Most of our clients know by now that my wife, Nicolette, has been experiencing a health crisis over the last two years. It involves significant pain management and frequent resting. This has affected nearly every aspect of our home life including child-care, home projects, gardening, chores, social life, etc.

In order to lessen our workloads at home Nicolette and I started brainstorming ways for us to reduce the time and effort we have to devote to chores like yard work, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. It started with hiring a gardener and a monthly house cleaner. Then we increased house cleaning to twice per month. As Nicolette’s health continued to decline, it became even harder to keep up and there was one other problem to contend with: my pride.

I really don’t like asking for help, and I know I’m not alone in that. There’s something in me that takes great pride in being independent (financially and otherwise). This is something I recognize in many clients especially those deep into retirement. Aging is no picnic! It can be fraught with challenges both physically and mentally! It can also affect spouses and adult children in similar ways, so I know it’s quite difficult to admit that you need help.

If this strikes a chord with you, I have some concepts that I have gotten comfortable with that have helped me swallow my pride and welcome the support we needed.

As Nicolette’s condition persisted and occasionally worsened I began to lose count of the number of people that have sincerely offered to make my family dinner or watch my kids. It was a wide range of people too. There were friends, family, clients, neighbors, randoms from swim class, networking partners, and more. We even got multiple surprise gifts from unexpected sources.

Deep into my wife’s healthcare woes I got quite a shock when one of my neighbors seemed offended that we had not called on them to help after Nicolette’s surgery. My mindset started to shift. As my dad put it to me, “by remaining prideful and refusing help you are denying others the gratification of helping a loved one.” Nearly 15 years working together he still has wisdom left in impart. As much as it hurts my pride that my mom is still sometimes washing and folding my underwear (yikes!), I’d nominate her for sainthood if I could. I know that it brings my mom at least some joy knowing that she gets to be there for her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters. If moving aside my need to feel independent can bring her some fulfillment then it is always worth it.

When it comes to your finances, there are all sorts of people that want to help. Maybe it’s a son or daughter that is willing to step in as power of attorney or trustee on your behalf. Maybe it’s a pair of good-looking financial advisors in the Mission Viejo branch of Stifel.

There’s no shame in paying for the help you need when you can afford it. Let’s say you have bad knees. Do you need to be up on a ladder to install the new ceiling fan? How about getting down on the ground to scrub the bathtub? If your financial advisor (hopefully us) says that you can afford to spend some extra money each month, then take advantage of that by hiring people like a handyman or a cleaning service.

Personal finance can often pit qualitative against quantitative. In other words, do the numbers support desire and comfort? When the math checks out and the quantitative can support the qualitative, then it might be time to whip out the checkbook and start getting some professional support.

Our clients have very likely heard our core value: life is about experiences and relationships. Our team frequently encourages distributions out of Stifel accounts for the purposes of pure fun let alone meaningful support for those that need it.

Another time we see people get overwhelmed is when they are looking for assisted living facilities or home care for their parent. A family can be quickly overwhelmed during these times. They’re worried about the health and financial stability of the parent while likely in a big-time crunch. You might have us help on the financial side, but you often don’t have the time to research, interview, and visit with every facility. If this is ever you, please call us. There are multiple people we trust that are in the business of helping families make these decisions in a timely manner.

Throughout all of this it would be easy to feel bitter and resentful that I need the help. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t felt that way at times as well as a wide range of other emotions. I have seen the same type of wide emotional spectrum when it comes to aging.

My parents taught me that attitude is a choice. When they taught me this I was a teenager that absolutely disagreed, but I grew to realize they were right. Choosing to be truly grateful for the help so many have provided has allowed me to continue to be there for my wife and kids the way they need me to be.

Our team is incredibly grateful for those of you that have trusted us to manage your wealth or be a resource to your clients, friends, and family. As the saying goes, “it takes a village.” Thank you for letting us be a part of yours! For those of you that have never met with us, our doors will always remain open.

More than 25 years ago, Sir John Templeton outlined his “16 Rules for Investment Success,” a set of principles that continues to resonate in today’s complex and fast-moving markets. I recently came across a copy and took the time to reread it. Boy, am I glad I did.

While some of his ideas may appear overly simple at first glance, their enduring value lies precisely in that simplicity. The challenge is not understanding them – it is consistently putting them into practice.

Templeton represents the foundation of our philosophy of the “Successful Investor Mindset.” His philosophy aligns closely with two guiding principles that remain central to our approach today: logic over emotion and structure over prediction. In a world increasingly driven by short-term noise, speculation, and trend-chasing, these principles serve as a steady anchor. Successful investing is not about predicting the next market move or chasing the latest fad. Rather, it requires discipline, consistency, and patience.

Fads will always come and go, but sound principles endure. That is why there is tremendous value in learning from those who have come before us – individuals like Sir John who navigated multiple market cycles and emerged with timeless wisdom. Their experiences provide a roadmap for avoiding common pitfalls and staying grounded when uncertainty arises.

As Noah stated, we are grateful for the relationships we have built, and we remain committed to earning your continued trust through diligence and integrity. If you are interested in exploring Templeton’s rules more deeply, I would welcome the opportunity to connect. Call me and let’s have a real conversation! My favorite, for what it’s worth, is Rule No. 12: Begin with a prayer. In investing, as in life, I’ll take all the help I can get.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal invested.