Throwing Her Hat In The Ring

Throwing your “hat in the ring” is an early 19^th century boxing term. An 1810 article reported that “a young fellow threw his hat into the ring and followed, when the lame umpire called out ‘a challenge.’ …He then walked round the ring till a second hat was thrown in, and the umpire called out, “the challenge is answered.”

Given the rough and tumble world of political service, it may be appropriate to use a boxing term to describe Barbara Traylor Smith’s July 19th announcement that today she filed papers noting her interest in serving out the distinguished Harry Butler’s remaining term on the Grand Junction City Council.

Having served the community through the Grand Junction Rotary club, and more recently as Chairman of the Strive Foundation board, Barbara’s commitment to the local community is already well established. This latest challenge allows her to focus more time studying the issues confronting Grand Junction and learning more about how the community wants the City to serve its citizens in the future.

Here at May-Investments, we understand that it is a big commitment and we are enthusiastic in our encouragement about her decision. At work, as in retirement, “it’s not about the money. It’s about your life!” We want Barbara to feel free to contribute what she can to the city where we all live. Although it would be nice to coast and let others do all the work, that’s not the way it works in real life. After considering her family, faith, and business commitments, Barbara believes that she can make a positive contribution while still meeting her primary responsibilities. At May-Investments, we want everyone to reach their God given potential and are excited for Barbara as she steps up to this challenge.

We wish her the best. And, by all means, feel free to give her a call about potholes needing attention in the event that she is selected by the City Council to step into the ring.

Douglas B. May is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies.

We've Moved. Come Visit!

May-Investments, along with Retirement Outfitters and Kim Last Financial Services, moved into the second floor of the Timberline Bank building where our new space lets us better serve friends and clients.  We continue to share a slightly larger conference room, and we’ll continue with educational workshops to help people understand planning issues and current portfolio strategy.  Our new offices have an elevator.  And the ambiance has us waking up every morning and pinching ourselves, thankful to be blessed by such a warm and friendly working environment.

Being on 24 Road makes us convenient for customers on the Redlands and up north.  We have room to meet with clients in our own offices and the luxurious interior design work is top notch.  Timberline Bank is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.  For meetings before or after normal bank hours, we can meet you at the front door to let clients in/out.

Part of the fun of moving is the moving party.  Don’t worry; the heavy lifting is over.  We’re planning an open house in February, but please don’t wait until then to stop by and say hello.  We’ve enjoyed having numerous folks stop by already, and we’re hoping to see you soon, if you haven’t already had the chance to stop in and see our new digs.

In the meantime, best wishes from all of  us at May-Investments for a Happy New Year!
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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RIP eMag; Long Live the Blog!

We recently decided to return to a more traditional blog posting process with "new post" e-mails issued whenever new articles are posted. Returning to a traditional blog posting process allows for more timley posts, albeit at the loss of some local content.

We want to thank Bob Kretschman, in particular, for helping us create content and develop article ideas over the past several months. It could not have been possible without the help of his Kretcom Communications. Many readers have spoken with Bob in interviews and I have personally come to appreciate his sense of humor and business perspective, in addition to his ability to put May-Investments “on the map” in the local media community.

The eMag was designed to be a ten-article monthly publication incorporating timely and interesting articles of local interest to our target audience, folks enjoying and beginning to plan for their retirement. Our strongest readership, however, has always been the articles that detail what is happening in portfolios. What I hadn’t anticipated, however, was that by tying ourselves to a monthly publication schedule, the timeliness of what we write would be impacted as well. In the past, we’ve been free to write about portfolio changes shortly after they occur, and market events as they unfold.

Just as you read a newspaper for one purpose, and a monthly magazine for something else, our most widely read articles were about time-sensitive issues more appropriate to a blog or newspaper, than to a monthly reader.

Another goal of the eMag was to incorporate information about broader financial planning topics, taking advantage of the expertise that Barbara Traylor Smith (President of Retirement Outfitters) has in Income Planning and insurance, and the experience that Kim Last (Kimberley A. Last Financial Services, Inc.) has in Long-term Care planning and many other topics. Unfortunately, because they own their own companies and have their own compliance people to satisfy, it was never really possible to integrate our information dissemination and education efforts.

While it’s easy for us to “play in the same sandbox” in order to provide clients with better and more comprehensive financial services, we were never able to convince the bureaucrats that “doing a better job for clients” was, in fact, an industry “best practice.” Too bad.

