In the back corner of the room where I meet with clients, there are two old fishing rods. They're not mine; well, I guess they are now. It's evident they were well loved and well used. They've been in the corner now for almost a decade. I see them every day.

Those fishing rods belonged to a client. His widow gave them to me.

Some years ago, when he got his diagnosis – terminal cancer – he asked to visit with me. We went over his portfolio item by item. He asked good questions, and I was impressed with his attention to detail.

Then he asked, "Is my wife going to be okay?" The two of them had done a good job saving and investing; she would never have to worry for money. I assured him that she would be fine.

He pointed one long skinny finger directly at me. "You take care of her," he told me in no uncertain terms. "Take care of her well. She's never so much as balanced a checkbook. She's not going to know what to do."

I gulped. "I'll do the best job I can for her. I'll do my best."

On one of her visits shortly after he passed, she brought me those two fishing rods. They sit in the corner of the room where I see them every time I meet with clients. They are a reminder every single day of my responsibility to care for my clients. To always treat them right.

She, too, is now gone and I'm working with her daughter and grandson. It's a special blessing to be able to work with multiple generations of the same family.

The people who come to my office are looking for someone who will take the time to listen to them. Someone who wants to know what's important to them. They want to work with someone who will use an established process to create a personalized solution that helps them as well as many others achieve their number one goal: financial independence. And they want someone who will partner with them – for as long as it takes – to help keep them on track.

If that describes you, I'd invite you to come by. We'll visit. I'll get to know you a bit better. You'll get to know me. And I'll show you those two fishing rods. Because they will be in my office until I no longer am.

I'm licensed and registered in multiple states. I hold both the AAMS™ and the CRPC™ designations. A value-added service which I offer to my clients is to consult, with no obligation, with their family and friends – the people they care about. I'm happy to see if I can help you, too.