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Am I Going to Be Okay? | Dee Costa on Loss, Financial Planning & Protecting Your Legacy
19 Plays18 days ago
- In this deeply emotional and insightful episode of The Future of Finance, host Marissa Wood sits down with industry veteran and business coach Dee Costa. With 40+ years in financial services and personal experiences with profound loss, Dee shares why financial planning is about more than numbers—it's about love, protection, and peace of mind.
💔 Hear the story of how sudden tragedy shaped Dee's mission to help others.
💡 Learn why proper planning can change lives—not just financially, but emotionally too.
✅ Discover actionable steps to protect your loved ones with life insurance, estate planning, and long-term care strategies.
⏱ Timestamps:
0:00 – Welcome & Episode Overview
1:00 – The Pink Slip That Changed Everything
2:45 – The Phone Call: “Your Father is Gone”
4:15 – “Am I Going to Be Okay?” – The Question That Sparked a Mission
5:10 – The Financial Fallout of Losing a Spouse
6:45 – Dee’s Husband’s Passing & The Power of Preparation
9:00 – Why Women Need to Plan for Financial Independence
10:30 – The Emotional & Financial Toll of Loss
12:00 – Living Too Long: Planning for Long-Term Care
13:45 – Social Security: What You Might Not Realize
15:00 – Life Insurance & Annuities: Real Protection Stories
17:00 – A Young Widow’s Story: Why Planning Matters
21:00 – Estate Planning Essentials: It’s Not Just for the Wealthy
23:00 – Get Your House in Order—Out of Love, Not Fear
26:00 – Why Both Spouses Must Be Involved in Financial Planning
28:00 – First Steps: How to Start Planning with a Financial Advisor
30:00 – Final Words of Encouragement: It’s Never Too Early to Start
🔗 Ready to take the first step?
Visit https://union-financial.com to schedule a free consultation.
💬 If this episode moved you or gave you a new perspective, please like, comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear this.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction of Hosts and Guest
00:00:10
Speaker
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the Future of Finance podcast. I'm your host, Marissa Wood with Union Financial Services. And today we're sitting down with Dee Costa again, who is an industry expert, been in the financial services industry for 40 plus years, is my personal business coach,
00:00:28
Speaker
And today's episode, we're going to get into something a little bit emotional. Now, oftentimes, experience is what drives people's passion in their career. And Dee experienced something pretty tragic in her 30s that really did ignite that passion for helping others in the financial services industry. And I think it will help a lot of listeners realize that there is solutions out there and there's ways to turn that tragedy into something I am going to be okay.
00:01:00
Speaker
Thanks, Marissa.
Personal Tragedy and Career Inspiration
00:01:01
Speaker
Yeah, um my life completely changed when I was 37 years old. It was the day I got a pink slip, believe it or not. I was sitting in a conference room in Nashville, Tennessee. There were about 400 people in the room at the time, and I was in the front row.
00:01:18
Speaker
And I was listening to a speaker and this gentleman came and sat down next to me and he was wearing a very strong smelling cologne. And it was so strong and kind of wifting my way. And pretty soon I started getting a little nauseous. So I closed my eyes and just tried to concentrate on the speaker. But all I could hear was boom, boom, boom from the stage. And And the smell wafed in my way. And I got a really uneasy feeling like something was wrong.
00:01:52
Speaker
And so i opened my eyes and I looked up and there was my manager standing there motioning me to exit my seat and come with him. And he had a pink slip in his hand. Now, before anybody gets the wrong idea, it was ah one of those old yellow or pink telephone pads.
00:02:12
Speaker
And it just simply said, call your mother, it's urgent. So as I was walking out of that venue, there were 400 people sets of eyes staring at me and my manager with the pink slip in his hand walking out of this auditorium.
00:02:28
Speaker
And um back then there were no cell phones. And so it was a very long walk to the office to make that call to my mother. I remember the carpet was paisley.
00:02:41
Speaker
And the colors were just jumping off. The the whole room was spinning. I i knew something was was bad. And so I finally got to the office. I called my mom and she simply said, de your father is gone.
