By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Spring has sprung in Minneapolis (minus this little cold snap we’re digging out of) and we are grateful to see the trees budding and hear the birds chirping. Perhaps everything feels a little brighter as we seem to be emerging from a long and challenging year of global pandemics, market volatility, civil unrest, and of course the many personal challenges we have all had to face.
We made it through 2020! And we all deserve a feather in our caps just for that. This last year has been the most tumultuous in recent memory, if not ever, and while it came with its share of challenges there have also been some things to celebrate or, at least, reflect upon and appreciate.
For me, it has been a joy to have my family around more often and the addition of our puppy, Sunny, has brought levity in a time of gloom. The addition of three new employees, Joey, Kate, and Grant, has been wonderful for my firm, our clients and has enabled each member of our team to devote more time and energy to the things we love to focus on professionally and personally. We have added new ways of communicating with our clients and others who value our thoughts and perspectives with the introduction of the Flourish Financially Challenge and Flourish Insights. Please have a listen and subscribe on Apple podcasts, your Alexa device, or wherever you get your podcasts. This project has been rewarding and a learning experience for Jay and myself and we hope you are enjoying it as well. If you wouldn’t mind, we would love it if you would take a moment to rate the podcasts and leave a review. Your review will help us expand our audience and our reach.
Hello and happy fall! While this summer was certainly strange, the weather was nice and we were able to have a few family outings that were restful and memorable. There is much to be thankful for as we near the holiday season and we are lucky that everyone here in the Flourish Family has been healthy and safe. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has lost a loved one during this pandemic and we are hopeful for the time to come when we can have more certainty in our health and safety.
In this quarter’s newsletter we are going to share a story about our summer intern, Grant, and what he took away from his experience here at Flourish. I have written a short piece on the impact of Presidential elections on our economy and, as always, Jay will share his market commentary and our Quarterly Market Review report.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
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
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.
