The FPA Drum Beats Loudly 

boom, Boom, BOOM.  Do you hear it?  The drum beat which is the Financial Planning Association is alive and well.  The FPA of Southern Wisconsin is winding down another year of helping Financial Advisors in the region in three core areas of education, networking and political advocacy. 

Education:  Our four main CE events this year were well received and our attendance numbers continue to be strong.  The emphasis of bringing in national speakers to address timely topics was something the membership requested several years ago, and your FPA Programming Committee has delivered.   You’ll want to mark your calendars for our 2012 CE events, as shown within our newsletter, as they are shaping up to be even better than 2011.  

We have complimented our main CE events with Practice Management events throughout the year.  These events tend to be one hour in length and feature local experts dealing with a variety of topics.  If you haven’t attended a practice management event yet, you’ll want to catch a few next year.    

Of course, our Annual Symposium is the super bowl of events for our FPA Chapter.  This year’s Symposium, hosted in late October, was incredible.  The national level speakers were pervasive throughout not only the general sessions, but also our breakout sessions.  As one attendee commented, ‘This may be the best continuing education conference in the Midwest.’   You’ll want to mark November 8^th and 9^th, 2012 on your calendar for next year’s Symposium.

Networking:  The best information and education frequently comes from our colleagues in the area.  The CE meetings have proven to be an incredible opportunity for busy advisors to meet with their colleagues and share ideas.  FPA is truly a community of advisors, with every member willing to help their colleagues for the betterment of clients and the industry.  This year we began a new networking venue called ‘Pints and Planning’.  In conjunction with other professional organizations such as NAIFA, SFSP, WICPA, CFA, and the Estate Planning Forum we hosted three casual social events for professionals of all stripes to meet and share ideas.  Stay tuned for our next event in February 2012. 

Political Advocacy:  With the shifting landscape within the financial service industry, and with clients impacted by the lingering effects of the financial crisis, it is imperative that we stay politically involved in shaping future policy.  FPA National has lead the charge in dealing with the Dodd-Frank bill and the application of that bill into our practices.  Locally, we are looking to organize a Day on the Hill in conjunction with the FPA Chapter of North East Wisconsin.  Stay tuned for more information.

Corporate Partners:  Of course, none of the FPA’s initiatives would be possible without the support of our Corporate Partners.  Frequently our partners can be the greatest source of information and insight, as they deal with numerous advisors from around the region and around the country.  Chances are the issues affecting your practice are issues they have seen before with other advisors.  We encourage you to tap into the wealth of knowledge which is our Corporate Partners. 

FPA: Past – Present – Future

We recently hosted a Past Presidents dinner for those who have previously served as FPA Chapter presidents and preceding organizations.  This was a great opportunity to thank those who have given so much and who put in place the infrastructure which is now a thriving FPA Chapter.  We also received feedback on how to make FPA better, and we look forward to implementing those ideas.  We plan on staying in touch with Past Presidents on an annual basis and appreciate the input they continue to provide. 

Presently, I would like to thank all of our current FPA board members who make things happen throughout the chapter.  Their commitment and passion keeps the FPA drum beating on a day to day basis.  Specifically, we would like to recognize three board members whose terms are ending.  Sarah Ehrhardt has provided incredible leadership and energy to FPA, serving first as head of our programming committee, president-elect, president and most recently as Chair.  Thank you isn’t a big enough word to acknowledge all that she has done.  Fortunately, Sarah will remain active on our membership committee, helping to introduce new members to the value which is FPA. 

Diane Byrne has served on the board as Treasurer for several years and has done the detail work of keeping our books and records up to date and in balance.  She has actively helped out in other areas of the chapter, but her time has come to climb in the big RV and hit the open road.   Thank you to Diane for your FPA commitment!

Jim Cantrell is also coming off the board this year, having served as Co-Chair of the programming committee.  He will be applying his time and talent to another professional organization but I’m certain he will remain a leader within the chapter and a visible member at our CE events.  Thanks Jim.

