Financial Architects - September 2020

Financial Architects - September 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020

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A ‘HORSEY HOUSE CALL’ FOR JAMESON Hey there, readers! My name is Melissa Scheib. I’ve worked at Financial we found ways to help with the fight against leukemia. One of them is donating

to charities that help kids with cancer, including Camp Casey, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and Whip Pediatric Cancer. Jameson has benefited from a lot of those programs, including Camp Casey, which treated us to a “Horsey House Call” a while back. The nonprofit is all about giving sick kids experiences they’d otherwise miss out on and bringing them joy through things like horseback riding and camping. During the “Horsey House Call,” they actually brought a real, live horse to our home! Jameson got to invite a bunch of his friends over for pizza, and they learned how to feed and care for the horse and even took turns riding it. The experience was awesome for Jameson. It was crazy to see such a big horse in our little neighborhood! All of the neighbors came out on their porches to check it out. Jameson had the time of his life showing off the horse to his friends and my family, who stopped by to see the fun. In the last five years, Financial Architects has really stepped up to help Jameson and other kids fighting cancer. For a few years now, the firm has sponsored Camp Casey and the Passion for Life 5K & 5 Mile Run/Walk, which benefits the C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital. They even matched the donations given by Financial Architects Associates for my Light the Night Team this year, which is a walk that benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Architects for 22 years, following in the footsteps of my father, Ken Grace, who helped found the firm. I’m

stepping in to write the newsletter this month because Sept. 5 is the International Day of Charity, and over the years, the Financial Architects team has done quite a bit of giving back on behalf of my son, Jameson. Jameson is 10 years old and has been fighting a rare type of leukemia for about half of his life. Right now, he’s cancer free and doing very well, but he still has a few years of treatment to go. Our goal is to keep him in remission. He’s had four relapses in the past, so every day he feels healthy and well is a gift! I’m a single mom, and this journey has been tough on me and my 15-year-old daughter, Sydney. Thankfully, even when Jameson’s treatment was out of our hands,

More personally, the FAI team has always been really supportive and flexible with my schedule. I’m a financial officer, and way before COVID-19, I often worked remotely from home and even from the hospital when I needed to stay close to Jameson. Now, because of the pandemic, I’ve been working from home for months, and it has been really great for my family. Sydney and I are closer than ever, and I bought a small pool for our yard that Jameson has been splashing around in. This is the first time he’s been able to go swimming in three years, so we’re all enjoying it! It’s difficult to say what the future will bring, but thanks to my family, my coworkers, and my faith in God, I’ve made peace with it. If you have the means to give back right now, consider making a donation this month in honor of the International Day of Charity. This is a tough time for everyone, but I really believe that if we pull together and help each other, we’ll make it through.

Wishing you the best,

– Melissa Scheib

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A Chat With a Client Q&A With Janet Urban

STUDENT TECH SUCCESS Educational Tools to Improve Digital Learning

Kids these days face so many more distractions from academics than their parents did. It’s not as easy to focus on homework when TikTok, YouTube, and all sorts of video games beckon. Instead of trying to prevent screen time, why not allow students to engage with technology that will help promote their learning rather than distract from it? Here are three tools to help students at different age levels get the most from online learning. BEANSTALK While Beanstalk is an online learning tool, the beauty of it is that the classes and videos aim to pull kids “out of the screen to do real-world physical activities.” These include science experiments, building projects, and more. Experienced teachers provide engaging lessons and learning tools, and many of them are free. EDUHAM What better way to learn about the history of our nation than through one of the nation’s most popular musicals? “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda launched this learning platform in 2016 along with the show’s director and in partnership with The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. EduHam is a free digital program for students and their families that provides history lessons on the Founding Era of the United States. It also brings art into the mix — Miranda shows students how to create their own performance pieces based on primary source documents, which they can then share in the app. The program is geared toward students in sixth through 12th grade, though everyone is welcome to participate. FIVEABLE For high school students, the most looming challenges include the SAT and Advanced Placement (AP) exams that are so important for college. Enter Fiveable, the amazing free resource that houses thousands of livestreams, study guides, trivia games, and other resources for 15 AP subjects. Started by a former teacher, Fiveable is passionate about giving students the resources they'll need to be successful now and into the future. With so many resources out there, students can use technology in plenty of ways to help them be successful. Here’s to a fall season full of learning!

