Brilliant Exclamations

Driving to work this morning, I said hello to the first Bald Eagle I have ever seen in the wild.  The magnificent raptor was flying low headed south along the North Canadian River near Lake Overholser.  It looked just like the picture with the sun shining on its' white head and tail just after sunrise.

You know of course my brilliant exclamation was something like--"WOW!! look at that!"  

Solar Future is Sunny

Recently we decided to check into the rumors that solar panels had gone down in price significantly.  We had a company come out and give us a quote for a grid tied solar array.  I am sure of two things--

1)  Sales tactics are rampant.  2) The story is compelling and worth looking into.  

Below are my notes from a class I attended last Thursday at OSU OKC.  Solar panels are in my future.  Could they be in yours? 

Have I Got a Deal for You?

Below is a copy of a solicitation we are prone to get from product vendors marketing to "financial planners."  This is just one of many we receive everyday trying to get us to SELL products to our clients.  Annuities, mutual funds, viatical settlements, retirement plans and insurance are the most common "...hottest but less known investments..."  we see.  Most often these "hottest ...investments..." are based upon concepts that we use, but have been turned into something iffy. 

This "...savvy Financial Planner..." thought people with whom he works would like to see WHY some people who call themselves financial planners might recommend a product like this.  Consumers come across these ads in newspapers, internet, radio and TV.  Like Paul Harvey used to say here is "The rest of the story."

How Low Can It Go?

I was reading an article last week about Natural Gas saying it was at $2.50 but by the time it was published (a weekly subscription) the price was at $2.12.  Today the price is $2.07.  One year ago the price was $5. In 2008 it was $10.

The term "Savvy Investors" must be the new way to make people think there is some secret out there that only a few people know about.  Numerous headlines and advertisements use this term about the current levels of Natural Gas. 

Any Oklahoma business has HUGE risk associated with the Oil and Gas business.  If you work directly in the business even more.  Consequently we are more interested in how to diversify that risk than to speculate farther. 

Just Doing Our Job Ma'am

Recently we got a call from a client who just lost her job. She was telling us how much she appreciated being in the position she was, due in part because of work we had done over a year ago when her job seemed secure.  This is a common comment to which we always say the same thing--"That's just financial planning and we were just doing our job." 

She had received an inheritance and was wanting to review her families' overall situation in this new context.  One of the first things we did was to pay off ALL their debts including the house.  That along with a cash reserve account helped make the job loss way less scary.  She has now replaced her job in part, she says, due to her calm confidence, and I think the good work ethic which put her here in the first place.

Saturday I was talking to a banker on the golf course where he asked me about another "financial advisor".  He was impressed (not positively) about this person's focus on themselves and their needs rather than the needs of the client.  His perception of the "financial advisor" was of a salesperson not an advisor.  Knowing the person to whom he referred, it did not surprise me.  However,  I wonder what they might mean by "just doing our job"?

$1,000 Toilet

This falls into the category of--You just can't make this stuff up!  Last week on a call with a sweet couple from out of town they reported a large (in their opinion) expenditure of note. 

It seems there commode was in need of replacing and therein lies the story. 

Change BEFORE You Have To

There is an article in our newsletter this month talking about retirement planning and how easy it is to think planning for 'it" is a long way away and there is plenty of time to deal with it.  This "there is plenty of time to deal with it" mentality is prevalent in our culture and is probably a basic human characteristic. 

Smart Hours from OGE is an example of a tool to help each of us take action now rather than wait until the brown-outs occur or costs are so high we can't manage them.  Here is the link to the website and a graph describing the cost of electrical power.  http://www.ogepet.com/programs/smarthours.aspx