Many of us work hard and save funds to acquire valuables or other keepsakes. These items can be art, furniture, jewelry, writing instruments, purses, clothing and so many other items that are valuable in the eyes of the beholder. These items may have been gifted to you by a family member and they typically deliver a tremendous amount of satisfaction.

A few months ago, I was with a client and his health was failing. I asked him how long how it had been since he reviewed his estate plan. He said, “Oh a few years ago and it’s all good.” I asked if we could call his estate attorney to check in and he accepted the invitation. It turned out his estate plan was not up to date, it had several gaps, and critical pieces of information were missing.

In the last 60 days we have seen several amazing sporting events. The completion of the Triple Crown by Justify. The NHL playoffs with the Vegas Golden Knights going to the finals in their inaugural season. The French Open with Rafael Nadal winning a record-setting 11 th time. The NBA playoffs with Golden State taking the championship 3 out of the last 4 years.

Did you watch the Super Bowl LI? Did your team win or lose? Some unhappy fans went to social media during the game and started saying negative comments about their losing team and then started talking about the next football season already.

As we enter the Thanksgiving week I invite you to pause and reflect on the question above and begin an exercise. This exercise is called the grateful exercise. It only takes 10 - 15 minutes but if it takes longer it’s ok.

After many years in the industry, I am witnessing something I have never seen before among clients and investors. Investment anxiety and fear are at all time highs. Life is short. Please relax.

Life is short and unexpected. A question I have for your thought and consideration is this - What brings you peace and joy?

Is $220,000,000 a lot? Yes, it is. I would answer rapidly and with certainty that $220,000,000 is a lot of money.

A dying man came to a doctor and asked the doctor if he could perform surgery on him. The doctor said he would but then went on to tell the man that there was a very high chance that the man would not live through the operation.

What’s in your portfolio? Do you have real assets or are they artificial assets?