00:02:55
Speaker
And I was like, what? It was just a simple knee operation. What do you mean he's gone? And, you know, long story short, through a series of medical mishaps, um during the process of a simple knee operation, two weeks before his retirement,
00:03:14
Speaker
He never made it home from
Financial Planning Lessons from Personal Experience
00:03:15
Speaker
that hospital. So I found myself scrambling for a flight to salt Lake City where I was born and raised to the house that I grew up in. And I will never forget that day. I walked through the door, my mom, tears running down her cheeks, um grabbing me and asking me, am I going to be okay?
00:03:37
Speaker
Well, in the face of such grief, I didn't know if I was going to be okay, let alone was she going to be okay. And I didn't really quite understand it at the time. But my father had taken care of all the the finances at that point. And even though I was in financial services, I had kind of made it a practice at that point to not do business with my family. Big mistake.
00:03:59
Speaker
But I didn't know the answer to that question. and I, you know, I made it my mission that day. I thought, you know, two weeks from retirement for a woman who worked for 45 years, married to the same man, ready to take a cruise a month later to not have that answer was just heart wrenching to me. And i made I'm asking your child, am I going to be okay?
00:04:27
Speaker
Yeah. And it was such a sense of responsibility. You know, I had, My father had taught me everything. he you know You are who you are when no one's looking, and you want people to be better off as a result of having met you. And here I was in the presence of my mom not knowing.
00:04:45
Speaker
And what I found through that journey was the loss of one's Social Security, My mom now was a single tax filer. So not only did she lose half her income, but she was in a higher tax bracket.
00:05:00
Speaker
So her planned retirement date at age 68 went out the window. She worked until she was 72 years old and then moved to California to be closer to me. But um it was certainly not the happy retirement journey that any of us had planned. And Interestingly enough, um history has a funny way of repeating itself. um I've been working with women specifically and financial advisors over many years to make sure that people have an answer to that question, including myself.
00:05:34
Speaker
And um in December of 2021, my husband and I were watching Sunday night football. And I was kind of footballed out, you know, football all day, all night. oh Yeah.
00:05:47
Speaker
So I said, honey, I'm going to go watch a movie. And I went into my bedroom and my husband followed me and it was very curious. And there's a picture of my 16-year-old son who passed away in 1999 sitting on our dresser.
00:06:02
Speaker
My husband broke down crying that evening, and it wasn't just tears running down his face. He was really sobbing, and I was a little surprised. just You never get over the death of a child, but it's been 25 years, and I was you know rubbing his back and asking him, are you going to be are you going to be okay?
00:06:23
Speaker
yeah And um he said, I don't know what's come over me. He said, I just miss him so much, and i I can't wait to see him again. and eventually he settled down and went back to football and I fell asleep. And the next morning I was working in my home office and it was about seven o'clock in the morning and my husband knocked on the door and he opened the door just a crack, which he never did. And he was like, honey, honey, honey.
00:06:53
Speaker
He's like, i'm i I've got to tell you something. I had the most amazing dream last night. He's like, I can't wait to tell you it was so awesome. And I'm like, okay, okay. I said, I'm on a business call right now. Let me finish this call and then I'll come hear your dream. And so probably 30 seconds later, I heard this loud crash bang in my house and it didn't sound right. And so I, you know, disconnected from my caller, told him I'd call him back and left my office and started calling my husband's name. And, you know, what happened? What the heck happened? Where are you?
00:07:30
Speaker
And I went around the island in my kitchen, and there he was laying on the floor, eyes rolled back, kind of the death rattle. And literally, i thought he had just slipped and fallen. And I'm like, the same famous words, are you okay? Are you okay? yeah Are you okay?
00:07:47
Speaker
no response and then, you know, reality sets in and I'm like, holy smokes and dialed 911, started CPR, they came and um were unable to revive him and he passed away ah um and I never got to hear that dream.
00:08:05
Speaker
But it was just, it was it's just so interesting life events because he was exactly the same age as my father, 67 years old yeah um
00:08:16
Speaker
because of what happened with my father, because of the years of helping people prepare for that what if in life, fortunately, i was prepared.
