After hearing what we do, Daniel and Heather approached us and were just curious.  They wanted better-diversified investments and something more than only portfolio advice.  Their previous advisor had placed them into concentrated, semi-illiquid assets.  They needed liquidity and more consistent long-term performance.  Also, they recognized they needed a financial planner who was experienced with the ever-changing tax laws and focused on giving them a retirement income that would be monitored at safe withdrawal levels for their particular circumstances.  They cared deeply about their blended families and wanted a more secure financial future that would give them more safety in the areas of health, estate planning, and address their disparate financial issues.  In short, like so many of our clients, they wanted to have confidence in the many financial decisions they needed to make — a holistic approach that also would not cost them any more in fees.   

     It took the better part of a year, but together we were eventually able to liquidate their positions with a minimum of taxes (actually harvesting considerable tax losses in the process!) by acting opportunistically at the right times.  They now have in place a well-thought-out plan and are on track to meet their goals, giving them a feeling of security and peace of mind.

     As is often the case, the rewards of setting up a well-formulated retirement and tax plan are greater than we expect.  As they remarked, it takes an awareness that there is much better financial advice out there, if you just look beyond the seeming comfort of your present situation and explore other options.  During this process, we have appreciated the meaningful friendship we have developed.  We have found this happens with our clients, and it is one of the great returns of having an intentionally smaller, multi-generational practice.  Being able to provide highly personalized service has given us a lasting client “family” that we look forward to being with throughout their retirement.