Thanks to the contributions of FPA Board members Past and Present, our future looks incredibly bright.  We would like to welcome several new members to our board.  These members include:

                                Scott Krause, CPA            Treasurer

                                Andrea Bulen, CFP®       Membership Co-Chair

                                Deanne Phillips, CFP®    Pro-Bono Co-Chair

                                Aaron Kowal, CFP®          Partner Chair

                                June Schroeder, CFP®    Programming Co-Chair

We are looking for someone to become Co-Chair of the Career Development committee and further the work being done to bring young planners into the profession.  Based on suggestions from our Past Presidents, we are looking to establish a position on our board dedicated to members in the Madison area.  If you, or anyone you know, are looking to get more active in our growing chapter, please give us a call. 

The brightest part of FPA’s future lies with our incoming president and president-elect.  Dave Dewey has done a tremendous job in developing our Partner program over the last several years, and will step into the role of President in January.   In addition to being a capable leader, he can be quite humorous in front of the microphone, so you don’t want to miss future CE meetings.   Neil Dinndorf is becoming our President-Elect, having served as chair of our Career Development Committee for the last several years.  

With David and Neil at the helm, the FPA drum keeps beating stronger.   We welcome all members to join the FPA band.  We are looking for a few volunteers to serve in various committees.  The time commitment can range from an hour or two per month to an hour or two per year.  Please consider a more active contribution to the FPA Chapter by volunteering to help out at the committee level. 

Can you hear it now?  Boom, BOOM, BOOM!

Kevin Reardon, CFP®
2011 FPA-SW President  

Continuity - A Big Job for Our Chapter
All Hands Needed

Taking over the helm of the Financial Planning Association of Southern Wisconsin for 2012 is a great honor for me, and a terrifying challenge!

The chapter is in the best shape it has ever been in. We are strong financially, have had some of the best CE meetings, arguably the best Symposium ever held, and strength in the board and the committees. 

So what’s the problem?

Continuity.  Keeping the well run machine in check and moving on down the path of success is key.  It is an enviable position to be in, and one that may be the hardest to maintain.

Our board and committee people have a big job ahead of them, including continuing to find the right programs, with the highest quality speakers that can be had at a very reasonable cost, and presenting programs that are current, salient, and able to qualify for CE credit.  They made it look so easy in 2011.  The Symposium was a huge success. Behind the scenes glitches were taken in stride, and the program was enjoyed by all in attendance.

We have to gear up early to provide the chapter with the high level of execution and meet expectations. While we have great people doing the work, it is work and this is a volunteer organization.  We can and need more of our membership to step up and help out in every part of the organization.  Just a small amount of participation goes a long way to keeping us at the top of our game.

Consider helping just one hour a week on any of our committees throughout the year.  Your support - at even a minimal level - will greatly improve our ability to continue the excellent record of accomplishments our previous President and Board were able to attain.  We will even benefit from one or two members volunteering to attend the meetings 45 minutes early to help with the sign in and preparation of the tables. 

Any help that can be offered is truly appreciated.

We are happy to receive constructive feedback about our events and efforts, so that we can improve our product and service to the chapter.  It is after all, your organization.

I am honored to be able to help guide the chapter and keep everything moving along with a minimum of misadventures.  My efforts will be strongly channeled to continue the efforts of leadership of the past and hopefully move FPA-SW to even greater heights, with the help and support of those volunteers I will be relying on ever so much.

Thank you for your support, and I will be seeing you all at our forthcoming events.

David Dewey
2012 FPA-SW President

We are pleased to announce the 2012 Financial Planning Association of Southern Wisconsin Board of Directors. They are:

Chair - Kevin Reardon, CFP^®

President - David Dewey

President Elect - Neil Dinndorf, CFP^®

Secretary - Kelly Savatski, CFP^®

Treasurer - Scott Krause, CPA

Directors:

Membership - Zach Newcomer, CFA and Andrea Bulen, CFP^®

Career Development - Neil Dinndorf, CFP^®

Programming - Curt Fuszard, CFP^® and June Schroeder, CFP^®

Public Relations/Public Awareness/ProBono - Liz Pollock, CFP^®, Laura Wilcox, CFP^® and Deanne Phillips, CFP^®

Corporate Partners - Aaron Kowal, CFP^®

Government Relations - William Kramer, CFP^®

Communications - Scott Hirschfeld

January Meeting to Focus on Risk Management, Protection

Join FPA-SW on January 26, 2012 as we begin another great year of programs aimed at excellence in financial planning education. The Financial Planning Association of Southern Wisconsin continues its commitment to bring you the highest quality programs -- national quality in your own backyard -- at each of four half day CE meetings during the year.

