By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Thursday, 16 July 2020
News From Flourish
The first six months of 2020 have been some of the most challenging in my career. Unfortunately, there are no promises that the second half will be any better as we continue to battle a global pandemic while preparing for a contentious US Presidential Election. However, the challenges have also provided time for reflection, perseverance and creativity in problem-solving as our team works together to adjust, adapt and change in the face of adversity and uncertainty.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
News From Flourish
APRIL 2020
This first quarter of 2020 was strange, to say the least. By mid- February the stock market was at record highs and most were expecting the first quarter to end in record gains, not losses. Within two weeks the world quite literally turned upside down. While the news of the coronavirus had been present on the news for months, it largely seemed a threat outside our borders until—it wasn’t. While it didn’t happen overnight, the Coronavirus changed the lives of each and every person in a very short period of time.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Saturday, 18 January 2020
News from Flourish
Happy New Year! I hope this email finds you rested and recuperated from the holiday season and ready for a year filled with growth, forward momentum, and achieving your goals.

Over the holidays, my family and I enjoyed some R and R in Palm Springs, CA. It was so nice to step away from Minnesota for a few days and enjoy each other’s company. Jay, Maddy, Fernando, Grace and I enjoyed the weather, great restaurants, and opportunities to connect about all the events from the past year. The experience was refreshing and made me think of all the holiday memories we’ve made at home over the year and the benefits of occasionally having a change of scenery to deepen connections.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 14 October 2019
News from Flourish
Autumn is in full swing and the change of seasons and chilling of the air brings about cinnamon smells, football, and cozy nights by the fire--for that we are grateful.
In the last three months, we have had some wonderful things to celebrate! Kathy Longo was named one of Investopedia’s Top Financial Advisors of 2019. She also contributed her thought leadership to a marketing roundtable discussion with the Financial Planning Association and we celebrated the one year anniversary of Flourish Financially’s publication!
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Tuesday, 16 July 2019
News from Flourish
Happy Summer! And what a busy one it has been so far. I just returned from a family trip to Guatemala where we were able to roast marshmallows over the heat of an active volcano, return to the birthplace of my two youngest children, Fernando and Grace, and visit with the now-grown children that we had the opportunity to sponsor in an effort to foster educational opportunities for the underprivileged youth of Guatemala. It was an enriching and emotional journey!
Our staff engaged in a good deal of professional development during the last quarter. Michele Lenz completed the Fundamentals of Financial Life Planning training program with MoneyQuotient, and she also attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison Financial Coaching workshop designed to increase financial professionals’ understanding of coaching theories and skills, recognize the role of values and motivations, and identify applications in professional practice. In addition, we welcomed our new Client Services Manager, Shelly Fayard-Rerat. To learn more about Shelly’s background and experience you can visit her bio page on our website.
We will be sharing two articles this quarter. The first discusses the challenges that women face at different stages of their lives when they are experiencing financial transitions, and what can be done in the present to help mitigate the impact they can have on your life in the future. If you find that this article will be valuable to a person you care about please don’t hesitate to share it with them. In addition, Jay Pluimer shares his quarterly market commentary. I hope your summer is filled with laughter, love, and barbeques. If you have memorable experiences you’d like to share with us please post them to our Facebook page. We’d love to see your summer adventures!