Jim Shagawat - AdvicePeriod Partner Advisor

10/16/2026

Trust is hard to quantify, but it may be the most important part of a long-term financial planning relationship.

Ben and Suzanne are entering retirement, and I’m grateful that our work together has helped them feel more confident and secure about what comes next.

Thank you both for the kind words and, more importantly, for your trust over the years.

09/22/2026

Financial planning is often less about one big decision and more about having someone to help think through the choices along the way.

I’m grateful for this recent client review, especially the comments about working through a home decision and whether retirement may be possible sooner than originally planned.

Thank you, Sheri and Steve, for the kind words and your trust.

09/15/2026

One of the most meaningful parts of this work is being there as a client’s life changes.

Thank you, Linda, for your kind words and for your trust over the years.

09/11/2026

https://bit.ly/3UMxlUi

Grateful to be included in Kiplinger’s piece, “What 4 Financial Professionals Learned On 9/11.”

9/11 changed the way I think about financial planning.

The lesson I still carry is simple: you cannot predict the next crisis, but you can prepare before life forces decisions on you.

For families approaching retirement, that means making sure the pieces are connected: investments, income, taxes, insurance, estate documents, beneficiaries, liquidity, and family needs.

A crisis can expose what was not coordinated ahead of time. Good planning helps families make decisions from a place of clarity instead of fear.

Thank you to MP Dunleavey and Kiplinger for including me.

Many of those who lost their lives in Lower Manhattan worked in finance, creating a vast impact across the industry.

09/02/2026

This week I spoke with someone who has built more than $4 million on his own.

He has done a lot right.

Saved aggressively.
Invested consistently.
Stayed disciplined.
He understood exactly why someone might hire an advisor.

And then he said something I hear more often than people realize.

“I get it… I’m just not ready yet.”

That had nothing to do with intelligence.
Or information.
Or performance.

It had everything to do with timing, comfort, and trust.

That is something many people underestimate.

Hiring an advisor is rarely just a financial decision.
It is often an emotional one too.

Not every great client relationship starts immediately.
Sometimes it starts with patience.

If you are making a major financial decision, it is worth understanding what other areas of your financial life that decision may affect before taking action.

08/26/2026

This week I had a meeting with a client earning over $500,000 a year.

He was not asking me for a stock tip.
He wanted help with a much more practical decision:

“What should I do with the $750,000 sitting in cash?”

Seems straightforward.

Invest it, right?

Not so fast.

Where should the money go?
Taxable account?
Retirement account?
How much liquidity should stay available?
Which assets belong where?
How do we avoid unnecessary taxes later?

That is what planning looks like for many high earners.

It is rarely about finding the next great investment.

It is often about making smarter structural decisions so you keep more of what you earn.

The real value often comes from seeing how everything connects.

If you are making a major financial decision, it is worth understanding what other areas of your financial life that decision may affect before taking action.

08/19/2026

This week I had a meeting with a business owner whose practice is worth several million dollars.

She was not asking about market performance. She was trying to figure out something much more stressful:

“How do I take over the business without making a costly mistake?”

A partner was retiring.
She needed to restructure ownership, hire another doctor, revisit insurance, and think through compensation.

That sounds like a business problem. It wasn’t.

Very quickly, it became personal.

How much income should she pay herself?
How does this affect retirement?
What happens to taxes?
Is disability coverage still right?
Does estate planning need updating?

That is the challenge for many business owners.

The business and personal sides rarely stay separate.

The real value often comes from seeing how everything connects.

If you are making a major financial decision, it is worth understanding what other areas of your financial life that decision may affect before taking action.

08/14/2026

This week I met with a client with roughly $5.5 million under management.

She wasn’t asking about performance.
She had a much more personal question:

“Should I help my children financially now… or wait?”

Simple question.
Not a simple answer.

If she gifts $500,000 now, where should the money come from?

Cash?
Sell appreciated investments?
Borrow against assets?

And if we sell investments…
How much tax does that create?
Does it affect retirement income?
Should Social Security timing change?
Does it alter her legacy plan?

That is what comprehensive financial planning actually looks like.

Most important financial decisions do not happen in silos.

One decision often affects five others.

The real value often comes from seeing how everything connects.

If you are making a major financial decision, it is worth understanding what other areas of your financial life that decision may affect before taking action.

08/05/2026

Sometimes the most important question isn’t, “How are my investments doing?”

It’s, “Do I feel confident that the person helping me understands what I’m trying to accomplish?”

That’s the kind of relationship I work to build with every client.

If you’re wondering whether your financial plan and investments are really working together toward what you want, I’m always happy to start with a brief Get Acquainted Call.

07/15/2026

Financial planning isn't just about building a portfolio. It's about understanding your goals, listening to your concerns, and being there as life changes.

That's the approach I strive to bring to every client relationship.