By: Sandy Hornor | Managing Director, Wealth Management
At BWFA, we strive to provide our clients with competent, ethical, and affordable guidance that enables them to make smart financial decisions. In an effort to expand the depth of our education-based approach, in 2015 we significantly increased the number of educational workshops that we conduct for our clients and the public.
Personally, I find my craving for education difficult to satisfy, as I am extremely busy being a professional, husband, father, community volunteer, and more. Knowing that most of you live at a similarly hectic pace, we designed our workshops to be concise as well as informative. We offer them both during the day (with lunch served) and at night (with dinner served), typically in the main conference room at our office. In approximately 90 minutes, we feed both your brain and your stomach!
Our workshops focus only on education —there is no sales pitch. The topics we explore vary, but the discussion format is consistent. Generally, we present prepared material for about 45 minutes, although we frequently stop along the way to delve into specific areas that garner particular interest. Attendees have the opportunity to learn and ask questions at their own pace. We are always open to answering questions, whether during the presentation or at the end during the structured Q&A session.
Topics that we have presented this year or that we are currently scheduled to present in 2015 include: investing, asset allocation, retirement income, creating a retirement paycheck, Roth vs. traditional IRA, managing your 401(k), estate planning, Social Security do’s and don’ts, taxes, health insurance, Medicare, buying or selling a business, and annuities. And those are just the planned discussion topics—the active dialogue during our symposiums has generated additional discussions on a multitude of other topics, too.
Many of our workshops include the discussion of a particular book that is relevant to the subject matter being covered. In fact, seminar attendees have commented that the workshops have a “book discussion group” feel to them. Here’s a sampling of some of the books we’ve enjoyed discussing: Get What’s Yours: The Secrets to Maxing Out Social Security; The 5 Years Before You Retire: Retirement Planning When You Need It the Most; Passing the Torch: Critical Conversations with Your Adult Children; The Truth About Buying Annuities; and Berkshire Beyond Buffett: The Enduring Value of Values.
Two of our “book group” workshops included the added benefit of having the author join us in the discussion, bringing a heightened level of knowledge and liveliness. At our March Investment Book Review workshop, we were joined during the Q&A session of the evening by Lawrence A. Cunningham, author of Berkshire Beyond Buffett. In April, Bob Mauterstock spoke at length and answered questions for over an hour about his book Passing the Torch. We usually give seminar attendees a copy of the book that was discussed, and Bob was gracious enough to sign a large number of books that night. With 65 guests, this was our largest audience, and so the workshop took place offsite at Petit Louis Bistro on Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia, Maryland.
There are approximately 15 BWFA seminars scheduled from October through December 2015; most will take place at our office in Columbia at lunch or dinner time. Come and learn about how to be a better investor, about history’s great investors, about Social Security… or about any number of financial and planning topics. Bring an appetite for knowledge and for good food, and we will do our best to fulfill both.