Julie and Sandy Help Spread Financial Literacy

Teaching kids about responsible budgeting sounds about as easy as herding cats, but the Center for Financial Planning’s own Sandy Adams and Julie Hall gave it their best shot … with some amazing results.

Partnering with the non-profit organization Junior Achievement, a group aiming to spread financial literacy skills to students from grades K-12 across the country, Sandy and Julie brought in a group of 8th graders from Detroit’s Burton International School. The day was dedicated to teaching the kids about personal finances in a very hands-on way.

 

Students were encouraged to save money each month rather than spending it all. Many took saving very seriously, making frugal choices.

 

One child specifically said, “I want to make sure I can save a lot of money at the end of the month,” and was able to make a sizeable monthly (relative to income) charitable contribution as well.  

Julie says she left wishing she had experienced a field trip like that when she was a child. “Financial planning can and should begin at an early age so that our children are better prepared to handle their finances effectively in the future.”  

Aging in Lansing

Sandy Adams and Laurie Renchik weren’t seeking the fountain of youth on a recent trip to Lansing, rather they went in search of important information on aging. The two met with State of Michigan officials in the Office of Services to the Aging (OSA). As representatives for the MI Financial Planning Association (FPA), Sandy and Laurie were fact-finding in a couple of key areas:

Talking about senior financial fraud and abuse issues

•  Learning how the Government Relations Committee of Michigan’s FPA can support legislation designed to protect seniors from financial fraud and abuse
• Exploring what non-legislative opportunities exist to assist OSA staff and their senior resource hotline

Finding out what our State Agencies know about the FPA, the financial planning profession and the Certified Financial Planner™ designation (CFP®)

• The meeting helped Sandy and Laurie understand the opportunity to provide education about licensing and the meaning of credentials advisors use in the financial planning industry
• We also provided Michigan OSA officials with information about the full extent of the relationships and services we provide to our clients

Sandy found the trip was very enlightening. “I feel good knowing that we started the process of educating the OSA about our industry and that we will be providing important input to them as they propose and support legislation to protect seniors in our state.”  

Laurie agreed that the trip was an eye-opener. “The dialogue was open and confirmed that we can be a resource to elected officials, state government and the citizens of Michigan.”  She added that it takes a collaborative effort to understand how everyone can work together to protect at-risk seniors from financial fraud and abuse. 

A Busy February for Our Health & Wellness Team

Our crew kicked the month off with a Go Red for Women week by recognizing a GO RED activity each day.  The week’s festivities included:

Monday:           Pin Day – We handed out pins to wear all week in support.

Tuesday:          Smoothie Day – A donation was given for each smoothie.

Wednesday:    Red Snack Day – Enjoyed strawberries and chocolate dip.

Thursday:         Appreciation Day – Gave a heart to someone you appreciate at work & told them why.

Friday:              Wear Red Day – Wore red and a smile. 

Center staff continues to log their health and wellness activities on the American Heart Association ® Start! website.   Julie Hall won a gift card to Starbucks for logging the most activities this month with Sandy Adams right behind winning a gift card for Subway.

Guest speaker, Venette Hysmith from Affordable Wellness Massage spoke to The Center about the importance of deep breathing, proper stretching, and ergonomics for the workplace.  We all came away with some new and simple to use health nuggets to put into practice.

Souper Thursdays continues to produce delicious feast and donations to the Cystinosis Research Network.   Here’s a look at one of our favorites!

Sandy Adams Appointed to the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology’s Board of Visitors

Sandy Adams was recently appointed to the Board of Visitors for the Institute of Gerontology (IOG) at Wayne State University.  Sandy, who also serves on the Legal and Financial Advisory committee for the IOG, has served as the liaison to the Board of Visitors for the last two years.  “I am very excited to be involved with the Institute of Gerontology through the Board of Visitors to assist in further research, outreach and advocacy for older adults,” Sandy expressed, of her recent appointment.

