Newsletter | June 12, 2020
As the World Opens Up
As summer approaches, we are enjoying more time outdoors and beginning to venture a little further from home. The sunshine is not only good for your health, it's good for your state of mind. We hope that you have been able to get out a little more and we've included some ideas below to inspire you to enjoy this time of year.

We remain comfortable with the positioning of the current portfolios, and the changes made at the onset of the pandemic. In this edition's video clip, David expounds on the current market and economic environment; and provides insight on what we may expect going forward.

Here we are almost halfway through 2020, and these past few months have certainly kept us all on our toes, or should I say on the couch more than usual. Our economy was moving along nicely until this pandemic led-recession started in February, bringing our 11 year economic expansion to be put on hold. Yes, this interruption will cause some challenges for the short-term and a bumpy path for U.S. markets in 2020 as the economy comes back online. The overall outlook for 2021 and the years ahead is quite encouraging as a potential new bull market begins.

We really appreciate you and hope that this will be a very nice and relaxing summer for you and your family!

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you soon,

The Team at FCG
News You Can Use
Shredding

Complimentary document shredding for you and your family. Our shredding service will make the next pick up on June 24. 

So, now is the perfect time to get rid of those old files and stacks of papers. If you’d like to bring your papers by our office, we will be happy to have them securely shredded for you. 
Fees

We are pleased to provide reduced fees for our investment clients with E*TRADE Advisor Services. 

Most accounts will benefit from a reduced Advisor/Custodian fee and all accounts will now have no cost for paper checks and no cost for paper investment statements.  
 
Office News

After two months of working from home, we are now all back in the office and following appropriate social distancing guidelines.
 
We continue to find that phone or Zoom meetings is still effective with clients. But, as always we can make appropriate accommodation, as necessary and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Darcy Found Her Happy Place
Since retiring from Financial Consultants Group Darcy has been spending some quality time with her friends and family and most of all her adorable grandchildren.

Covid-19 may have put a little bit of a damper on getting out and about, however, she has enjoyed so many wonderful adventures at home with her grandchildren including swimming, watching movies, exploring with her grandsons new Explorer Kit, (which involves catching worms and roly poly bugs) and spending time on the lake.

Just this week we had a real nice time visiting Darcy in her home for lunch. We all enjoyed finally catching up and getting to see her in person.

Although Darcy is very much enjoying her retirement, she wanted us to say hello to everyone for her and let them know she misses them dearly.
A Time for Introspection
This year has certainly had its challenges. And the isolation many of us feel during the lock down can bring on stress and anxiety. To mitigate those feelings, some of us have found that mindfulness or meditation helps to relax. There are several good phone apps to guide you through relaxation exercises or even help you unwind for bedtime. Sandee and Jen both enjoy using the Calm app and have found that even the free version has many useful features. Maybe you will find one of these options useful as well.
Calm helps users sleep better, boost confidence and reduce stress and anxiety with the help of guided meditation,soothing music, and bedtime stories

Headspace is your guide to everyday mindfulness. Choose from hundreds of guided meditations on everything from managing stress and anxiety to sleep, productivity, exercise, and physical health.
Insight Timer has many experienced mindfulness teachers on it, and allows you the freedom to choose on how long you have to practice. Examples are loving kindness, anxiety/stress reducing, or just set a timer and sit without guidance.
Aura is a meditation app that helps you relieve stress in 3, 7, or 10 min. Select from soothing sounds such as flowing water, or uplifting classical music with spoken prompts helping to guide you.

Book / Netflix Reviews
The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter is a highly recommended read by both Sandee and Jennifer: 

When a deadly hurricane approaches, two women, living a century apart, will be forever linked by their instinctive acts of bravery and love.

Inspired by true events, The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter is a historical novel that explores how our past shapes our present, and what it truly means to be courageous

In the Netflix series, Sweet Magnolias, three friends decide to go into business together to transform a big old house into a beautiful new spa. 

These three friends lift each other up as they juggle relationships, family, and careers in the small, southern town of Serenity.
Hitting the Road
A great way for the family to experience some great scenery and spend quality time together is by hitting the road in an RV.
Thanks to one of our clients, Mary Anne, for her insight into some great places to visit.

If you already own your own RV, Perfect! If not here are a couple places you can look at renting. The first is Cruise America and another is RV Share . Check out these websites to rent the perfect RV for your family.