00:08:27
Speaker
and But just like my mom, Ed's Social Security stopped. Well, actually, that's not true. I'm taking Ed's Social social Security right now until I turn 70, and then I'll turn on my own so Social Security. But our plan of two Social Securities in retirement...
00:08:45
Speaker
is null and void, gone like this. i am a single tax filer now, and that's brutal. um But it's all, it you know, it in my case, it was planned for. And I highly suggest, you know, any anyone, man or a woman, I mean, statistically, women are going to outlive their husbands.
00:09:08
Speaker
So I have a real heart for planning for women because we're typically the ones left behind with the one less paycheck, the higher tax bracket.
00:09:20
Speaker
It's imperative that you understand finances. It's imperative that you have a plan to replace that Social Security check should something happen. We're typically gonna live long lives. um
00:09:34
Speaker
Well, first of all, thank you for sharing both of those stories, which I know intertwine. And, you know, your life has been laced with a lot of tragedy, but you've really turned it into something beautiful. and And sharing that story, you know, helps other people that...
00:09:53
Speaker
have been through, so you know, similar things or have worries of what if that happens. And, you know, there's so many emotional aspects of it, obviously, but there is financial aspects of it as well. And the worst thing that could happen is, you know, while you're in that stage of grieving, and am i going to be okay, emotionally and mentally, having to worry about am I going to be okay financially? Can I afford my home? Can I keep the bills paid?
00:10:26
Speaker
can I, you know, afford to go see my kids? And that's, yeah, that's a whole other level of tragedy sometimes on top of something that's already unthinkable. And in this day and age, you know, it's it's typically a two-spouse income. both Both spouses are working.
00:10:50
Speaker
And um so women work just as hard as men to retire someday and to feel like the rug is pulled out from underneath you. And what are my options now with half the income and higher tax bracket?
00:11:04
Speaker
And then in my specific situation, I'm in such great health. And Marissa, thank you for letting me share. Everybody has a story to tell, and I'm sure you've heard a lot of them. So I don't tell this to to upset anyone, but to help them.
00:11:21
Speaker
Because now what I am concerned about is living too long. Because i am in great health, and I've got a wonderful family. I am blessed beyond measure with a great son and daughter-in-law and granddaughter, and I'm trying to stay healthy to live a long life for them. And so i think to myself, you know, the one thing that now I do not want to have happen is to put a burden on them. There's no one to take care of. My husband's gone.
00:11:50
Speaker
There's no way to take care of me if I get sick. So I've planned, um and with the actually with the help of you and your mom, um who recommended ah fabulous product that allows me the peace of mind to know that if something happens to me later in life, that I will have enough income to
Client Stories and Importance of Life Insurance
00:12:09
Speaker
take care of an extended care event and not put that burden on the beautiful family that I have left. Yeah.
00:12:18
Speaker
So they need to know that I'm going to be okay, too. Absolutely. um You know, that's a wonderful gift to give your children that I have this planned and it's all going to be okay.
00:12:30
Speaker
You know, and what you touched on briefly was that, and I think this is something that a lot of people don't even think about. We all do think sometimes, you know, what if I die too soon? What if I live too long? But...
00:12:42
Speaker
It's a really simple fact, and it is a fact, that you you know both Social Security checks won't last forever. you know Whoever passes first, that's right you're going to get rid of one of them. Luckily, they let you keep the higher of the two Social Security checks. But reality is, you know if you're used to living on, let's say, $5,000 month with your spouse and All of a sudden it's cut to $2,500. Just because you have one less person in the house doesn't mean your bills are now half.
00:13:14
Speaker
That's exactly right. And I think people kind of assume that, well, our utilities will be less. Not really. Nothing is less. No. Maybe the food bill just in my case. the food, probably. But yeah that's it.
00:13:26
Speaker
And so how do we you know replace that entire check that you've counted on living on? Because the reality is, you know, it's unlikely that both partners are going to pass at the exact same time.
00:13:40
Speaker
Right. Well, first and foremost, um when you're young and insurable, I highly recommend that everyone have life insurance. And I'm a big proponent of permanent life insurance because...
00:13:54
Speaker
you don't know when you're going to die. And I mentioned in an earlier episode that 98% of most term policies never pay a ah death benefit because they expire before the person does. And then people just let them lapse and stop paying. So, I mean, immediately when someone dies, you've got final expenses to deal with. You've got funeral, burial, um all of those kinds of things. It's not cheap to die.
