Financial Communication

Faith in the Midst of Transition: Losing a Spouse to Alzheimer’s

May 20, 2021 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

Reading Time: 2 minutes

During this episode, Shelly opens up about the challenges of losing her husband to Alzheimer’s. Retirement looks a lot different than what Shelly and Ron had imagined. Instead of enjoying time off work and worldwide traveling, Shelly has cared for Ron whose battled dementia for many years. As we talked, Shelly stressed how important it was for her to continue believing in God’s sovereign plan for her life. Often, she reminded herself that she’s on assignment and that taking care of Ron is part of that mission.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it is estimated that 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s. Of those who reach the age of 85, nearly one in two will get it. One of our most popular blogs on our website, is “10 Tips for Caring for a Spouse Who Has Become a Child” You can find this blog, by heading to “Blogs” and click on the “Healthcare” category at the top.

As Shelly mentioned, facing the trial of when a spouse becomes a child is not something you want to handle all alone. If you are a husband or wife who doesn’t have a financial advisor or planner, I can’t urge you enough to find one that you can entrust to become involved in your finances. We’d love to grab a cup of coffee or have a quick phone call if you find yourself in this situation. We’d be happy to listen to your needs, and whether we may be a good fit to be your financial stewardship partner.

If you haven’t subscribed to our podcasts, you can go to our podcast page and choose whichever method you want to download them. While you are there, you can go to our blog page and subscribe so you can get our latest Intelligent Insights directly in your inbox.

Shelly Hamilton Bio

Shelly Hamilton, the daughter of Frank Garlock, married Ron Hamilton aka “Patch the Pirate” in 1975. They have managed Majesty Music and written sacred music for children and adults since they joined the ministry in 1978. Shelly currently ministers at Majesty Music as pianist, composer, arranger, and recording producer. In 2013, their son killed himself after years of struggle with mental health issues. The family’s public struggle and acknowledgement of mental health issues has reached people around the world. Most recently her family faces a new challenge: Ron Hamilton’s early onset of dementia. Her insight and music will encourage anyone facing the challenges of life.

In January 2018 Majesty Music announced their third generation of leadership. After years of waiting for God’s timing, Ron and Shelly transitioned the ministry over to their son-in-law Representative Adam Morgan and his wife, Ron and Shelly’s daughter, Megan.

Getting to Know Morningstar’s Christine Benz

May 13, 2021 by Trevor Baker

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we interview Morningstar’s director of personal finance, Christine Benz. Recently, Christine Benz was named in Barron’s Top 100 Influential Women for her dedication and impact in the financial industry. During this episode, we take a moment to learn more about who Christine is and what she loves to do in her spare time. Often, we can forget that these thought leaders and innovators are people too. Amidst all the prestigious accolades, Christine Benz is a renowned author, avid traveler (pre-covid), and risotto master.

We hope you enjoy getting to know Christine Benz more on this more casual episode of Intelligent Money Minute. I don’t know about you, but after this episode I was hungry for some risotto. We like to get to know our guests and hope you do as well. Christine has a wealth of financial knowledge and we’ll be sharing more episodes with her in the near future. We also like to get to know our clients on a personal level, and if you are interested in becoming the next intelligent investor, please visit our website, investedwithyou.com and click on “Get Started.”

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We’ll be interviewing Christine on several podcasts regarding retirement strategies, passive investing, and diversification, so be sure to subscribe to our Intelligent Money Minute podcasts.

Christine Benz Bio

Christine Benz is Morningstar’s director of personal finance and author of 30-Minute Money Solutions: A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Your Finances and the Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: 5-Star Strategies for Success. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and Russian/East European studies from the University of Illinois. Christine lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg. She is an avid cook, a political junkie, and a long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan. Follow Christine on Twitter.

The Value of a Written Financial Plan

May 6, 2021 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

On today’s Intelligent Money Minute, we interview Larry Swedroe on the value of having a written financial plan. A written financial plan helps one avoid glaring holes that may not be apparent before writing it down. Also, studies show that those with a written financial plan tend to stick it far more than those who don’t. During this episode, Larry gives multiple examples of how some avoided financial disaster with a written financial plan and some who experienced financial disaster due to not having one.

