Finally, A Meeting of Three

Sometimes, if something is going to happen at all, it has to happen quickly. Each time I have talked with my new financial advisor, she has suggested she meet with Ken and me together to get a sense of what our priorities are. Well, trying to set up a meeting with Ken is like trying to predict the weather ~ he rarely knows more than a day or two in advance what his schedule is. For 22 years the stock phrase has been, "I will be there if I'm home." Consequently, I have been dragging my feet in planning a meeting for the three of us.

So I wasn't surprised when the idea of a meeting came up yesterday; she called to see if I had any questions about the transfer of my accounts to her management firm. I received the paperwork this week, and I was impressed that she followed up with a phone call. When she mentioned again that she wanted to meet with Ken and me together, I was polite, without a clue about when such a meeting could happen. I asked her what days were good for her, and she said it varied from week to week and sometimes it worked to plan just a day or two in advance, which was music to my ears.

When Ken got home yesterday, I mentioned the phone call from my financial advisor [I just like the way that sounds] and how she would like to schedule a meeting in her office. Then Ken said he would be working down that way on Friday. Really? I gave her a call and left a message, and she called this morning to say this afternoon worked for her, too. Really? It had all come together in less than 24 hours.

Alrighty then. We had a plan, which only needed a slight modification when Ken rushed home to shower and change and ride down with me...but that kind of adjustment has become part and parcel of the way we do things. I called ahead to say we might be a few minutes late, but we arrived right on time [I find that a call ahead to say I may be late is the surest way to get someplace on time].

Now I was nervous for a variety of reasons. First, what would Ken think of the woman I have selected to handle my retirement accounts? Second, what would the woman who now knows intimate details of my financial life think of my husband and how we interact as a couple? And third, what would my new financial advisor think about our financial situation as a midlife couple who is just now coming to grips with what life will look like when Ken reaches retirement age? It was a lot to contemplate. I was grateful I had less than 24 hours to consider the possible answers to these questions.

There was nothing to worry about. Once again I was struck by the sincere, gentle approach of this woman I trust to manage my money. She asks the right questions and listens to the answers. Her positive attitude always puts me at ease. She talked about interweaving my accounts with Ken's to create a complete picture of what we have and what we need. She said that we are in this together, and that is just what I needed to hear.