00:14:19
Speaker
And so life insurance is a tax-free death benefit that can offset some of those costs and maybe put ah aside a little nest egg as well. But in my specific case, my husband had purchased um income annuities that I was able to do a spousal continuation plan on. So the income that he would have received, supplemental income in retirement, now is payable to me when I trigger that benefit.
00:14:47
Speaker
So I planned because of what happened to my mom. I planned for the what ifs. And if I had passed first, my husband would have been OK, too, because we we looked at the scenario just based on experience.
00:15:05
Speaker
Yeah. So, I mean, replacing. a hypothetical Social Security check with lifetime income from a fixed index annuity is a great solution. you know Whether you're taking that income now or you just have it earmarked for correct if and when that check disappears. you know that's That's definitely something that we've utilized with our clients and it's it's a game changer. It's one of the only options I'm aware of.
00:15:33
Speaker
that actually gives you the opportunity to create lifetime income that regardless of who lives, it it you can run out of money but never out of income.
00:15:46
Speaker
You can drain your account balance to zero, and if you live to be 100, those checks just keep coming. It's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing. People think it's too good to be true when we share it, but it's not. It's amazing.
00:15:59
Speaker
absolutely A lot of people are utilizing it. It's not too good to be true, but you have to have it yeah in order for it to even be good at all. you know While we're talking about replacing income, can I share another sad story? Sorry, but another sad story with you. And this is not...
00:16:19
Speaker
This is not somebody turning 67 and suddenly passing away. I mean, we all have to realize, I mentioned that I lost a 16-year-old son. We're all going to die. We just don't know when.
00:16:32
Speaker
um I have a client in South Carolina who has a young daughter. She's 24 years old, and he's just a terrific guy. i absolutely adore him. And he had prayed his entire life for his daughter to meet the perfect man. you know, good Christian man, just praying for his little girl, his daddy's girl, to meet the perfect man.
00:16:58
Speaker
And a few years ago, she did. And that story is really fun to to tell, too. And I won't get into the details now, but his name was Chris and they met on Facebook and um started dating and they knew right away, you know, they were meant for each other. And so Within about nine months, they were married. And Bud, my client, um was proudly walking her down the aisle with tears running down his face. But he was so happy because she met the perfect guy.
00:17:32
Speaker
And this guy had a wonderful career, had already purchased a home. i mean, he was well-established and loved kids. And Lauren is her name. She...
00:17:43
Speaker
That's what she wanted to do most in life was to get married and and have a family. And so about six months after they got married, they started trying to to get pregnant. And fortunately, they were successful.
00:17:58
Speaker
And so they knew at some point in the pregnancy that they were having a little boy and they were super excited, had the You know, the reveal party that everybody's doing these days. And so two weeks before the baby was to be born by C-section, so they knew the date. Two weeks before, they went to the obstetrician and got to see their little boy, Wyatt. And they had driven separately because Chris had to go back to work. And he left the doctor's office and was 10 minutes away and got hit by a drunk driver and killed
00:18:38
Speaker
Two weeks before the baby was born, it was so tragic. But, and this is the but, it doesn't take away the tragedy, it doesn't take away the ruined lives, it doesn't take away the fact that Lauren lost the love of her life.
00:18:54
Speaker
It doesn't take away any of that, but four months before his passing, his such untimely passing, he had talked to Bud, who's a financial advisor, and he said, i need to get my house in order.
00:19:08
Speaker
You know, i'm good I'm responsible. I've got a great job. I've got... a family on the way. i need to buy some life insurance. I need to get an estate plan done, a will done, a trust done, powers of attorney for financial and health care and and all of that. And so he took care of all that in April.
00:19:31
Speaker
He was killed, and four months later, his wife was a 24-year-old widow two weeks from having her first child, but he had purchased a $2 million dollars life insurance policy.
00:19:44
Speaker
One of the things that Lauren had to go through as a young widow was making the decision to pull the plug in the hospital because he was brain dead. Had she not been given that power of attorney through his you know, legal maneuvers, um that would have been ah ah just a big mess. And so life insurance certainly doesn't heal a broken heart. It doesn't it doesn't take away the pain.
