted the focus for many from worrying about what they don't have to
appreciating what do they have. I'm hearing
people say that they don't like their job or they're going to get a pay
reduction, but at least they have a job.
People are staying in more frequently and spending more time as a family
than we have in decades.
While thankful for what they
have, many have been stressing over the decline of the stock market. Comparing their current statements with the
one they received in October 2007 (the all-time market high), people worry that
they may never be able to retire. If you
are one of those people, I suggest that you take a step back and a deep
breath. Ask yourself what you truly
want. What will give you a heavenly
retirement?
Without being overly philosophical,
life should be good for your soul. You
should do those things you enjoy, that give you energy, and that fulfill
you. You may find that retirement
doesn't have to be extravagant to be enjoyable.
As you've seen over the past year, spending time with the ones you love,
doing the hobbies you enjoy, and living in a comfortable/relaxing environment
is truly the key.
This is the time to reassess your
plans for the future. Create a target
that will give you a heavenly retirement and calculate how much you'll need to
have saved in order to achieve that lifestyle.
You may find that you're not as far off from the mark as you think. At the very least, you'll know what you need
to save in order to reach your goal.
Remember to look at the big picture
as you create your plan. In order to
have a truly heavenly lifestyle, you need to review your current finances (cash
reserves/cash flow), your insurance needs, your investment allocation, your
retirement goal, tax strategies, and estate planning. If you lack the time, knowledge, desire, or
discipline to do this on your own, then seek out the advice of a trusted
financial adviser, tax professional, and attorney to assist you.
Best of luck staying focused on the
"little things" in life and reaching your goal of living a heavenly life.
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Office News 
We're extremely excited about our new office. We now have 2,000 square feet to spread out, add staff, and meet with clients. It also happens to be a great place for the dogs to play. Our office has a larger reception area, a break room and kitchen, a conference room, space for our staff to work, and a second floor that Woody uses for an office and as a back up meeting space.
We will have other professionals working out of our conference room in order to provide added services for our clients. We've been talking with a local attorney as well as an accountant, who is also local. Having these other professionals work out of our office will provide clients with one-stop professional advice and allow us to meet with our clients and their other advisors to improve our service and advice.
We're also going to provide educational presentations both in house and via the web to clients, their friends, and to the public.
Stay tuned for upcoming event announcements.
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On the Home Front 
Roxy recently made her internet debut, and, no, it wasn't anything racy. At the SPCA's walk in May, a woman from the Baltimore Sun approached us at our booth. She saw Roxy and invited me to provide some information about her to be posted on the Sun's pet blog site: "adorable Dalmation/Springer Spaniel". Baseball season ended with an upset victory in the championship game. For the first time in the six years I've been with the league, we WON the championship! We normally play that team very close only to lose by a few runs in the late innings. This time we held them. While I had to nurse a sore elbow after getting hit by a pitch, the pain was well worth it. I'm proud of the team and what we accomplished this year. Heidi's kickball team reunites in September for the start of the Fall season. They got better with each game in the Spring, so they'll hopefully continue their progress in the Fall and into the playoffs. |
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I hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter.
Best Wishes,
Woody Derricks
President
Phone: 410-732-2633
Toll Free: 877-807-2633
Fax: 410-732-2634
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Please note our new mailing address:
1819 Thames Street
Baltimore, MD 21231
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Available by Appointment in Alexandria & DC.
Woody Derricks is also registered to discuss and transact securities business in:
AK, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, MD, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, and VT. |
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