If you want to feel better about your life, you need to get fit. That doesn't just mean being physically fit but having a healthy financial life. Being financially healthy has some of the same benefits as being physically fit. You can lower your stress level, sleep better, be energized and have more control over your future.

Tom was quoted in the SmartMoney series Retire Here, Not There: Florida.  Sarasota was one of communities chosen by reporter Catey Hill to highlight for the article.  Sarasota was noted for its high concentration of cultural attractions, beaches and lower cost of living.  Read the article here.

It is no secret, having a well diversified investment portfolio can reduce the market rollercoaster effect. Without it, you are subject to the swings of a few investments.

Investments that react similarly to economic and market conditions can be grouped into class buckets. To have a diversified portfolio you must choose complimentary classes. That is they do not react the same under similar conditions.

The choice of asset classes and relative size of the buckets has been found to be the best predictor of overall portfolio performance. Getting the class and industry choices correct is about getting the strategy right. It is important to choose the right investment in each but, if you don't get the strategy right, it won't matter.

Tom Roberts, CFP® owner of A New Approach Financial Planning was named as a Sarasota area Five Star Wealth Manager. Fewer than 4% of wealth managers in the area qualify for the award. Sarasota Magazine and Five Star Professional chose winners based on nine criteria: customer service, integrity, knowledge/expertise, communication, value for fee charged, meeting of financial objectives, service, quality of recommendations and overall satisfaction. The award was announced in the November 2011 issue of Sarasota Magazine.

How can you find reliable income? Interest rates are at all time lows. This means that returns from "safe" investments such as bank savings, money markets and bonds are extremely low.

Stocks and real estate create more income but they may seem too risky. In today's environment, you need a comprehensive plan to assure you have the income you need without taking excessive risks. Here is how to do it!

Warning! - This is not your parent's retirement! We will not return to a world where people can collect a pension and Social Security check, put their savings in bonds and CDs and live comfortably off the income. You are now responsible for planning, and funding, your retirement. For many, this is a daunting task. We can create a personalized income plan so you can get on with living.

With 7,900 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day, it comes as no surprise that there
is a heightened interest in the area of long term care planning. The older we
become, the more we recognize the costs of extended care can wipe out most or
all of our nest-egg. The high cost of long term care can often be reduced using
insurance.

For many, an obstacle has been the high cost of long term care insurance. A
relative newcomer to long term care planning and asset protection is becoming
the plan-of-choice for many "Boomers" and young seniors. To find out more, I
enlisted the expertise of Manatee County's foremost long term care specialist
Thomas Kenyon, with Florida Long Term Care Planners.

In this day and age of few defined benefit pension plans and a lot of questions about the solvency of our nation's social security system, we all face the challenge of saving enough to support ourselves during our non-working years.

Those of us, including yours truly, who work for themselves, have the additional responsibility of starting a tax friendly retirement savings plan for themselves. Fortunately, there are a number of plan options available to the self-employed. I will limit our discussion to those who are self-employed and do not currently have any employees.

Municipal bonds have long been a safe haven for higher-income investors looking for safety and greater tax efficiency.

The credit squeeze put the municipal bond market through its paces like other competing markets this past year but, it may be time to take a second look at both municipal bonds and muni bond funds.

People who are concerned about outliving their assets...
What is your "Number" and how you will manage it?
How much do I need to be able to retire comfortably?
I'm retired - What is the best way to obtain the income I need from my assets?

529 plans offer a way to put aside significant savings for education.

There are a number of ways to save for higher education expenses. Given the substantial amount of money required it pays to start early and enlist the help of others, such as grandparents and relatives, in achieving this goal. For a child born in 2003, planning to attend a four-year public college would need to accumulate $160,341 in 18 years, assuming costs rise at a 6% rate. The monthly savings required to reach this goal would be $506, $412, or $332, assuming 4%, 6%, and 8% returns, respectively. For a private school the amount required could be 2 ½ times as much. Some financing vehicles include scholarships and grants, financial aid, and tax advantaged savings programs. Savings programs include UTMA/UGMA, Coverdell accounts and 529 plans. I will only cover 529 plans here as they have significantly more flexibility and allow greater savings while still being sheltered.

Many investors feel they have only two choices when it comes to investment advice, give up control of their investments or "Do-It-Yourself".

There is another option! Assets You Manage to Succeed (AUM2Succeed^TM) offers a way to obtain quality, objective investment advice, without sacrificing control.

Giving an advisor control of your investments still requires that you monitor them to assure your accounts are being managed properly. Recent events have highlighted the need for vigilance when someone has access or control of your investments. Advisor fees, commissions and annual charges are typically over 1% of the value of your investments. This is for investment advice only, not ongoing financial planning.

There used to be a list of forbidden discussion topics, including sex, adoption, religion and politics.

Today we openly discuss these with family and strangers with few qualms. In many families, money remains on the list of forbidden topics. This inability to discuss how we view money, our money history and how it influences our decisions, can lead to high stress in our relationships.