We re-launched our business as The Escarpment Advisory Group on January 1st, 2025.
The rationale for doing so was clear then, but the past few months has made it even clearer, as we have been reminded that one of the real reasons we did so was because of the elevated role we play in our clients' lives.
By this I mean working with people we truly care about, helping them through uncertainties, life events, stages and transitions. This deeper focus is so much better for clients than the once transactional planning and stock trading of the 1990’s client-advisor relationship.
Over the past few months, we have, unfortunately, had 10 clients pass away. This has not happened in my 28 years here. Given the relatively small number of clients we work with, this is an incredibly high number.
It has been emotional because we had the privilege of knowing these great people, in some cases, for nearly 28 years.
In a weird way, though, it has also been gratifying because these clients had solid estate plans, which was a direct result of them sharing their goals and highly personal information with us, often at a time of life when they were coming to terms with their own mortality.
Their family members (spouses, kids, executors) engaged us in the end-of-life stage, so we were able to look at proactive planning tactics that could be used to help make the estate process more straightforward, be more tax-efficient, etc. We were able to collaborate with the family and help at a difficult time.
Thankfully, we also have the pleasure and privilege of helping clients through more enjoyable life stages and events like re-thinking retirement, helping create monthly ‘allowances’ for clients when they retire, planning for kids' / grandkids' education, selling businesses, buying cottages and more.
It is this kind of planning that we enjoy and, please excuse the pat on the back, that we do really well. Get us involved! We want to help. We want to be that partner, that true guide, to see the full arc of your life, including the uncertainty, transitions, and aspirations that define it. And yes, even the not-so-fun-but-inevitable estate planning piece.
Our long-time clients know that we do not lead our relationships with product reviews or investment strategies. Those tend to be superficial, not to mention, uncontrollable. Instead, we lead with insight and context, speaking to clients about life stages, life events and long-range outcomes. We try to proactively guide clients through the unpredictability of real life, because sometimes life just happens.
And while this is much more enjoyable work for us (selfishly), in an era of AI-enabled self-education, we believe that our clients want us to truly understand them, not just their accounts.
Our valued clients want our help understanding what’s happening in the world and how it could affect them. They’re looking for us to initiate conversations rather than respond to questions.
There is a reason we have put out educational information and held webinars on things like care giving, estate planning, financial literacy and more. These are not the ‘best mutual fund or stocks to own for the next year’ kind of communications. We take the long view of our clients' lives, and that long view includes a whole bunch of inter-connected pieces. We, and our extended team of specialists, can help you through it.
At this time of year, while we all want to enjoy the summer heat, perhaps the slower pace provides a time to reflect on your own situation, and engage us in what matters to you. We just wanted to take a moment to remind you that we are here to help.
If you know someone—be it a friend, family member, or colleague—who could benefit from this kind of thoughtful, life-centered planning, we’d be happy to help them too. Kindly forward this to them and perhaps they will reach out.
322-1005 skyview drive
