November 2005
The NavigaTor Financial Advice for the Adventures of Life
I
It’s about time
t was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Charles Dickens
Since the dawn of time, we’ve tried to under-
stand her nature. Why? In order to control her. But time Kurtis Pearson, C.F.P.
kurtis.pearson@lpl.com
is a holy mystery, an extravagant gift meant to be expe-
rienced, not understood. Certainly not controlled. Why
do you think we are crazed half the time?
For centuries those with time on their hands-saints,
poets, mystics, masters, sages and philosophers-have
pondered time’s enigma. They’ve discovered her dual-
How do we exchange
ity. As the sculptor and poet Henry Van Dyke explains: Steve Conard
Chronos for Kairos? By Financial Consultant
slowing down. By con-
Time is .....too slow for those who Wait steve.conard@lpl.com
centrating on one thing at
a time. By going about
Too swift for those who Fear
whatever we are doing as
if it were the only thing
Too long for those who Grieve
worth doing at that mo-
ment. It only takes a mo-
Too short for those who Rejoice. Michele Bjorkgren
ment to cross over from Director of Client Services
Chronos to Kairos, but it michele.bjorkgren@lpl.com
Slow and swift are time’s parallel realities. The twin
does take a moment. All
nature of time was described by the ancient Greeks as
that Kairos asks is our
Chronos and Kairos
willingness to stop run-
Chronos is clocks, deadlines, watches, calendars,
ning long enough to hear
agendas, planners, schedules and beepers. Chronos is
the music of the spheres.
time at her worst. IN Chronos we think only of our-
Today, be willing to join
selves. Chronos is the world’s time. Nancy Economos
the dance! Compliance Adminisrator
Kairos is transcendence, infinity, reverence, joy, pas- nancy.economos@lpl.com
sion, love, the Sacred. Kairos is time at her best. Kairos
Article adapted from the book:
lets go. Kairos is Spirit time.
“Simple Abundance”
We exist in Chronos. We long for Kairos. That’s our
By Sarah Ban Breathnach
duality. Chronos requires speed so that it won’t be wast-
ed. Kairos requires space so that it might be savored.
Copyright 1995, Warner Books
We “do” in Chronos. In Kairos we are allowed to be.
Julie Greer
We think we have never known Kairos, but we have: Sales Assistant
When meditating or praying, when lost in music’s rap- julie.greer@lpl.com
ture or literature’s reverie, when planting bulbs or pull-
COMPASS
ing weeds, when watching over a sleeping child, when
delighting in a sunset, when exulting in our passions. We
know joy in Kairos, glimpse beauty in Kairos, remember
what it means to be alive in Kairos.
FINANCIAL SERVICES

This picture shows the phone bank including Compass’s
Steve Conard (upper left) and Kurt Pearson (lower right).
Wednesday, October 5th
To increase awareness of financial planning
and provide a service for viewers, KCCI TV host-
ed a Phone Bank again this year during Financial
Planning week on Wednesday, October 5th for
the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. News. This was done in
Financial Planning Week! conjunction with Financial Planners Association
of Central Iowa.
Planning Tip
Under current law, the estate tax will come
back in 2011. The new tax legislation has a “sun-
set provision.” If Congress doesn’t take any ac-
tion before 2010, the changes imposed by the new
Estate planning remains a pressing need
law will cease to apply, and the estate tax rules
will revert in 2011 to what they were in 2001 with
No reason to procrastinate
55% as the highest estate tax rate and only the
News of the repeal of the estate tax gave many
first $1 million of someone’s estate free from fed-
people one more reason to avoid planning their es-
eral estate taxes. That much uncertainty doesn’t
tates. Many people already put off this important task
reduce the need for planning — it increases the
because they don’t want to think about the day when
need. The following pages provide an overview
they’re no longer around, and they’d rather not have to
of the key tools used in estate planning and a sum-
face the difficult decisions involved. Most investment
mary of the major changes the tax law introduced.
professionals and estate planning attorneys, however,
Becoming familiar — and comfortable — with
stress that estate planning remains a pressing need for
this information can help you prepare for meet-
a number of reasons.
ings with your professional advisers.
Estate planning isn’t just about tax planning. Plan-
ning your estate also involves issues such as naming a
Develop a plan: Your action checklist
guardian for minor children, deciding when your adult
1. Don’t assume you no longer have to worry
children will be ready to inherit their family wealth,
about the estate tax.
and preparing for the possibility that you or your
2. If you haven’t already, meet with an estate
spouse become physically or mentally disabled.
planning attorney. Ask your investment profes-
sional for a referral if you don’t have someone in
The estate tax won’t go away until 2010
mind.
Under the new law, the estate tax won’t disappear
3. Consider in advance who could serve as a
until 2010. In 2002, the first $1 million of someone’s
guardian for your minor children.
estate will be exempt from estate taxes. That amount
4. Think about how and when you want your
will gradually increase until it reaches $3.5 million in
children to inherit the family’s assets.
2009 — the year before the estate tax goes away. That
Estate planning remains a pressing need. The
limit may seem high enough to make estate taxes a
tax reform legislation of 2001 brought plenty of
concern only for the very affluent. But still, it’s im-
welcome relief for taxpayers. The law calls for
portant to remember that your estate includes all your
the eventual elimination of the estate tax, a bur-
assets — your home, your savings, your investments,
densome tax that in the past could reduce the es-
and your life insurance policies. Before assuming you
tate someone left to heirs by as much as 55%.
don’t need to worry about an estate tax, you may want
COMPASS
to consult with an estate planning attorney. He or she
can advise you on whether you need to do any plan-
ning to reduce the taxes that could come due on your
estate if you died in any year but 2010. FINANCIAL SERVICES

Compass Financial
2004 holiday party.
Upcoming Events:
Thursday, December 8th
Compass Financial’s Holiday Open House
January 2006
Upcoming
” Educational event recapping 2005 and
looking forward to the new year.
Client Events
“Retirement at 65 is ridiculous.
”
When I was 65, I still had pimples.”
- George Burns
Referral Corner:
We work by referral at Compass. We want
to thank the following clients for their recent
referrals:
• Bernie and Evelyn Conrads
The 2005 Holiday Party
• Jeff Plagge is December 8th.
• Ivan and Angela Steinlage
• Dennis and Cheryl Pate
• Steve Shindler
”
• Judy Valentine
• Bryan Witherwax
• Ross Larson
• James and Shelly Knutson
“If people would only consider
how hard it is to obtain money,
how uncertainly it is kept, the envy it brings,
that it can neither make a man wise,
nor cure diseases, nor add life,
much less give peace in death,
”
people would not care to keep such a low and
impotent thing as money.”
COMPASS - William Penn
FINANCIAL SERVICES