Greetings!
Hi everyone, and happy 4th of July! Celebrating our country's independence is a favorite time of year for most of us, and hopefully all of you got to spend some time with family and friends. Judy and I spent the long weekend boating and catching up on some yard work. I, of course, found time to do some studying, reading, updating, etc. That was business-related, but still relaxing, and I learned something! As most of you already know, our daughter Kelly is now graduated from college, married and lives in Raleigh, so we don't get to see her much. She's in the process of going through job interviews for her new career and needless to say she is staying busy. I've been keeping Tyler quite busy at the office, so I'm sure it was nice for him to get away for a few days and just chill out. This past month has been extremely busy, and again, I want to thank all my clients for their support. For those of you that came on board this past month, welcome to the family! I'm humbled by the faith you put in us and appreciate the opportunity to work with you. On the business side, I stated in the last newsletter I was going to Florida for a two day training seminar and update on financial matters with one of our wealth management firms. As always, it was very informative and educational. I came away feeling very good about how our clients are positioned. Last month I spent a good deal of time going over the new Frank/Dodd Financial Reform Act that was passed last year, along with the current financial condition of America and the world economy. This past month the markets have done well (especially the last week), but for various reasons our wealth managers are being very careful and positioning (hedging) for trouble ahead while still maintaining flexibility to change as needed. Changes are coming (new banking and broker disclosure laws, fiduciary responsibility updates, etc.), so proper risk allocation will be vital if it hits the fan! The older you are, the more conservative you should be. Don't pay unnecessary fees in your portfolio (such as most mutual funds)! As I've stated before, if anyone reading this newsletter wants a free risk analysis, free cost analysis or any additional information on a particular subject, just contact my office. Until next month,
 -- Jim Stillman |