Fortunately, the short experiment with our eMag did teach us a lot about formatting and publishing, in addition to what we learned about misguided and inflexible regulatory insanity. We can continue to use parts of the eMag format to get the message out about upcoming workshops and seminars, and we will continue to include links to outside articles of interest, as well as our own internally generated posts.

Most importantly, our keys goals of being cooperative with clients’ full team of advisors, and fully transparent about the portfolio management process, still rule the day.  Let us know your thoughts so we can continue to improve the May-Investments communications strategies. 
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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ID theft workshop to examine causes and prevention

When Ron Rehberg talks to people about identity theft, he knows of what he speaks.

Several years ago, Rehberg – who is a certified identity theft consultant specialist – was a victim of medical ID theft. An individual who had been diagnosed with cancer used Rehberg’s medical information, probably to get health insurance. Even though Rehberg was healthy, the medical ID theft compromised his health and medical history. His blood type and other vital information were changed in some records.

In Rehberg’s case, the company he works for – risk consultant Kroll – stepped in and cleaned up the damage. Still, Rehberg reflects that if certain medical records had shown an incorrect blood type and he had been in an accident, the ramifications could have cost him his life.

“Medical ID theft can be fatal,” he says.

Rehberg will be the featured speaker at an educational lunch, Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft, sponsored by Kim Last, CFP®, CLU®, CLTC, president of Kimberley A. Last Financial Services, Inc., and Barbara Traylor Smith, president of Retirement Outfitters, LLC. The lunch is scheduled for noon Tuesday, June 14, in the conference room at 244 N. 7th St. Those who attend should plan to arrive about 15 minutes early to get lunch and get settled before the presentation begins. For more information, call Carolyn at 256-1748.

ID theft is a broad term that includes many types of information theft. They range from medical ID theft, such as Rehberg suffered, to theft of credit card information, to theft of other data used in routine transactions. Rehberg says about 27,000 cases of ID theft happen each day, and people should take steps to protect themselves.

“There is nothing that can prevent it. But there are many things you can do to be careful and cautious,” he says. “The time to pay attention is before it happens, not after.”

Rehberg says it can take nine months or longer for someone to become aware that his or her identity has been stolen. After that, it can take three to five years to clean up the damage, and the recovery effort can require hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.

Since many stolen identities are used for illegal activities, you might not even know your identity has been stolen until a police officer notifies you that you’re wanted.

“Sixty-two percent of people with an ID theft issue end up with a warrant (for their arrest),” Rehberg says.

So what are some common-sense steps you can take to reduce that chance that you’ll be a victim? Don’t put outgoing mail in your mailbox and put the flag up. Outgoing mail can easily be stolen, and much of it contains bank account numbers, credit card information, and other types of information that ID thieves relish. Use a secure outgoing mailbox to send your bills and other mail.

Make sure you burn or shred everything that has identifying information and/or account numbers on it. Try to make it as difficult as possible for ID thieves to learn anything about you through your mail or trash.

“You can’t live in fear. Do what you can, and feel you’re protected the best you can be for all types of ID theft,” Rehberg says.

Rehberg will provide more details and information about ID theft prevention at the educational lunch June 14. Plan to attend.

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Service clubs work hard to provide extras to JUCO baseball teams

When the Central Arizona Vaqueros baseball team comes to town this week for the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series, members of the Grand Junction Downtown Rotary Club will be as busy as the players.

The Downtown Rotary Club is hosting the Vaqueros, which won the Western District title last Saturday to earn a place in the JUCO tournament. And spearheading the Rotary group’s efforts will be Barbara Traylor Smith, president of Retirement Outfitters, LLC, and chair of the club’s JUCO team host committee.

“We are essentially their concierge while they’re here,” says Traylor Smith, who is in her fourth year of serving on the club’s host committee. “There are lots of details that have to be addressed.”

Each of the 10 teams from throughout the country that come to Grand Junction for the tournament has a local service-club host. The hosts play a crucial role in keeping the teams and their fans happy and comfortable during their stay.

The JUCO organizing committee takes care of basic logistics such as booking hotel rooms and practice facilities for the teams. But the hosts provide many of the extras, such as a barbecue for the team and their families.

Because some teams exit the double-elimination tournament as early as Sunday, Traylor Smith says the trick is to schedule the barbecue early. For Central Arizona, the barbecue is Saturday night at Canyon View Park.