00:20:13
Speaker
But Lauren's able to stay in the house, raise her child, not have to rush out and find a job. um It's going to take years and years and years for this wound to heal, if ever.
00:20:25
Speaker
But the financial tragedy that could have ensued, you know, would she have been able to stay in the home with a brand new baby?
00:20:35
Speaker
highly doubtful. So it's it can be kind of morbid to talk about life insurance, but the reality is somebody's going to pay the price when you die.
00:20:48
Speaker
Do you really want it to be your family who struggles amidst their grief to pay those bills and try to figure out, you know, what's around the next corner? What am I going to do?
00:21:00
Speaker
um I just, it's not that hard to do It's not that hard to take care of. That's a truly terrible, awful story. And thank you for sharing it. And, you know, thank you to your clients. that allowed you to share it.
00:21:16
Speaker
ah You know, our heart goes out to Lauren and her baby and the whole family and lot of prayers there. But, you know, to our listeners, I know this is a heavy episode, but that's
Responsibilities in Financial Planning
00:21:31
Speaker
intentional.
00:21:31
Speaker
because the implications of not having your house in order are awful. And, you know, we all love our family and those that are having newborn babies and children and, you know, or even caring for parents.
00:21:47
Speaker
We have to do what is right, and that is getting our house in order. You know, we need to put life insurance in place. We need to have an estate plan, a will, guardians named for our children.
00:22:00
Speaker
you know, health care power of attorneys so that the one that we love doesn't have to make that decision. We made it for them. That's the best gift you can give. And that's our responsibility as advisors to have these really difficult conversations.
00:22:17
Speaker
And like I said when I opened, everybody has a story. Everyone's heard of a story. I'm not trying to scare anyone at all. You don't do this out of fear. You do it out of love. You do it out of a sense of responsibility.
00:22:31
Speaker
um It doesn't matter if it's term or permanent. you know We're big fans of permanent life insurance because of the tax, free income, and other benefits that you can potentially earn along the way.
00:22:42
Speaker
But I always say the best life insurance is the insurance you have in first sports the du day you die. And, you know, we can talk about love all day long. It's action that speaks louder than words. And, you know, if my story can propel even one person to action, then it's worth going through the emotion to tell it again and again.
00:23:06
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And you know the other thing that doesn't matter what age the client is, you know they could be in their 30s, 60s, 70s, doesn't matter.
00:23:17
Speaker
But making sure that both parties are informed of their finances and know what's going on. I mean, sometimes we meet with couples that are extremely successful, but one spouse has all the knowledge of you know where their stock holdings are,
00:23:36
Speaker
how to pay all the bills and how they're going to be pulling income from them every month. And the other spouse just blindly trusts that, you know, it's taken care of. But what happens if that spouse passes away or something happens or you get divorced or you know, whatever the case may be? even a serious medical issue. incapacitated. And they're laid up for months and months. Yeah. You know, we need to have everyone at least have a baseline knowledge of here's what our income is. Here's what our expenses are. Here's where our assets are held.
00:24:10
Speaker
And, you know, would I feel more comfortable if I knew that they were safe from market risk? Right. You know, at least on a portion of them. Probably. yeah you know, I wouldn't want to have to worry about stock market volatility on 100% of my portfolio if something were to happen to a spouse. Yeah, and passwords, things like that, things we don't think about. um You're right, I hear stories all the time about a spouse that has no idea.
00:24:40
Speaker
It's so common. One spouse pays all the bills, does the taxes, does the planning. And I get that one person has to fine take charge you know a little bit, but both parties, you know whether you're married or not, it could be two people that are just living together. It could be two family members that are living together.
00:24:59
Speaker
We need to make sure that everyone's at least in the loop and comes and meets with their financial advisor and understands the baseline plan. So when you work with clients, let me ask you a question. You always require both spouses be present. It's not a requirement, but we suggest it. Encourage it, yeah.
00:25:20
Speaker
And, you know, because we often do hear sometimes one party will come in and they have certain goals. You know, sometimes we'll hear women really, really worrying about having that extended health care plan. And their husband doesn't really seem to care about it.
