Bonnie

I’m here for you…if you have a change of address, name change, need an appointment or an update to your beneficiaries please contact me and I can process these for you.
519-332-5050 x 111
b.mcphail@holliwealth.com

Cheering each other on

‘The best kind of friendships are fierce lady friendships where you aggressively believe in each other, defend each other, and think the other deserves the world.’

‘I wish that more women realized that helping another woman win, cheering her on, praying for her, or sharing a resource with her does not take away from the blessings coming to them. In fact, the more you give, the more you receive. Empowering women doesn’t come from selfishness but rather from selflessness’ – Selene Kinder

‘The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all, be humble’ – Serena Williams

Our team is made up of brave and capable women. Yes, we are kind and caring and thoughtful. But don’t let that fool you, we are smart and strong and fierce. We also take joy in lifting others up. In a world that feels a little crazy let’s all remember to reach out and lift others up. Be anything you want, but most importantly be kind!

-Jodi

Michelle

I’m Jodi’s Executive ASSISTANT and I love my job! And no, she didn’t pay me to say that 😊

I have been in this business for 20 years and with Jodi at Financial by Design for over 10 of them.
I wear many hats in our office and am usually your first point of Contact. Part of my role is to manage our team and make sure everyone’s day is kept on track. I also enter most of our investment trades and work hard, double and triple checking each item to ensure there are no issues. I want to make sure that each client gets the best service possible and I work with intentional effort to make sure our client’s plans stay on track.

I love helping our clients and can answer most of the questions that come up in a day. Basically, contact me first and if I don’t have an answer, I will work hard to get you one. Our clients can feel that we are always working in their best interest and are amazed at how much we care About them. I often hear “thanks for going above and beyond” which is what SEPARATES our team from the service AVAILABLE at other institutions.

It’s about the customization and personal touch that we can provide.

Together our team offers guidance on investments and insurance, basically all things money.
Our real goal is helping our clients plan for, and live out, the LIFESTYLES they dream about.
I work hard everyday and I love my job, because I love our clients and I love seeing them happy and successful!

-Michelle

Merry Christmas

---

It’s the season to be jolly!

---

Jodi Bonnie and Michelle

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐬

---

Lessons Learned in Covid

What Covid has taught us is that anything, literally ANY. THING. can happen. Many people have lost their jobs or were forced to shut down their business. Even clients with typically safe incomes like doctors, dentists, chiropractors and business owners were unable to go to work or forced to pivot their work plans. Many people had lots of credit but little or not enough income to make their monthly payments. Tie that in with a falling stock market, it was/is a very difficult time financially for many.

Here’s some lessons to take away:

𝟏. For years we’ve heard about and known we should have an emergency fund however with lots of access to credit and having a steady income many thought that this was an old, out of date idea.
So a massive take away is to build up your emergency fund and keep it in a safe place. Start saving at least 3 to 6 months of your expenses and keep it in a safe spot like a high interest savings account so it’s there when you need it.

𝟐. Figure out your budget and know your expenses. Get familiar with what’s going out each month so you’ll know how you can quickly cut back if the unexpected happens.

𝟑. Review your investment portfolio each year. Super important to make sure you know what you are holding and how much risk/stock is on the table, so you can survive stock market volatility more comfortably.

𝟒. Have cash available for short term purchases. Investments in the stock market require a long time frame. For your short-term needs don’t underestimate the value of having cash.

𝟓. Always have a few extra rolls of toilet paper and paper towel on hand 😉

𝟔. Keep yourself as healthy as possible - make yourself a priority by exercising and eating healthy.

𝟕. Once the world is back to normal don’t put off celebrating. Make sure you take that trip and see your people. You’ll never regret that decision!

-Jodi

Spread some kindness today

---

Pizza lunch to say thank you…

Administrative Professionals Day

---

A Gift of Kindness

What’s the easiest way to save for a down payment on a home?

Part Two- How do I save for a down payment on a home?

Here’s my suggestion – What’s your mortgage payment going to be?

Lets’ say it’s 1,7500/month for a 350,000 house.  Start saving that amount every month NOW.  You’ll be able to see if you can really afford the mortgage payment.  You see the bank would love to lend you more money to buy that bigger house because they make more money by doing that. To them it’s just a formula on a paper.   But can you afford it and live in your current comfy way??  Everyone has a different lifestyle however we all know someone who is house poor and that is NO fun at all.  I’ve seen good marriages fail because there was no fun being had due to a huge mortgage payment.  What’s worse it’s over many years – hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel.  What use is that big house if there’s no one to share it with??

If you start saving that monthly mortgage payment now and keep doing it each and every month, with no exceptions (because the bank won’t let you away with not paying it each month). Then in less then 2 years you’ll have a 10% down payment.  Save for just over 3 years and you’ll have a 20% down payment.

 If your income won’t support the whole mortgage payment because you’re currently paying rent then save the difference between what your new mortgage payment would be and what your current rent is.

Using the above example and say your rent is 800/ month..1,750 – 800 = 950.  Pay your rent each month but also save $950 each and every month for your down payment.  You will have close to 5% down in 18 months and in 3 years you’ll have over 10% down. 

Remember you can’t take a month off if you’re going to Cancun because the bank wouldn’t let you away with that.  You can’t let yourself away with that either.

 Smart money means being disciplined even though it’s hard sometimes.

More importantly you’ll know how it feels to be tied into your mortgage payment so you’ll know if your dream home can comfortably fit into your lifestyle plan.

-Jodi

Bonnie-Part of our Team

Michelle- Part of our Team

Tis The Christmas Season!

Our Annual Office Christmas Pot Luck and Games.    

Oh what fun we had!! We wore our Ugly Christmas attire and enjoyed great company with good food. Afterwards we played some fun games including Michelle's annual Amazing race/ Scavenger hunt which kept us moving and helped work off all the yummy food.

We would like to wish you a Happy Holiday Season. We hope you enjoy some good food with family and get some time to relax. 

Merry Christmas from Jodi, Bonnie and Michelle

Client Appreciation Shred Day

This year we offered a shredding service as a Client Appreciaton.  THANK YOU to all our clients who brought in their shredding, we may have to do this again next year!

Michelle Currie

Our Top Team

My team - well, what can I say about Michelle and Bonnie?  They make my work life easier and our office a much more fun place to work in each day.  These girls are the best - they have big hearts, are really fun, and truly care about you as much as I do. I know that because of the way I see them do their jobs each day.

I’ve seen Michelle perform miracles for our clients and go to endless lengths, to the point where most people would simply give up.  Bonnie supports us both in ways I can't even explain - she just makes it easier - and that's a huge plus.

We’re a great team - we get things done and have fun at the same time - always remembering that it’s peoples' lives we're dealing with - and that’s what brings us joy.

Jodi