Posted on Fri, Mar 15, 2013
Florence, SC – The Armstrong Wealth Management Group is pleased to announce that Jason Christmas, CFP®, Portfolio Strategy Assistant, has been awarded the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) certification.
The CFP® mark identifies individuals who have met the rigorous experience and ethical requirements, have successfully completed financial planning coursework and have passed the CFP® Certification Examination covering areas in financial planning process, risk management, investments, tax planning and management, retirement and employee benefits, and estate planning. CFP® professionals must also agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements and to uphold CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and Financial Planning Practice Standards.
“Earning his CFP® shows the effort, diligence, and focus Jason brings to everything he does. He is a tremendous asset to our team and for our clients,” says Reginald Armstrong, president of the Armstrong Wealth Management Group.
Jason earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Francis Marion University in accounting, where he was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society. Jason also holds his Series 7 and 66 securities registrations through LPL Financial.
The Armstrong Wealth Management Group’s office is at 1807 West Evans Street, Suite A in Florence. The firm can be reached at 843.292.9997, via email at armstrongwealth@lpl.com, or on the web at www.armstrongwealth.com.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.
Posted on Thu, Mar 07, 2013
Florence, SC – The College for Financial Planning®, located in Denver, is pleased to announce that Emily Schultz, of Florence, South Carolina, has successfully completed the REGISTERED PARAPLANNERSM or RP® Professional Designation Program. Individuals who complete the educational materials, pass a final exam, sign a code of ethics and disclosure form, and complete an internship earn the right to use the RP® mark.
Emily Schultz is a Client Service Manager at the Armstrong Wealth Management Group. She assists in servicing client non-investment related needs, which includes handling client accounts and customer service, as well as office administration. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics and a minor in Finance. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
The REGISTERED PARAPLANNERSM Professional Designation Program offers individuals practical knowledge of the financial planning process and the five disciplines of financial planning. The program provides immediately applicable information for busy professionals. Study topics include the financial planning process, financial statements and cash flow management, time value of money, equities and debt instruments, and tax planning.
Posted on Thu, Jan 31, 2013
Florence SC – January 22, 2012 – The Senior Citizens Association in Florence County announced today that H. Lee Carter III, AWMA®, CLTC was appointed to the organization’s board of directors.
The Senior Citizens Association (SCA) is a private, non-profit, community based organization. SCA relies on grants, donations, contributions, membership fees, and assistance from volunteers. The mission of the Senior Citizens Association is to provide a full range of services to Florence County’s Senior Citizens. The purpose of these services is to promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of senior citizens; to enhance their quality of life and provide assistance in maintaining independence.
Lee is a Client Wealth Manager with the Armstrong Wealth Management Group, a comprehensive wealth management firm that focuses on client goals with strategies for growing and protecting their wealth in an environment free of conflicts of interest. Lee is a partner in the firm and has been there for over eleven years. Lee is also a board member of the Florence Chapter Kiwanis Club. He is a member of the FMU Alumni Association, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the Swamp Fox Club.
“Our associates take pride in contributing their time and talents to community organizations. We look forward to seeing the positive impact Lee will make with the Senior Citizens Association, as well as it being a rewarding and fulfilling experience for him individually,” states the President of Armstrong Wealth Management Group, Regi Armstrong.
Posted on Fri, Jan 11, 2013
Click here to view the entire Winter 2013 Newsletter
If I hear the phrase "fiscal cliff" one more time, I think I might just scream. Yet, the reality is that our country's fiscal house is not in order. Good people may disagree with how we should fix this, but few would disagree that it needs fixing.
The economy in 2012 grew at about 2%, fairly close to expectations. Stock market returns, however, were better than expected as markets went from risk on to risk off to risk on because of issues such as Europe, the election and the fiscal cliff. Our flagship strategies underperformed in this environment as our WealthProtect System signaled to get out of foreign and natural resource stocks. These false signals are normal as no system is perfect. In addition, some of our alternative investments detracted from returns.