00:25:38
Speaker
And so we'll put a plan together and, you know, they'll say, well, I need to talk this over with my spouse. And there becomes that disconnect as soon as they leave the office and have to try to remember how to explain this, which, you know, is something we do every day. it's not something that you they're used to explaining to someone else.
00:25:56
Speaker
They don't know what questions to ask, how to answer them. And then, you know, what sometimes happens is they get overwhelmed and say, never mind. I just I can't bother explaining it.
00:26:08
Speaker
You know, they don't see the importance of it. I don't really need it. And then time goes on. And then, you know, they run into an event where they wish they did it and it's too late. um And so having both parties there from the beginning, it just sets up for success for everyone. Yeah.
00:26:26
Speaker
Whether it be, you know, what they both want or not, we can usually come to some kind of agreement. Well, you know, this spouse feels as though this will put them at ease.
00:26:37
Speaker
Are you on board with that? And usually, yes. You know, we all want right everyone to feel relaxed and, you know, financial peace of mind. So, yeah, we usually do encourage people.
00:26:50
Speaker
Let's have everyone in on the meeting so that we can answer the questions. Right. Because usually, you know, that I need to think about it is really not. That's a killer. Time. Right.
00:27:01
Speaker
You know, it's not that you need more time to make a decision. You need more information now to make the decision.
Advice on Financial Readiness
00:27:08
Speaker
Well, I'm really proud of the way you and Lisa have helped so many in this area plan for extended care. I mean, that is a huge topic right now as as an aging population. And, you know, people have a lot of questions about health care these days and and misperceptions of what Medicare covers and doesn't cover. So um it's just awesome that you guys focus on that and really help women.
00:27:38
Speaker
it It definitely gives me peace of mind to know that my son's not going to have to take care of me if something happens. yeah I know we would he would. loves me, but he and he does he's not going to be forced to do that. So yeah.
00:27:51
Speaker
And so what would you say you know would be some advice on getting that house in order? where What's the first step? um And I know it's going to be different depending on what stage of life you're in, but how do you take that first step? Who do you contact? Well, I mean, I would highly suggest...
00:28:09
Speaker
contacting a professional such as yourself. It's very difficult to do this on your own. I know that you guys go through a very detailed um data gathering session where you find out where all the assets are.
00:28:22
Speaker
Even having all of that outlined with passwords and account numbers and things like that even if they choose not to do business with you, to go through that exercise and leave knowing that both spouses know where all the money is, where all the account numbers are, where all the passwords are, at least is a step in the right direction.
00:28:43
Speaker
um From there, I would suggest you know doing some goal planning. you know what is it that you When do you plan to retire? How much income are you going to need in retirement? Have you looked at maximizing your Social Security? There are so many options to take Social Security. Which of those works best for you?
00:29:03
Speaker
um You work hard to to earn that benefit. Let's maximize that. And I know you do that as as part of your planning strategy. But it's like a puzzle a puzzle with all the different pieces. But it takes the very first is is just a conversation to understand where everything's at right now.
00:29:21
Speaker
I don't care what age you are. You need to sit down with a financial planner. You really do. I mean, it's never too young to start. You're never too young to start. And there's no cost. The only cost is an hour out of your time. you know That's a misconception is that it's going to cost a lot.
00:29:38
Speaker
And other firms might structure their business different, but we don't charge a fee for plans, for meetings. you know We get paid either a commission through the insurance carrier or...
00:29:49
Speaker
an asset management fee right based on the value of your portfolio. And so, you know, besides your time, it really doesn't cost you anything. And so why not at least and have that conversation? And you guys are so great at keeping it simple and taking people one step at a time through the process.
00:30:07
Speaker
And like I said before, you know, people... Rome wasn't built in a day, so financial planning can feel overwhelming. But just to sit down and get started and have a trusted advisor that you can share your goals and dreams with.
00:30:23
Speaker
You're never too young to dream. And if you really want to achieve those dreams, you need to start planning now. And and it's not that difficult. And if you're doing this, at you like you said, at no cost to them other than an hour of their time, why wouldn't you? Mm-hmm.
