2024 Winter Newsletter: Kansas City

I don’t have to tell you how quickly 2023 passed us by.

It seems like we just ushered in the New Year and now we’re about to get to know 2024, just like that. Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible rises in interest rates, a stock market that’s finding its footing once again, and a news year that continues to shock and surprise. And in 2024, we’ll endure a presidential election. Hold on for what’s sure to be a wild ride!

As the world seems to spin faster on its axis each year, we find ourselves holding more tightly to what’s familiar, what’s not new. The key to happiness, according to numerous studies, is having quality relationships. That’s not new, but it seems to be harder to accomplish as busy-ness takes over our lives. We find more ways to make everyday tasks more efficient, but that somehow allows us to cram more of these tasks into each day. Financial fundamentals seem to never go out of style, in spite of the world trying to convince us otherwise. That is, living on less than you earn, avoiding over-reliance on expensive debt, and setting long-term goals all seem to continue to be the ways in which we build and sustain wealth. Same as it ever was.

What has changed is the speed of things. More, bigger, faster.

I hope you’ll use this time of year to allow yourself to pause and reflect on what’s most important. With this in mind, we feature a couple of articles in this edition. In Briefcase Study, we ask you to consider how you might plan to live forever while simultaneously living like you’ll die tomorrow. Grim but equally uplifting. And in Back to the Basics, we offer suggestions for living even more successfully in retirement. We hope you’ll take these ideas to heart and make the most of your retirement, whether that’s now or in the future.

Finally, I’ll say it again as I’ve shared before: we’re extremely grateful for the relationship we have with you. Your trust in us means the world and we work very hard to be worthy of your trust. If there’s anything we can do for you now or in the future, please reach out to us. It’s an honor to serve you.