Now we are in 2013. While our base expectation is sluggish economic growth much like 2012, there is an increasing probability of two diverse outcomes. One is that as the housing market continues to heal, tax code certainty settles in, China's growth picks up and Europe slowly heals, US economic growth will pick up, especially in the second half of the year. The other possible outcome is that due to the extraordinary measures that the Federal Reserve has taken, as reality sinks in that nothing in Europe has really changed and that their recession deepens, and as we realize that all the major developed nations are in debt to their eyeballs, investors lose confidence and a much worse outcome ensues... (Continued)
Click here to view the entire Winter 2013 Newsletter
Posted on Mon, Nov 05, 2012
By now you have likely heard that a foreign hacker was able to get access to 3.6 million social security numbers from the SC Department of Revenue database. Apparently this includes people and businesses who filed with the state as far back as 1998. Some credit card numbers may also have been compromised.
So, what should you do? First, according to The State newspaper, S.C. taxpayers and their children who were victims of the data breach also will receive free lifetime credit-fraud resolution. Experian will resolve ID-theft issues, such as eliminating bogus credit-card accounts from credit histories, even if they are not related to the Revenue Department hacking. Also, If you have filed a S
Second, you may want to consider also signing up for an identity theft protection service such as Lifelock, TrustedID or Debix. You have to pay for their services, but they often go beyond what Experian can do.outh Carolina tax return since 1998, you can sign up for one year of free credit-report monitoring and lifetime ID theft resolution by going online to protectmyid.com/scdor. Use the code SCDOR123. Or you can call (866) 578-5422. The deadline to act is Jan. 31. Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2012/10/31/2501976/state-credentials-used-to-access.html#storylink=cpy
Third, you should check account balances on your checking, investment and credit card accounts more frequently. On that note, I do want you to be assured about the safety of your assets with us. We never send money via an email request without verifying your identify by phone, for example. Similarly, we do not send personally identifiable information via email outside of LPL Financial unless we encrypt it. While there are no absolute guarantees, we believe LPL Financial and Armstrong Wealth Management Group have the appropriate technology and procedures to protect you and your assets.
Finally, please give us a call if you would like to go over this in more detail.
Posted on Fri, Oct 05, 2012
To read our entire Newsletter please click here.
Quarterly Update
As we round the plate and head into the fourth quarter, investors on the surface seem a little more at ease as reflected by the generally decent market gains during the summer. Yet, investors are still nervous about the election and the implications the results have for the future.
Economic Assumptions
US Gross Domestic Product continues to be around 2% for 2012. This is very anemic. One recent report states that 80% of the world's economies are contracting. While Europe seems to have received a reprieve from Mario Draghi, I don't believe their situation is solved. In fact, as one Fidelity economist put it, the situation in Euroland is like an amusement ride at Disneyworld: just when you get to what you think is the end of the line for the ride, you turn the corner and it keeps going.
Market Assumptions
Stocks valuations continue to be cheap historically, but stocks are probably on the high end of their recent range. We continue to be in a secular bear market that began in 2000. Current issues will likely keep us in a trading range for 12-18 more months. A number of factors may coalesce to help the markets break out to the upside after that. Bond performance has been fairly strong this year as many active managers have been able to outperform the Barclay US Aggregate Bond Index, unlike in 2011. With interest rates at historical lows, we are paying very close attention to any strengthening in the US economy that might warrant an increase of interest rates.
Our Firm
In August, Lee and I went to LPL Financial's national conference and in September Matt attended a due diligence conference hosted by PIMCO. These types of conferences help us keep our educational edge.
Also, we recently purchased two pieces of software. One helps us analyze a client's social security situation and the other helps us more thoroughly analyze our investment strategies. I believe these tools will help us be of even more help to you in the future.
Finally, I want to thank our Practice Manager Leslie Moore for all her hard work as she celebrated TEN YEARS with our firm in September. Where does the time go?
Thank you for your continued trust. Have a great rest of the year.
To read our entire Newsletter please click here.
*The opinions in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendation for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.
Posted on Wed, Sep 26, 2012
H. Lee Carter III of the Armstrong Wealth Management Group has been awarded a professional degree in the field of long-term care, Certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC). The program is independent of the insurance industry and focuses on providing financial service professionals the tools needed to help meet their client’s long-term care needs.
“The field of long-term care is complex. It intersects with other professions such as financial planning, tax law, home care, government funding and elder law. My ability to serve the community depends on understanding what resources, such as housing and services, clients will need as they age and how they will be paid for,” Carter explained.
