At MCS Financial Advisors, our mission statement is always on our mind – how can we transform your money from a source of worry to a resource for fulfillment? As we work with you, we get to know your joys, worries, and questions. It is, in fact, those joys, worries, and questions that focus and
The Value of Financial Planning Read More »
We recommended learning everything you can about the prospective advisor’s background, credentials, philosophy, and practical processes. We also talked about the three values that we at MCS Financial Advisors believe are of paramount importance in an advisor: independence, objectivity, and transparency. IN THIS ISSUE WE BUILD ON THAT THEME and talk about how best to
How to Work with a Financial Advisor Read More »
In October, Michael Stalker, Doug Lyons, and Joe Paul – our new consultant to families with businesses – traveled to London for the annual conference of the Family Firm Institute (FFI), an international organization for family business advisors and family wealth advisors – including attorneys, accountants, management consultants, financial advisers, insurance brokers, and therapists. The
MCS Extends Its Commitment to Integrated Family Systems Advising Read More »
As I prepared these comments, a large failure happened: IndyMac was taken over by the FDIC. Earlier this year, medium-sized ANB Financial, N.A. (Bentonville, Arkansas) failed. That failure struck close to home because we had purchased an ANB CD for a client. The client will come out more than whole because the CD was purchased
Credit Markets Are Taking an Ominous Turn Read More »
What Do I Get When I Hire a Financial Planner?As in so many areas of life, cost reflects value. The cost of a financial plan can range from “free” to tens of thousands of dollars, or even in excess of $100,000. How to evaluate the various options? Lower value plans ($0 to $2500) are often
What to Look for When “Shopping” for a Financial Planner Read More »
The primary reason I joined MCS was because its culture and philosophy emphasize not only responsible asset management and long-term planning, but equally the freedom to enjoy spending. That’s right, to enjoy spending. Earing, accumulating, and preserving principal are noble and necessary steps, but once the “game has been won” we often see clients exhibiting
What’s the Money For? Read More »
These changes are unprecedented and will ultimately represent some excellent investment opportunities. Nevertheless, because the changes also impact your holdings you should know what to expect going forward. Economic BackgroundThe housing market meltdown that we forecasted and discussed at length in previous newsletters continues to plague financial institutions. The losses are so significant, they are
Perspective on the Bond Market Turmoil Read More »
Schwab and the SIPC have you covered With current market conditions resulting in large losses at Merrill Lynch, UBS, and the recently bailed out Bear Stearns, investors are understandably wary about the financial condition of their brokerage firm. For this reason MCS feels it’s important to address two questions that may be on your mind.
How Secure is Your Money? Read More »
We have posted this pamphlet to help you understand the differences in the qualities of services provided by people that claim to be different levels of financial planners. The pamphlet is a great resource in helping you distinguish what level of financial services you should expect and how to determine what a planners credentials mean.
Don’t Get Burned by the Financial Planner Name Game Read More »
The sale of a business, a divorce, inheritance or retirement marks major turning points in someone’s life. Wealth is in transition; its purpose is likely changing. The financial adviser plays a critical role during these times. The term ‘financial adviser’ is a generic expression applied to a variety of financial industry service providers. Stock brokers,
Understanding a Financial Advisor’s Standard of Care Read More »