 The Board of Visitors is a selected group of individuals with a commitment to and support of the mission of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University.  They serve the IOG on a volunteer basis by assisting in fundraising activities, providing advisory council to the Director and select staff and by acting as ambassadors in the community. Center for Financial Planning, Inc.  continues to be a partner of the Institute of Gerontology,supporting the IOG’s mission to conduct research in the social and behavioral sciences and cognitive neuroscience to issues of aging and urban health.  The IOG uses this research to provide further education to the professional community and the public through outreach and professional partnership.

Sandy Adams Quoted in the Wall Street Journal – On Help for the Elderly

Sandy Adams, CFP

Voices: Sandy Adams, On Help for the Elderly 

Clients often don’t want to discuss elder care planning issues until something happens in their life that forces them to take action. But both older clients and middle-aged clients need to be proactive. 

For instance, a middle-aged client might suddenly realize that their parent can’t live alone anymore. If they haven’t developed a strategy for dealing with the cost of live-in care, then they have to find a way to manage the problem on an immediate basis. Elder care planning ends up becoming crisis planning.

One way advisers can help clients better prepare for elder care is by….Read More. 

The Center's Elder Care Planning Resource for Seniors and Professionals

Sandy AdamsSandy Adams' specialized expertise in Elder Planning has generated plenty of speaking opportunities for senior audiences throughout the years.  Recently, professional groups have also turned to Sandy for education in this growing and complex senior market.   

On October 12th, Sandy presented to over 100 local seniors as part of the Elder Law and Financial Planning Panel at the Older Persons’ Commission (OPC) in Rochester. The panel presentation was part of a Caregiving Basics fall workshop series sponsored by the OPC and open to the public

In addition, Sandy Adams presented to the MACPA (Michigan Association of CPAs) on the topic of Financial Gerontology at the group’s Elder Care Planning Forum & Webinar on October 20th. 

The presentation, titled “Financial Gerontology – Everything Changes with Age,” addressed financial issues and strategies for aging clients, as well as practice implications for professionals with clients in this demographic. 

Please contact Sandy, The Center's point person for Elder Care-related issues, with questions or matters for yourself or a family member.

 

Sandy Adams Champions the 2011 FPA Michigan Annual Symposium

Sandy Adams October 6th and 7th marked the 2011 Annual Symposium of the Financial Planning Association® of Michigan.  Over 100 members from across the state of Michigan gathered for networking and high-level financial planning continuing education during the 2-day event. 

Sandy Adams, CFP® presided over this year’s planning committee, which assembled a team of nationally-recognized speakers and numerous education sessions, covering a wide range of financial planning topics.  Center planners Tim Wyman, CFP® and Troy Wyman, CFP® attended as well. 

The Financial Planning Association^® (FPA^®) is the leadership and advocacy organization connecting those who provide, support and benefit from professional financial planning.  FPA demonstrates and supports a professional commitment to education and a client-centered financial planning process.

Center Planners Present Educational Workshop for Gilda's Club in Royal Oak

Sandy Adams, CFP and Laurie Renchik, CFP recently presented a retirement and planning workshop for members and families of Gilda's Club Metro Detroit. Discussions included: HOW TO prioritize retirement objectives, create a withdrawal plan, and maximize your current financial resources.

Gilda's Club is a non-profit organization that provides tools and resources to help those whose lives have been impacted by cancer. They recently partnered with the Financial Planning Association of Michigan (FPA MI) to provide a series of financial education sessions over the coming months.

"Financial Gerontology - Everything Changes with Age"

On June 30, 2011 Sandy Adams lead a breakout session at the MACPA's Annual Management  Information & Business Show held at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI.   Participants included over 100 Michigan CPA's interested in learning more about the challenges and concerns in advising Aging clients.

The Michigan Association of Public Accountants (MACPA) is a professional organization that provides education, information, tools and resources to nearly 18,000 members around the state.

Sandra Adams re-elected as President for FPA of MI!

The Center is proud to announce Sandy Adams, CFP(r) will serve a second term as President of the FPA of Michigan. This a very special honor and illustrates Sandy's commitment to serving the financial planning industry and her clients.

The Financial Planning Association of Michigan (FPA MI) is an organization of financial planning practitioners and allied professionals throughout the State of Michigan sharing ideas, knowledge and support.

Click here to read Sandy's President's Message