“Violently Flat”

No fun at all. For you and certainly not for us.

Each day we sailed our little ships onto the Sea of Hopeful Returns and made good headway only to be blown back to shore the next day.

There were many great days of exciting financial gain, quickly followed by the squalls of disappointment. Fortunes made and lost without trend. Corporate profits were flat along with stocks, bonds and commodities. At least we did not miss out on opportunities elsewhere.

If only there was someone or something to blame. Let’s go with the Federal Reserve, China, Congress and the President. We are in the seventh year of a slow recovery from a serious recession. Progress was made in housing and the jobs front while low energy prices are causing dislocations in the economy. With 2016 being an election year, we will need some good fortune to change our fortunes.

Perhaps you could use 2016 to improve your financial plan. Do you have one? We are a financial planning firm and feel underutilized. It will cost you nothing extra to converse with us on your retirement target, budgeting, insurance, taxes, job changes, estate or gifting questions.

Whatever you are doing or not doing, we can do it better together. Please call us. We want to help.

We would also like to remind all tax clients that Mr. Rick Carlson will once again be preparing returns for you. We will assist Rick and review the completed calculations but he will sign them. If you are a tax client, it’s time to start accumulating your documents for submission in February.

Best Wishes for the New Year,

Michael F. Cantlon

Thomas E. Guyett

Robert T. Gephart