Our first meeting, which is also our Annual Meeting and will include a brief review of the last year's accomplishments and important recognition of volunteers, is themed "Risk Management: An Update to Insurance Issues That Affect Your Clients." Presenters will include Michael Keenan, CLU, ChFC, Vice President of the LIFE Foundation, Evanston Illinois and Debra Newman, CLU, ChFC, LTCP, Founder of Newman Long Term Care, Richfield, Minnesota. A case study will be presented.

We'll gather at 7:30 am on January 26th for registration, with breakfast served at 7:45 am. The meeting will begin at 8:00 am and end just after noon. At least three CFP and Wisconsin Insurance CE will be offered. Watch your e-mail for more details. Registration is open now on the FPA-SW website.

As always, you may call us at 414/358-9260 for more information.

Rupnow Awarded Scholarship, Next Award in February

The Career Development Committee is pleased to announce the recipient of the CFP® exam scholarship for the November examination.  David Rupnow was chosen as the recipient of our most recent scholarship.  Congratulations David!

The scholarship is presented three times per year around the CFP® exam dates and provides financial assistance to students pursuing the Certified Financial Planner™ certification.  It is open to candidates who meet the following requirements:

1. Wisconsin resident
2. Completing the final class in a CFP® Certification Education Program
3. Registered for a CFP® Exam Review Class in preparation for the CFP® Exam.
4. Paying for the class without being reimbursed from his or her employer.

The next scholarship will be awarded in February 2012 for the March 16-17, 2012 examination.  The deadline for applications is January 15, 2012.  Please contact Neil Dinndorf at 608-826-2342 or dinndorfn@svaplumb.com for more information.

If you would like to donate to the scholarship fund or would like to obtain additional information on how to apply for future scholarships, please contact Karen Hendrickson at 414-358-9260 or karenhendrickson@bizwi.rr.com.

CT Access

Shakespeare Wealth Management worked with CT Access to replace our corporate server, as well as to upgrade all of the desktop computers in our office. Their implementation and follow-up was excellent, and our business didn't miss a beat during the process.

Kevin Reardon, CFP®
Shakespeare Wealth Management

Members are encouraged to share their experiences with FPA-SW Partner companies.  Send your story to Karen at info@fpasw.org.

FPA-SW Season Pass

FPA-SW is excited to offer you your very own season pass to our quarterly educational meetings. 

We are offering either a 4 meeting pass or a 3 meeting pass.

Member rates for our quarterly meetings are $129 each.

Purchase your meeting passes for an exceptional bargain.

4 Meetings Pass $375 (roughly a 27% discount)

3 Meeting Pass $350 (roughly a 10% discount)

Meeting passes will be offered for the 2012 season, now through our first
quarterly meeting to be held on January 26^th.

Passes must be used by members only.  They can only be used at regularly priced quarterly meetings; all other meetings are not included.  The pass must be used by the purchaser and cannot be transferred.  Please note that Season Pass holders must also register for meetings in advance.

Please submit this form with check or credit card number (fax 414-258-9261 or mail to FPA-SW 6949 N. 100^th St., Milwaukee, WI  53224):

Name:_____________________________________________________

Telephone:_______________  Email:_____________________________

Credit Card #_________________________________ Exp__________

Cardholder’s Name:__________________________________________

Signature:__________________________________________________

Internship Programs: Develop your Own to Enhance your Practice

Looking for ways to improve the performance of your practice going into the New Year?  Is your time limited to completing tasks rather than calling on current clients or finding new opportunities in the marketplace?

