Financial Architects - February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

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IS YOUR FINANCIAL STRATEGY A HOME RUN? Taking a Page From a Baseball Manager’s Playbook

I love baseball. I played baseball as a kid in Little League, in adult leagues, and coached my son when he played (I’ve even planted the baseball “bug” in my grandson!). Now I enjoy watching the game at the park (pre- COVID) or on TV. I love cheering the home runs or watching a great defensive play, but my favorite aspect of the game is the strategy involved. I’m an analytical person. In my 41-year banking career, I helped business owners identify the best financing solutions and strategies to grow their businesses. One of the highlights of my career was being a member of the Detroit Tigers Bank Group, which provided financial solutions for the team and the development of the Comerica Park property. During one of our meetings, we had the opportunity to meet (former) general manager Dave Dombrowski and learn his strategies for developing a winning team. He explained how great baseball teams must emphasize the art of defense and the ability to score runs. He also spoke to the importance of a manager who knows his players and can utilize their talents effectively. It was in this moment that my love for baseball and my passion for financial services merged. You see, a great financial strategy has more in common with our national pastime than you might think.

income-earning capabilities and existing assets first. I always strive to build this level of protection into a financial strategy. 2. Effective Talent Utilization (Savings): Baseball teams have their starting lineups, but their roster includes up to 26 players. The bench players have a key role. Sometimes starters get injured, or the manager inserts a pinch hitter in a clutch situation. Likewise, having those “reserves” on the bench in a savings plan is key. Setting aside funds and building your savings is crucial for emergencies as well as those “clutch” situations like investment opportunities. 3. A Killer Offense (Asset Allocation and Growth): In order to win games, you have to outscore your opponent. This requires great hitters who can hit the long ball or a bunt single when needed. In finance, that’s the equivalent of growing your wealth, utilizing all available tools, and tailoring a strategy to help “win” the game. At FAI, we help clients put together a strategy with the goal of winning now and through their retirement years.

I think about these parallels all the time when I work with clients here at FAI. This is a second career for me, but it’s always been a passion of mine. My goal is to help as many people as I can. I want to use the knowledge I have gained in banking to help individuals and business owners craft strategies that maximize their financial performance. Baseball and financial services have definite similarities. My son, Dan, is also a Financial Architect at FAI, but before that, he had a great baseball career at Albion College — I suppose an affinity for both finance and baseball runs in the family! I coached several of his baseball teams when he was growing up and spent many hours pitching batting practice. While the hat I wear as a financial “coach” looks different than those I wore as a baseball coach, the passion is still the same: to empower people with knowledge and watch them utilize it to achieve their goals, whether on the ball field or with their finances.

1. The Art of Defense (Protection): In

baseball, you have to play good defense to win. If the opposing team can’t get to first base, they can’t beat you! It’s the same in finance: A sound defense is critical in any financial strategy. It’s vital to protect your

– Brian Zech

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Get to Know ‘Emerson: The Mind on Fire’ EYE ON THE BALL

IT’S IN THE CARDS Why Valentine’s Day Is the Ultimate Card Holiday

This may be the first year in a long time that kids don’t pass out Valentine’s Day cards at school. Going in to the new year, the seasonal section of most stores is lined with cards featuring fun characters from superheroes to unicorns. Handing out cards is now a well-loved tradition, but have you ever wondered how Valentine’s Day became one of the biggest card-giving holidays of the year? Like many holiday traditions, the convention of handing out Valentine’s Day cards goes back centuries. During the 1700s, it became fashionable to trade Valentine’s Day cards with a short poem or verse. The popularity of swapping cards only increased throughout the 1800s. Sometimes, people would go as far as to paint or draw spring-like images on the cards. They were much more elaborate than what we typically see today, though they were still usually very small. But where did those folks get the idea? People of that era were likely inspired by stories that go back even further. There are legends that the originator of this holiday tradition was Saint Valentine himself. One story says that on the night before he was set to be executed, Valentine wrote a small letter to a jailer’s daughter. He ended the note with “Your Valentine.” It’s unknown whether that story is true, but to 18th century Europeans and Americans, it was inspiring! So inspiring, in fact, that the entire Valentine’s Day industry began to gain traction. A guidebook called “The Young Man’s Valentine” was published in 1797 to help suitors garner the attention of their love interests through the written word. Eventually, books aimed at women were also published, including “The Lady’s Own Valentine Writer,” which served much the same goal. These publications, along with young people writing notes to one another every February, have made Valentine’s Day cards an ingrained tradition, and now people can’t get enough of them!

My introduction to the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson was in a junior high English class. The poetic nature of his powerful essays really made an impact. As I read more of his works, I realized he was much more than just a literary figure. Emerson is one of the key figures in the history of American thought and society. Robert Richardson's biography, “Emerson: The Mind on Fire,” paints a fascinating picture of Emerson's life. For someone who often wrote of self-reliance and individualism, his humanity, friendships, and loyalty to others shines through. Behind the writings of an incredibly deep thinker is the story of a complex and appealing person who endured tragedy while maintaining his optimism. Even though he lived in the 19th century, his influence lives on. Many of his thought-provoking quotations appear frequently on social media and the internet. His love of life, nature, and knowledge continue to inspire. This is by far my favorite Emerson biography and is a great way to get to know one of the great American writers.

– Chris Ball

The information contained in this newsletter is derived from sources believed to be accurate. You should discuss any legal, tax, or financial matters with the appropriate professional. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Registered Representatives offer Securities through The O.N. Equity Sales Company, Member FINRA/SIPC (www.FINRA.org/ and www.SIPC.org). Investment Advisory Services offered through O.N. Investment Management Company and FAI Advisors, Inc., Financial Architects, Inc., FAI Advisors, Inc., and The LifeMethod are not subsidiaries or affiliates of The O.N. Equity Sales Company or O.N. Investment Management Company. We have representatives currently registered in the following states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TX, VA, WA, and WI.