“We will feed somewhere between 80 and 100 people,” Traylor Smith says.

Hosts also provide water, Gatorade, and other supplies to teams for practices. Occasionally, hosts run errands for the teams – Traylor Smith says she once had to go back to a team’s hotel and retrieve a player’s forgotten glove. She once took a player to the JUCO doctor for a sinus infection.

The host club also supplies bat boys and bat girls for its team’s games at Suplizio Field, and the club serves as a tour guide for teams and their families. When teams win and remain in the week-long tournament for several days, players and their families often take in some sights around the Grand Valley in their spare time. Such touristy activities can include golf and visits to Colorado National Monument and Grand Mesa.

“Some of these kids have rarely or never seen snow, so we’ve taken them to Grand Mesa to play in the snow,” Traylor Smith says.

The host club also makes sure members of the team get to the annual youth clinic, in which JUCO players and coaches teach baseball basics to local kids.

All in all, the host clubs work to make sure the tournament and Grand Junction are positive, memorable experiences for the players.

“Some of these kids will go on to four-year schools, and some of them will be drafted. But for some of them, it’s their last time in a uniform,” Traylor Smith says.

JUCO is a Grand Junction tradition, and this year’s tournament opens Saturday, May 28, at Suplizio Field at Lincoln Park. For information about the tournament, visit http://www.jucogj.org/.

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You’ve Got Mail: Pros and Cons of Going ‘Paperless’ with Fidelity

On June 7th, Fidelity will send an e-mail notice to each of our clients who have an e-mail address on file with them. This notice will ask for your consent to enroll in the electronic delivery (eDelivery) of trade confirmations and legal documents, including shareholder material and revised account profiles. The express purpose of these e-mails is to make it easier for you to enroll in eDelivery of documents, and at the end of the message, you will be given a choice to agree with or ignore the e-mail. Agreeing will result in electronic delivery of the said documents, while ignoring it will allow you to continue to receive paper docs. Please note that while we are not necessarily advocating that you switch to electronic delivery of your documents, we do want to explore the issue as an option.

What exactly are the pros and cons of going paperless? In addition to reducing ‘clutter’, there can be some monetary advantages for certain clients – namely, those with less than $1,000,000 in cumulative balances at Fidelity. Fidelity offers a significant discount on trades for clients who go completely paperless – from $17.95 per trade for shares up to 1,000 and a penny and a half for each share over 1000, to $7.95 per trade for shares up to 10,000 and a penny per share over 10,000. On a $500,000 account where Doug is trading a block of 10,000 ETF shares valued at $5.00 each, that would mean a cost of $7.95 for the ‘paperless’ client versus $138.95 for the ‘papered’- a significant savings on an example that Doug describes as ‘very reasonable’. Please note, for this discount to apply, a client would need to be entirely paperless, meaning that they receive their statements electronically too. The message you are receiving on June 7th will strictly be to opt in or out of electronic trade confirms and legal documents - opting for electronic statements can easily be done with a call to our office. Also note that clients with cumulative balances of $1,000,000 or more at Fidelity already receive the discounted fees, so there would be no additional monetary advantage for them.

In the past, the per trade discounts have not really mattered much for clients under $1,000,000, since most tend to be invested in the Fund Scout strategy, which employs the use of mutual funds rather than individual stocks; however, Doug does expect to begin using ETF’s in these portfolios, and these are subject to the same fees as stocks. For that reason, switching to the electronic receipt of documents might make sense going forward.

In order to 'go electronic’, you must be prepared to organize the files on your computer and back-up your files regularly. This can be one significant disadvantage (though you can always print a copy of the documents you receive electronically if you feel you can’t get away from storing the paper copies).

As stated above, we do not necessarily advocate going paperless; in fact, our past recommendation has been against it since we didn’t feel that most of our clients were adequately prepared to organize, store, and back-up their electronic files. This is an issue that is going to continue to come up, however, as businesses continue to strive for more digital and less paper. The paperless movement is not likely to go away, and we are at a point where the cost savings might begin making sense for some clients. If you would like to talk to someone about your specific situation and whether or not it would make sense for you to transition into paperless, please feel free to give us a call at the office – we are always glad to help.

Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Mutual funds and ETFs: What’s the difference?

