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Tom MacLennan

I am a Certified Financial Planner™ who helps people plan and invest.

Mid-Year Update

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Mid-Year Update

A long delay between posts but I do have a few updates. I can’t believe we are already into July, the year is flying by for me.

I’m doing the same format as previously so enjoy. Hopefully, more thoughtful posts coming soon.

WMS Updates

It’s been a productive first half of the year for our firm. We’ve had many great meetings with our clients and also with people seeking out about working with us. The discussions have mainly focused on the stock market, economy, inflation, banking crisis from March and April, debt ceiling issues, and the direction of interest rates. We have tried to keep our clients “in the know” through calls and emails every few months. We are also talking with most of our clients about cash management including how to best maximize interest on cash/checking/savings accounts.

A big part of my job is the financial planning aspect and helping clients in “other ways”. This is an area of my job that I especially like so I’ve included a few samples below of things we’ve done in the past few months. I look forward to helping in more ways in the second half of this year.

  • Helped discuss/analyze job opportunities/offers at competing firms.
  • Helped a client’s brother get his finances in order.
  • Helped clients set up and fund college costs for children and grandchildren.
  • Educated clients on Municipal Bonds
  • Helped a client’s daughter with account consolidation.
  • Helped clients determine the proper life and disability insurance coverage.
  • Helped retired clients get financing for a new home purchase and renovation.
  • Helped several clients with cash flow and detailed analysis of spending.
  • Helped a client deal with their spouse’s dementia and become a full-time caregiver.
  • Helped several clients find estate attorneys in different states.

Personal

A few personal updates (and pictures). Gaines recently turned 4!  He played T-Ball this past spring on the McDonald’s “Nuggets” team. We are working on swimming lessons now and he plans to soccer in the fall. Lawton ( LawLaw or Lil Lawton as some friends/family/daycare call her) is 7 months old. She recently started daycare in the infant class at the same school that Gaines attends. She continues to make us smile every day.

Outside of work and family, I am still involved with both the Charlotte Bilingual Preschool and the Financial Planning Association of Charlotte. I also joined the Congo Mission Committee at our church. This team built and continues to fund and support 2 all-girls schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I still have some brushing up to do on Condo and the French language…

Links/Articles

Lastly, you know I always like to share some links to recent articles/podcasts/other media that I have enjoyed. This takes me back to my Clipped days.

  • Music: The new album Pour It Out Into The Night by The Revivalist (Spotify)
  • Podcast: Ari Emanuel Is Never Indifferent (Freakonomics)
  • Books: I am currently reading Daily Creative by Todd Henry. This was given to me by my colleague Tim Paschall. I am also reading Feherty by John Feinstein, which is a great, easy read.
  • Articles:
    • Secrecy, Cigars and a Venetian Wedding: How the PGA Tour Made a Deal with Saudi Arabia (NYT)
    • Why It Seems Everything We Knew About the Global Economy Is No Longer True (NYT)
    • The Navy SEAL Who Went to Ukraine Because He Couldn’t Stop Fighting (WSJ)
    • Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie’s War of the Rosé (Vanity Fair)

Hope you all have a great 4th of July Holiday and wonderful rest of the summer.

Tom

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