00:30:40
Speaker
If you could enhance the quality of your life by spending one hour with a ah great financial planner, why wouldn't you do that?
00:30:51
Speaker
Yeah. And, you know, things happen over the years, whether you're young or old, you know, we're all going to experience some form of tragedy at some point
Role of Financial Advisors
00:31:01
Speaker
in our life. And we need to plan so that we know we'll be OK and our family will be OK. And we can do that. Yeah. And we can be there for our clients when things happen to hold your hand and and walk you through, you know, your new financial reality sometimes is the case.
00:31:18
Speaker
Well, and life is full of change. It's not just death. I mean, people change jobs. They get laid off. um They move. hood Their life insurance goes with them when yeah or who goes with the company and not with the yeah employee when they leave. i mean, there there are all kinds of changes that occur through through life. And so starting with a financial advisor to go on that journey with you through all of those changes of life, whether you're saving to purchase your first home,
00:31:47
Speaker
let you know Have Marissa show you how to save more efficiently um or find find ways to to save a little bit more, make those dreams come true. yeah That employer 401k plan and and life insurance policy is not enough. That's not a plan. no That's just a product. and It's a benefit for working. A benefit, yeah. you know That's not a plan. you need ah a true person yeah behind the plan. Absolutely.
00:32:15
Speaker
to be as a resource. Life is a great adventure despite the, you know, the tragedies and in sadness. It's a great adventure, but it's a better adventure when you've got somebody on your, on your side guiding you, knowing that the next step is going to be even that much better because you planned for it.
00:32:31
Speaker
Yeah.
Turning Tragedy into Passion
00:32:32
Speaker
Well, I'm so thankful that you've turned your, you know, tragedy in your thirties into this passionate career and you've changed so many ah clients lives and you know mine as well you know it's this really is an incredible industry and anyone that works with myself or lisa or ud i think can see that it's not just a job we really love what we do And, you know, for anyone listening, whether you're starting a family on your own, whether you've recently gone through a divorce, lost a loved one, or are worrying about any of those things, we'd love to have a conversation with you and and help you take that first step so that you know you and your family will be okay no matter what happens.
00:33:19
Speaker
So thank you so much, Dee, for joining your second episode. We really appreciate you know you shedding some light on um these important topics and and sharing those difficult stories.
00:33:31
Speaker
Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure.
Call to Action and Conclusion
00:33:33
Speaker
And I just encourage all of your listeners, take that first step. Marissa and Lisa are amazing. They're fun to be with. They make it simple.
00:33:43
Speaker
And they'll guide you through your your your journey. Thank you so much for having Thank Thank you. and And for anyone listening that wants to schedule either an in-person meeting, Zoom call, or phone call, feel free to go to our website, union-financial.com.
00:33:58
Speaker
You can click the schedule a meeting link and it'll take you right to our personal calendar where we can schedule a time that'll work best for both of us. I'm your host, Marissa Wood, and we look forward to seeing you next time and helping you achieve a better financial future.
00:34:14
Speaker
Investment advisory services offered through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor. BCM and union financial services are independent of each other. Insurance products and services are not offered through BCM, but are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed agents.
00:34:29
Speaker
The opinions expressed by Marissa Wood and guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of this radio station. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable, although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice. Investments involved risk and otherwise stated are not guaranteed. Past performance cannot be used as an indicator to determine future results. Any strategies mentioned may not be suitable for everyone. Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for you. Before acting on any information mentioned, please consult with a qualified tax or investment advisor to determine if it's suitable for your specific situation. This program is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to subject covered. Indexed or fixed index annuities are not designed for short-term investments and may be subject to caps, restrictions, fees, and surrender charge as described in the annuity contract.
00:35:25
Speaker
Guarantees are backed by the financial strength and claims paying ability of the insurer. Please refer to our firm brochure, the ADV 2A, item 4, for additional information. Any comments regarding safe and secure products and guaranteed income streams refer only to fixed insurance products. They do not refer in any way to securities or investment advisory products.
00:35:44
Speaker
Fixed insurance and annuity product guarantees are subject to the claims paying ability of the issuing company and are not offered by Brookstone.