Since 2007, May-Investments has pursued an investment strategy that is primarily focused on mutual funds. However, as markets become more volatile, the firm expects to reintroduce exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to the portfolio.

Doug May, owner and managing member of May-Investments, says ETFs were once part of the portfolio but were phased out about four years ago. Today, ETFs represent a way for the firm to gain an investment foothold in certain niche industries.

“As we contemplate future market volatility, I would think that ETFs would find their way back into the portfolio,” May says.

So what’s the difference between a mutual fund and an ETF?

Both are legally pooled funds that own investment assets for their shareholders, May says. Mutual funds are designed so that at the end of the trading day, assets in the fund are valued, and the fund trades at net asset value. Basically, you know at the end of the day what the fund’s price is.

In contrast, ETFs are investment pools whose shares trade over the course of the day, rather than at the close of the trading day. As a result, a significant difference can exist between the ETF’s net asset value and the price at which its stock trades. That difference, whether it is a premium or a discount, can create uncertainty that causes investors to shy away from ETF investments.

ETF are designed to track certain indexes, and when they don’t hit their target, investors can become nervous about ETFs.

ETFs exist in specialized industries – for example, utilities – which makes them attractive vehicles for investors looking to move into certain industries.

“We want to control our portfolio, so we’re more interested in the niche ETFs than in broad-market ETFs,” May says.

Many mutual funds are actively managed by professional managers who buy the best stocks of the class in which the fund specializes. In contrast, ETFs tend to buy the biggest stocks in the class without much regard for quality factors. Such a strategy can result in more volatility than typically happens in a mutual fund, May says.

By combining mutual funds and ETFs in a portfolio, investors can gain the advantage of actively managed mutual funds with the potential gains of ETFs that specialize in niche industries, May says. The combination also means that the relative stability of mutual funds can help temper the potential volatility of ETFs.

When ETFs join the portfolio, what will May-Investments clients notice that’s different? Because of the way ETFs operate, clients could see trading costs and commissions in their portfolios for the first time, May says. However, May says the benefits of combining ETFs and mutual funds in the portfolio can be worth the cost.

“I think clients are looking to us to make the right choice between the two,” May says. “Our clients trust us to make the right decision.”

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Focus Groups Seek Clients’ Views About Financial Products

The first in a series of customer-centered focus groups conducted by Retirement Outfitters and May-Investments was a resounding success.

“It was a lively discussion,” says Barbara Traylor Smith, president of Retirement Outfitters LLC and investment advisor representative for May-Investments. “I believe we got honest, fairly clear feedback.”

More focus groups are planned in future months, and although they all will deal with financial topics, the particular focus of each discussion will vary.

“The idea is we get a group of people together, and we ask for their feedback on a topic,” Barbara says. “The topics will change from meeting to meeting.”

The February focus group centered on fixed indexed annuities. Barbara says clients first were asked for their expectations and assumptions about the annuities. After clients wrote answers to the questions, Barbara presented more information about the investments, and clients were invited to discuss whether the investments would meet the needs and expectations of different investors.

The focus groups help Barbara and Kim Last, financial adviser and owner of Kimberley A. Last Financial Services Inc., discover clients’ beliefs and uncertainties about various financial products. Then, those client concerns can be addressed.

“I want to know ahead of time what my clients’ fears are so I can address them,” Barbara says.
 
Focus group participants will be selected from the firms’ clients or people who have attended educational seminars sponsored by the firms. Participants must be between 55 and 75 years of age and have at least $100,000 of investable assets.

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New Adviser Disclosure Brochure Coming Your Way

With the recent passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Bill (long name, even longer bill), it has become necessary for May-Investments to update and change our Adviser Disclosure – commonly known in the industry as an ADV.

For those of you not familiar with the ADV, the purpose of the form is to provide information about how we perform our business: who we serve, our fees, how we manage our accounts, invest money, and so on. The ADV is given at the time a client comes on board, and is made available and offered to clients on an annual basis.

Diane Gigliotti, May-Investments Office Manager, has been hard at work revising our current ADV (alongside Doug) so that it is compliant with the new law. She explained some of the changes. “The new law states that the ADV should be clearly written and current, with a meaningful disclosure of our business practices. Plainly put, the new form should be more user-friendly.” And while the form will maintain much of the same information, it will add more extensive data about the background of the firm’s adviser and advisory personnel.

