Archer Investment Management

Thank you Chris Davis for featuring me in an Investment News article: Taking Headlines Out of Clients' Heads. It's important to build a balanced and pragmatic approach to investing. A few quick reminders: 1. No one individual headline should influence your overall investment strategy 2. Hating the government isn't an investment strategy 3. Prognosticators are often wrong Nothing beats a diversified portfolio over a long period of time.

Have you ever noticed a dirt trail cutting across a park... even though there's a perfectly good sidewalk? These routes are called "desire paths". They're unofficial shortcuts created when people choose the most efficient route over what was designed for them. College campuses are full of them! Do you think it's lazy? Or efficient? Some urban planners embrace human instincts and build sidewalks where desire paths once were. Others put up signs to keep people off the grass. I live in the camp of: "build a sidewalk where the desire path once was". I enjoy the well-worn path of efficiency. When it comes to financial planning, do you seek the shortcuts and automation? Or do you seek the 100% most accurate answer? ?Efficiency beats perfection, every time in my world. A great financial plan isn't about complexity - it's about execution. I love finding doable steps and systems that work with my clients' natural instincts, not against them. Sure, you can earn a higher interest rate by switching banks several times per year, but who wants to do that?! I'd love to hear about your desire paths - any shortcuts you'd like to share with the class? I'll put mine in the comments.

??It's open enrollment season! With glee, I'm helping our newer clients come off of expensive PPO plans and move into low premium high-deductible health care plans with an employer contribution to the HSA. I just finished typing an email that will help a client save ~$6,500 in premiums and taxes. How? They'll save $2,954 in health care premium, annually. Their employer will deposit $2,000 annually into their health savings account (HSA). By maxing out their own HSA contribution, they'll save $1,500 - $2,000 per year in taxes. (They are healthy and expect to have normal-ish healthcare needs next year where they might need to pull $1,000 or so back out of their HSA plan if everything goes well) Who needs coffee when you can get these types of dopamine hits early in the day ????

?? Have you ever measured your Time Wealth? Time wealth isn’t just about having spare time; it's about having the freedom to choose how you use it. There are 168 hours per week. Measure the # of hours you spend on non-negotiables (work, sleep, cooking, eating, hygiene, essential chores and activities) 168 - essentials = # of free hours More discretionary time often indicates more time wealth, but not necessarily. It's not just about the number... what is the QUALITY of that free time. How satisfied are you with how your time is spent? A high satisfaction level indicates that you're not just spending time but spending it well. Consider how much freedom you have over your time use. Can you decide to take a day off spontaneously, or change your schedule at will? Why Does It Matter? Being time wealthy means you can pursue passions, spend time with loved ones, and manage stress better. It’s about quality of life. Want to become more time-wealthy? ?? Delegate or Outsource: Free up your schedule from tasks that don't require your unique skills. ?? Set Clear Boundaries: Protect your personal time as fiercely as you protect your financial investments. ?? Prioritize: Not all tasks are of equal importance. Focus on what truly moves the needle in your work and personal life. Remember, time is the one asset we all have equally, yet how we invest it can make a huge difference in our personal and professional fulfillment. Let’s start valuing our hours as much as our dollars. Are you time wealthy? How do you ensure your time is well spent? #timewealth

?My greatest joy as a financial planner is hearing how my clients are enjoying their lives (and their money). In 2018, a client came to me after experiencing a layoff. She had plenty of financial resources and was close to retirement age, but she wasn’t mentally ready. She found meaning and purpose in her career and she hadn’t planned for the next phase of life. Normally, when a client plans to retire, we spend time thinking about "what's next" and what are they retiring "to". This layoff decision had felt abrupt, disappointing, and hurtful after her years of service. We spent those early days understanding her money history and goals, organizing her finances, getting her out of high-fee annuities, and showing her that she truly had enough to retire comfortably. We explored health insurance options, optimized social security timing, and together, we began to dream and look past the initial disappointment of the layoff. I’m so proud of the progress she made. She hired a personal trainer and started volunteering at her church. But one dream, kept getting deferred, a European trip that was always "someday", delayed by Covid and life events. But this year, she did it! She took the trip. ?? It was an honor to catch up with her this week and hear about her travels, especially knowing how nervous she had been to both spend the money and travel to faraway places, for an extended period. I am beyond proud to be her financial planner and her friend. A few things we did to make it happen: ?Continued to reinforce that she was financially secure and could afford the trip ?Segregated money specifically for the trip, making it tangible, mentally spendable, and separate from her other financial goals ?Brainstormed how to make the trip happen, from researching travel companies, to thinking about travel companions ?Encouraged her every step of the way to take this leap of faith One of my favorite quotes from our meeting after she returned: "It was a trip of a lifetime, and it was even better than I could have expected! I was just so grateful and felt so blessed to be able to do that. Thank you for encouraging me and showing me that you earmarked money for me to go, it was just so wonderful. So, thank you!" I’m grateful to have been a part of her journey and to see and hear the result. She didn't know this, but my nose was tingly, and my eyes were misty listening to her joy, wonder, gratitude, and amazement of her journey. I love this work. As the CFP Board would say it's "Quite Possibly The Perfect Job". Although my example reads a little different than their current controversial campaign... #financialplanning #travel #gratitude