Small business. Big savings.

How can business owners save more, more regularly? Too often business owners put customers, employees, even vendors before themselves.

Usually this trait leads to great things. But often this leads to low savings rates relative to their income. And that can be detrimental to long-term personal financial security.

Even if your business is your largest asset and you hope an eventual exit will set you up for retirement, prudent savings now will enhance your upside in the future and protect you in case things don’t go as planned.

Your business is not you Many entrepreneurs conflate their personal identity and finances with their business. This usually goes two ways: either the owner takes too much too soon from the business, leaving it drained; or they give too much, never forcing the business to stand on its own.

The best approach is to clearly separate your role as business owner from your role as an employee in the business. While every situation is different, as an employee you should get a regular paycheck for that role, while as an owner you should benefit from the profits. Save a portion of both incomes toward retirement or long-term savings.

Watch those (tax-deductible) expenses Just because a meal or entertainment expense is tax deductible, doesn’t mean that’s where you should spend your money.

Often, the temptation of being able to “write it off” leads to loose spending. Instead, try reducing out-of-the-office coffee meetings in favor of in-office meetings or similar tactics. Then

VOYAGER

FROM THE DESK OF… features rotating columns from Helmstar

partners Tom Steelman, CFP,TM and Ben Boettcher, ChFc, CFP.TM

ISSUE 5 . SEPTEMBER . 2016

Lessons from...

The Millionaire Next Door

P2

Dreaming Big

Clarifying Financial Goals

P4

Lunch & Learn

Reinvent yourself at any age: Sherry Fernandez, owner of FitMania

P2

FROM THEDESK OF…

BENBOETTCHERThe stock market is flying high. Almost all indices have hit or come very near record highs in recent months.

So what does this mean to you?

For the most part, not much. Smart investors shouldn’t spend too much time on the daily ups and downs of the market. Instead, stay true to your plan. Save. Invest. Don’t obsess with short-term fluctuations — remain focused on the long-term.

With that said, you should understand that just because “the markets” — usually defined by the NASDAQ, DOW and S&P 500 indexes — are up, that doesn’t mean all of the thousands of company stocks are also up on any given day.

In other words, your portfolio results may not match the behavior of the markets. And that’s OK. Your plan was designed for your needs, with your risk tolerance, investing style and goals in mind.

In addition, the rising price of stocks doesn’t dramatically or directly impact dividends, an important source of reliable growth for many investors. Not to mention the other places so many people are invested: bonds, real estate, etc.

So when folks ask us whether a booming stock market is good or bad, the answer is it doesn’t matter all that much. We’re focused on the long-term results. On building sustained wealth as defined by the life goals of our clients. The temperature of the markets doesn’t change our focus.

The stories in this edition of Voyager reflect that. We’ve written about saving, building wealth, clarifying and achieving goals. These principles are timeless and — we hope — valuable to you, your friends and your family.

Insights on wealth, personal finance and more

A R E G I S T E R E D I N V E S T M E N T A D V I S O R Y F I R M

DID YOUKNOW?

Follow us on FacebookYes — we’re on Facebook! Find us at www.facebook.com/HelmstarGroup where we share additional personal finance and investing tips.

Have a friend or family member who you think could benefit from receiving our Voyager newsletter?

Let us know.

Go to helmstargroup.com/contact or call 208.429.0800

and we’ll make sure they receive it.

PASSALONG! © 2016 The Helmstar Group.

Material in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. It is not to be construed as tax, legal or investment advice. Information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, but individual situations can vary. Please consult with an investment, legal, accounting or tax professional about your unique situation.

helmstargroup.comT 208.429.0800 | F 208.429.0801250 S. 5th St. Suite 600 | Boise, ID 83702

Continued on page 4

Dreaming Big: Clarifying Financial GoalsHelmstar is increasingly becoming known for our focus not just on ROI (return on investment), but also ROL (return on life).

We love helping clients achieve not just their financial goals, but also their life goals. In order to do that though, you first need to be able to clearly define those goals.

At Helmstar, we use our Discovery Board™ to help guide this process. But even without that process, a simple focus on your goals can help you clarify and, ultimately, achieve them. Here’s how:

Imagine the future: start by thinking about what the future you looks like. Dream. If you don’t have a big-picture goal of what your life will look like, it is difficult to define the “little” goals that will help you achieve it.

Get specific: don’t just aim for retirement or travel or financial security. Specifically state what those goals (or whatever your goals are) mean to you. Include the details, like when and how.

Check alignment: are these your goals or just something you feel should be a goal. For example, we all talk about retirement, but do you really want to retire? Or just retire from your current career?

Prioritize: none of us can do everything all at once. Prioritize whether your goals must be achieved now or later and their level of importance to your big picture goal.

Plan: work backwards from your goal to today. What steps can you take today that will move you closer to it?

Audacious goals are great. Clear goals are better.

If it’s been awhile, reach out to us about the Discovery Board and how it may be able to help you in this important process.

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” ~ Zig Ziglar

The United States Olympic

Committee pays medal winners

$25,000 for gold,

$15,000 for silver, and

$10,000 for bronze.

“Small business. Big savings.” continued from page 1

put the savings toward your retirement account.

No matter how successful your company, business owners are not immune to overspending. And overspending makes saving that much more difficult.

Start When it comes down to it, business owners are no different when it comes to savings: the secret is to start. If you’re a current business owner, or are soon to exit your business, we encourage you to meet with the Helmstar team and review how your business fits into your overall portfolio.

Don’t use your status as a business owner as an excuse to not create great saving and investing habits. Use it as an opportunity to do more, more often.

