Symposium Session Descriptions, October 2016 Planning for a Confident Retirement The nuts and bolts to consider as you plan and build towards the retirement years. The days of a company pension providing all you need for retirement is long gone. The current crop of tax deferred retirement plans such as 401k s and 457 s have the IRS waiting in the wing for its share. Learn about ways to stretch your retirement assets with a goal to last your lifetime and pass on the balance to your beneficiaries; potentially minimizing the tax liability. Understanding Social Security How to choose from the plethora of options available. Recent legislative changes have impacted how and when retirees should file and claim their Social Security pension. Learn how benefits are calculated, the most appropriate time for you to take the income, and how receiving benefits while working can impact your plan and your tax situation. Staying Calm When the Markets Go Wild Taking a thirty thousand foot view of the stock market. Brexit. China. Greece. Elections. How can we stay calm in a world of market chaos? This session will give you a long term view of the markets for your long term investments, plus you ll get a current market update that may ease some of your fears. Find out why most investors aren t as panicked as the news media may portray. Long Term Care Planning Options Protect your nest egg and possibly get your money back. Statistics show that a majority of us will need some kind of long term care services during our lifetime. This could be a severe drain on your retirement assets and legacy plans. Hear about options beyond traditional insurance that can help with the Long Term Care costs while potentially leaving your capital intact if you are fortunate enough not to need the care. Estate Planning How not to have the IRS as the main beneficiary of your estate.
Death and near death medical complications can have you wondering why you didn t have a plan in place years ago. There is no better time than the present to learn how to get the proper documentation in place before tough life situations happen. What about Variable Annuities? Getting the income you need while managing your tax liability. When pensions went away, annuities tried to fill the void, but the high costs and surrender periods for some of them caused concern. Learn about the new crop of options that have addressed these concerns, with some providing benefits and income guarantees that can help give financial confidence for retirement. ABC s of Alternative Investments Learn what institutions and high net worth investors have known for a long time. The stock market is volatile, yet it may be one of the best avenues for long term investment gain. To have investments that are less volatile usually means not participating in the stock market and giving up decent long term returns. Learn about a Business Development Company that may have the potential to provide income. Investing 101 Learn the basics of how stocks and bonds work, and how that relates to investing in the market. In this session, no investing question is a dumb one. We want you to be empowered with what you need to know what you re investing in. What is a stock? What is a bond? How do these relate to mutual funds and exchange traded funds? If you have these questions or other basic investing questions, this session will answer them, plus, you ll learn how the stock market actually works.
Symposium Bios, October 2016 Julia M. Carlson CEO & Wealth Advisor, Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group Julia has been practicing financial planning for more than 18 years and specializes in helping people who are either retired or close to retirement. Julia is recognized as being especially knowledgeable on topics relating to tax strategies for retirement and distribution planning. In 2008, Julia became a SmartVestor Pro (formerly Endorsed Local Provider) by nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Dave Ramsey. In addition to being a Woman's Choice Award Financial Advisor for 2014 2016, in 2014 Julia became an InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 honoree. Ryan Hurley, CIMA Regional Sales Director, FS 2 Capital Partners Ryan takes a consultative approach to his practice and endeavors to bring timely information regarding changes to policy, market, and economic conditions that may affect Financial Advisors and their clientele. Ryan started his financial services career 15 years ago and is a graduate from University of Oregon. In 2007, Ryan was awarded the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) designation. Sara Rasmussen Regional Vice President, Global Atlantic Financial Group With 14 years of experience in the financial services industry, Sara brings a wealth of knowledge to her business partners. She takes great pride in forging trusted partnerships and becoming their dependable go to to help meet their personal and professional goals. Sara lives by the philosophy that if you believe in what you do, you ll love your job. This is apparent in her passion, dedication and drive to get results for clients. Chandran Rajaratnam Vice President & Wealth Advisor, Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group Chandran has over 30 years of senior executive service in organizations throughout North America, including senior management positions at both Dell and IBM. Considered by peers to be highly principled with uncompromising integrity and leadership attributes, Chandran has a wealth of experience in Long Term Care, Medicare Gap and Life Insurance Planning.
