Retirement Planning A Food Lovers Approach to Planning for the Future

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span class="cap">I      the soul. I think many of us
am still coming to grips        share this feeling of wanting to
with it. Like many of you,      put forth the extra effort to
I am rapidly approaching              ensure a nice setting, with good
retirement. We read the               food and fun conversation. I want
statistics about how few of us        my guests to wake up the next
are prepared. Mere mention of the     morning and say, "Wow, we really
words, "investments" or               had a great time last night."

"retirement planning" can seem

Think about all the effort
like carrying around a ball and       that we put into planning a
chain. Well I want to make this       dinner party. We give extra
journey one that is more              consideration to the menu and our
appetizing. After all, I love         choice of ingredients. We may
those late-night conversations        have a special bottle of wine.
with my spouse about where we         We'll clean up the house a little
might be in twenty years. Should      more, buy flowers, and put out
we live near the beach or in the      the nice tablecloth and napkins.
mountains? Does planning for the      Why do we do this? Because we
years ahead have to be so             value our friends. We want them
complicated that we feel like         to feel welcome in our homes. We
avoiding it altogether? Here is a     want to give something of
food lovers' approach to planning     ourselves to them. It is a direct
for the future.                       expression of our values.

How many of you like to

Our values are the starting
entertain, have guests to your        point in thinking about
house? I really enjoy having          retirement and investing for the
people over. My favorite part of      future. People often think the
planning an intimate evening is       most important thing is, "I gotta
the food. I want to cook              have a big pile of money to
something special that satisfies      retire." That may or may not be

true and you won't know unless        dessert, is a summer berry
you do some planning. When you        tartlet. The menu, as you're
are thinking about the future,        beginning to sense, builds
think about what your daily life      anticipation as we envision what
will look like, and about what is     it will be like when we get
important to you. And here is the     there.

key, treat the future with the

Another thing to note when
same care and sense of joyful         looking at the menu is the nice
anticipation you would in             variety of ingredients going into
planning a party for your             this meal. In investment terms we
friends. How do you like to spend     would say this is a diverse, or
your days? Write these things         well-diversified menu. One of the
down and start your menu for the      most important things to consider
future.

for your retirement investments

A well thought out menu is an      is that they be diverse. Think
essential ingredient for              about this when you read your
planning. As a fun little             monthly financial statements.
diversion here are some items         They should look like a Chez
from a Chez Panisse menu on a         Panisse menu, well diversified,
Friday night. The first course,       with numerous investments and
heirloom tomatoes, you've seen        many different flavors.

them at market, with their

When you arrive at Chez
gorgeous array of colors. The         Panisse and walk into the dining
second course is Alaskan salmon       room, there are usually some
with nasturtiums and mint. For        platters piled high with great
the main course they are serving      produce. It has the feeling of
marinated and grilled squab with      seasonal bounty, like a
squab liver toast. (Squab liver       cornucopia, a sense of plenty.
is so good it makes me want to        Having a diversified portfolio of
howl at the moon!) Then, for          investments can help create this

sense of anticipation and bounty of the arrival is half the joy
that you will reap in your and the appreciation that ensues
future.

when you get there will make all

That is how I'd like to your efforts
approach planning for the future, worthwhile.

with a sense of anticipation and      gend>About the
bounty. Like the anticipation we      Authorfeel prior to the arrival of our      id="authorbio"
friends, or anticipating a meal       class="membersnoticewhite">Jeffre
at a great restaurant. This is        y Stoffer CFA, CFP, Principal of
our future we are talking about.      Stoffer Wealth Advisors. We are
Wouldn't it be great to take the      an investment management and
extra time and care such that         financial planning firm serving
when we arrive in our future, we      individuals, families, and
have that same sense of delight       business owners in the San
and appreciation that our guests      Francisco Bay Area. Visit our
feel when they arrive at our          website at homes? We can't know the future,      href="http://www.stofferwealthadv
just as we can't know if all our      isors.com"
guests will get along on a            title="http://www.stofferwealthad
particular evening. But               visors.com" target="_blank">regardless of the amount of money     color="#001000"
we have, or how nice the china        size="-2">http://www.stofferwealt
is, we put our best foot forward      hadvisors.com

for our guests. Let's do the same ieldset>