Craig Fowler - Financial Planner - SDP & Associates

Blended families are a huge blessing for so many people, but finances in a blended family can be complicated. I grew up in a blended family and know firsthand that there are obstacles to navigate when merging two family units. Offloading some of the financial planning work can help a family focus on relationships and communication. Let me help you and your family.

Often times, a person's relationship with money is rooted very deeply. My bio dad, Mark Stevens, was a fantastic human being that loved his community and was devoted in his faith as a Christian. I think he was a great Dad while he was alive as well. One of the things I am most proud of him for is the family prayer devotional that he wrote and had published, 'Cool Shades & Butterflies'. It represents the best of my Dad. He wasn't perfect. Neither am I. One of the biggest struggles my dad faced was with his mental health. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the treatment and medication available was not great at the time. When he was in the midst of a manic episode he would gamble and found himself in financial trouble frequently. I was never old enough to understand the impacts of this first-hand and always heard it retold by family members after his death. This has shaped my relationship with money over time and I have spent so so much time processing this on my own and in therapy. A silver lining in this is that it has equipped me well to hold meaningful discussions with my clients about money and financial planning. I don't get scared by the messy stuff because I know it is just life. I am human just like you and I want to help you if you need it. - Craig

There is no single 'right' answer to handling finances in a marriage. I have worked with folks that keep their finances independent in a marriage and I have worked with couples that fully integrate their financial lives. Could a mediated conversation help you and your spouse come together through financial alignment?

Would your employees know what to do if retirement arrived five years early? Data shows that most people do not expect to retire early, but surveys of retirees show that it happens more than expected.

“Can You Afford It?” is the wrong question.
“Can You Comfortably Keep Affording It?” is better.
......Buy the toy, but do it smart. Know your budget.

Does your retirement education meet younger employees where they are?
Younger employees are looking for answers somewhere—sometimes from AI or social media. Employers have an opportunity to connect them with trustworthy, human guidance before internet advice fills the gap.

Ninety-six percent of employees who were automatically enrolled say they are happy about it. Satisfaction with automatic contribution increases is even higher at 97%.

Good plan design make the helpful choice the easy choice. Automatic enrollment and automatic escalation quietly build better habits without asking employees to make another complicated decision.

The opportunity: Review whether your plan's defaults are doing enough-and whether too many employees are still being left to act on their own.

When was your plan's automatic-enrollment and escalation structure last benchmarked?

Twenty-seven percent of employees have borrowed from or withdrawn retirement savings early. Unexpected expenses and credit-card debt are common reasons.

The retirement plan does not exist separately from everyday financial stress. When employees lack an energency cushion, long-term savings can become the fallback for today's bills

Pairing retirement education with practical emergency-savings resources can help employees protect both goals.

Could your your financial-wellness program do more before an emergency reaches the retirement account?

Wellness Secunty Benefits

More than half of employees do not know how much they need to save for retirement. Many are contributing but still guessing whether it will be enough.

A contribution rate without context is just a number. Employees benefit from a clear savings target tied to age, pay and the retirement they are trying to build.

SDP Planning helps turn "Am I saving enough?" into a question employees can answer with greater confidence.

When did your employees last receive personalized savings guidance?

We can help you help them get on the proper path, call us at 865-824-2534 for a free consultation

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