Holistic Retirement Planning, Comprehensive Wealth Management

They’re the largest and arguably the most influential generation in history, pacesetters and tastemakers in everything from music to politics, fashion to fitness. Now, as millions of baby boomers move into retirement, they need someone to show them the way – a trusted partner with the expertise and experience to help them make the most of their retirement years. For thousands in the Kansas City metro area and beyond, that partner is Retirement Solutions Group, Inc.

The Johnson County-based firm provides comprehensive wealth management to help clients bridge the gap between planning for retirement and actually retiring, with a focus on guaranteed income planning. While most clients are baby boomers or older – the typical client is 50 to 75 years old – the firm has worked with clients as young as 24. “You’re never too young – or too old – to move into safety,” according to Alan Becker, president.

“We use a holistic approach to make the complicated simple,” Becker says. “We look beyond just income planning to address a wide range of issues that affect retirement, including insurance, tax planning, estate planning, Social Security and Medicare.

“’How can I ensure I won’t need to move in with my kids because I ran out of money? What do I have to pass on? When should I start taking Social Security? Do we need long-term care insurance?’ These are the kinds of questions we address with our clients on a regular basis.”

 ‘Sleep Money’ Provides Peace of Mind
To ensure clients will continue to have an income, even if their assets are depleted, insurance products form the foundation of most of our client portfolios. “We call this ‘sleep’ money,” says Greg Garbeff, wealth manager. “When you wake up in the morning, you’ll have as much money as you had yesterday – or more.* Once enough has been set aside for this purpose, the client can feel comfortable letting any investments grow unencumbered.”

As an independent firm, RSG, Inc. can offer clients a wide choice of products, depending on their needs. “It’s not unusual for us to go out and find a product for a specific situation,” Garbeff says.

“We can relate to our clients’ concerns because we’ve shared many of their life experiences,” Becker says. “Both Greg and I have family members in need of Alzheimer’s care, for example. As we like to say around the office, ‘If we won’t do it for ourselves, our parents or our grandparents, we won’t do it for our clients.’”

110 S. Cherry St., 3rd Floor | Olathe, KS 66061
913-685-9422 | Toll-Free: (866) 633-6039
Email: admin@rsgusa.net
www.rsgusa.net

*Guaranteed no loss of premium is provided by the insurance carriers, not Retirement Solutions Group, Inc. or its affiliated partners and associates, and may vary by product. Investment advisory services by Gary Dahlquist and Greg Garbeff offered through Gradient Advisors, LLC (Shoreview, MN 877-885-0508), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Gradient Advisors, LLC and its advisors do not render tax, legal, or accounting advice. RSG Investments, Inc. is not a registered advisor and is not an affiliate of Gradient Advisors, LLC.

Independent Financial Services Firm Works for Its Clients – and Not a Company

For the second year in a row, Affinity Asset Management has been featured by EMI Network in a special promotional section in Forbes magazine honoring Kansas City Financial Leaders.

Have you ever wondered why your advisor chose certain financial products for your investment portfolio? Surprisingly, it’s a question people rarely ask. But they have a right to, and they should, says Mark Roberts, owner and president of Affinity Asset Management, a full-service investment advisory firm in Overland Park, Kansas.

“All too often,” Roberts says, “we find that people have good investments but not the right combination of investments. In other words, you can have all the right ingredients, but if you mix them together incorrectly or in the wrong proportions, then the end product is not what you thought it would be. How we mix those ingredients is what sets us apart.”

In Roberts’ experience, many investors underestimate the degree of risk in their portfolios. “Many people are not nearly as diversified as they think they are or as they should be,” he says. “People will show me a statement and in their minds they are diversified, but having a lot of investments does not equal diversification. Once we run their portfolio through our analysis, we often find their risk is much higher than they expected it to be. This causes big swings in their portfolio.”

Roberts explains that Affinity Asset Management works for its clients, not a company. “Therefore, we do not have a company that tells us what to sell, or when or how to sell it. We have access to the world of products so we can get clients exactly what they need.”

Roberts and his team reach out to clients for regularly scheduled reviews to update them on their portfolios, any changes that need to be made, and to tell them about any relevant financial, economic and political developments. “This is one of the things our clients like best about our firm,” says Roberts. “Most clients say their previous advisor met with them only once or twice a year.”

‘The Rules to your Money’: 
Tax Strategies for a Financially Successful Retirement
According to Roberts, the key to a financially successful retirement is often a matter of knowing – and taking advantage of – “the rules to your money.”

“We obviously can’t control what the IRS or Congress does,” he explains, “but we can show clients strategies to minimize their income taxes in retirement. Whether you’re working or retired, the earlier in life you design tax strategies, the more you will save in income taxes over your lifetime.” Every new client goes through a financial planning process before any products are discussed.