Many people plan more for their summer vacations and weddings than then do their retirement. Studies have shown that people are more committed to a written financial plan. At Intelligent Investing, we guide our retirees into and through retirement, and one of the ways we do that is through creating a comprehensive written financial plan. We review your retirement concerns and risks, and we dive deep into your spending needs, wants, and wishes. Typically, we review the financial plan annually with you and update it as needed for life events as life changes. If you are interested in having an independent professional guide you in creating a comprehensive written plan, please go to “Get Started.”

Schedule a short discovery call or meeting

We’ll be interviewing Larry on several podcasts regarding markets, passive investing, and diversification, so be sure to subscribe to our Intelligent Money Minute podcasts.

Larry was among the first authors to publish a book that explained the science of investing in layman’s terms, “The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You’ll Ever Need.” He has since authored seven more books.

Larry Swedroe Bio

Since joining the Buckingham Strategic Wealth in 1996, Chief Research Officer Larry Swedroe has spent his time and energy educating investors on the benefits of evidence-based investing.

In his role as chief research officer and as a member of the firm’s Investment Policy Committee and Board of Directors, Larry regularly reviews the findings published in dozens of peer-reviewed financial journals, evaluates the outcomes and uses the result to inform the firm’s formal investment strategy recommendations.

Larry’s dedication to helping others has made him a sought-after national speaker. He has made appearances on national television shows airing on NBC, CNBC, CNN and Bloomberg Personal Finance. Larry is a prolific writer, contributing regularly to multiple outlets, including Advisor Perspectives and ETF.com.

Before joining Buckingham, Larry was vice chairman of Prudential Home Mortgage and senior vice president at Citicorp.

Larry holds an MBA in finance and investment from NYU and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Baruch College.

Faith in the Midst of Tragedy: Losing a Child to Mental Illness

March 18, 2021 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

During this episode, Shelly opens up about the mental illness that ailed her late son Jonathan. Around 19 years old, Jonathan Hamilton took an acne medicine that sent him into a clinical depression. Upon further examination, the doctors diagnosed Jonathan with schizophrenia. After seven years with no solutions, a Christian psychiatrist found a combination of medicine that enabled Jonathan to function. During this period, Jonathan penned beautiful songs published by Majesty Music and began working again. Fifteen years into his illness, a generic version of his medication became available, which removed the insurance coverage of Jonathan’s specialized medicine. Unknown to Ron and Shelly, Jonathan chose to go off the generic medication and tragically took his own life on Mother’s Day. Losing their son rattled Ron and Shelly’s world. In the midst of their tragedy, they remained strong in the faith believing in God’s providential plan for their life. Jonathan left a lasting legacy and a testimony that has touched the lives of many.

As Shelly pointed out in her life verse, the Just shall live by faith. You may be wondering why this episode is on a financial podcast, and the reason is that death and tragedy are all part of life. Many facing trials and tragedies turn to faith, and we hope this has been an encouragement to those who are facing similar trials including mental illness, suicide, or the death of a child. One of Intelligent Investing’s Core Values is Truth, and we believe that speaking the truth in love is a way to show compassion on others. Sometimes the truth hurts or is hard to say, and we hope this episode has been an encouragement to those facing similar tragedies. Be sure to subscribe to our Intelligent Money Minute podcasts to hear our many interviews with Shelly and her family by going to our podcast page.

Shelly Hamilton Bio

Faith in the Midst of Trials

March 4, 2021 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold. These are the words that Ron Hamilton penned as he faced cancer which eventually took his eye. Ron and Shelly Hamilton had only been married three years when they received the news that Ron had cancer in his eye. Initially, the doctors speculated that his cancer could spread further into his brain, which would prohibit any surgical operations. Shelly had to come to grips with the reality that she may lose her husband after only three years of marriage. Thankfully, God had a different plan for Ron and Shelly. The doctors removed Ron’s eye and through that trial was the birth of the Patch the Pirate adventures.

