Dear Client,

About fifteen years ago, my wife, Melissa, and I stumbled across an animal hospital where three of the cutest little kittens you’ve ever seen were frolicking in the window. Of course, Melissa said, “we have to get one,” to which I responded, “no, thank you.” The next day (much to my chagrin) we returned to the animal hospital and adopted our first pet, a kitten named Spike.

Spike was the perfect name for this cat because he would bite anything and anyone he didn’t like. He was a part of our family and was with us through our major life events: engagement, wedding, children, and children’s birthday parties. Over the years, I became really attached to him. I remember coming home from work during some of the toughest times in my career, when the markets were plummeting, and he would snuggle up to me and remind me that everything was going to be all right. Unfortunately, three weeks ago Spike stopped eating and drinking due to kidney failure and transcended to kitty heaven. We already miss him very much.

Now you’re probably asking yourself, “what does Craig’s cat story have to do with me or my investments?” The answer is time. We are only on this earth for a short period of time. We must realize that no matter how hard we try, we are probably never going to be the richest person in the world (Jeff Bezos already claimed this title), so the goal of investing should be to accumulate enough assets to live comfortably, have fun, and support your family, if you have one.

During your working years, the goal should be to build wealth and have fun. In retirement, your goal should be to use wealth and have fun. Of course, this is much easier said than done, and this is where we come in. We can create a financial plan for you that is designed to maximize wealth accumulation during working years and maximize wealth distribution during retirement years.     

Life is short. You never know when your time might be up. Live every day to the fullest and enjoy everything you have, especially your family.