4

BUSINESS OWNER SAVINGS CHECKLISTBUSINESS OWNER SAVINGS CHECKLIST

Know your goals. See “Dreaming Big” (below) for ideas.

Plan on a mix of tactics including saving while you grow your business and selling your business when the time is right.

Be smart about your level of risk and liquidity depending on the stage of your business.

Pick the right vehicles. Tax-deferred and taxable investment accounts both have a role to play.

Get started — good things come to those who don’t wait.

Know your goals. See “Dreaming Big” (below) for ideas.

Plan on a mix of tactics including saving while you grow your business and selling your business when the time is right.

Be smart about your level of risk and liquidity depending on the stage of your business.

Pick the right vehicles. Tax-deferred and taxable investment accounts both have a role to play.

Get started — good things come to those who don’t wait.

Income ≠ Wealth While most millionaires earn a little more than average, their income is not the driving factor of their wealth. According to The Millionaire Next Door authors Thomas Stanley and William Danko, it’s the prioritization of living below their means instead of flashy spending that leads to their success.

Goals matter About two-thirds of the millionaires surveyed for the book say they have set clear short-term and longer-term goals. And of those who didn’t, most had already reached financial independence.

They’re invested in their investments Millionaires put meaningful time and energy into how they save. They care about where their money goes, and are an active partner in researching opportunities when they have the help of an expert like Helmstar.

Not house poor 90% of those surveyed for The Millionaire Next Door live in a home valued under $1 million – and most of the millionaire’s home values are well under that. Instead, they keep their money working for them in the form of investments.

Their kids are self-sufficient Few millionaires support their kids into adulthood. Instead, they instill their values of common-sense frugality and hard work and set them free to build a life of their own.

Patience is a virtue Most millionaires and multimillionaires didn’t get there overnight. They worked hard, they saved and they used the power of compound interest and investments to build meaningful wealth.

Values over money The biggest lesson from The Millionaire Next Door is that millionaires view money as a tool to live a more fulfilling life — not a goal in and of its own. They understand that money needs to be shaped, focused and used to reflect their personal values, not the other way around.

Most of us aren’t born rich. We earn it… with years of hard work and discipline. But how do we pass along the skills — and values — required to build wealth to our children and grandchildren?

The classic personal finance book The Millionaire Next Door offers some convincing insights that reach both the head and heart…

UP CLOSE:

Tom and his family.

Tom SteelmanFounding Principal, family man and financial planning obsessive.Q. What first got you interested in financial planning?

A. My finance courses in college intrigued me – I had previously studied accounting, so finance seemed so refreshing and fun. I used to walk around my apartment with my financial calculator telling my roommates how much their savings would compound to if they started saving now.

Q. What keeps you interested in financial planning?

A. I love the challenge of helping different people overcome different challenges. Helping individuals and families is never the same day in and day out… everybody is different. I like that challenge. I also love that from one day to the next situations and strategies change. It’s a career that requires a lot of study and reading to stay abreast of things – that would be challenging if you didn’t love the work!

I love my work and couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. It’s particularly rewarding when clients mention that we have made a big difference in their lives.

Q. What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday?

A. Big family breakfast. Playing with kids. Going to kids activities. Honey-do lists. Catch up. Hopefully watch a game on TV. It’s not glamorous, but it’s a great life.

Q. How do you try to instill your “money values” in your children?

A. I have taught basic finance classes to elementary school kids and feel SUPER strongly about teaching kids about money. I just try to help my kids understand how money is a tool and can be used for great good. A strong work ethic goes hand-in-hand with managing money well. I try to create opportunities for my children to earn money, but I never force it. We use the saying “earning money is a privilege.”

I also try to reinforce some of the basics to my kids: to “sleep on it” before making big decisions with their money (like 20 bucks) and helping them to decipher between a true “need” and just something they “want.”

Q. What is your go-to advice for people who want to better manage their money?

A. The common denominator of those who succeed with money is discipline. Even if you have enough money to allow you to be undisciplined with your relationship with money – it simply doesn’t feel good to those people. They know intrinsically that something is not right. On the other end, we see very frequently the life satisfaction that

comes to those that have mastered the discipline associated with money and saving/spending. It really provides a springboard for every other important aspect of your life. Money truly can be a huge inhibitor or a great enabler — but it takes discipline to get there.

Q. What’s your favorite part of being a member of the Helmstar team?

A. I love the Helmstar team. I feel like we all enjoy the experience we provide to our treasured clients and recognize the collective impact we make in their lives. Ultimately this is about enabling them to use their time and talents in ways that help them to be most fulfilled. My favorite part? Just the privilege to be a part of the team – it’s a joy to come to work.

Postscript...

...I’m really just a very normal guy with what probably seems like a very boring life to some. Of course, I don’t think so. I find an immense amount of life fulfillment through my family and my career. The annual vacations we plan on and take are the icing on the cake for our family and our kids. – life is truly wonderful!

Read more...Visit www.helmstargroup.com/blog/ to read past newsletter articles, additional personal finance tips, and more.

LESSONS FROM THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR

2 3

R E I N V E N TY O U R S E L F AT A N Y A G E .

LUNCH LEARN&

WHAT: Join us for a very special lunch n’ learn session with Sherry Fernandez, owner of FitMania. She’ll share her insights on how to stay active before and after retirement, including diet and nutrition tips. Lunch included.

WHO: Helmstar clients and their friends and family

WHEN: Sept. 27th, 2016. Noon - 1pm

WHERE: C.W. Moore Conference Room (in our building) 250 S. 5th Street, Boise

RSVP: Space is limited. Please RSVP by September 19th: 208.429.0800 or kim@helmstargroup.com