We wish you joy, great times spent with family and friends, and time to reflect on all the gifts you have given through your life. During the last few years I have come to appreciate that the gift of real value to me is the time my family and friends give me, time sharing stories, developing memories, and being able to share my life. Easter is a time for thinking; it is a time that the Bible says one man gave his life so others may now live life to the fullest. I find that Financial Planning is the hope …

When you are traveling lifes journey, you accumulate memories and wonderful experiences. One such memory is that of a client who found my straignt forwardness hard to take and as a consequence went to another advisor. On his death bed he asked me to visit. “Irena, would you look after Dorethy when I am gone?’ Well, how do you respond to that?  We went back a good many years, he told me that he found it hard to talk to me, he felt that I did not really hear him, so he went to someone that did. He also said …

We are in the second month of our new year. Such an exciting time. Time to see all we can be and time to make small changes so we can. The biggest obstacle that most people need to overcome in order to become successful is a feeling of inferiority or lack of self esteem. This is something that is often instilled into us as children, and can be the result of a careless comment or two, or a couple of early failures which result in a paralyzing fear of failure and low self-esteem, understand self esteem is just that, it …

Wishing all our clients and friends a safe and healthy holiday season this year! Looking forward to seeing you in the new year, and here’s to a great 2013!

Five years ago there was a huge correction in the equity market and in the ensuing years there has been fallout. Many of us had not experienced this before and our experience in this market led us to beliefs which we espoused  such as , stay in the market, ride it out, get out, take advantage of dollar cost averaging, and so many more. I have heard so many different ideas on why this has happened and what needs to be done to fix it. It is not a one minute fix. We as a people are obliged to look at …

Man, hasn’t technology and the embracing of it made the world smaller. We can have access to all kinds of things, purchasing products from all over the world, getting information at our fingertips without leaving our home, being able to have mentoring sessions via the internet, talking to family and friends no matter where they are, absolutely fantastic! I was at a conference yesterday (it seems as though I am always at conferences) and we had live sessions with people from all over the world. Communications, haven’t they come a long way. One of my goals is to have great …

I was walking through my garden this morning, it was pelting down with rain and I must admit that for a fleeting second I felt a little annoyed that it was cold and wet and that I needed to do some work, in the garden, in the rain. However, it was only for that fleeting second because then I reminded myself of the fresh luscious fruit, the vegetables that I could pick, the beautiful flowers, and the different smells that permeate through the garden, the great times with the grandchildren as they run around and are able to pick the …

It is interesting to see the long term affects of some of the decisions we have made, because of the way we think. STORY: “Sitting at the table, mum age 87 has been taken to hospital, I am 63, lived in mum’s house for over thirty years, I am sipping my tea laced with lemon, looking back and wondering what I am going to do. My wife and I have made this house our home, we did not think the day would come.  I have never purchased a house because I lived in this one. I have never saved because …

Sitting in my office, two young people sitting at the other side of my desk, like many others they have their dreams of owning their home, putting their children through school and continue living now and putting money away for their future. They have been taught the 40  year  financial plan and they are afraid that it is not going to work. So what is the forty year plan? You go to school and get a good education You get a good job You work forty years And then you retire And live on a portion of what you could …

As I walked through my garden I felt real joy, the almond trees are alive with blossom; they are generally the first to bloom and the first to set fruit. It shows me that spring is on the way and I need to ensure that I have set the garden ready for the new season. It was not always like this. The natural state of the soil was clay, full of nutrient, however difficult to grow anything in. It took years of work, knowing what I had to start with and knowing what I wanted. The thing is; I wanted …