What Did 2009 Teach Us?

Financial Coach, Margaret Wittkopp
This is what Emma Johnson of MSN had to say in a December 28 column.

DOW 36,000? So Much for Predictions!

A decade ago, some stock market soothsayers forecast that the 2000's would bring staggering gains. Even more staggering now is how wrong they were. These people owe us, right? The analysts, the pundits, the experts. Every year they look into their crystal balls and tell us how to invest, whet to invest, what to expect, and what the future looks like. Sometimes we listen to them. Yet, much of the time, it's all stunningly wrong.

We couldn't have said it better ourselves! Here is what Margaret Wittkopp had to say in our quarterly newsletter.

As the year began we continued to experience the greatest continuous bear market (a decline that began in 2007) since the Great Depression. A turning point was finally reached on March 9, 2009.

We learned there will likely be no “quick fix” for our economy. And I found out that our investing philosophy works!

• Market timing does not work!
• Stock picking does not work!
• Track-record investing does not work!

The financial industry talks a good game about Modern Portfolio Theory and the value of being diversified, but how do they apply it? Sadly, most of the time it is “business as usual,” and the emphasis remains on actively-managed funds. That works well for brokerage companies. Remember the big bonuses to CEOs? It doesn’t work so well for the individual investor.

A strategy of waiting out the market doesn’t work so well either. The road to the bull market is littered with the bodies of those who waited for just the right buying opportunity or just the right prognosticator. It was just about a year ago that Bernie Madoff admitted to his multi-year Ponzi scheme.

Sometimes we are more comfortable with our long-held illusions than with TRUTH. Remember when everyone believed the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around the earth?

So what does work? Our approach remains the same. Be fully invested at all times, with the right asset allocation and risk tolerance, and you can receive market rate of return over time. If you have long-term goals you won’t likely be hurt as much as the investor who sits with cash while the market rebounds well over 50% (as it has done since March 9th). Proper asset allocation and a truly diversified portfolio can tolerate (even profit from) fluctuations in the stock market.

How does your portfolio compare to the market as a whole? Would you like to find out? Call us for an individual Free Market Investment Analysis (FMIA). Make 2010 the year you gain peace of mind about investing!

If you would like to receive our newsletter, just let us know. Email Dorcas at dorcas.george@veritasinvesting.com to join others who want to learn the truth about investing.

Learning More About Money

Do you know all you need to know about money, financial managment, and wise investing?

In 2010, Veritas will continue to offer our Investor Education classes. Here is the schedule for next quarter:

Tuesday, January 19 -- Examining Your Expectations

Thursday, March 18 -- Myths and Truths of Investing

Tuesday, April 20 -- Defeating Your Financial Demons

Each of these classes is offered at THREE different times so that more of you can take advantage of these opportunities to increase your financial/investing know-how.

They are held at 506 E. Mill St., Plymouth, Wisconsin, Suite 101.

Veritas Financial Services also offers a wide array of financial workshops for your church group, workplace, etc. Find out more at our main website.

Last fall Margaret and Jeremy taught a seried of seven financial classes to Sheboygan County employees, and we are excited to be able to do this again soon. We will post details when the class schedule is finalized.

Jeremy also recently completed his first semester of teaching Economics at Fox Valley Techinal College in Appleton, Wisconsin. Some of the comments he received included:

"I learned a lot in your class."

"Thanks for everything you taught me, and I really enjoyed your class."

"Thank you for a wonderful class."

Good job, Jeremy! He will be teaching again next semester, so look for him if you are a student at Fox Valley Tech.

We are committed to your financial wisdom!

Jeremy Goes Fishing

An avid outdoorsman, Jeremy Burri enjoys ice fishing. Margaret, Cathy and Dorcas tend to question his sanity, but Jeremy is far from the only citizen of the Snow Belt states to enjoy sitting by a hole drilled into an ice-covered lake, at least when the fish are biting.

Along with anlers from New England to the Dakotas, Jeremy and his fishing partner, Nick, recently travelled to the “north woods” of Wisconsin, the broad belt of heavily forested land that is found in the northern part of The Badger State. They were entered in the NAIFC, the North American Ice Fishing Championship, held on Boom Lake in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Jeremy has participated in ice fishing tournaments, but this was his first time to make it to the championship round.

They caught ten fish over the two-day championship, and their biggest fish weighed in at just under a half pound, which made them number 25 out of 72 teams. The fish were “not cooperative” and it was difficult fishing according to Jeremy, who says that on a really fun fishing day he might catch thirty fish in an hour.

Jeremy is happy not to be one of the sixteen teams whose score registered zero!

Congratulations, Jeremy, on making it to the championship level, and we wish you cooperative fish and easier angling next year!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

TAX TIME!

At the beginning of each year, patriotic Americans across the country do their duty and settle affairs with our Uncle Sam. This year will be no exception.

As you look back at 2009’s experience, is there anything you would change? If someone prepared your taxes for you, did it take too long for your return to be completed? Did the price seem too high? Or if you did your own taxes, were you frustrated by the process or by how long it took to receive your return?

