July 17, 2018 SHARE: Reading time: two minutes. Maybe you had a first career as a Certified Public Accountant. If so, see you next week! If you’re like most of us, (especially if you’re like me) your summer refresher is to set an appointment with a financial advisor and have a thorough review of your financial plans. The first time I knew I was an idiot (mathematically and financially) was when the math prof at Concordia Portland (who had my high school senior little brother in his college Calculus III class) asked me if I was going to ask Alan help me get through Introduction to Algebra after I flunked the mid-term. Naturally, I refused. It gets worse. My son actually IS a CPA and tax attorney. My son-in-law is an Edward Jones Certified Financial Planner. They love getting together at our house on Sunday afternoons and talking about our retirement plans, life insurance, estate plans and long-term care insurance. I say, “Hey, I”M RIGHT HERE you know!” They chuckle and go back to planning my life out for me. Of course, they’re right, you know. Over the years I’ve received great advice and wisdom from my Thrivent agent (AAL anyone?) The first year we were married, in 1978, Rodney suggested $25 a month socked away when we didn’t have $25 a month. It was great advice. My friend Eustolio Gomez from Concordia Plan Services reminds us of the Canadian Proverb: “The best time to plant a tree is thirty years ago. The second best time is today.” Good advice. I’m not my little brother. He became a very successful software engineer. He thinks differently than I do. He worked for Intel and a couple hi-tech start-ups and has a patent related to your flat-screen TV and your projector. I found my calling in a place suited to my giftedness and the way my brain works. I’m not my son. He walks through parking lots noticing the ratio of white cars to red ones. Weird. But smart. And he gives good advice. Take some time this summer to sit with an advisor (I’d begin with Thrivent if I didn’t know where to turn) and ask about your mortgage, your educational debt, your college funding plan, your estate plan, your insurance, your retirement planning… anything, really. No matter how solid you believe your financial situation is, or how shaky, it’s good advice to get some good advice. Get a financial wellness scan soon. I hope you’ve enjoyed the summer refresher theme. It was great to see so many friends at conventions. God bless your continued adventures of faith and service in these beautiful days of summer! Thanks for reading. Subscribe to Blog Are you interested in helping bring a Grace Place Wellness Retreat to your region? We’d love to hear from you. Contact our President/CEO Randy Fauser today to begin exploring the possibilities. Let’s have a conversation about bringing our Church Worker Retreat to your area soon!