While Roberts acknowledges that no one has a crystal ball, he believes another market downturn is inevitable at some point in the not-too-distant future. When it comes, his clients will be ready. “We‘re proactive,” he says. “We believe in shifting clients’ asset risk up or down based on their risk tolerance and market conditions. We position ourselves to take clients out of the stock market as we see changes in economic conditions.

“At Affinity Asset Management, our compensation is directly tied to how well our clients’ portfolios perform. That way, we have the strongest possible incentive to manage clients’ money as effectively as possible.”

7400 W. 132nd Street, Ste. 180 | Overland Park, KS 66213
913-381-4800 | Toll free: 877-388-4800 | www.affinityasset.com
Call today to schedule a free second opinion on your portfolio.

Securities and Advisory Services offered through Client One Securities, LLC Member FINRA/SIPC and an Investment Advisor

Seasons of Advice® Offers Disciplined, Proactive, Coordinated Approach to Financial Planning

“People who have been accumulating wealth over the years commonly find they only have a ‘piecemeal’ approach to their finances,” says Certified Financial Planner Robert Meyer, a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial.

Meyer and his team, including financial advisors Gregory Allison, Adam Crews and Brian Meyer, help their clients steer through today’s volatile economic markets. “The key is taking a disciplined, proactive and coordinated approach that addresses your entire financial life,” explains Robert Meyer. “Despite an overabundance of financial information available in the media, investors find they own products and investments that may no longer serve them well and, at the same time, important considerations have fallen through the cracks.”

Meyer and his team have a combined experience of nearly 100 years leading clients through the booms, expansions, recessions and contractions of a challenging economic climate. “Our Seasons of Advice® program is a unique systematic process that is more than just money management,” explains Allison. “It is a process of helping you realize your dreams. It helps you make the right decisions at the right times, based on neuroeconomic principles.”

Seasons of Advice gives families financial decision-making support and creates a blueprint for building, preserving and distributing wealth. “To ensure that each blueprint is customized to meet each client’s specific goals, dreams and desires, one of our knowledgeable advisors will work closely with him or her and coordinate with the entire team of financial professionals in a seamless, systematic fashion,” says Robert Meyer.

Clients meet quarterly, seasonally, with their advisor. The first of the seasons, Goal Tracking, explores how a client is progressing toward goals such as comfortable retirement, fulfilling obligations, funding children’s education, and passing a legacy to future generations and worthy philanthropic causes. The next season is Asset Allocation, the ongoing process of developing and reviewing an investment strategy based on risk tolerance, investment time frame and tax liability. The third season, Mid-Year Reviews, revolves around cash flow, family, security, intergenerational issues and employee benefits. During the final season, Tax Planning, Ameriprise advisors work with the client’s accountants and other professionals upon request to help uncover potential tax savings as well as establish a sound foundation for the new tax year. “We believe this method increases confidence, manages emotions and reduces stress for our clients,” says Brian Meyer.

“We are passionate about developing close relationships with clients, and we’re often called on to help them implement their plan and to be their sounding board on major purchases or lifestyle decisions,” adds Allison. “In many cases, the ultimate compliment occurs when we are asked to continue advising both second and third generations.”

Meyer, Allison, Crews and Meyer
A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
7450 West 130th Street, Suite 300 | Overland Park, KS 66213 | 913-239-8140  www.ameripriseadvisors.com/robert.l.meyer

Ameriprise Financial and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice. Consult your tax advisor or attorney regarding specific tax issues. 
Seasonal Client Servicing® is a trademark of HCA Consulting Inc. 
Brokerage, investment and financial advisory services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC.
© 2013 Ameriprise Financial, Inc., All rights reserved.     150939ACMR0113

A New Generation of Wealth Management

Experience is crucial in the world of wealth management. With the financial future of every client at stake, wealth managers clearly have to know what they’re doing. It helps to have already been there and done that – many different ways and many different times.

That would make a good introduction to The Ferguson-Smith Group at Morgan Stanley. Except there’s more.

Today’s financial environment is no place for the slow and passive. Times change. Regulations change. Products change. Technologies change. It takes insight, energy and drive to stay ahead of the game and keep clients happy. It takes a fresh, vigorous approach from a team that’s eager to learn and prepared to make a difference.
As you might expect, that team is The Ferguson-Smith Group at Morgan Stanley.

