Margaret's Musings: Happy Thanksgiving with Gratitude (ADV)

As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m reminded of how much I have to be thankful for—and at the top of the list are the incredible people I work with every day. This year, I want to spotlight someone who keeps everything running like clockwork: Stephanie Valdes

Stephanie with Karma & Bailey

Stephanie is caring, smart, quick, and efficient—and clients love her.

Q: What’s your favorite part of working with clients?

A: My favorite part is being able to help them and address their needs. Whether it’s a small issue or a big one, a quick call or an hour-long conversation, it’s rewarding to find solutions. Clients are always so grateful even for the simplest things and that warms my heart.

Q: What’s one thing you’re most grateful for this year?

A: My family, their support is immeasurable. I’m also grateful for moments of rest and peace, and for the Starner team. Joining four years ago was no accident, and I appreciate their continued support.

Q: Favorite Thanksgiving tradition or dish?

A: My sister's mac and cheese; she makes it from scratch, and it's amazing.

Q: Any tips for staying organized during the holidays?

A: Write things down and keep a checklist. If I don't note what needs to be done, chances are I won't do it.

Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you?

A: My age. Many clients are surprised to learn I'm only 27, unmarried, no kids, and just two fur babies.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

A: In my spare time, I like to spend quality time with my family and hang out with my dogs. We love to go on hour long walks and enjoy time at the beach together.

Why I’m Grateful

Thanksgiving reminds me that gratitude isn’t just about the big things—it’s about the people who make life richer every day.

I’m deeply grateful for Stephanie, whose dedication and heart make our work possible.

I’m especially thankful that my granddaughter Kendall is nearby as a senior at the University of Miami. Our weekly dinners have been a gift—I never had the chance to watch my grandkids grow up day by day, and seeing her journey from 17 to 21 has been priceless.

And I’m equally grateful for you—our clients and friends—who trust us and allow us to be part of your lives. Your confidence in us is the reason we do what we do.

Finally, I’m thankful for our firm’s tradition and commitment to the Importance of the Personal. In a world fascinated by artificial intelligence (AI), we believe relationships will always matter most. AI will help us work smarter, but it will never replace the human connection that drives us forward.

From all of us, thank you for being part of our story. Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, peaceful Thanksgiving filled with laughter, good food, and maybe a little pie in the pantry.

Our office will be closed on
Thursday, November 27th &
Friday November 28th at 1:00 pm

Always grateful,

Margaret C. Starner
Senior VP - Financial Planning
2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 500
Coral Gables, FL 33134
www.starnergroup.com

BARRON'S Hall Of Fame Advisor - Inducted in 2019
Forbes 2024 BEST-IN-STATE Wealth Advisor list
Forbes 2024 Top Women Wealth Advisors
Barron’s 2023 Top 1200 Financial Advisor
BARRON’S 2023 Top 100 Women Financial Advisors
Investment News 2020 Lifetime Achievement in Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award

Nominees for the 2020 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.

Barron's Hall of Fame Award, 2019. 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 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: Barron's “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors,” March 2023. Barron's is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by 5,630 individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Time period upon which the rating is based is from 09/30/2021 to 09/30/2022, and was released on 03/15/2023. 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.

The Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2024 ranking, 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. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2022 to 6/30/2023 and was released on 4/3/2024. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weighs 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. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 44,990 nominations, roughly 8,500 advisors received the award. This ranking is not indicative of an 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. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors for more info.

The Forbes ranking of America’s Top 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 seven years of experience and weighing factors like revenue trends, assets under management, 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. This ranking is based upon the period from 9/30/22 to 9/30/23 and was released on 02/08/2024. Research Summary (as of February 2024): 44,028 nominations were received and 100 women won. This ranking is not indicative of an 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. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-women-advisors/?sh=36214c902a8f for more info.

Barron's Top 100 Women Financial Advisors (2023) 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. There were a total of 1,028 applicants and data points that relate to quality of practice included 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. This ranking is based upon the period from 03/01/2022 to 03/31/2023 and was released on 06/16/2023. 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.

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