A Lot to Consider

It seems like so much has changed so quickly over the past few months since the world became aware of the Corona virus pandemic. It’s likely that nobody imagined the impact to world economies, thriving industries and mankind on the front end of this, but now that we’re this far into it – wow! As a person who works and lives with numbers, it is difficult to assess how much truth is in the reporting we’re bombarded with every day as it relates to the caseload of afflicted persons. Given the gravity of this situation and the vastness of the unknowns, I’d like to understand that the root of any solution lies with the collecting of good data, exempt from conflicts of interest or the advancement of any political agenda both foreign and domestic. We can certainly reflect on the impact of past pandemics including the Black Death of 1346-1353, the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920, the Asian Flu 1957-1958, AIDS 1981-present, H1N1 Swine Flu 2009-10, Ebola 2014-2016, Zika 2015-present as we attempt to find medicals solutions to arrest the Corona Virus soon.

While self-isolation and social distancing seem to have proven successful in reducing the spread of the Corona virus it doesn’t mean these practices are healthy for our mental state of being. Our traditions of gathering for meals, worship, and recreation have been shelved for the time as we yearn to resume travel, dining, celebrating and interaction with friends and family. Practice healthy activities including exercise, meditation, proper dieting as well as levering the many pathways of communication including Skype, FaceTime and Zoom to stay connected. A friend of mine recently shared that she and her extended family played pinochle via FaceTime as a clever way to maintain a Sunday afternoon tradition! I, for one am not pretty on video… I do clean up nicely when I’m in the office. But when I am away from the office, I am in clothing that I can get messed up. Why? Well, everyone thinks I do this to annoy Victoria. That’s not REALLY the case – although fun to watch her eyes roll when I announce I’m ready to hit Home Depot. The fact is that I invariably “dress to look decent” and wind up with all kinds of stuff on me that ruins my outfit. Why not come prepared? That’s my motto. Besides, I’d rather Victoria dress nicely and I just be her bodyguard. Here’s hoping we get back out and about in our weekend finest!

We’ve certainly been keeping ourselves busy here at WPWM, and that’s due in part to your calls and introductions to family and friends in need of a solid financial planning team, with a proven process and commitment to doing the financial “heavy lifting” for you. We are grateful and humbled. Thank you!

We Remain….. At your service,

Steven T. Wilmarth, CEP^®, WMS
Senior Vice President, Investments
Managing Director
Wealth Management Specialist

Any opinions are those of Steven T. Wilmarth, and not necessarily those of Raymond James.