In the current economic environment of doing more with less, an internship program may be the solution you need to be successful in 2012.  We have an abundance of students in our own back yard that are eager to get into the profession and learn what it is all about.  Through CFP programs at Bryant & Stratton in Waukesha and UW-Madison, talented students are hoping to earn a chance at applying the skills learned in the classroom.  Beyond students, career changers are also looking for ways to explore the profession and an internship may be the solution for them to do so and for you to work with someone who has experience in another industry.

At SVA Plumb Financial, we have been working with two individuals from UW-Madison since the beginning of the year and nothing can be shared but positive comments.  They help move along projects that have been on the shelf for years that will ultimately optimize the efficiency of our practice.  They work on financial plans and portfolio analysis for current and prospective clients.  Perhaps most importantly, interns provide a fresh look at our systems and operations to ensure we are operating effectively.

Not only have they allowed us to run our practice more effectively, but they have gained from the experience as well.  Jenna Degner, UW-Madison Personal Finance Candidate-May 2012, recently shared, “SVA has helped me realize that I ultimately want to do something very similar to what I see being done here. The connections and knowledge of the industry I have gained will be beneficial for wherever my career path takes me.”  The transference of knowledge to new entrants in the profession is imperative to improve the profession at large.

Tony Williams, UW-Madison Personal Finance Candidate-May 2012, shares his vision of helping educate individuals around the country, “My experience at SVA has been invaluable. I plan to work with financial literacy centers across the country. Learning how everyone from school teachers to physicians approach their finances will definitely come in handy.”

Join us in improving the financial planning profession by developing your own internship program to give them the experience they need to make an informed decision about joining a financial planning firm.  You will not only help your own practice by freeing time for you to focus on things you are best at, you will help the intern learn more about the profession and ultimately help educate those that need it most on the other side of the table.

For more information or tips on how you can implement your own internship program, contact Neil Dinndorf at (608)826-2342 or dinndorfn@svaplumb.com. 

• Sharon Brantmeier
• Thomas J. Carroll, CFP^®
  Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
• Jennifer Degner
• Rick Eisen
• Lori Gervais, CFP^®
  Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
• Allan J. Haupert, CFP^®, CPA, MBA
  AJH Wealth Management
• Sarah Hause
  CUNA Brokerage Service, Inc.
• Dustin Karnopp
• Glenn Kirst, CFP^®
• Scott Krause
  Groth and Associates
• E. Todd Marquardt, CFP^®, ChFC
  Marquardt Wealth Management
• Shanna Venne
  Paula Hogan

20 Years

• Joel T. Haraldson
  M & I Wealth Management

15 Years

• Christina M. Olson, CFP^®
  Christina M. Olson Financial Planning

5 Years

• Brian Ellenbecker, CFP^®
  Robert W, Baird & Co., Inc.
• Christopher L. Doughty, CFP^®
  Alliance Wealth Management
• Sarah Ehrhardt, J.D.
  Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
• Scott M. Grenier, CFP^®
• Bryan A. Johnson, CFP^®
  Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.
• Richard J. Reese, CFP^®
  Reese Financial Management, Inc.

Planning for Change: Putting the Right Pieces Together
2011 Symposium A Success

Excellent! Good information. Great, sound investment techniques and advice. Awesome presentation. Excellent update. Good hands on exercises. Very timely. Great, fun way to present a difficult topic! Learned some new things that will help me with my clients. Good exchange of ideas. Entertaining and informative!

These are just a few of the comments from attendees at the 2011 FPA-SW Financial Planning Symposium, held October 26 & 27, 2011. Thanks to a hard-working and talented planning committee, a Board of Directors committed to excellence, and a group of Partners and sponsors who provide the resources we need to produce and event of this caliber.

Save the date now for the 2012 Financial Planning Association of Southern Wisconsin's Financial Planning  Symposium -- November 8 & 9, 2012. The theme is "Planning for Positive Outcomes."

A few photos from October 26th -- thanks to Barbara Hunteman:

 Attendees pay rapt attention to keynote presenter.

Liz Pollock and Laura Wilcox greet Symposium attendees with FPA-SW info.

Partners network with attendees during one of many breaks designed for just this purpose.