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Take a Break

A Chat With a Client

Jeffrey and Lauren McMichael

HOW DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FINANCIAL ARCHITECTS, INC. COME ABOUT?

We have been friends with Matt Dery for several years, and when Matt started working at FAI, he knew we would be a good fit. Matt not only worked for FAI but had also been a client for almost a decade. He assured us we would be in the best of hands. At that point, we had been married for about five years and had two young boys. We needed to start saving for their college, save MORE for our retirement, and needed a will and trust planned. So, we met with Pat Marody, then Dan Zech. We are so grateful to Matt for introducing us. WHAT DO YOU BOTH DO PROFESSIONALLY AND HOW WAS THAT IMPACTED IN 2020? Lauren is a customer success manager at Dynatrace, a software intelligence platform, and Jeffrey is a senior tax manager at Cohen & Co, a nationally recognized public accounting firm. We were both full time in the office before the pandemic, so 2020 has been very different for us: a lot of change, but in some ways, for the better. We now have two desks in our living room, and over the summer, we were trying to juggle two kids while we worked. We are busier than ever, and we hope to continue to work in thriving, recession-proof industries. We know not everyone has had a great 2020. We hope with our future wealth we will be able to help others in our community who have not been as lucky. We have also stayed healthy and plan to continue to distance ourselves from others the best we can! YOUR TWO CHILDREN ARE HUGE LIGHTS IN YOUR LIVES. TELL US ABOUT YOUR BOYS AND WHAT LIFE IS LIKE AT HOME? Life is calm and serene. Just kidding! Our boys, Robert, 4, and Connor, 2, are both smart, spirited, and never tired! We have a loud and rambunctious home. We also have a 5-year-old golden retriever — so there is never a dull moment. Since we are now working from home full time, we have been blessed with an open day care/preschool. The boys spend five days a week at school, and the school has somehow managed to keep all the children and staff safe and healthy. We are so grateful for the school and for our daily routine! When we are all together, we love to watch Disney movies and PBS, learn new things (our boys know everything about dinosaurs), eat great food (we love pizza over here!), and play sports and games. Bobby played T-ball this summer, and we love running around outside. We also created our very own dinosaur board game, "Game of Bones." We stole that name from a show we watch, but the point of the game is to beat extinction. Everyone loses!

Solution on Page 4

BUTTER AND HERB BAKED OYSTERS

Legend has it that certain foods can get couples in the mood to tango, and oysters almost always make the list! That said, it can be intimidating to cook these tasty mollusks at home. If you’ve avoided attempting them in the past, this easy recipe is a great introduction.

INGREDIENTS • Rock salt or uncooked rice (to coat your baking sheet) • 1 dozen fresh oysters, scrubbed and shucked • 1 stick butter, softened and divided into 8 tbsp • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1 tsp lemon zest • Lemon wedges and chopped parsley for garnish •

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 2. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread out a layer of rock salt or uncooked rice. 3. Arrange oysters on the baking sheet, meat side up. 4. In a skillet over medium heat, melt half of the butter. Add breadcrumbs and sauté until brown. 5. In a small bowl, combine remaining butter, chives, lemon juice, and zest. 6. Top each oyster with a teaspoon of chive mixture and a sprinkle of sautéed breadcrumbs. 7. Bake for 8–10 minutes and serve garnished with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

Inspired by TheSpruceEats.com

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Inside This Issue 1 | Is Your Financial Strategy a Home Run?

2 | What’s the Deal With Valentine’s Day Cards?

2 | My Favorite Biography of Ralph Waldo Emerson

3 | A Chat With a Client

3 | Butter and Herb Baked Oysters

4 | Is Air Travel as Risky as You Think?

Is It Safe to Fly During the Pandemic?

Back in March, when the pandemic first started to affect our daily lives, the number of U.S. airlines’ international passengers fell by 53% from the previous year. In April, the difference was even more stark — a drop of around 96%. People didn’t trust that they would be safe from COVID-19 on airplanes, and why would they? Whether earned or not, airplanes have a reputation for being flying petri dishes. That said, flying may be safer than you think, even if there are still some risks. Here are some of the ways airlines are taking precautions to minimize those risks. USING HIGH-QUALITY AIR FILTRATION The air filtration systems on airplanes are built to stop respiratory viruses from spreading. Air quality experts recommend that air in confined spaces be replaced six times per hour. Filtration systems on planes replace the air around 20–30 times an hour. In practice, that means you risk catching COVID-19 only if someone who’s infected is sitting directly next to, in front of, or behind you. However, that doesn’t account for people moving about the cabin on flights, so take that into consideration.

open on flights. According to research from Arnold Barnett, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this does seem to reduce the number of passengers contracting COVID-19. Additionally, Barnett recommends that passengers try to get the window seat, since that’s where you’ll have the fewest points of contact with other passengers. It’s not quite 6 feet, but it’s better than nothing. PASSENGERS WEARING MASKS Most airlines mandate that passengers wear a mask during boarding and while flying, though some do allow passengers to take them off to eat and drink. Masks are still the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even on airplanes. Back at the beginning of the pandemic, a man who later tested positive for COVID-19 flew all the way from Wuhan to Toronto but wore a mask the whole time. No other passengers were infected. While the risks may be less severe than you thought, you should still exercise caution. Practice social distancing during the boarding and disembarking processes as best you can and keep up to date on any outbreaks at your destination. Just because things are safer than you thought doesn’t mean you should throw caution into the air filtration system.

BLOCKING THE MIDDLE SEAT Some airlines have tried to create social distancing between passengers by leaving the middle seat

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