If you were unhappy with last year’s experience, please consider Veritas Financial Services for this tax season. We promise prompt service, fair pricing, and quality work. We can also help you with business start-up and other IRS issues.

If you have any questions please e-mail me at jburri@veritasinvesting.com or call us at 920 (or 888 if you are out of the area) 893-5262.

Here They Are: The [Dirty,Filthy] Lies My Broker Taught Me - #3

As Mark Mattson told us here, sometimes these lies were known to be lies, and sometimes they were unintentional because your advisor just passed on what he or she had been taught.

But even an unknown lie is still--a lie!

Here they are:

1. Stock picking works. We know which stocks you should own to get above average returns.

2. Timing the market works. We have experts who can accurately predict market movements.

3. Our research works. If you trust us and buy and sell based on our analysis, you will beat the market.

4. Track-record investing works. We have expert money managers who, based on past performance, have a better-then-average chance of beating the market going forward.

5. Commissions work. We always put your best interest first. We work for you.

6. We know what is likely to happen next, and you can use that to beat the market.

7. Markets don't work. We know what the correct price of a stock or bond should be, and we can buy mispriced stocks so you can make a big profit.

A few more Mark Mattson quotes from the book before we move on to the TRUTH:

In the first three years of the new millineum, investors lost over 7 trillion dollars in the U.S. Market. This represented real money...entrusted to...brokers and financial consultants. This is money...needed to fulfill life dreams of retirement and financial security.

The media panders to the public with magazine covers that titillate and tantalize the human psyche with a voyeuristic rush. With little or no regard...they hook into the human instincts of fear and greed...These...abuses are paraded in front of the investor as reliable analysis and advice.

The drivel that Wall Street so profusely spews at the retail investor creates the...illusion that if you study their research you will receive superior returns. The problems and secrets that large broker-dealers have fought...to hide are coming to light. The financial community's reputation has been greatly tarnished by scandals, abuses and conflicts of interest.

Whew! No need to ask Mark to tell us how he really feels. Remember, Mark Mattson, like Veritas owner, Margaret Wittkopp, saw many of these abuses first hand. They both established independent firms as a result. As Margaret recently told me, "I had to find a different way or leave the industry altogether."

More next time...

Making the Transition From Financial Planner to Coach

When I first met Margaret Wittkopp, Veritas' owner, I knew that she had worked in the financial industry as a financial advisor/planner for years. I soon discovered that she had been employed by a well-known brokerage firm that has offices all over the USA and overseas as well. You would know the name right away, and you might also be able to direct me to a location near you.

Soon after coming to Veritas I learned that we are aligned with Symmetry and Mark Mattson's Abundance Technologies, and I knew that this had been a big transition for Margaret and for Veritas.

What I did not understand was what changed a successful financial planner into a champion for TRUTH (Veritas), a crusader if you will, for change, education, and a more efficient way to invest. Margaret could have remained where she was and done quite well for herself. Instead, she has taken risks to do things in a very different manner.

If you are following along in our series you already know that it is not "investing as usual" at Veritas. Would you like to hear more about what happened to Margaret? Check out this ten minute video, an interview with Mark Mattson, where Margaret reveals that what turned her in a different direction was discovering the hidden costs she was unknowingly passing on to her clients.

If you are thinking, "Ten minutes? Too long..." think about how important money is to our lives and our futures!



So do you know the hidden costs in your portfolio? Do you know how to find out? (Hint: your financial advisor probably doesn't know and can't tell you.)

I recently saw an FMIA (the "Free Market Investment Analysis" that Margaret speaks about in the video) for a couple who are modestly invested in the Market. Margaret was able to show them how they can save nearly $100,000 in costs over the next ten years!

Are you ready to explore a different way?

Call us toll-free at 888-893-5262, or email Margaret at margaret.wittkopp@veritasinvesting.com to find out how you can request an analysis of your current portfolio, including your actual costs.

Holiday Open House Photos

Cathy greets the guets.

So does Margaret's cardboard twin!

Luncheon guests

Jeremy talks about the importance of an investment philisophy.

Santa arrives and Penny tells him what she wants for Christmas.

Margaret warns us about hidden fees in many portfolios.

Dorcas says that Santa certainly looks familiar...

Ho Ho Ho...see you next year!

Margaret Wields Her Sword, "D.R.A.G.O.N.S. Slayer"

Margaret recently won an award for slaying D.R.A.G.O.N.S. (Dirty Rotten Advisors Going on Nothing but Scams, Schemes and Sales Stories). In this short video she ponders what it is that makes us vulnerable to questionable sales practices or outright scams.

Lies & Truths - #2

With this post we began a series from the book, "The Lies My Broker Taught Me and 101 Truths About Money and Investing" (pictured next to the Veritas piggy bank).

In an introduction, Mark Matson has this to say.