As Shelly points out, God often turns our greatest trials in our lives into the greatest blessings of our lives. At Intelligent Investing, we understand that managing your wealth and finances is a small fraction of your entire life. Our goal is to help be your accountability partner, and advisor, as you face various trials in your life. We’d be honored to have a quick cup of coffee or a call to talk about what is going on in your world, and see if we may be a good fit to assist you as we go through life together.

Shelly Hamilton Bio

From Trials to Blessings: The Story of Patch the Pirate

February 18, 2021 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

We never know when unexpected trials will come. Perhaps you’re left wondering why and how these trials could be part of God’s sovereign plan. Back in 1978, Ron and Shelly Hamilton were teaching at Bob Jones University when Ron started to notice reading difficulties in his left eye. After a series of tests, they discovered that he had cancer in his eye. Little did Ron and Shelly know that Ron losing his eye would pave the way to an incredible lifelong ministry of music and song. While at church, the children started asking Ron what’s over his left eye, and he responded that it’s a patch. He took it a step further and told the children to call him Patch the Pirate. Fast forward 4o years later, Majesty Music has produced over 40 adventure series of Patch the Pirate. Out of this tragedy, Ron wrote this song, “Rejoice in the Lord” as a reminder of God’s sovereignty.

Shelly’s story about her husband Ron’s cancer and turning these trials into something beyond their wildest dreams is a humble reminder to trust in God’s bigger plan when the days are dark, scary, and lonely. We’ll be learning more from Shelly on several episodes of Intelligent Money Minute. We wanted to provide you with some background information before we dig deeper into financial related topics such as transitioning a family business, caring for a spouse in retirement, and much more.

If you haven’t subscribed to our podcasts, you can go to investedwithyou.com and choose whichever method you want to download them. While you are there, you can go to our blog page and subscribe so you can get our latest Intelligent Insights directly in your inbox.

Shelly Hamilton Bio

5 Financial Questions to Ask Your Spouse

June 11, 2020 by Hans Blake, CFA, CPA

Reading Time: 2 minutes

At Intelligent Investing, one of the things that we believe makes us different is our attempt to unify families with financial communication. We’ve heard stories of people being laid off, paychecks being cut, and many more financial uncertainties. These times can be scary, and we can tend to want to internalize our emotions and not share them with others…leading to more loneliness and depression.

I recently read that China’s divorce spike due to the Coronavirus should be a warning to the rest of the world. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, the opposite might be true, but it doesn’t have to be. We know that financial stress can be a top reason for divorce, but it shouldn’t be. As families are put under new financial and emotional stresses, it is important to make more of an effort regarding your communication with your spouse and family.

Five Financial Questions to Ask

In order to help you get started, here are five financial questions to ask your spouse. Perhaps you can grab a cup of coffee and turn off Netflix for 15 minutes. My hope is that this may lead into deeper conversations.

How financially secure are you feeling and why?
In what ways could we can improve your feeling of financial security?
How much do you think we have in our emergency fund?
Do you think we need more or less in our emergency fund?
What would you want to know financially should something happen to me? (getting laid off, sudden illness, unexpected death)

These are not the only financial questions you can ask, and your list of questions will be better than mine. The point is it starts getting both spouses on the same financial page.

When I asked my wife, Amanda, these questions, one of the things that came out of the conversation was that she wasn’t sure where all our money was should something happen to me. This opens the door for me to better communicate and document that, for example, we have a UK pension plan from the time I worked in London.

It may feel awkward at first—especially if you haven’t had these talks in a while, or ever. However, your spouse will appreciate your effort and it may grow you closer during these times of social distancing.

Need More Help?

If you do find yourself unemployed, be sure to consider whether it is worth rolling over your 401k or 403b. Check out our blog on the topic. Being laid off can be an emotional and scary time. Intelligent Investing was built to help you control your emotions of fear and greed. We’d be happy to take you out for a cup of coffee or lunch to discuss your situation and see if we may be able to help. Also, be sure to check out our Coronavirus’ Impact on Retirement mini-series.

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