Talking Technology in Texas at the Raymond James Conference

 With the destination of Grapevine, Texas, eleven team members flew south to attend the Raymond James National Conference April 22-25.  The four-day event welcomed over 3,000 participants from across the nation, fostering both professional and personal development through a variety of learning sessions presented by both peer advisors and specialized industry experts. 

The Center proudly led a conference Top Advisor Session. These sessions are well attended by peers looking to share their experiences and ideas for success.  Tim Wyman, CFP®, JD and Melissa Joy, CFP® led a discussion about investing in your staff to build a great business.   Melissa Joy also presented with a panel of financial advisors during a pre-conference Investment Management module.  The topic was "The Great Rotation" from bonds into stocks.

In addition to attending Top Advisor Sessions, Center team members sat in on multiple sessions covering advanced investment strategies, retirement planning, practice management and marketing.  These educational sessions provided the opportunity to earn continuing education credits and also sparked new ideas to best serve our clients.   

One area of growth highlighted at this year’s national conference was technology.  Raymond James and Center for Financial Planning are making investments in cutting edge technology to the advantage of both Center clients and the advising teams.

Melissa Joy comments, "The National Conference offers the opportunity to share ideas and learn from our peers that just can't be replicated across the miles.  There's alot of idea-sharing, hard work, and just as much socializing and fun.  What's not to love?"

Members of our Center team in attendance included:  Sandy Adams CFP®, Dan Boyce CFP®, Matt Chope CFP®, Melissa Cyrus, Client Service Associate, Marilyn Gunther CFP®, Julie Hall, Melissa Joy CFP®, Angela Palacios CFP®, Laurie Renchik CFP®, and Tim Wyman CFP®, JD. 

Center Named Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber Legacy Sponsor

 As an honor and sign of our dedication to the community, The Center is proud to announce we are a 2013 Legacy Sponsor of the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce. Every year four companies are selected, each for having committed serious time and money to supporting the Chamber’s mission of connecting with the community. We see this not just as an honor, but a sign that we are achieving an important part of The Center Vision 2020*. The goals we set forth in that visioning process include Partnering with a Passion for the Community. Specifically, here’s what we have committed to do:

We have fostered a natural space to reinforce our firm’s intrapreneurial spirit. If a Center team member feels strongly that the firm might have an opportunity to make a difference for people, they will feel inspired to bring their inspiration to the table, leverage the talents of our team and commitments of our firm, and see the rewards of their vision.

We continue to demonstrate leadership by providing our time and talents to the organization. Center planner, Troy Wyman, CFP® was recently elected Secretary of the Chamber’s Executive Committee and has served on the board for the last six years. The Chamber has provided an excellent extension for reaching our professional, local, and personal communities. Our Legacy Sponsor designation is just one example of the many ways we remain committed to serving our communities. And we at the Center are proud of the results we help to create.  

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*Our 2020 vision, originated at an all team member retreat in April 2012, paints a picture of the healthy and vibrant organization that we nurture and sustain. Our collective 2020 vision inspires, rallies, and guides our deci­sions. Day in, day out, The Center is driven by Mission, Firm Values, and Firm Service Values.

Matt Chope Attends Due Diligence Meeting

 Matt Chope, CFP® recently traveled to California to attend due diligence meetings at PIMCO. This was an opportunity for Matt to attend informational sessions where members of the PIMCO management team and mutual fund managers led discussions and investment forums.  He was impressed with the organization and their global perspective.

The most interesting views Matt gleaned from the meetings were commentary about the healing housing market as well as a presentation focused on the strides America is making toward energy independence in the near future.

Meetings like this help Center team members keep a pulse on the managers and corporate cultures of the companies we use to build client investment portfolios.

Center Celebration of Service

 Many of you would recognize her voice, even if you didn’t know Brenda Spencer’s face. She’s been greeting our clients with the warmest of receptions since 2006. Most people don’t know that Brenda was actually a client before becoming a member of our staff.  And she is the person responsible for moving the Center to a paperless office. A genuinely happy lady, she is perfect for the job and that’s one of the reasons The Center recently celebrated her exceptional service.

In her 7 years on the job, managing partner Tim Wyman, CFP®, JD said Brenda made the Center a better place for her colleagues and clients with her positive and caring attitude.  “Brenda understood and modeled that providing great service to both internal and external clients is an opportunity, and happens everywhere at the Center.”

Jennie Bauder, Client Service Manager adds, “It was with mixed emotions that the Center team gathered on a recent afternoon to wish Brenda well as she transitioned into retirement. Over lunch and gifts, we celebrated her contributions and her next phase in life.” For Brenda, that next chapter is sure to include traveling and visiting the casinos (we’re positive because we gave her a casino-themed gift basket, including a gift card to stay at one of her favorites). Brenda may like to try her luck at the casinos, but we’re the ones who really hit the jackpot, as Tim Wyman explains, “We are all better for having Brenda here and wish her well in retirement.”

