Hello,

I like anticipation. It’s the best thing about holidays. So, we started talking about Halloween, the spookiest day of the year, three or four months in advance with our three-year-old.
 
A couple months back when we asked what her name is she would reply, “Chef Amelia." So, she immediately knew what she wanted to dress up as for Halloween: a chef! That's better than being a witch if you ask me. Mallory had a chef coat embroidered with her name and bought her a chef hat, and she was ready!

We had a great time collecting enough candy to rot all of our teeth, but don't worry. We're currently rationing the supply to prevent those dental expenses. At the rate we're going, we may have still have candy by next year this time.
Certain people tend to play large roles in shaping our beliefs and who we become. Jerry Falwell, Sr. was one of those people for me. He's passed away now, but I want to share a few of his insights, how he thought, and his vision.

Before I decided to attend Liberty University in Virginia, I visited and toured the campus. After the tour they gave me Dr. Falwell's autobiography, which outlined how he went about starting the school. It's an inspiring read and I quickly came to respect his resolve to not quit when times got tough.
I learned he had big aspirations and had to overcome much adversity. Falwell grew up in an alcoholic's home and as a result came from nothing. He went on to become a preacher and and started what became a mega church named Thomas Road Baptist Church. Fifteen years later he founded Liberty University.

He determined when he started his church that he would knock on one hundred doors per day and invite those hundred people to his church. To say he was dedicated would be an understatement.
 
Dr. Falwell spoke in chapel on Wednesdays and each year he talked about how students should have a BHAG or a “big hairy audacious goal,” and he would go on to explain the importance of goal setting. He told stories of how the college nearly went bankrupt, but with God's help and lots of shoe leather the impossible became possible.
 
He often explained in founding Liberty he wanted it to be for Christians what
Notre Dame is for Catholics and what Brigham Young is for Mormons. His goal was to have one hundred thousand students on campus and one hundred thousand in the distance learning program. After his death part of this aspiration came to fruition.
 
In order to grow Liberty, he had the philosophy that “if it’s Christian, then it ought to be better.” What a great philosophy for anything. Let’s say you’re not a particularly religious person, so let’s remove that part of the equation. You could say, “if it’s got my name on it, then it ought to be better.”
 
His philosophy created a legacy that is still impacting people 14 years after his death because he focused on excellence. Here’s a link to his autobiography.
Our philosophy is, “if it’s Clients Excel, then it ought to be better.” The natural question becomes, "then how do we do that?" I’ll share a few ways.
 
We take a listening approach. We listen to what our client’s objectives, aspirations, and goals are. We can't fully help our folks if we do all the talking.
 
Then we educate our clients about topics that may impact them, like taxes or estate planning or long-term care planning. After a person becomes a client, we invite them to future educational events like the ones they often originally attended with us.

We value your retirement savings like it was our own. There is nothing we recommend for you to do that we don’t do or would not do with our money. In our business many advisors are incentivized to grow your money in order to get paid more. If done improperly, this may increase a person’s risks. Growth in the absence of safety may turn out to be like a Halloween candy sugar high.
 
Then we communicate and we communicate frequently. Most problems can be derived from communication issues, so we remedy this by staying in touch with our clients. I don't know of too many advisors who send out weekly correspondence like you're reading.
 
This process has proven to be a winning combination as we have grown each year of our existence. The best part is as we continue to grow these things will only become better for clients. We are growth minded and our desire is to help our clients excel with financial confidence, protection and growth.
 
As a company we understand that you can do business many places, but our goal is to make going elsewhere a chore compared to our firm.
 
When you’re ready to explore whether we’re a fit for your financial planning needs, please reach out at 864.641.7955.

Until next week,

David C. Treece,
Financial Advisor

PS: It's Medicare Open Enrollment now. Do you have questions about which plan is best for you? We can review your benefits and explain the 2022 Medicare changes. To schedule a time to review your Medicare, just reply to this email or call our office at 864.641.7955.
Did you miss one of our last newsletters?

The Cost of Having Money Uninvested: Click here

The Power of Instruction: Click here

Proud To Be Part Of This Art Project Click here
Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM). AEWM and Clients Excel, LLC are not affiliated companies. Investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. Any references to protection, safety, or lifetime income, generally refer to fixed insurance products, never securities or investments. Insurance guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying abilities of the insuring carrier. This podcast is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet particular needs of an individual’s situation. Clients Excel is not permitted to offer and no statement made during this show shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firm is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. The information and opinions contained herein provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by Clients Excel.