Curtain Call

 The Center's Team enjoys sharing their knowledge with the press to help stories come to life, share facts and bring important topics to the forefront.  We are also honored when we are recognized by media and publications for our work and service to our profession. Here's what's new:

Daniel Boyce, CFP® Recognized by Investment News

Dan received an Honorable Mention Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Investment News Community Leadership Awards. Dan’s award is based on his contributions to Detroit ChamberWinds & Strings over many years.

The Invest in Others Charitable Foundation and Investment News announced finalists for the eighth annual Community Leadership Awards. The awards recognize the philanthropic work financial advisers perform in their communities and around the world.

5 Center Planners Recognized by Hour Detroit Magazine

Center team members Sandra Adams CFP®, Daniel Boyce CFP®, Matthew Chope CFP®, Laurie Renchik CFP®, and Timothy Wyman, CFP® received recognition by Five Star Professional in the June 2014 issue of Hour Detroit Magazine. They were named to the 2014 Five Star Wealth Managers list, a select group of wealth managers in the Detroit area.

Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative or a registered investment advisor, actively employed as a credentialed professional in the financial services industry for a minimum of five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfilled their firm review based on internal firm standards, and accepting new clients. One and five year retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served and education and professional designations are criteria that is considered. This award is bestowed by an independent third party organization not affiliated with Raymond James.

Catching up with our intern alum

 By the time an intern leaves at the end of the summer, it feels like we’re sending one of
our own back to college. It’s always hard to say good-bye but we love to brag about what they’ve
accomplished since interning with us.

Kyle Branda was part of our program in 2012 and 2013 and has since graduated. Kyle now works as a
Customer Claims Processor at Dart Container. While interning with us, Kyle says he was impressed
with how he was treated as a valued and respected coworker.

As an intern, not only do you have the opportunity to learn about financial planning, but there is also a focus on personal development. To me this speaks volumes about The Center. It shows that, not only do they care about what is currently going on, but they are also focused on the future and seeking to continually push one to improve.”

This fall Kyle begins his first year as a grad student at Grand Valley State University where he’ll
be pursuing a Masters of Science in Accounting.

Zach Gould interned with us in 2013 and went on to graduate from the University of South Carolina
in May. He majored in finance and international business. Zach is now a District Manager at Aldi
where he’s developing leadership skills and managing millions of dollars in business. Zach says his
summer at The Center really paid off.

Although I did not accept a position in the financial services industry, the experience I gained at The Center groomed my ability to interact with clients and my ability to independently think and solve problems, applicable skills across any industry."

Our intern coordinator Jaclyn Jackson is always looking forward to our next crop of interns. Help
us spread the word to qualified college students you know. Jaclyn can be reached by email
Jaclyn.Jackson@CenterFinPlan.com or you call our office for more information on internships at The Center.

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Team Members Mark Milestones

 Founded in 1985, The Center is celebrating our 29th year! Our success and longevity would not be possible without the support from our team members.

It is with warm appreciation that we acknowledge all of our team members’ Centerversaries! Congratulations to those who joined our team in July! In the words of Matt Trujillo, “Time flies when you’re having fun!”

Client Service Manager Jennie Bauder is the veteran of our July hires, marking 11 years with the team. Gerri Harmer, a Client Service Associate celebrates 7 years with us  “Wow – lucky seven!” Gerri says. “That’s exactly how I feel, lucky. Lucky to work with a great team with great values.”

We’re also honoring a trio of relative newbies. Nick Defenthaler, Kali Hassinger and Matt Trujillo all joined The Center last July. Nick and Matt are both Associate Financial Planners and Kali works as a Client Service Associate. After a year with us, Kali says, “I’ve learned so much in 12 months, and I’m excited to see what the next 12 months will hold!  Thank you to The Center team and family for being so welcoming.”

Eldercare: Roadmap for Aging Parents encourages Team Approach

From financial strain to the emotional effects, there are many layers to the issues a family faces as a parent ages. At a recent Center-sponsored event, Eldercare: A Roadmap for Aging Parents, our expert on eldercare issues Sandra D. Adams, CFP® teamed up with Peter Lichtenberg, Director for Wayne State University’s Institute Of Gerontology program and Becky Eizen of Feinberg Consulting.

Eldercare Topics of Conflict

When it comes to the most common “topics of conflict” between aging parents and their caregiving adult children, Lichtenberg recommends developing new and more positive communication strategies. One such strategy includes:

1. Learning your older adult’s story

2. Expressing your views and feelings to them

3. Problem-solving together

When a parent and adult child take a team approach with open lines of communication, the important decisions that come with eldercare can be much easier to make.

Caregivers Finding Balance

Caregivers often get lost in the mix and finding time to take care of your own needs can be difficult. There are emotional, physical, and financial effects of being a caregiver and Becky Eizen says you need to know when it’s time to ask for help. That includes knowing how to ask for help, finding the right resources, considering your options, and putting together the right team. It’s important to look at short- and long-term needs and identify different housing options, such as living at home vs. assisted living facilities. Eizen says one question that can be overlooked is: Do you qualify for VA benefits?

Eldercare Resources for You

The Center has a list of resources that available from both speakers.  If you would like more information, call or email Gerri at Gerri.Harmer@Centerfinplan.com. We have a wealth of information on the subject and would love to share it with you. Contact Sandy if you want to know how we can help you build your eldercare team.