“Whether you talk about our experience or our fresh approach,” says Dianna Smith, Senior Vice President, “we’re all about doing all we can to help ensure our clients are financially secure. That starts with superior investment expertise and processes. Unlike many wealth management firms, we manage the majority of our clients’ assets ourselves, through a holistic, hands-on portfolio management process. And we make use of the latest technology every step of the way.”

A Group That Definitely Has the Smarts
The intellectual capital of this group is quite impressive. The core team has been together for 12 years and has many years of experience “The investment management process has been commoditized and institutionalized over the past decade, but not at The Ferguson-Smith Group,” says Scott Ferguson, Executive Director. “Individual client goals, not institutional benchmarks, are paramount to every member of our team.”

The Ferguson-Smith Group continues to invest in its future – and its clients’ futures – by bringing in new talent. In the past two years a private banking specialist and two new associates have been added. When a strategy calls for an outside money manager, the group is free to choose from experts who have demonstrated outstanding skill and talent. As always, Morgan Stanley offers excellent products and resources to fulfill client needs, just what you would expect from an established industry leader.

The Ferguson-Smith Group has cultivated a multigenerational client base. “We look forward to being around for a long time, serving our clients and their children,” says Smith. “We work with a lot of high-net-worth individuals, and we know how to treat their assets differently from, say, the assets of an institution. Our holistic wealth management process fits ideally with the timelines and events of people’s lives.”

For this group, the bottom line is people. “We love our clients and work hard to see them succeed,” Smith adds. “We want to be a part of achieving their goals, hopes and dreams. We use everything we know and everything we have to help each one create the best possible life and legacy.”

The Ferguson-Smith Group at Morgan Stanley
11161 Overbrook Road, Suite 225 | Leawood, KS 66211 | 913-402-5287 800-558-9146
www.morganstanleyfa.com/thefergusonsmithgroup

Scott Ferguson is a Financial Advisor/Private Wealth Advisor with the Wealth Management division of Morgan Stanley in Kansas City. The views expressed herein are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Member SIPC  www.sipc.org. Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor engaged EMI Network Inc. to feature this promotion in Forbes. Scott Ferguson may only transact business in states where he is registered or excluded or exempted from registration http://brokercheck.finra.org/Search/Search.aspx. Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where Scott Ferguson is not registered or excluded or exempt from registration.

Deeply Invested in 
Providing Excellent Service

In the financial services industry, words like stability, integrity and commitment are frequently used. The more they’re used, however, the less meaningful they seem.

Not so at Keating & Associates.  The firm has been helping individuals and business owners bring order and purpose to their financial lives since 1975. Keating & Associates now comprises six offices and 52 associates nationwide. Several advisors who have been with President and CEO Pat Keating from the firm’s inception have children who have since joined the team.

Clients, too, remain remarkably loyal. They have entrusted the firm with personal and business assets in excess of $600 million as well as $1 billion in life insurance benefits. And they alone have driven Keating & Associates’ evolution—its capabilities, its service model and its leading innovations.

Refining the Art of Wealth Management
Balancing personal and professional life is one of the greatest challenges small-business owners face. Facing that challenge himself, Keating developed the Entrepreneur Navigator SystemTM to help clients coordinate their affairs and take charge of their financial goals. At the same time, he introduced Future Success BuilderTM, an individual financial planning tool with similar mechanisms and aims.

Both systems, which have evolved with changing economic realities, gauge clients’ unique concerns and precisely map their financial circumstances. This allows the firm’s advisors to custom design and administer truly holistic plans—investments; life, long-term care and disability insurance; nonqualified benefit plans; and trusts and estates—in coordination with clients’ outside advisors.

Professional Knowledge, Personal Understanding
In addition to Keating & Associates’ wealth of collective experience, its advisors place a high value on continuing education to enhance their knowledge and service. Many hold multiple industry certifications, including Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®), Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) and Certified Financial Analyst (CFA).

According to Keating, the value he and his colleagues place on family carries into their client engagements.

“We share the same concerns as our clients—how to balance work and family. We understand what’s important now and what matters going forward.”

Manhattan | Lawrence | Overland Park | Wichita | Chicago | Edmond, Okla.
In Kansas City: 913-663-2385 | 10985 Cody St., Suite 118, Overland Park, KS 66210

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Keating & Associates, Inc. is an independent firm.

A Well-Rounded Approach to Client Satisfaction
The Dressel Financial Group of UBS Has a Passion for Helping Clients

Some people choose to become financial advisors because they are fascinated with the intricacies of the investment world. Others want to have a hand in making portfolios grow. And some want to build relationships and have an impact on their clients’ lives.

There are the select few who accomplish all this and more, advisors like Michael Dressel, Senior Vice President-Investments of the Dressel Financial Group of UBS. He realizes how much there is to know about managing wealth and how much he can do to help his clients.