HOW WERE YOU INTRODUCED TO FINANCIAL ARCHITECTS, AND HOW HAS THAT RELATIONSHIP BLOSSOMED? My husband and I met Patrick Marody about 28 years ago through our insurance agent. We were impressed that he was interested in getting to know us, talking to us about growing our wealth, and telling us it was possible to make plans for financial security. Over the years, we would meet and update each other. Patrick became a good friend to us. When my husband died unexpectedly, it was Patrick who reassured me I was in good financial shape, and he introduced me to Dan Zech. Now I work with both of them and feel relieved my financial future is solid.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT COOKING IS A BIG PART OF YOUR LIFE. TELL US ABOUT THAT.

I come from a big Italian family, and everyone is a very good cook. My father taught me to cook at a young age, and I love the gratification that comes from serving a well-cooked meal to my family. I also enjoy expanding my culinary expertise, reading cookbooks, and sharing recipes with my friends. It's fortunate my father is still with me, at 90, and we share our love of food and cooking with each other to this day. 2020 CERTAINLY HAS BROUGHT ITS CHALLENGES WITH THE PANDEMIC. WHAT TYPES OF OTHER HOBBIES OR ACTIVITIES, OR EVEN TV SHOWS, HAVE YOU DISCOVERED? PBS and British television, dramas, and mysteries are a passion, so I was able to rewatch some of my favorites and discover new ones. We watched a lot of “The Incredible Dr. Pol,” a show about a veterinarian in Michigan. We worked on puzzles, making masks, and even did a class on Zoom with two of my friends where we made pretzels. My aunt gave me my grandmother's bread recipe and we baked bread. Reading was a good pastime, too. I just finished “The Narcissism of Small Differences” by Michael Zadoorian, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I've also started gardening, which mostly consists of pulling weeds at present, but it gets me outside and I feel productive.

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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INSIDE FINANCIAL ARCHITECTS

An Honor For FAI President

Financial Architects, Inc. is proud to announce that President and shareholder Christopher Cousins, ChFC®, RICP®, CAP®, recently earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation from the Exit Planning Institute after completing their intensive four-day executive MBA-style program. Chris joins an experienced group of business advisors who have received this designation and are a part of the Exit Planning Institute's international community of CEPAs. Chris comments, "As a lifelong

entrepreneur, second generation business owner, and past participant in a multiyear business exit strategy, I believe it is important to have positive impact on the many owners of businesses that will transition their companies between now and 2030. Financial Architects is equipped to help with those transitions, and this specialty certification will aid in that effort." Chris is helping to quarterback a new alliance with Absolute Succession, an exit planning organization, called Q5. This will involve FAI and The LifeMethod. Congratulations Chris!

Solution on Page 4

STUDENT LOAN DEBT? WE CAN HELP!

EASY STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

By Dan Zech

After repeatedly hearing things like, "I can't start planning for the future; I have too much student debt," I knew that student debt was something I would have to focus on if I wanted to be successful in helping my clients with their financial aspirations. Currently, 1 in 6 American adults and 1 in 3 under the age of 30 have student debt, and with the cost of college constantly increasing, many students graduate with six-figure debt and that's before adding a graduate degree. What's more, after seeing my wife, a physician assistant, struggle for hours on the phone to get any clear information regarding her loan repayment program, I knew that there was a huge opportunity to assist people who felt like they were in a helpless situation. With so many programs and repayment plans available to borrowers, I have found that many borrowers are enrolled in repayment plans that would cost them considerably more money over the life of their loans than was otherwise necessary. What's worse is that oftentimes, this is simply because they couldn't find clear information on their situation. To help, we take a borrower's student debt >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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