Financial Awakenings

CFP With Passion Wanted

As our clients know, we are growing. As a result, we are looking for the right Certified Financial Planner to join our team. 

Being a CFP® in a fee-only financial planning practice, while a rare opportunity, is not for everyone.  A fee-only practice is far different from the brokerage world, where product is king and production is mandatory. At KFG, we don't sell any products, so the client is king and technical knowledge is mandatory. 

Candidates must have a CFP® designation or be in the final stages of obtaining it. More importantly, a candidate must resonate with our vision of integrated financial planning and be willing to relocate, preferably forever, to Rapid City, South Dakota.

If you know of someone who would fit our high standards, please let them know about this opportunity. We would love to visit with them.

KFG Clients Can Now Automatically Reset Passwords on AdvisorClient.com

Upon login to the AdvisorClient website, KFG clients will be given the opportunity to enter a secret question and answer to help you access your accounts if you forget your password. The new process can then be used to reset the password you were given initially. Rather than calling our office, you can now simply click the "Forgot Your Password?" link on the login page. This new enhancement should save you time and make accessing your account at TD Ameritrade easier.

Thoughts for a Prosperous New Year

On the first day of a new year, my thoughts and hopes for each and everyone of you is for a rich, prosperous new year.  Of course, being a financial planner, that would include hopes that you will make wise money decisions and that your net worth and income will increase. 

My wish goes further than increased financial gains, it is a wish that your money will be more of a servant this year than it has ever been to support your dreams, desires, and values. 

For some, prospering may include increasing your net worth, cutting spending, or raising your income.  For another it may include decreasing your net worth by spending more than you ever have in the past to support what is really important to you in life.  As my coach often asks me, "What do you want to do with your one precious and wild life?"

Every person has the opportunity to write and live our definition of "rich" and "prosperous."  The first step in writing your definition of "rich" and "prosperous" is knowing what those words mean to you, maybe that's a great place to start the new year.

My hope and prayer for each one of us is that the definition we write and live is the definition that makes our heart sing and allows our spirits to soar.

The "Plum Pudding" Was To Die For!

OK, so the cake didn't flame properly, but that didn't really matter. It was the best plum pudding ever. At least that was the opinion of those who had ever had plum pudding. And the brandy butter that topped each steaming hot piece was scrumptious.

You may remember, in the movies made of A Christmas Carol, that the highlight of the feast is when the lights are turned out and Mrs. Cratchit brings in a flaming dessert, the plum pudding. This presentation is traditional in England, so when the cake doesn't flame, they consider it a disaster, as did our English caterer, Cathrine. However, she was the only person who thought the lack of a properly flaming pudding was a problem. The pudding was so good, no one else really cared!

This is not to say that the dozen or so other goodies handmade by Catherine weren't good, too. We had scones with clotted cream, mince pies, marscapones, and other goodies, of which I've forgotten the names. 

We even had English "poppers," a traditional English Christmas tradition where two people pull on a wrapped up tube and the person left with the majority of the popper wins the nifty little gift inside.  Here is a picture, including all of your loyal staff--Tyler Pruess, Darla Creal, Rick Kahler, and Lindsay Luper--wearing their "popper" gifts. I want to assure you that there had been no over-consumption of alchohol or plum pudding that induced those in the picture to don the silly hats and mustaches! 

When you added the wonderful conversations and interesting people that were at the party, our annual Christmas Open House was indeed a heartwarming event. Our thanks to all who attended.

New 'Low Cost' Health Care Program for Heart Attack and Stroke Victims

Rick interviewed Glenn Roth, Vice President of Business Development of QMed, about his firm's new healthcare product for stroke and heart attack victims.  The plan combines the best of a Medicare Part D and a Supplemental Plan, less the doughnut hole, for less money than the partient would otherwise pay.

The only catch is that you have had to have suffered a stroke, heart attack, or have some form of heart disease.

To view the interview, go to the client only section of our website at www.rickkahler.com, or click here.  Download heartline_medicare_special_needs_plan.wmv

KFG Year End is Dec 15th!!

The Chicken Pox epidemic at the Kahler household has changed more than our planned family vacation over Thanksgiving.  It moved it to being over the Christmas Holiday.  So, unlike most years, I will not be around for the last two weeks of December.  My last day in the office is December 15th.

I will contact all KFG clients, of whom I am aware that need last minute sales and retirement plan funding, so I am hoping that I'll have everyone taken care of by the time I leave.  However, if you are anticipating any year-end needs of which I may be unaware, whether investment oriented or otherwise, please contact me this week so I can be sure you are taken care of in a timely manner.

Darla and Lindsay will also be on shorter work weeks, due to the holidays, making contacting us unusually difficult.  I have arranged to carry an international phone and I will be checking my email daily, so it won't be as if I've dropped into a black hole, but I may be somewhat hampered by timezones and Internet connection to get things done as efficiently as normal.

KFG Christmas Tea and Open House - Dec 15th 3pm to 5 pm

We are inviting all of our clients and their guests to come celebrate the season with us at our annual KFG Christmas Open House on December 15th, from 3 to 5 pm.  This year, we will be serving an English Champagne Cream Tea, with all of the trappings (to include plum pudding and mince pies).  Katherine Huenber, our authentic English Tea expert, will once again charm us with her delectable goodies, stories, and warm smile. 

Make plans to let us thank all of you for allowing us to serve you by stopping by to enjoy a bit of merry old England.  Reservations are a must, so sign up today!  Go to our website by clicking here to register.

A New Way Of Looking At 'A Christmas Carol'

Christmas time is filled with tradition, and one of those traditions some families celebrate is gathering together to hear the annual reading of Charles Dickens’s most famous work, A Christmas Carol.

This year, at 4:00 p.m. MDT on Thursday, December 14, join the KFG family and Rick as he recites Dickens’s most famous work.....only with a twist! Once you've heard Rick tell A Christmas Carol you will never again be able to view Scrooge, Cratchit, Fred, or Fezziwig the same. You may not view money in the same way, either.

There is no more fitting time of the year to put a log on the fire, cozy up to your telephone and computer with a steaming hot cup of "smoking Bishop," and spend an hour of Holiday fun and enlightenment with Rick. To register, click here or call 343-1400.

eNew Feature On KFG Website

We've just added a new feature to our website, at www.rickkahler.com, that allows you to search on words or topics of interest.  The search box is on the lower left corner of the home page under "Search KFG".  On all other pages it is in the top right corner.

For example, if you wanted to know what I've written on the difference in being a client of a financial planner, as opposed to a customer, you could search on "client" or "customer."  Searching on "client"  brings up 54 listings, while searching on "customer" brings up 5.  You can then click on the links listed to be taken to that article or place in the website.   

Please note that the search feature does not work on documents and items posted in the "KFG Clients Only" section. 

Stay tuned for our new, redesigned articles section, under "Rick's Books and Articles." When we are through, it will me much easier to read and find the articles you want to listen to, read, or (coming in 2007) watch.

Next Teleclass: The Nuts and Bolts of C-corps, S-corps, and LLC's

One of Rick's area's of expertise is using corporations and LLC's to protect your assets from frivolous lawsuits and cutting your federal income tax liability.  Often, it is a combination of these entities can produce significant protection and savings.   In this class, you will have a chance to get answers to your specific questions regarding the proper use of corporations and LLC's and learn if they are for you.  This class will also be a perfect follow up to last month's class on why SD residents may want to consider putting their real estate into an LLC before the November elections.  Join Rick on October 26th, at 4PM MDT.  You can register by going to the KFG website by clicking here. Sign up today!