Happy Thanksgiving 2021!
Giving Thanks to Thanksgiving Day
I’m actually writing this Thanksgiving Musing on my 59th Wedding anniversary! I’m very thankful to have had so many great life experiences with Roger for all these many years. As we reflected over dinner earlier tonight, we pondered on how to really celebrate our 60th – not only our longevity, but also surviving the pandemic so well. Over this past weekend, we were thrilled to celebrate Lise’s (our oldest daughter) and Bruce’s 23rd wedding anniversary over a dinner of Stone Crab. We have much to be thankful for as we approach Thanksgiving Day.
More Personal Thanks
In mid-October, Roger and I took our first long vacation since COVID, which included attending my 60th Stanford Class reunion where we spent four days enjoying my many classmates and friends. The highlights are attending the many “Classes without Quizzes” led by many of the top professors at Stanford; and attending our class panel. I happened to be one of 4 speakers on our class panel, which is attended just by alums in our class of ’60.
With college friends at the Reunion
Enjoying Newport Beach with my sister and hubbies
The “Classes without Quizzes” featured discussion/lectures on the future of the US in world affairs, the economy, and research that will impact our well-being not just in the distant future, but in the near future with the convergence of many technologies to work together. For example, we all have heard of 3-D printing and many of us think of it as a hobby or for someone else. However, one of the professors showed how 3-D printers will soon be making patches for the COVID vaccine. No need to get a shot or worry about storing…anyone can just stick a patch on their arm and be immunized! This may be available as soon as 2023!!
A big topic on our class panel was what each of us were going to do if we lived to 100! Doing so is quite probable for this group as most attendees were making a difference and were very active (despite COVID). We all agreed that remaining relevant and maintaining strong and even casual relationships were key to being happy and enjoying life until 100. Another panel member, Paola Gianturco, spoke about her involvement in the Grandmother’s movement…using “Grandmother power to fight for a better future for grandchildren everywhere.” I bought her beautiful book, “Grandmother Power…a global Phenomenon".
Another on the panel received her Masters in Gerontology at 65 and her PhD at 75. She began and operates a company that offers “on site and virtual cognitive testing, individual and family counselling, lifestyle-based therapies, support groups, care management, financial care planning tailored to people with Alzheimer's or other dementias.” Another of my Stanford friends got her law degree at 60 and still practices in the underserved field of families dealing with mental illness. And of course…most of us were blessed with grandchildren we love and enjoy.
And More Thanks
I would be remiss to not state a few more things I am thankful for this year….thanks to the many scientists and researchers and business/government leaders who not only produced a highly successful and effective vaccine, but got it into so many arms in record time. I am also thankful for some of the amazing therapeutics for those who are infected.
I am thankful we are finally making our way back to working in the office. Starting in November, we each are committed to working at least one day weekly in the office, before returning every day in 2022. We kicked off our return on Nov 3rd with everyone in the office – we celebrated the day with a fun dinner and a photoshoot. You will soon see fresh faces on our updated website! We are even adding a few videos to the Starner Group website too.
I am also thankful to announce that Stephanie Valdes is joining the Starner Group as a Client Service Associate. Stephanie has worked at Raymond James since pre-COVID and we are very excited to have her with us. Stephanie will be our cheery voice on the phone and responsible for helping Jessica with operations. I am also thankful to Maia Rearwin, who joined us during the pandemic and has now moved into a new role supporting the entirety of the Coral Gables branch.
Stephanie Valdes
And finally…we are thankful to celebrate Thanksgiving 2021 with friends and family after missing out in 2020!
We at the Starner Group wish all of you a wonderful gathering this Thanksgiving.
Sincerely and grateful,
BARRON'S 2021 Top 1200 Financial Advisor
BARRON'S 2021 Top 100 Women Financial Advisor
2021 Forbes TOP 250 Wealth Advisor list
2021 Forbes TOP WOMEN Wealth Advisor list
2021 Forbes BEST-IN-STATE Wealth Advisor list
Investment News - Lifetime Achievement in Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award
Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. "Barron's Hall of Fame" is an award honoring a group of advisors who exemplify long-term success and commitment to their clients. Each member of the Hall of Fame has appeared in 10 or more of Barron's annual Top 100 Advisor rankings, and their long-looking commitment to excellence is a hopeful example for the industry to follow. The Top 100 Advisor rankings are based on data provided by individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Data points that relate to quality of practice include professionals with a minimum of 7 years financial services experience, acceptable compliance records (no criminal U4 issues), client retention reports, charitable and philanthropic work, quality of practice, designations held, offering services beyond investments offered including estates and trusts, and more. Financial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues produced and assets under management by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron’s is not affiliated with Raymond James.
Source: Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors,” March 2021. Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by over 5,000 individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Factors included in the rankings: assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron’s is not affiliated with Raymond James.
Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisors, (2021). Barron’s is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Data points that relate to quality of practice include professionals with a minimum of 7 years financial services experience, acceptable compliance records (no criminal U4 issues), client retention reports, charitable and philanthropic work, quality of practice, designations held, offering services beyond investments offered including estates and trusts, and more. Financial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues produced and assets under management by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor’s future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron’s is not affiliated with Raymond James.
Source: Forbes.com (January, 2021). The Forbes ranking of Best-In-State Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years' experience, and the algorithm weights factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Out of approximately 32,725 nominations received, based on thresholds, more than 5,000 advisors received the award. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receives a fee in exchange for rankings. This ranking is not indicative of advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. For more information: www.SHOOKresearch.com.
The Forbes ranking of America’s Top 1,000 Women Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative data, rating thousands of wealth advisors with a minimum of 7 years of experience and weighing factors like revenue trends, AUM, compliance records, industry experience and best practices learned through telephone and in-person interviews. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Research Summary (as of April 2019): 32,000 nominations were received based on thresholds (9,654 women) and 1,000 won. This ranking is not indicative of advisor’s future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients’ experience. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK receive a fee in exchange for rankings. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/top-women-advisors/#28abc5bd51f4 for more info.
Nominees for the InvestmentNews Diversity & Inclusion Lifetime Achievement Award must currently be working as financial planners, registered representatives or registered investment advisers, or as industry professionals in a role that supports financial advisers. Judges will consider management, team development, achievement and a minimum 15-year commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. InvestmentNews received about 130 nominations for the Diversity & Inclusions awards and selected 1 individual for the Lifetime Achievement award. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating nor is Raymond James affiliated with InvestmentNews.