This is an insider’s look at the industry. As representatives of a large brokerage firm, we were fed a steady diet of…investing lies. Most of these lies were subtly implied, NOT loudly proclaimed or put down in writing. Most of them were lies of omission. The underlying message was that by using brilliant and knowledgeable experts and money managers, it was not only possible, but likely, that you would consistently and predictably pick the best stocks and time the Market.

This was taught to us in countless seminars, presentations, brochures, conventions, mutual fund pitches, conference calls, keynote speakers, books, magazines, and industry articles. The industry propaganda brainwashed us to believe really smart experts could, over time, make investors rich.

The truth is…you don’t have to believe any of the lies we believed to be a successful investor.
Do we have you wondering just what those lies are? We will share all seven lies in the next installment of this series.

The REALLY Bad Hair Day: Why Sometimes a Person Needs a Professional

These are difficult financial times for many of us. Have you cut corners by doing something yourself instead of calling an expert? Have you, for example, attempted to fix the plumbing, replace a car engine, had a friend cut your hair...or? Sometimes that can be a sensible thing to do, but some things call for some expert assistance.

Dorcas recently had such an experience. She purchased a name-brand hair dye product and prepared to lighten her hair a shade or two. She figured it would turn out fine since it was the same brand, and even the same shade, that Cathy (our office manager) uses. And, Dorcas reasoned, she is no stranger to hair dye.

Imagine her shock and dismay when, instead of blond, her do-it-yourself dye job resulted in a shiny purple!

Margaret kindly suggested a visit to her excellent hair stylist, Keisha, from The Entourage in Sheboygan. She even gave Dorcas the morning off to get her hair back to something relatively normal. Perhaps Margaret thought Dorcas' mishap might scare away our clients.

Keisha took one look and calmly and confidently went to work.

Whew! All finished. No more purple hair!

The point of this story is simple. Sometimes doing something yourself is fine. But sometimes the most important things in life do call for some expert advice and attention.

Are you considering getting in, or out, of the Stock Market? Wondering if an particular investment is right for you? Wondering if your retirement funds are sufficient? Questioning the advice of your broker?

Our financial coaches would be happy to arrange a no-cost, no-obligation appointment with you. They can take you through a step-by-step process which will help you identify and clarify your situation and your personal financial goals. Then you can choose whether to have Margaret or Jeremy customize appropriate strategies for a sound financial program designed just for you.

The choice, of course, is up to you. Just remember, some things (like purple hair) may be fairly easy to fix. Other things are more significant and long-lasting.

What is more important than peace of mind and a sound financial future?

Is it time to talk to a professional?

The Lies My Broker Taught Me & 101 Truths About Money & Investing - #1

The book in the picture is authored by Mark Matson and the preface is written by Veritas' owner, Margaret Wittkopp. Here is a little of what Margaret, who grew up on a rural Wisconsin farm, has to say :
Farming has a lot of lessons that relate to sound investing...[one lesson] I learned from the strawberry patch was...don't spend everything you make.  It was tempting, but it was important not to eat all the berries I picked.  If I ate all the berries, I would have nothing left to sell...and I'd get sores in my mouth and a tummy ache.
Margaret relates her childhood experience in the family strawberry patch to these lessons as well:

• Preparation and knowledge are essential to good results.
• Patience
• It takes hard work and sacrifice to get ahead.
• Ownership gives the most profit.
• The amazing truth of savings accumulation.
• Generosity begets wealth.
• Saving is important.
• Diversification makes a difference to the total return.

In the next few posts we will share some common misconceptions about Wall street and your finances, and then we will follow up with some truths that are essential to sound investing. No, we probably won't share all 101--but who knows?

If you would like to read how Margaret learned about prudent investing by picking and selling strawberries, or if you would like to read all the lies and truths, contact us to purchase your personal copy of the book.

Even better, contact us to find out how to get your FREE copy.  Email Margaret at margaret.wittkopp@veritasinvesting.com or call us at 920-893-5262. Meanwhile, come back to learn about some of the lies many of us have believed.

Holiday Open House

Veritas Financial Services, LLC

Friday December 4, 2009

12:00-6:00 pm at

506 E Mill Street
Suite 101
Plymouth, WI

Come and join us for lunch or a treat at your convenience. You are welcome to bring friends to join in the celebration of the season. We will be having special presentations throughout the day.

12:00 pm Luncheon provided

12-1:00 pm Cookie Exchange

Bakers—Bring your favorite cookie or bar and exchange for others

Live presentations:

1:00-2:00: Separating the Myths & Truths of Investing

2:00-3:00: Choosing Your Investment Philosophy

4:00-5:00: Examining Your Expectations

5:00-6:00: TALK TURKEY-Conversations with the coaches (open forum)

4:00-5:00 St. Nick

Visit with St. Nick and bring your children or grandchildren to celebrate in the spirit of giving and abundance.

Find Out: “How Smart Money Invests”
(DVD presentations available all day).

RSVP’s not required but appreciated

920-893-5262 or 888-893-5262 or email: Cathy.knuth@veritasinvesting.com