September 21, 2001

Some Thoughts On Your Planning After the Recent Tragedy…

          The tragic events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 will, no doubt, weigh heavy on our hearts for some time. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims of this tragedy and their loved ones and hope that they can soon find closure and peace in the aftermath.

          We recognized that during this time people may be nervous and concerned about their investments. Even though tragic events can trigger market drops, as we witnessed on Monday, history has shown that the market rebounds. It is important to keep this perspective. You are probably familiar with the charts illustrating the ups and downs of the markets during various crises in history. The overriding theme present in them is that the markets have always rebounded from these events.

          As we always stress, investing in the stock market should not be viewed as a short-term strategy because market volatility is inevitable. The planning we do with our clients takes this into consideration. There are several critical factors involved with our helping you make investment decisions: your need for cash-flow, risk tolerance and management, portfolio growth to combat the erosion of assets from inflation and taxes, and your personal goals to achieve or maintain financial independence. These are important elements to consider in times like these.

          Please keep this perspective in mind throughout this difficult period. If you have any questions or concerns, please call us.