Moments In Time

Greetings, Jake here. It’s that time of the year when we start to think about how fortunate we are to have the freedoms we enjoy and gratitude for our blessings. Not everything is perfect in the world, but we are fortunate for so many things. Recently I’ve been looking at family pictures, both from my childhood and present with my own family. I’ve discovered that there are “Moments in Time”, if I could only go back to that time, and freeze it, I would. Pictures tell stories. Below is a picture of an evening in July with my son. He was catching more fish than I was that night (that’s normal) but this photo represents such a fond memory and when I look at it, I can remember vividly the fishing and camping trip. It’s remarkable how smells, tastes, sounds, songs, and pictures can transport us back to a time in our life. I would encourage you to take a moment during the holidays and go back through photos, past and present…it’s incredible the feelings of love, longing, and gratitude that can surface while taking a visual walk down the lane of history. James Barry, the author of Peter Pan, wrote “God gave us memories so that we might have Roses in December”. It’s fun to look at past photos and experiences, which leads me to ask myself, “what new experiences am I going to create”? What “moments in time” will you create that you’ll want to freeze? I would encourage you, no matter your circumstance, think of one (or many) things you want to accomplish in the next year. Make it fun, exciting, dream a little. Have you always wanted to learn something? Is there someone you want to connect with? Someone you can help? A place you want to travel? A few years ago I was visiting a client in the hospital who passed soon after our visit. As I walked into the hospital that day, a picture frame in the gift store caught my eye. Curiously I walked over, and for the first time I read, “The trouble is, you THINK you have TIME.” This statement made an immediate impact on my life. I purchased the frame and I have it displayed in my office as a constant reminder to be proactive in creating experiences with my family, friends, and those I want to spend time with. I hope that each of you will be proactive in creating additional “moments in time” so that you may have Roses in December.

Navigating Thunderstorms | Investment Advisor Perspective & Insight

Greetings, Jake here. In Idaho, summer thunderstorms blow into the valley. The dark clouds threaten from the southwest and gather momentum. These unwelcomed storms show up unannounced, bringing with them high winds, lightening, and a chance of forest fires in the mountains. These storms would often arrive with a downpour of rain, but it came with a price. When my sons were younger, these storms didn’t scare them. They saw it as an opportunity to grab an umbrella, dash outside (often barefoot) to the nearest flooded area to play. Peter Lynch, who was a famed money manager at Fidelity Investments, once said, “The key to making money in equities is not to get scared out of them”. To put things in perspective, on average, a stock market correction (defined as a decline of -10% or more), blows in every year. Bear Markets (defined as a decline of -20% or more) have occurred on average every 5 years since 1946. Why does this matter? It provides context that corrections and bear market declines are a routine part of investing. We can’t get scared out of them. My point isn’t to trivialize or make light of our current economic circumstances, just to give perspective. Morgan Housel, in his book, The Psychology of Money, writes, “Like everything else worthwhile, successful investing demands of us a price…It’s volatility, fear, doubt, uncertainty, and regret – all of which are easy to overlook until you’re dealing with them in real time.” If you’ve felt any of these feelings recently, you are not alone. When we’re in the middle of a bear market, some investors are consumed with pessimism. They may start to feel that the market will never rise again, that their losses will only deepen, that the storm will last too long. Reminder, the storm will pass, followed by blue skies and wonderful summer days. In fact, every single bear market decline in US history has been followed by a bull market, without exception. This time will not end any different. With Next Level as your trusted Investment Advisors, we will navigate the months ahead, together.

Next Level

Greetings, Jake here. I strive to improve and get better. I often fall short of my goal, but I enjoy the challenge. It’s in the doing, not the sitting that I love. You’ll often find me listening to a podcast or reading a book. I search out ways to gain knowledge. The desire to get better was rooted from a young age. My father was an athlete, a coach, a high achiever. I’ve spent my life competing, playing sports, keeping score. I’m no longer concerned about wins and losses. As I evolve (that’s a nice way of saying “as I get older”) my focus changes. For me, it’s not about the score, it’s about growth. Next Level is defined as; a better, more advanced, or more successful situation than before. I believe, whatever your Next Level is, it’s very personal to you. This idea is not about doing better than your neighbor, or having more success than a friend, co-worker, or family member. It’s not about having more. It’s about progression. Recently my client realized her dream. It wasn’t more money. Through proper financial planning, I encouraged and supported her to take action – she gained confidence to create a charitable foundation, funding a cause that she loves. Her next level wasn’t something she received; it was something she gave. Through the years, people have shared with me where they want to be better; create meaningful connections, reduce phone time, be more present, go on more vacations, spend time with friends, automate savings, be more aware of their spending.