For those of you who are scratching your heads at this point trying to remember what your ADV said, don’t fret, you will soon have the chance to find out! Where the old law required that we offer the ADV on an annual basis, the new law requires that we provide the ADV on an annual basis – so all clients will receive a copy of the new ADV in the near future. In the meantime, we still have the old ADV available for anyone looking for late-night reading material. We’ll provide the ADV, but you have to provide the cookies and milk!

Should you have any additional questions concerning the new ADV, please don’t hesitate to call the office at 263-5126 – we are always happy to help.

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Kimberley Last teams up to offer services

Kim Last and her firm, Kimberley A. Last Financial Services Inc., have teamed up with May-Investments and Retirement Outfitters to provide financial planning services.

Kim has been in the financial business in the Grand Junction area since 1998 and holds several professional certifications, including Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, and Certified Long-Term Care Specialist.

She says she enjoys showing people how money can work for them, and she strives to make sure clients understand what she’s talking about. There’s no mystery about money; the key is to recognize that financial success is a balancing act between income and spending.

“You can’t spend everything right now and still have a decent retirement,” Kim says.

That’s where planning comes in.

“Planning gives you choices,” Kim says.

Kim grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and spoke English and French in her youth. She attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, graduating with a major in journalism and a minor in languages. She worked at IBM Toronto, editing the internal magazine for software engineers.

In the early 1990s, she fulfilled a dream and lived for a while on a sailboat, sailing mostly in the Sea of Cortez and the waters of Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica. She has bicycled from Canada to Mexico, rafted the Grand Canyon, and visited places such as Africa and Thailand.

In the Grand Junction area, she and her husband, Al Kreinberg, enjoy hiking, rafting, and other outdoor activities.

“We’re pretty outdoorsy. We try to get out camping once a month,” Kim says. “I just love this community.”

Kim can be reached at 970-257-1630 or by email at klast@brokersifs.com.

Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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MoneyGuidePro financial software available free to eMag subscribers

A few simple keystrokes today can put you on the road to reaching your financial goals.

Subscribers to the free monthly May-Investments eMag can now gain free access to the MoneyGuidePro financial-planning software that May-Investments uses to help clients prepare for the financial challenges that lie ahead in life.

“I want to give loyal readers a reward for subscribing,” says Doug May, owner and chief investment officer for May-Investments. To begin using MoneyGuidePro, subscribe to the eMag at http://www.fund-scout.com/ (don’t forget to reply to the confirmation message you will receive so that you will be added to the mailing list), then send an email to May-Investments Retirement Concierge Lisa Mauser at http://www.blogger.com/Lisa@gjstocks.com asking for access to the software. You will receive information about how to access MoneyGuidePro.

May says eMag readers can use MoneyGuidePro to update their retirement plans and determine the amount of money they need to save and invest now in order to meet retirement needs or other financial goals.

MoneyGuidePro is an extraordinarily comprehensive financial-planning tool – much more comprehensive than the free financial-planning tools available online – and it is fairly easy to use if clients have complete, up-to-date records of their financial assets.

“I would encourage people to try it on their own and give it a shot,” May says.

MoneyGuidePro uses personal, financial, and investment data supplied by the user and develops a set of calculations based on the information. The program also uses a series of scales to determine the relative importance of several variables in the individual’s profile, such as willingness to save more or delay retirement.

The program uses personal data and preferences to calculate various options, which it presents in a range from “Ideal” to “Acceptable.” For example, based on an individual’s profile and resources, the program might determine that 65 is an “ideal” retirement age, but 67 would be an “acceptable” retirement age. MoneyGuidePro lets users create various scenarios to determine how certain changes in their goals or financial strategy might affect their likelihood of reaching their financial goals.

Finally, MoneyGuidePro can produce a customized report outlining the user’s chance of reaching financial goals and suggesting changes that might help the user reach those goals more effectively.

The program resides online and can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. May says data that users enter into the program is private and securely stored; it cannot be seen by anyone except the user and May-Investments staff.  

May-Investments weekly educational workshop on Tuesday, December 14, will focus on how the online planning tool works.

It’s a great deal. Sign up for a free subscription to the eMag and receive May-Investments’ fun and informative electronic magazine each month, plus gain free access to one of the top financial-planning tools available today. Visit http://www.fund-scout.com/ to get started.

MoneyGuidePro directs financial planning for May-Investments clients

Unless you’re a genuine fortune teller – and there aren’t many of those around – you can’t say with absolute certainty that you’re ready to meet financial goals in your life.