Kawika Malama, MBA Regional Vice President, Prudential Annuities Kawika has over 9 years of experience in the financial services industry with a focus on investments and retirement. In just three years, he grew sales from $0 to $100 million within a single firm. Kawika comes from a blue collar family and an upbringing that inspires an insatiable work ethic and a desire to help people succeed. Kawika currently lives in Portland, Oregon with his family and serves clients through the Pacific Northwest. Stacey Mealer Estate Attorney Since 2002, Stacey has focused on estate planning and elder law. This includes trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, probate, trust administration, and Medicaid planning. Stacey also has expertise in business documentation and some levels of real estate. She completed her undergraduate work at Oregon State University and obtained her J.D. at University of Oregon. Michael Russell Regional Director, MFS Fund Distributors Michael began his career in the financial services industry in 1996. Now, as a director for MFS Fund Distributors, Inc., a subsidiary of MFS Investment Management (MFS ), Michael is responsible for mutual fund sales in the Pacific Northwest. Michael earned a bachelor s degree in finance from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Jason Harris, MBA Wealth Advisor, Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group With over 14 years of experience in financial systems, money management and being trained as a financial coach by Dave Ramsey s team, Jason is able to quickly understand and work with many of today s challenges within the financial industry. Jason is a graduate of Oregon State University and received his MBA in Finance from Walden University. Eric Backman Regional Account Development Manager, Protective Life
Eric has over 11 years of experience in the Financial Services industry; include the past 8 years with Protective Life. Eric partners with Financial Advisors to help individuals prepare for retirement. Currently residing in Portland, he is a graduate of Minnesota State University and a native of Bismarck, North Dakota. John Zessin Regional Vice President, Invesco John assists advisors throughout Oregon, Idaho and Eastern Washington. Prior to joining Invesco in 2012, John was a sales associate with BlackRock in New Jersey. John earned his BA in economics and Spanish from Villanova University. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the investment company carefully before investing. The prospectus and, if available, the summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company. You can obtain a prospectus and summary prospectus from your financial representative. Read carefully before investing. There is no guarantee that the Business Development Company (BDC) will achieve its investment objectives. Investing in private equity and private debt is subject to significant risks and may not be suitable for all investors. These risks may include limited operating history, uncertain distributions, inconsistent valuation of the portfolio, changing interest rates, leveraging of assets, reliance on the investment advisor, potential conflicts of interest, payment of substantial fees to the investment advisor and the dealer manager, potential illiquidity and liquidation at more or less than the original amount invested. Variable annuities are suitable for long term investing, such as retirement investing. Withdrawals prior to age 59½ may be subject to tax penalties and surrender charges may apply. Variable annuities are subject to market risk and may lose value. There is no assurance that the techniques and strategies discussed are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. The purchase of certain securities may be required to effect some of the strategies. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. Ryan Hurley, Sara Rasmussen, Kawika Malama, Stacey Mealer, Michael Russell, Eric Backman, and John Zessin are not affiliated with LPL Financial. Invesco, Protective Life, Prudential Annuities, FS2 Capital Partners, MFS, Global Atlantic Financial Group, Stacey Mealer, Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group and LPL Financial are all separate entities. Dave Ramsey s SmartVestor Pro is a directory of investment professionals. Neither Dave Ramsey nor SmartVestor are affiliates of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group or LPL. The Women s Choice Award by Women Certified Inc. is the premier recognition award for advisors who provide quality service to their female clients. The Award is based on 17 objective criteria associated with providing quality service to women clients such as credentials, experience and a favorable regulatory history. Financial advisors may have paid a basic program fee to cover the cost of comprehensive review and client survey.
The recipients of the 40 Under 40 Award are chosen by the editors of InvestmentNews from a pool of nominees based on the criteria of accomplishment, contribution, leadership and promise. Securities and Advisory Services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.