Over The Falls – October 2022
In early October, Kosal Gelser, a member of our Operations team, and his husband, Richie, welcomed a foster child to their home. While the addition of this 2-year-old little boy to their household has kept them on their toes, they wouldn’t change a thing and are enjoying every minute. Even Chloe, their 3-year-old Bernedoodle, has adapted to this change and is willingly used as a chair for little Christopher.
On Saturday, September 24, several High Falls Advisors staff members, family, and friends, made a trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to participate and cheer on the 2022 HFA Tough Mudder team as they made their way through a 5K course and 13 obstacles. The team started with 20 of us (all newbies to the Tough Mudder) clad in our HFA blue shirts and ended with 20 of us in brownish blue shirts with a few new bruises and scrapes. The event showed us how much can be accomplished with teamwork, grit, and determination. HFA “Tough Mudders” are looking forward to next year when we intend to take on the next challenge—a 10K with 20 obstacles.
On Saturday, October 8, HFA hosted a breakfast event for Bethel Express. Bethel Express is a local organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty and violence by teaching our children to become champions in society through spiritual strength, social stability, and scholastic success. The event and conversation focused on financial literacy and topics included paying yourself first, interest, what it means to own a stock, and the power of compounding. Along with several HFA staff members, Aquinas Junior, Sal Schmitt, helped facilitate the discussion. The day closed with a surprise ice cream truck and although the weather was quite cold, no one seemed to mind. High Falls Advisors has supported Bethel Express for several years with new coats, gift cards, and Champion® gear. Based on the day’s success, Bethel Express leaders and HFA hope to continue our collaboration with an annual financial literacy program.
Ken Burke, Jen Vogler, and Jim Englert traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend semiannual training with America’s IRA Experts at Ed Slott and Company, LLC. The invite-only workshop provided in-depth technical training on advanced retirement account planning strategies, tax law changes, and estate planning techniques. Ed Slott and Company, LLC is the nation’s leading provider of technical IRA education for financial advisors, CPAs, and attorneys. Ed Slott’s Elite IRA Advisor GroupSM is comprised of 500 of the nation’s top financial professionals who are dedicated to the mastery of advanced retirement account and tax planning laws and strategies. Slott is a nationally recognized IRA distribution expert, best-selling author, and professional speaker. He has hosted several public television specials, including “Ed Slott's Retirement Freedom!” and released his latest book, “The New Retirement Savings Time Bomb,” in March 2021.
