Michelle-Marie J Burmester

Think of your life thus far.. Have you ever had a friend know you and advocate for you? ....Try to picture that friend for a moment, with your eyes closed and let the first one you think of stay fresh in your mind...

Now imagine having someone like that friend you imagined.. but from a wealth management lense come in to your life.. to help you and your loved ones in a natural and authentic way with a very precious set of assets that are particularly important to you or fragile to a beneficiary.

Imagine this friend stepped into your loved ones lives quietly perhaps at a funeral, a birthday, or gave them a call outright and helped support them through tough family dynamics and tough life decisions to make.

What if this friend honored each of their personalities even though they were vastly different? Hard to find. Also imagine no one had a clue that your financial friend was quietly doing that for everyone and it was peaceful. It's unique because I somehow have been able to do that with families in a natural way and that's my niche.

Let's say.. for a second... You, yourself are in your 60s, 70s or perhaps your 80s.. and you are starting to think about how much time you have left and what this really daunting latter half might be like. Perhaps that's a quiet echo in your mind or a strong persistent thought. Whatever it may be, it's there and you've been through it with your parents, aunts, uncles etc. You think of your kids or your nieces and nephews, your friends, your close circle and you realize it might be more important to connect. At the same time, their lives are busy or at different paces. Your health could also be an object of friction for you.

You make sure your affairs are in order and you try to enjoy your time and make the most of it without getting in the way of their busy lives. Time goes on ….and you enter what seems like your very last moments coming toward you. It's awful or you've accepted it and have peace. You may be more open with your loved ones and you may share your estate plans, business plans and such, so that everyone knows what happens. You may have some estrangement or lack of communication with one or two family members or friends that you always wished you could've been mended with. Or you may have someone who is struggling and they seek solitude and you're worried about them.

And then, when you pass, often quickly, your beneficiaries are grateful to inherit but they often enter many more mixed emotions than they thought. It can be hard to find their footing or their path and they may experience troubles with their siblings or friends and other family that also got inheritance. It may introduce a completely new perspective on life. But at this moment, you are gone and that's how it unfolded.

My questions to prospective clients in this situation…navigating the unspoken nuances above...let's add in a different positive light..

• "What if the advanced tax planning, estate planning, business succession planning, and investment planning weren't the gold standard, but it actually became the basic expectation of your advisor? What if we ensured these plans actually went well emotionally too? What if the advisor made that natural?"
• "What if your advisor put on their listening, empathetic, and curious ear to become a quiet "friend" in the lives of all of your beneficiaries? Could that have been much more helpful for your siblings when your parents passed long ago?"
• "What if your advisor honored that your beneficiaries might very well want to keep their current advisor and that that's important to them, but still helped make the process collaborative and seamless when you did pass?"
• "What if instead of dry wealth transfer meetings.. they held thoughtful get togethers impromptu to bring everyone together in a natural way and honored each member to the degree of their true nature?"

There are many more "what-ifs".. all dependent on your deeper desires for your loved ones and yourself.

Could we pass on your assets strategically and meaningfully at the same time? Would it make these years special, like a new project? Would you want to have the disconnection or lingering family dynamics mended? Could you use your wealth to connect?

The answer of my clients who've allowed me into their lives like this, would say yes. They've gotten this in recent years with me organically and their lives have passed with something they never expected when they met me virtually or in the office. This is a very special experience and very different. I hope the same for you and your family. Please connect with me via email/telephone to set up a consultation. Look forward to it..