News & Views
June 25, 2020
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With the majority of the Syverson Strege team still working from home, Managing Director Lance Gunkel has been intentional about trying to keep everyone connected. He has done this through a “show & tell” feature at our Monday morning team Zoom meetings.
Each week, Lance asks a specific employee to create a video on his/her phone that shares something about his/her life…like we all did in grade school at “show and tell.”
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Show & Tell
Johnne Syverson’s
video showed him sitting at his dining room table with a wide variety of gadgets he purchased at the Iowa State Fair. He meticulously described each item with great enthusiasm!
Wayne Johnson
shared a video from his daughter who moved to a community in New York in April to be an ER nurse to help with the COVID-19 crisis. She mentioned that going to the grocery store was an all-afternoon project, but the hospital climate was even more intense. She said people were waiting too long to come in and dying because of their delays. They ran out of space for the deceased, and family members subsequently came down with the virus. Her attitude seemed positive and after watching her video, we were very thankful for her willingness to be on the frontlines.
Adam Steen
shared his morning workout routine and then a video of fishing with his three- and five-year-old sons!
Meri Grogan
involved her two sons in her video as they shared and talked about their pet Geckos.
Ben Geiger
filmed himself in front of his fireplace with a huge bin filled with Green Bay Packer memorabilia. The bin seemed bottomless as he shared a Packer seat cushion, framed prints, a Packer cheesehead, Lambeau Field lego set, bobble head, Green Bay flag, bow tie, Brett Favre piggy bank, baseball cap, a
Cedar Rapids Gazette
newspaper from 2/7/2011 after a Super Bowl win, trading cards, and much more.
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One Small Positive Thought
A daily bright spot for Syverson Strege employees is Debbie Richards’ daily positive thought. With the emerging pandemic crisis, Debbie realized we could all use some positive thoughts and created and began her daily email, “One Small Positive Thought,” that is sent first thing in the morning. Each day is different and refreshing! Her emails range from positive acts of service, popular quarantine products, comments on news of the day, prayers, inspiring stories, quotes, and custom graphics with employees’ smiling faces. Many of you know Debbie and know she has a way of bringing a smile to your face. Thank you, Debbie!
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Planning for Effective Philanthropy (PEP)
PEP stands for Planning for Effective Philanthropy. PEP involves a series of meetings led by Syverson Strege professionals whereby a nonprofit’s donors are given the gift of education about philanthropic strategies. PEP has been providing donor education and helping nonprofits educate and motivate donors since 2000.
Syverson Strege had its first virtual PEP meeting in June. The goals of PEP are:
- Educate donors on effective philanthropic and tax avoidance strategies
- Multiply the results of a nonprofit’s planned giving efforts
- Engage major donors at a higher level of impact
- Create a predictable and sustainable flow of planned giving conversations that lead to more legacy gifts
- Provide a pathway for endowment funding
- Allow nonprofits to cost effectively mine their entire donor base, attract new donors, and re-energize donors
If you volunteer or serve on a nonprofit board, find out if your organization could use some help in the area of charitable giving. To learn more about PEP,
click here
.
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Syverson Strege will be introducing new “Finance Moment” mini-podcasts produced for rapid-fire info on financial topics of the day. Be watching on social media for the debut podcast soon. Click
here
to join our Facebook page.
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Congratulations
Tyler Conley, MBA,
CFP®, CEPA®
Congratulations to Tyler Conley! Tyler recently earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA
®
) designation after completing the Institute’s intensive 4-day executive MBA-style program.
The Certified Exit Planning Advisor program was specifically designed for business advisors who work closely with owners of privately held companies. To receive the CEPA
®
designation, Tyler completed the rigorous 4-day program that involved approximately one hundred hours of pre-course study, thirty hours of classroom instruction, and the successful completion of a 3-hour proctored exam.
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Wayne Johnson, MBA, CFP®, AEP®, CAP®
Congratulations to Wayne Johnson, the new president of the Johnston Rotary! When asked why he accepted the position, he said, “Being the president fits with my personal ‘why’, which is service above self. I hope to lead the Johnston Rotary to its most important thing…being relevant with a mission of service above self for the community.”
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Work Anniversary
Congratulations to Associate Planner
Jerin Young
on her 4th work anniversary with Syverson Strege. Jerin’s great attitude, meticulous attention to detail, and dedication to serving our clients make her a valued team member! Click
here
to learn more about Jerin.
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Community Involvement/Philanthropy
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Faith At Work
Faith at Work is a Des Moines-based Christian nonprofit organization helping business leaders strengthen their commitment to follow biblical principles in the workplace. Syverson Strege normally sponsors a table at the Faith at Work quarterly luncheons, but the June event was virtual.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Richard Blackaby and he spoke about “Leadership Lost.” He specifically talked about how leaders regularly face tests and what happens when you fail or pass those tests. As he addressed leadership during the pandemic, he shared two key quotes:
“If there ever was a time to grow as a leader, now is the time.”
“Failure is a goldmine of leadership potential.”
Supporting Local Businesses
To support local businesses, Syverson Strege continues to give out weekly gift cards to employees to their favorite business or restaurant. This past month, Matt Roberts received a gift card to El Rodeo and Ben Geiger to his favorite, Exile Brewing Company. Jerin Young will be able to support Barn Town Brewing with her gift card and David Strege will be visiting The Grumpy Goat Tavern.
Charity of the Month
Each month Syverson Strege donates to one of the employees’ favorite charities. This month, the donation was awarded to
Agape Pregnancy Resource Center.
For 35 years, Agape has faithfully served the people in the Des Moines area by offering hope and help, care and compassion to women and families. They offer pregnancy counseling and educational opportunities through their clinic and family/educational resource center.
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The 2019 income tax filing and payment deadlines for all taxpayers who were to file and pay their Federal income taxes on April 15, 2020, have been automatically extended until July 15, 2020.
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In case you missed these articles on social media…both would be great to share with friends and family who are on the fence about hiring a financial planner.
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Learn about the three primary ways a financial advisor is compensated in Chief Investment Officer Jason Gunkel’s short FAQ video. Learn also which type of compensation helps advisors act in your best interest.
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Watch Chief Planning Officer Matt Roberts as he answers the question, “How much do you charge and how do I get started? He also explains Syverson Strege’s two types of fees (no commissions).
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Ben Geiger, Associate Financial Planner, explains how creating a financial plan involves teamwork, and how the Syverson Strege team guides you through the detailed and thorough process.
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Articles
As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in Iowa and around the nation, we are encouraged and are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are committed to protecting the safety of our clients and employees. We will carefully monitor the CDC and local guidelines and implement protocol necessary for the wellbeing of our clients and employees. We will continue to proactively send out information via email and social media as any pandemic updates are needed.
In case you missed Chief Investment Officer Jason Gunkel’s bi-weekly coronavirus market updates since the last
News & Views
, click on the dates below:
Have a great summer!
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