High Tech with a Human Touch

 Technology seems to change at the speed of light but it always plays an important role in helping us provide world-class service to clients. The Center has a long history of being early adopters of technology. We’ve been using a client relationship management system since 1997; back when very few financial planning firms were doing it.  Done right, technology can increase the value that we provide to our clients. Done not so right, technology can be expensive and frustrating. 

In order to keep abreast of the latest innovations and best practices in our profession, Tim Wyman, CFP® recently attended the Financial Planning Association’s annual practice management event, Business Solutions, which took place just outside Chicago. For 2.5 days Tim was immersed in practice management and technology demonstrations, all focused on how to increase the level of service to clients.

Our Vision 2020, the Center’s roadmap for the future, guides us to successfully use technology wherever we can to enhance the client experience and our team member experience. We also are keenly aware that our investment in technology enhances, but does not replace, the need for the human touch. Instead, we think new tools create more space and time to discuss and plan for what’s most important in our clients’ lives.

Center Celebrates at Slows Bar-B-Q

 Sometimes you have to get a little dirty to get the job done. That’s why our Center team members rolled up their sleeves and dug in. We take our commitment to achieving our Center Vision 2020 very seriously and we are having some delicious fun doing it! Here is a glimpse of our latest team outing and a little over-indulgence at Slows Bar-B-Q in Downtown Detroit. Our Center 2020 vision was top of mind when our newly formed Social Committee organized a team luncheon and awards ceremony to celebrate the many talents and achievements exhibited by our fellow co-workers.  As our Vision 2020 states, “We relish the opportunity and responsibility to create unique, memorable and personal experiences for all whom we serve.” The photos suggest a Mission Accomplished. By taking care of our team members, we hope to build a magnet for attracting new talent and leadership to The Center. And even if some of us got a little of Slows’ Bar-B-Q sauce on our awards, it was worth it.

Happy Centerversary

 

The Center celebrates its 28th year! Founded in 1985, our success and longevity would not be possible without the support from our team members.

Let's take a moment to recognize Jen Hackmann, RP℠ who celebrated her 12th Centerversary at the end of March.  Congratulations!  With a big smile Jen took a minute to put her thoughts into words, "I  feel honored to be part of such a special group of individuals and look forward to the next 12 years!"  

Matt Chope, CFP® Attends Raymond James Conference

 It is no surprise that health care costs are growing, but some people fail to consider the rising cost when planning for retirement. That was a key take-away for Matt Chope, CFP® who recently attended the Raymond James winter symposium at the Raymond James home office in St. Petersburg, Florida.  This invitation-only event brought some of the leaders in the industry up-to-date on new tax laws, Medicare and Social Security planning, investment markets and the global economy. Matt said he was exposed to new ideas and came away from the trip with a reminder for his clients to adequately budget today for the health care costs of tomorrow.

Teaming up with Gleaners Food Bank

 On Saturday February 23^rd, Center team members and their families volunteered to support Gleaners Food Bank.  Jen Hackmann, Client Service Manager said we really pulled our weight.

Thank you, thank you for all the support for the 1^st Gleaners volunteering event - we had a total of 214 pounds of donations (I think Tim’s donation of multiple cans of fruit cocktail put us over the 200 pound mark),” Jen reported. “And according to the organizers at Gleaners, this food donation will provide 178 meals for our hungry neighbors in need.  Gleaners collects over 2.5 million pounds of food from food drives like ours and distributes the donations to more than 600 partnering groups in need each year.”

After an orientation and video introduction to Gleaners Food Bank, our volunteers got to work. We went from standing still, trying to figure out what we were going to be doing, to a full-on assembly line working at what felt like a 100 miles per hour.  Jen remembers saying to Troy Wyman, CFP ®and Gerri Harmer, Client Service Associate, “I have a new and GREAT respect for assembly line work!”  Apparently it is not as easy as it looks!  Some of us packed bags of fruit while others worked with packaged food, putting together large boxes of noon-perishable goods to be handed out to families in need. 

And despite the demanding morning of helping out at the food bank, we couldn’t get enough! We’ve already planned another Gleaners volunteer day on Saturday, September 21^st from 9am – noon.  Anyone who would like to join our group is more than welcome.  If you happen to get the volunteering itch on your own one Saturday morning, you can just show up at 9am on any Saturday at the Detroit Gleaners Distribution Center.  You do not need to be part of a group and the Detroit Distribution Center is the only site that takes “walk-in” volunteers.

Jen Hackmann Earns Registered Paraplanner℠ (RP®) Designation

 Congratulations to our Jen Hackmann for completing the Registered Paraplanner℠ course of study.  The curriculum encompassed the financial planning process and general financial planning concepts. We applaud Jen for her recent accomplishment as she passed a rigorous examination that tested her ability to synthesize complex concepts and apply theoretical concepts to real-life situations.

As a Registered Paraplanner℠, Jen will renew her designation every two-years by completing continuing education hours, reaffirming adherence to the Standards of Professional Conduct and complying with self-disclosure requirements. But she says she’s ready to start putting her recently tested knowledge to work. Jen explains,

It will be exciting to continue to broaden my knowledge base and be able to support the overall direction and vision of the Center’s financial planning process.”

Well done, Jen Hackmann, RP®