By David Drzadinski, Partner, Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst, Red Granite Advisors LLC

Investing trends over the past several years can be marked by one word, unpredictable. On the one hand, it may surprise some that equity prices as measured by the S&P 500 Index are up more than

75% from the March 2009 lows. This advance took place despite the fact that the current economic recovery is one of the weakest of the post-World War II period. However, corporate earnings have increased around 50% the past two years, driven by sales growth (enhanced by exports), and corporate profit margin expansion accomplished through productivity improvements. 

On the other hand, U.S. Treasury interest rates are at multi-decade lows, driven by a flight to safety. The result is a University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index reading near the lowest level in more than 30 years.

Bonds have generated positive returns, but may not continue

In this world of uncertainty and volatility, many investors may be ready to abandon the equity markets altogether, opting to hide in bonds. This decision would be understandable since the S&P 500 Index

is essentially flat versus 13 years ago while bonds have generated positive returns over this time period. However, it is important to point out that during this 13-year stretch, stock valuations have contracted significantly, as corporate earnings have more than doubled.Meanwhile, investors have embraced the bond market by buying longer-term bonds despite the fact that the Federal Reserve’s loose monetary policy has the potential to create inflation, thereby driving up interest rates (and declining bond prices) in the future.

Focus on high quality companies

The question challenging many investors is what to do now? Although for each investor the answer is different, the approach should be similar. Equity portfolios should be centered on high-quality companies with solid balance sheets, strong profit margins, market share leadership, geographic diversity, proven management teams and those with competitive advantages capable of producing persistent earnings and revenue growth. Investors who embrace these strategies may see more stable returns and less volatility in their portfolios.

Changing Your Limiting Referral Asking Mindsets

What you tell yourself when it comes to asking for referrals determines much of your results.
There are three broad ways to think about referral asking. Here are some examples:

Unhelpful mindsets:

a)    It makes me look pushy/needy/salesy

b)    Most people don’t like to give referrals

c)    I don’t like to put people on the spot

Limiting mindsets:

a)    I (only) feel it’s right to ask after I’ve provided a great service experience

b)    I (only) ask if I’ve sold them something

c)    I just ask centres of influence. Clients have no incentive to refer me.

Empowering mindsets:

a)    If not me, then who?

b)    Most people like helping me.

c)    I’m good at what I do. I could probably make a difference.

Your beliefs and your thoughts are not necessarily FACTS – remember some of your opinions in college? YOU may believe them, but according to James Borg in his 2010 book Mind Power, “your thoughts are not real – they are imaginary.” 
Your perceptions create your reality.
Weak mindsets cause weak results and few referrals. 

Contrary to popular ignorance, thinking is not something that ‘happens’ to you.

You can create your own thoughts; I’ve had dozens of clients in the same vocation as you who have chosen very different thoughts that led to very different results.

If you’re struggling because you have ‘proof’ for your belief, remember that it’s not what happened to you that gives you the ‘proof’, it’s how you responded – the thoughts you chose albeit in an emotional response. When a crazy driver comes your way, do you change lanes and avoid him or do chase him and try to cut him off? Your thinking is in control; we don’t have to blame the event itself. Same with a rejection: do you stew over it for a week or shrug it off and say “she doesn’t get it.” It’s up to you.

You can choose an empowering mindset too. Keep working on reducing the negativity of your self-talk. This is just a bad learned habit of dwelling on mainly negative thoughts. Habits can be changed.

Thoughts – Feelings – Actions - Results

The more positive thoughts you have, you start to change how you feel. Borg explains that research now shows that the brain is like a pharmacy. It dispenses chemicals for every thought you have. All that varies is whether it is positive or negative and how strongly you feel it.

When you feel more positively about asking for referrals, your behaviour starts to change and you take more productive action – you ask more. This is what must happen before your results improve.

At this point you will start to ask more people to open more doors for you. Begin with small steps/asks out of your comfort zone and then keep up the somewhat uncomfortable asking habit every week. The proof that you can do it is that many others have done it already.

Please forward this onto those who matter.

Author: Matt Anderson, The Referral Authority, Author of Fearless Referrals
www.TheReferralAuthority.com
Copyright 2011