"I have had far too many families ask for my advice on what they can do after a loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or some other chronic illness. The fact is there is little that can be done at this point and now these families are faced with years of physical stress and heartache. This is compounded by the reality that paying for care can easily devastate their family’s financial viability,” Carter stated.
“It is my responsibility to help people understand the emotional, physical and financial consequences associated with providing or paying for care over an extended period of time. It is essential they have this information so they can take action to protect those they love while they have options. I am committed to helping my clients create an appropriate plan to meet their specific needs”, said Carter.
Posted on Tue, Sep 18, 2012
Florence, South Carolina– Reginald A. T. Armstrong, President of the Armstrong Wealth Management Group, today confirmed his support of efforts to direct the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to follow a set of criteria while writing their new rule to redefine the term “fiduciary” – a rule that threatens to price millions of Main Street Americans out of financial advice on their IRAs. Regi is a member of the Financial Services Institute (FSI) and is working with FSI on this critical issue.
“Protecting my clients’ access to affordable, unbiased financial advice is my top priority,” said Regi. “We urge DOL Secretary Hilda Solis to release a progress report on the Department’s efforts in re-proposing this rule, and to show how it is following the criteria outlined by a strong, bi-partisan Congressional request. In these tough economic times, it’s more important than ever to protect access to advice.”
Late last year, more than 50 House Republicans and 30 House Democrats sent the Department of Labor two separate letters regarding the Department’s attempt to redefine the term fiduciary. The letters directed the Department to follow a set of criteria while writing their new rule.
Below are the criteria that Congress sent to the DOL to follow:
- It is carefully and effectively targeted to address well-defined and documented problems in the retirement planning advice business;
- It clearly recognizes that IRA accounts are significantly different from employer-sponsored plans because the IRA investor has nearly a limitless choice among service providers and investment products;
- It ensures that plan participants and plan sponsors continue to be able to receive the critical information needed to expand retirement savings and coverage;
- It preserves investor access to and choice among suitable financial products and services delivered by qualified financial professionals;
- It avoids costly new regulatory requirements that exceed their proven benefits for investors;
- It does not compound the investor confusion that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) recent study under the Dodd-Frank Act identified as the primary problem for retail investors. Effective regulation must add to the public certainty, not diminish it;
- It is narrowly drafted to address well-defined and documented concerns;
- Preserves the access of IRA owners and plan participants to investment services delivered by qualified financial professionals using whatever business model best fits the investor's objectives; and
- Ensures that companies can receive the investment information they need to establish plans and offer sound investment offers to their employees.
Regi’s practice offers access to a wide array of financial products and services. He has been an independent advisor for 10 years and is affiliated with LPL Financial. More information on Regi’s practice can be found at www.armstrongwealth.com.
Posted on Tue, Aug 21, 2012
Regi Armstrong is included in Billy Campbell's new book Creating Jobs through Entrepreneurship. To find out more about the book please go to Billy Campbell’s website or click on the image.
Posted on Mon, Aug 20, 2012
Florence SC – August 20, 2012 –Jason Christmas, Portfolio Strategy Assistant from the Armstrong Wealth Management Group, successfully passed his Series 7 Securities Exam. With an unpredictable market in recent years, Jason decided to pursue registration to better assist the firm’s wealth managers.
The General Securities Representative Exam, commonly referred to as the Series 7 Exam, is a required exam to become a Registered Representative or Registered Representative Assistant of a broker-dealer in the United States. The exam is maintained and administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which covers a broad range of investments including stocks, bonds, options, limited partnerships, and investment company products (e.g., open- and closed-end funds).
Armstrong Wealth remains committed to continuing education and accreditation. Jason joins three other associates in holding the Series 7 Securities Certification.
Jason joined the Armstrong Wealth team in 2011. He assists the wealth managers with preparing reviews, evaluating appropriate strategies, and conducting investment research. He also serves as the office’s Information Technology Specialist. Prior to working with the firm, Jason obtained several years of experience in Life, Health and Annuity Insurance; Property and Casualty Insurance; and Tax Preparation.
Jason earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Francis Marion University in accounting, where he was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society. He currently is a candidate for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.