Some ideas for local campgrounds in the Atlanta area include, Stone Mountain State Park Campground and Lake Lanier Campgrounds . Stone Mountain State Park has beautiful scenery and many amenities a family needs. On Lake Lanier Campgrounds website they mention many campgrounds with full hook ups such as electricity, water and a dump station. A favorite campground of our clients on Lake Lanier, is Old Federal Campgrounds.
As for other areas such as, Helen and Dahlonega, there are a a few state parks such as Vogel State Park and Unicoi State Park w here you can camp. They also include plenty of trails to hike, beautiful flowers and amazing waterfalls.

A wonderful out of state campground that David has recently been researching is also a favorite of our client, Cades Cove Campground , which is part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend, Tennessee. This campground is known for many sightings of black bears.

A good idea before you plan a trip, is of course to do your research. Below are a few suggestions:

Campendium is a free app that is said to be one of the best at finding camping facilities.
All Stays is an app you can purchase for $9.99 that has excellent resources for where to camp and has over 30,000 campgrounds listed.
Passport America is also a great app that provides a great deal of information and gives you discounts on campgrounds. However you do have an annual fee you pay to be a member.

There are so many beautiful areas around the state of Georgia and beyond that would be a great escape for your family, so hit the road in an RV and enjoy this beautiful weather and scenery.
Trails and Waterfalls
Another great summer adventure we love to recommend for the family is Hiking and Waterfall Trails. We have given this Wayward Traveler's Guide to Waterfalls and Back Roads to many of our clients who we knew loved the outdoors. It is a great reference for finding the perfect outdoor adventure for the day. Below are a few favorite places from this guide to explore.

Megan's (David's daughter) favorite trail/waterfall is Angel Falls . This is a moderate/difficult one mile hike to 2 waterfalls, one over 75 feet tall. And right near Angel Falls is Sandee's favorite Minnehaha Falls. This an easy trail to the base of the falls. It is a beautiful 75 foot falls with nice rock areas to sit and enjoy the falls.
Jennifer's favorite place to go with her daughter is Amicalola Falls which is pictured on the front of the guide. It is the highest waterfall in Georgia at 729 feet. Steps run the entire length of the falls from top to bottom. Ascending the stairs is quite the workout but there are short cuts to see the falls where you don't have to climb all the stairs.

If you would like one of the guides, please email us at [email protected] We would love to provide this for you to find some great adventures for you to explore.
Delightful Summer Desserts
ICE CREAM FREEZER POPS

Ingredients
for 15 servings

  • 1/2 package sandwich cookies (12 to 14) crushed
  • 15 regular-size peanut butter cups, crushed
  • 10 ounces candy-coated chocolate pieces (about 1 cup) crushed
  • 1/2 gallon very good quality vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
Special Equipment: 15 5 ounce paper cups

Preparation

  1. Combine the crushed cookies, peanut butter cups and candy-coated chocolate pieces and add a spoonful to the bottom of each paper cup.
  2. Scoop the ice cream into a large bowl of a mixer, then pour in the remaining chocolate-cookie mix. Mix gently with the paddle attachment. Spoon the ice cream into the cups and carefully insert a popsicle stick into each pop.
  3. Freeze until the ice cream has solidified. Tear off the paper cups to serve.
INDIVIDUAL KEY LIME PIES

Ingredients
for 12 servings
Lime Curd:
  • 1 cup lime juice
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 14 eggs
Crust Layer:
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 12 whole graham crackers
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
Topping:
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • Lime zest, for garnish
Preparation
  1. Lime Curd: Combine the lime juice, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan and cook on a low flame until the butter melts. Beat the eggs, add to the saucepan and stir until combined. Bring to a simmer. Stir constantly and cook until the mixture is a thick and creamy consistency, 5 to 7 minutes. Pass through a mesh strainer. Chill for 2 hours in the fridge.
  2. Crust: Add sugar and graham crackers to a food processor. Pour in the melted butter and pulse to combine.
  3. Topping: Whip the cream with the sugar until stiff.
  4. Layer the crumb mixture into the bottom of a serving cup, followed by the lime curd. Top with the whipped cream mixture and garnish with lime zest.
Summer Refreshments
WATERMELON SLUSHIE

Ingredients
  • 2 cups watermelon cubed and frozen
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • fresh mint

Preparation
  1. Blend all ingredients together
  2. Add lime juice until desired consistency is reached
  3. Garnish with fresh mint, ENJOY!
STRAWBERRY LIMEADE

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 lb sliced strawberries
  • 20-30 mint leaves
  • 2 cups cold water

Preparation
  1. Simple syrup: combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, and cook over medium high heat for 5-10 min. until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear
  2. In large mason jar or a pitcher, combine the lime juice, simple syrup, strawberries, mint, and water. Let sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve and ENJOY!