Last weekend, our friend Tom, an experienced hunter, shot a deer with his cross bow from his stand on our property in northern Wisconsin. With a light snow falling, Tom left his stand, tracked the deer a ways, found and began field dressing the animal. A noise caught his attention and he looked up. Just to his left, a large bobcat stood ready to pounce. Tom stood and made himself large, and the bobcat ran away. But, what turned out to be a cool hunting story could have had more dire consequences. It’s important to consider your surroundings when moving through the woods. Not understanding the full picture can unnecessarily land you in a dangerous position. It’s the same with finances. An advisor has to consider your whole landscape – age, income, budget, life expectancy, marital status, risk tolerance – when addressing each element of a retirement plan.  Danger lurks in the woods. Will your money last your life? Will an unexpected health crisis drain your finances?  Can you maintain control over your healthcare decisions? Do you understand your policy’s fine print? In order to provide the best answers to these questions, and to solve some of the issues they raise, a registered investment advisor has a fiduciary responsibility to review your financial documents, to clear the woods of any visible threats. Your retirement plan should be tailored to your current and anticipated needs. The good news is resources are available to do this. For instance, there are a lot of options to pay for long-term care – traditional long term care policies, annuity hybrid policies, life insurance with LTC riders, self-funding and more. These opportunities are all available for you, but it’s important to get a clear look at your financial picture to choose the most appropriate one. November marks deer hunting season in Wisconsin, and it is also Long Term Care Awareness month.  If you have any concerns… | Read More »