As many people reading this are already aware, I am “retiring” from direct work with clients at the end of 2017.  So what can I say about our business after 30+ years?

First, there have been many changes since 1978.  The growth of automation with computers and software has been staggering, and all this automated support allows us to analyze more numbers and define alternative choices for our clients.  There are multiple ways to achieve an objective, and some of them are easier and faster than others.  Helping you define the best way to accomplish your objectives is more possible today than it was in the past.

The CJM organization is much larger than it was when I started, and much of that growth was in the last 20 years.  The keys to that growth were work and effort, and getting the right people on our bus.  It took hard work to attract smart, talented, and motivated people who accepted and adopted our core values and culture.  We wanted to “feel” like a small, caring business as we grew in size so that we could maintain our independence into the future.  I’ll let the people reading this who have been with us for 15+ years evaluate how well we have done that.

There are many things that did not change at CJM over the years.  We have always been a financial planning firm since we started almost 40 years ago.  We help you with your investments and income needs, integrating those with good estate planning and tax planning along the way.  We have always been committed to providing you quality personal service and doing that in a timely way so that your needs are met, if not exceeded.  And all of these corporate efforts are driven by the fact that in our business, the client ALWAYS comes first.

I will still “consult” with CJM in the future (an average of one day per week), which will allow my wife and I more time for other things including some additional travel.  Thank you for being part of my journey and the CJM story.  I am confident that our firm will continue to provide you excellent service and support in the years to come.