What Does Independence Mean to You?

America's Independence Day celebrations will be taking place this weekend.  We wish you a wonderful and safe holiday!  Independence is a glorious thing.  I value my independence as a citizen and also as a financial professional.

Veritas (Latin for truth) is the name of the company I founded after many years of working in the financial industry. I had discovered, to my increasing discomfort, that much of what I and my fellow financial advisors were taught was not really the whole truth. I was urged to sell products that increased the brokerage company’s bottom line but were not necessary in the best interest of our clients. I was also encouraged to push the next “hot mutual fund” or “safe” or "guaranteed" product, and I was unknowingly promoting actions that increased the costs of investing for my clients.

Veritas is an RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) which means we are an independent firm. We have no affiliations that require us to watch a bank or brokerage company’s bottom line. This give us increased control over fees and costs—savings we can pass on to you.

What else makes us different? Here is a brief comparison of retail financial products, mutual funds and/or other actively-managed funds at traditional financial firms:

• High turnover rates (undisclosed fees)
• Market timing (speculating with your money)
• Stock picking (gambling with your money)
• Track-record investing (past performance has ZERO correlation with future performance!)
• Overlap (not true diversification, just lots of ’stuff”)

In contrast, the Free-Market Platform we use at Veritas is:

• Focused on appropriate asset allocation & true diversification
• Grounded in Nobel-prize-winning academic research
• Focused on efficient market return
• Has NO hidden costs

Our independent status means more efficient investing, no revenue sharing (kickbacks to favored companies), no “smoke & mirrors,” genuinely individualized financial coaching, and an opportunity to gain greater peace of mind.

We serve clients who are as serious about their investing as we are. Are you ready to make your financial future a priority? Call 920-893-5262 to find your how you can become a more successful investor.

Margaret Wittkopp
Veritas Owner and President
Investment Advisor Representative

A Day in the Life of a Financial Advisor

I recently heard Margaret Wittkopp laughing and subsequently found her viewing the hilarious video we are sharing with you today. I watched over her shoulder, and we laughed till we nearly cried. 

Put out a "Do Not Disturb" sign, sit back with your cup of coffee (or whatever) and watch. (Disclaimer: There is one naughty word toward the end.)



After we finished watching the video, Margaret said, "That video was so funny but the sad thing is that I have heard every one of those things. Just not usually all at one time."

So, did you see yourself anywhere?

Lies and Truths #6: Magazine Covers

This post continues our "Lies and Truths" series.  To see the other posts, click on the link "Lies andTruths" found both at the bottom of this post and in the sidebar under LABELS. 

Here is the next TRUTH:

No one ever prints a magazine cover with NEXT year's top performing funds.

Not even the fund companies or brokerage companies know what funds or stock are going to do well next year.  If they did, they wouldn't NEED hundreds of funds and fund managers.  Instead, they would have one predictably sound mutuall fund. They don't.  They hedge their bets.  They create new products for you. 

In reality, they have no idea what their so-called "experts" will produce.

Long Term Care: Why NOW May be the Time to Act

By Veritas Insurance Advisor Paulette Ruminski

Please take a minute of your valuable time to read this somewhat frank information about a very important topic.

Many of us put off thinking about Long Term Care (LTC). I know it’s not a particularly pleasant topic, and I would prefer to be talking about the beautiful summer months ahead or maybe the World Famous Walldogs coming to Plymouth in June! However, a delay in becoming informed about LTC could be a costly mistake, both short and long term. Why? Because the cost for LTC protection is based on both your age at the time of application (typically the younger you are, the lower the cost), and your health status. Unfortunately, many of us (even in our 50s) are finding that current health factors may not allow us to purchase LTC coverage.

As we go through life we face many risks: auto accidents, home fires, life threatening illness and even death. We usually protect ourselves, spouses, and families against these risks with insurance. Today, however, especially as we are living longer due to the benefits of enhanced medical technology, the overlooked risk is the risk of needing long- term care. In fact, did you know…

o   3 in 900 (.33%) = Odds of having a car accident

o   7 in 900 (.77%) = Odds of having a home fire

o   21 in 900 (2.3%) = Odds of being admitted to a critical care unit

o   630 in 900 (70%) = Odds of needing long term care

There also seems to be a false sense of security that Medicare and Medicare Supplements will cover our long term care needs. Take a look on page 4 when you receive Your Social Security Statement, the annual publication sent to all workers (or at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/). “Medicare does not pay for long-term care, so you may want to consider options for private insurance.”

The emphasis on plans today is not as much about a skilled nursing facility as it is to help you stay in your own home, pay you a guaranteed monthly benefit (regardless of expense), and even pay family or friends to care for you.

Would you like to learn more about your options, including 2011 tax deductibility advantages and your asset protection through the Wisconsin LTC Partnership Program? Please give me a call at 920-893-5262.  If you are in the Sheboygan County area, you may want to attend our one-hour educational seminar, June 16, 2011 at 12:00 noon a.m. (lunch) or 5:30 p.m. (dinner) at Mill Street Grill in Plymouth. Seating is limited, so we would appreciate a call to let us know you will be joining us.

Investor Education: What's In It For YOU?

At Veritas, one of our primary purposes is education. The more informed you are about how investing works, the less you will be swayed or distressed by the ups and downs of the stock market. If you stay fully invested, truly diversified, and maintain the proper asset allocation, you CAN withstand the fluctuations of the market—and may even profit from them.

Margaret and Jeremy, our financial coaches,  often talk to people who say  they are doing all right because their financial rate of return is about the same as everyone else's. While we understand the kind of malaise that can set in when things just seem overwhelming or unchangeable, now is NOT the time to be complacent. What you don’t know can hurt you, and what you do know can help you! If you take advantage of the many educational opportunities we provide, you can become a more informed investor—and most importantly—you can gain true peace of mind about investing! 

Each month we offer another class from our Investor Education Series along with a complmentary lunch or dinner at the Mill Street Grill, Plymouth's newest restaurant. Most classes last about an hour or so. One hour out of a month to gain genuine understanding and peace of mind is worth making time for—don’t you think? We do too, and that is why we will keep finding ways to help you be a wiser, more confident investor.

Click on the "Learning Opportunities" tab in our blog header to see a list of classes offered in 2011.

Call us at 920-893-5262, or enail Dorcas at dorcas.george@veritasinvesting.com or Cathy at cathy.knuth@veritasinvesting.com and we will be happy to send you a reminder postcard when new classes are coming up. 

We are also happy to provide complimentary workshops for your group, workplace, or other gathering and can offer classes designed for financial novices to seasoned investors (what you don't know can be surprising), for couples, and for high school or college-age groups.  Just give us a call to explore options.