Trusting in the Holidays:Brian Carden "Insights"

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12/14/2010

Trusting in the Holidays

It’s always interesting as to how I write this holiday post each year. Sometimes the words flow like butter…sometimes like barbed wire. For the majority of my year’s writings, I can look back and see a lot of logic through the paragraphs and factoids that I’ve gotten on the pages. Occasionally, I’ll have an emotional piece like last month, when I wrote about Dad. It’s easy to write about him…and if you know me at all, you know why. Right now, I’m probably more emotional than logical…it’s been that kind of year.

In reflecting back on 2010, it’s been a good year for the most part. There are new friends and clients in my life that were not here 12 months ago. Also, as a firm, we are blessed to have helped a lot of people that have come through our planning processes here at Peachtree. When I say “I can help you if you will let me!!” I’m speaking for everyone here and I’m saying it passionately. We believe in what we do. In preparing to talk to an investment club later this month, I saw a chart on one of my regular reads showing the connection between “Wall Street and Main Street” were at polar opposites…meaning the trust of our industry has pretty much gone out the window in relation to the past performance of the markets. I can’t really blame people for feeling that way either. I’ve seen marketing pieces from investment companies that have to go back a full 15 years just to show a positive average annual return in their funds. This sleeping bear market of 11 years and counting is snoozing along with no end in sight. The investment firms that I turn to for my information say we might be on the back side of this bear market…which still means it could be another 6-8 years of zero percent average returns.

The industry seems to think that if you advertise enough on Sunday sporting events and show enough happy couples living the dream of a comfortable retirement, that it will convince you that they are trustworthy. You trust that right? Trust is something that is earned, not given. It’s also something I know I can’t advertise.

Several years ago, I wrote a piece entitled “Memories of the Sears Wish Book”. One of my favorites as back in the day before “big box stores”, the Internet, and of immediate gratification, this wonderful publication was as good as it got! After hours of reading, studying, writing in, marking up, and dog-earing pages of that amazing catalog, my brother David and I got to go see Santa. The amazing thing was that both David & I trusted him! Call it naïveté. Call it what you want…but we trusted Santa Claus. The anticipation of sitting on Santa’s lap (at the Sears on Central Ave in Knoxville) and telling the big guy what we wanted for Christmas…well was pretty darn awesome for two kids in the 1960’s.

The proof was in Christmas morning…over those years of trusting, Santa brought a new bike, figure eight slot car racing set, Lincoln Logs, LEGOs, numerous Hot Wheels & Matchbox cars, and the crème de la crème…the football game with the vibrating field and the decals for all of the NFL teams! (Ladies, I’m sorry…I didn’t have a sister, so I can’t relate to Barbie dolls and the Kenner EZ-Bake Oven.) Amazingly, we somehow got what we wanted…we didn’t get it all, mind you. But we always got the top 1-2 items on the list. We didn’t know he wasn’t really real…until we saw price tags on a box one year…but regardless, we had faith and trust in Santa.

This Christmas I have a lot to be grateful for, as my family circle is still intact…in fact there is a new addition, as I have a new dog, Charley…a two year old rescued west highland terrier…and he will experience his first Carden Christmas. For the most part, my own personal joy of Christmas is based on our family circle. Mom & Dad are continuing to do well…my brother David, his wife Cindie, daughter Courtney, and their son Chase (my “mini me”) will all be together once again. As long as our “circle remains unbroken”…all will continue to be okay. I have the faith and trust that it will continue to be.

In keeping with my initial thoughts…now is that time of year that I specifically get to share with you that I am grateful for the trust that you have shared with me…from being your “trusted advisor” to being a trusted friend. Perhaps we have never met, but you are a loyal reader. If that is the case, maybe 2011 will be the year that you really start to question how you feel about trust, and maybe we might be able finally have that long promised latte’ together to learn why you feel that way.

It’s my hope that you have a blessed Christmas and Hanukkah season…that it be covered in love, peace, friends, family, and of course the trust that maybe…just maybe…if only in your memories…there really is a Santa Claus.

Peace,

Brian Carden
Brian_Carden@PeachtreePlanning.com
www.briancarden.com

Posted by Brian Carden at 07:00:00 AM in Financial

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12/14/2010