“The thing to know about me is that, first and foremost, I am very passionate about creating a positive client experience,” Dressel says. “My group has a combined total of 95 years working in this industry. With this comes plenty of insight and understanding. We offer a disciplined investment approach that incorporates fundamental quantitative and technical analysis.”

The experience starts with simply sitting down and talking with clients. “When we first discuss your financial future, we consider all the information pertinent to your situation,” Dressel adds. “We look at things like your assets and liabilities, stage in life, attitude toward risk, investment horizon, cash flow requirements and ongoing personal needs.” Dressel and his team then thoughtfully craft a financial plan and make modifications as the market outlook or his client’s situation changes.

It’s all part of the exceptional service offered by the group. Kathleen Waldman and Virginia Kase are Dressel’s long-term associates. “Those two pretty much run everything, from client communications to day-to-day operations,” he says. “I handle the major financial issues and decisions.”

Dressel’s relationship with UBS, one of the largest wealth managers in the world, provides the resources, products and solutions to address his clients’ needs and help achieve their goals. “UBS offers exceptional access to a range of global resources and financial tools,” he says. “The firm is very supportive and it gives me an excellent platform to execute.

“Doing this – working with people, helping them – is my passion. I get to go to work and talk to people who are successful in their fields. Every day is a learning experience. This is what makes me tick – helping to protect and grow wealth through all phases of our clients’ lives. It all comes down to helping families and individuals realize their financial goals.”

The Dressel Financial Group 17107 Chesterfield Airport Road Suite 200 Chesterfield, MO 63005 636-534-2660 | http://financialservicesinc.ubs.com/team/dressel

Important information about Advisory & Brokerage Services It is important that you understand the ways in which we conduct business and the applicable laws and regulations that govern us. As a firm providing wealth management services to clients in the U.S., we are registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an investment advisor and a broker-dealer, offering both investment advisory and brokerage services. Though there are similarities among these services, the investment advisory programs and brokerage accounts we offer are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information, visit our website at ubs.com/guidetofees. ©UBS 2012. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. All rights reserved. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member SPIC. All other trademarks, registered trademarks, service marks and registered service marks are of their respective companies. UBS Financial Services and its affiliates do not provide legal or tax advice. Clients should consult with their legal and tax advisors regarding their personal circumstances.
UBS Financial Services Inc. 2012.

Dynamic Financial Markets. Responsive Solutions.
Rogers & Company’s Unique Adaptive Portfolio Management for High-Net-Worth Clients

Technology, globalization and “flash” market moves, combined, have changed the core structure of investing. So how does one confidently make financial choices in a chaotic and rapidly changing environment?
For many high-net-worth individuals and families around the world, the answer is found in the adaptive portfolio management approach pioneered by Rogers & Company

Wealth Management. A 30-year-old independent wealth advisory firm in St. Louis, MO, Rogers & Company has a heritage as a wealth management innovator. In fact, the firm’s president, Carol L. Rogers, MBA, CPWA, helped develop E.F. Hutton’s then revolutionary financial planning approach. With multigenerational client relationships, the firm carries on this tradition today in award-winning fashion.

“Investing has fundamentally changed,” observes Rogers. “Traditional approaches alone are no longer effective. Without additional strategies that adapt to evolving markets, risk and volatility may be higher while potential returns may potentially be decreased. Investors need to understand this.”

Rogers and her team always start by distilling complex facts and figures into straightforward, cohesive advice, using high-tech tools to simplify decision making. Clients benefit from a team approach that combines collective knowledge and seasoned experience with access to outside experts in key areas of financial planning and advanced wealth management.

Omar R. Qureshi, CIMA, CPWA, a partner in the firm, helps to design and manage custom client portfolios. Qureshi says the firm’s commitment to customization improves its ability to rapidly adapt to changing conditions in order to reduce risk or improve potential results. “Often, we’ve been able to turn volatility into opportunity, rather than viewing it as something to be avoided,” he says.
Idealistic Dreams Tested With Realistic Scenarios Every new client receives a comprehensive financial plan, including strategies and action steps that seek to bring the client’s goals and dreams to life.

“Instead of just assuming what a client’s assets might do over time based on historical averages, we stress-test every plan against thousands of possible variations of the future, including severe market crashes, with the goal of creating a plan that can realistically survive almost any contingency,” Qureshi says.

“At Rogers & Company, you provide the dreams,” Rogers says. “We’ll provide the confidence to pursue them.”

Three CityPlace Drive
Suite 550 St. Louis, MO 63141 314-983-9803
800-501-9633
www.rogersinvest.com

Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC, A Registered Investment Advisor.