Whether you’re planning to buy a car in a few years, send a child to college, or retire early, a solid plan can help you meet your goals. May-Investments offers clients access to one of the most highly regarded financial-planning programs available – MoneyGuidePro. The program might be the closest thing to a financial fortune teller that you’ll find.

MoneyGuidePro takes a comprehensive look at an individual’s financial situation, using personal, financial, and investment data supplied by the individual and a set of calculations based on the information. The program also uses a series of scales to determine the relative importance of several variables in the individual’s profile, such as willingness to save more or delay retirement.

The program uses personal data and preferences to calculate various options, which it presents in a range from “Ideal” to “Acceptable.” For example, based on an individual’s profile and resources, the program might determine that 65 is an “ideal” retirement age, but 67 would be an “acceptable” retirement age. MoneyGuidePro contains a powerful set of tools that let users create various scenarios to determine how making certain changes in their goals or financial strategy might affect their likelihood of reaching their financial goals.

Finally, MoneyGuidePro can produce a customized report outlining the user’s chance of reaching financial goals and suggesting changes that might help the user reach those goals more effectively.

In an analysis of 13 financial-planning software products, independent researcher Aite Group ranked MoneyGuidePro as one of the top products available. According to an article appearing on the Financial Planning website, MoneyGuidePro ranked as the best tool for talking to clients about their goals, and Aite Group liked the program’s ability to establish a range of outcomes for various scenarios.

“We like its goal-oriented approach so we can identify what people need from their finances,” says Doug May, owner and chief investment officer for May-Investments. Once a client’s goals and financial needs are determined, an investment plan can be formulated to meet those goals, May says.

Another advantage of MoneyGuidePro is the fact that it is an online program and can be accessed from any place that has an Internet connection. May says clients and outside advisers can log into MoneyGuidePro at their convenience to update information and create different scenarios.

Concierge helps clients make the most of retirement

Like a concierge at a five-star hotel helps guests with a variety of needs, Lisa Mauser helps clients of May-Investments with various nonfinancial issues they encounter as they move into retirement.

Such assistance can range from helping clients locate and organize important papers to working with them on the nonfinancial aspects of their legacy.

Mauser, the retirement concierge at May-Investments, says an important aspect of nonfinancial planning is to create an inventory of important documents and collect them in one place. She can help clients collect their car titles, mortgage documents, health-care directives, lists of account numbers, and other such documents and put them in one accessible location.

Such a collection of documents can be helpful in a variety of situations, Mauser says. After such documents are collected, they should be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are up-to-date.

Mauser also can help clients collect and organize nontangibles, such as personal stories and photographs that will be important parts of the client’s legacy.

“Most people have done estate planning, but they don’t think about the little stuff or those personal stories,” Mauser says. Some of the most valuable parts of a person’s legacy can be the lifetime of stories, photographs, and mementos they leave behind.

The services of a retirement concierge are unique for a financial planning and investment firm, and they are part of what makes May-Investments a one-stop shop for retirement services.

“Doug (May) envisions more of a team concept – really being able to offer services that are customized to the clients’ needs. That’s something larger organizations aren’t able to do because they’re not as in touch with their clients’ needs,” Mauser says.

To a certain extent, the services that Mauser offers as retirement concierge will depend on what clients ask for. May-Investments aims to help its clients thrive financially and personally in their retirement, and Mauser is here to help clients with a wide variety of nonfinancial needs.

“If there is something clients think I can help them with, they can call and ask,” Mauser says. She can be reached at 970-263-5126 or by email at http://www.blogger.com/lisa@gjstocks.com.

If you like what you’re reading, ask a friend to subscribe!

The May-Investments team would like to welcome new readers of our eMag – and our existing friends and clients as well. We hope you enjoy the eMag’s new look and expanded content, and you are invited to ask other people to subscribe who might be interested in financial planning for retirement or other topics we’re covering.

Here’s an incentive to forward the eMag to someone else and ask them to subscribe. Previously, May-Investments pledged to contribute $5 to the Western Colorado Community Foundation for every new eMag subscriber who signs up by Nov. 15, 2010. Now, we’re sweetening the deal: If we get at least 100 new subscribers by Nov. 15, 2010, we’ll give $15 to the foundation for each new subscriber. That’s a great deal for every new subscriber, who will receive valuable and interesting information every month for free, and it’s a great deal for the Western Colorado Community Foundation, an organization that builds and manages charitable endowment funds to benefit a variety of community organizations in the region.