Any opinions are those of Sandy Adams and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. The opinions and services of Peter Lichtenberg, Becky Eizen, WSU Institute of Gerontology, and Feinberg Consulting are independent of Raymond James. C14-018035

Curtain Call

 The Center's Team enjoys sharing their knowledge with the press to help stories come to life, share facts and bring important topics to the forefront.  We are also honored when we are recognized by media and publications for our work and service to our profession. Here's what's new:

Financial Advisor IQ

Melissa Joy, CFP®: Melissa was quoted in Financial Advisor IQ in an article titled, Need to Fire a Fund Manger? Minimize Disruption on June 3, 2014 by Murray Coleman.

Center sends team to Raymond James National Conference

If you think conference = boring, then you’re missing out on the way the Center for Financial Planning team does a conference. From our office of 18, we took 15 team members to the National Raymond James Conference in Washington, DC from May 19^th through the 22^nd. Someone had to stay behind and answer the phones! Aside from some intensely fun team bonding activities, the conference offered an eclectic mix of sessions with one overarching focus – making a difference in our clients’ financial lives.

From investment and market trends to client service refreshers, everyone on the team learned something new to bring back to the office.  We also heard about some exciting updates that are in the works from Raymond James (including electronic signatures!) and we are looking forward to their introduction in the near future.  We also used this opportunity to learn from and share with other top financial planning firms.  Bettering ourselves, our team, and our processes are never ending goals for The Center. 

It was great to spend some time outside of the office and we came back reinvigorated and ready to implement what we learned.  We also want to thank our clients for being so patient and supportive while our skeleton crew worked so hard in the office that week!

We’re Moving to a New Office July 1st!

 If you have not already heard, the Center is moving closer to you! While our address will look significantly different, we are actually only moving two buildings to the east. You will still use the same entrance off of Telegraph Road that you currently do to get to us. Front of the office park, here we come! We’ll be closer to Telegraph Road so, indeed, closer to everyone!

Moving day is scheduled for July 1^st.

Our new address will be 24800 Denso Drive, Suite 300 Southfield, MI 48033

We are really excited and proud of our new office and can’t wait for you to see it for yourself. Melissa Joy, CFP® and Laurie Renchik, CFP®, MBA have taken the lead the last few months on the design of our new space, making sure that it is perfect for both our clients and our team members. We will be increasing our square footage to better serve you, our clients, as well as to provide a productive new environment for our team members. Our new home will have a modern and rejuvenating atmosphere that radiates our Center personality. The conference rooms will be more spacious and include updated furniture, new technologies, and a great third floor view with floor to ceiling windows, giving it loads of natural light. Further into the office, you will find our new Center Café which further promotes our dedication to being a healthy workplace. We envision our team members putting the new break room to good use, both for eating lunch and having quick internal meetings at the large high-top tables or the more private booths. The new office also includes a private quiet area, where our team-members can rejuvenate, read, or brainstorm, providing support for creativity and relaxation. With all our added space, we have more room to hold client meetings as well as future client events. Plan on seeing it for yourself at one of our Open Houses in the coming months.

Other than you needing to remember where we are the next time you come for a visit, our move shouldn’t even be a blip on your service radar. We will be reachable by the office telephone number throughout the moving process. While the movers do the heavy lifting, we will be doing what we do best, serving the needs of our clients without missing a beat. Anyone who has been through a move knows that there is a certain amount of organized chaos, but we are working hard to make the transition absolutely seamless for you. You can keep up with our move progress on our Center Facebook page and Center Website where we’ll be posting the latest updates, announcements, and photos of the new office renovation. See you soon on Denso Drive!

Matthew Trujillo earns CFP®

 

He’s put in a lot of hard work and we are now excited to announce Associate Financial Planner Matt Trujillo’s diligence has paid off. Matt passed his certification exam and has earned the designation of a Certified Financial Planner®. According to the CFP® Board, the designation is for individuals who meet rigorous professional standards and agree to adhere to the principles of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism and diligence when dealing with clients. We have no doubt he will do all that and more!

In typical Matt fashion, he put all the hard work into perspective.

Two years of classes, 3 months of intense study, a 2 day/10 hour exam, and all I get is three letters on my business card? Seriously, I’m very happy and excited to join the ranks of those that proudly carry the marks and call themselves Certified Financial Planners®.”

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Happy Memorial Day!

 

The 8th Annual Fun Run Recap

The 8^th Annual Kacy Wyman fun run/walk event took place Sunday May 4^th.  Once again, over 350 walkers/runners participated in the event and raised much needed dollars to find a cure for Kacy’s rare disease called Cystinosis. Thanks to about 37 pills a day Kacy leads an active life and is a true inspiration for our family and community.

About Cystinosis

Cystinosis is a rare disease that is typically diagnosed prior to age 2. Cystinosis is a genetic metabolic disease that causes an amino acid, cystine, to accumulate in various organs of the body. Cystine crystals accumulate in the kidneys, eyes, liver, muscles, pancreas, brain, and white blood cells. Without specific treatment, children with cystinosis develop end stage kidney failure at approximately age nine. Cystinosis also causes complications in other organs of the body. The complications include muscle wasting, difficulty swallowing, diabetes, and hypothyroidism. It is estimated that at least 2,000 individuals worldwide have cystinosis, though exact numbers are difficult to obtain because the disease is often undiagnosed and/ or misdiagnosed.

For more information visit www.cystinosis.org

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