To subscribe, visit http://www.fund-scout.com and fill out a brief form. You will receive a confirmation email in your inbox. Reply to the confirmation email, and your subscription will be complete. It only takes a moment, and the subscription is free. We look forward to hearing from new subscribers!

Staff changes pave way for improved client service

May-Investments is pleased to announce staff changes aimed at offering new and improved services to clients. Some of the changes involve new roles for existing members of the firm, and some changes involve new hires.

“For me, it’s an exciting time because we’re increasing not our capacity, but our capabilities,” says Doug May, owner and chief investment officer for May-Investments.

Doug says he and Barbara Traylor Smith, investment advisor at May-Investments and president of Retirement Outfitters, began working together about three years ago to offer financial planning services to clients. Retirement Outfitters is an insurance-licensed retirement-planning firm, and Barbara’s expertise at financial planning will be crucial as assisting clients with financial plans becomes a focus of May-Investments.

“We’re becoming more than just an investment shop,” Doug says.

Lisa Mauser began work Sept. 1 as retirement concierge for May-Investments. “She’ll work with our custom wealth management clients to help in any area we can that isn’t financially related,” Doug says. For example, Lisa will help clients with various non-financial questions about their retirement plans, and she also will help create special events to help clients enjoy their retirements.

Before coming to May-Investments, Lisa worked as a compliance officer and branch manager for The Bank of Grand Junction, a family-owned business started by Lisa’s grandfather.

“She just loves taking care of clients,” Doug says. “She’s been a stay-at-home mom for the past five years and has put on some of the most phenomenal children’s birthday parties. We want her to bring that same creativity and enthusiasm to serving our clients.”

Diane Gigliotti began working as May-Investments’ office manager in January 2010. Formerly administrator of the Mesa State College Foundation, Diane helps with client services and ensures the accuracy of back-office records for May-Investments. 
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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Introducing the new May-Investments eMag

Welcome to the first edition of the refreshed and rebuilt monthly version of May-Investments’ email newsletter. We hope you enjoy the improvements and new features that we are adding to the newsletter.

First, we’re naming it an “eMag” (short for “electronic magazine”) to better reflect the magazine-style diversity of articles you will see from month to month. In addition to useful financial planning information and market commentary from May-Investments, you will find articles about local events and businesses, things to do, travel opportunities, a calendar of upcoming events, and other topics of interest to people in the Grand Junction region who are planning or enjoying their retirement.

“We want to talk about more things of interest – broader than the market focus we’ve had in the past,” says Doug May, owner and chief investment officer for May-Investments. “It’s a reflection of our desire to be more than just the premier portfolio manager in the area. We want to help people grow in their retirement and enjoy their retirement.”

The eMag will be delivered via email on the second Tuesday of each month. It will contain links to blog posts and articles of interest to May-Investments clients and others.

“It’s not just for clients only,” Doug says. “It’s for clients, friends of the firm, and anybody in or near retirement.”

Readers of the eMag are encouraged to forward the email to other people who might be interested in financial planning for retirement or other topics covered in the magazine. In fact, for every new eMag subscriber who signs up through Nov. 15, 2010, May-Investments will contribute $5 to the Western Colorado Community Foundation, an organization that builds and manages charitable endowment funds to benefit community organizations in the region(see related article in this edition of the eMag). People can subscribe to the eMag by filling out a brief form at http://www.fund-scout.com/.

The introduction of the eMag goes hand-in-hand with a new focus of May-Investments to create events that help clients enjoy their retirement. Traditionally, May-Investments’ events have been connected to economic updates. Those updates will continue, but clients can expect some extra opportunities throughout the year.

“We want to open it up and just have some client events that are fun to do,” Doug says.

An example of such events is an exclusive appearance by Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson scheduled for Sept. 16 at Cross Orchards Living History Farm. The private event for May-Investments clients is a prelude to the 2010 Two Rivers Chautauqua, which will feature several actors portraying personalities from the Civil War era (see related article in this edition of the eMag).

“We think our clients and friends of the firm will enjoy the new eMag,” Doug says.
 
 Douglas B. May, CFA, is President of May-Investments, LLC and author of Investment Heresies .

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