This month, we're sharing new conversations and a look at what our team has been up to. Our latest podcast episodes explore planning for disability and real estate investing, while John's REALTOR® conference presentations and Dustin's visit to Morningstar highlight the education and research that support our work with you.
We're also looking ahead to an evening of food and connection with She Means Business KC, continuing our focus on Women & Wealth. We hope you'll find something useful for yourself or someone you know, and we'd love to hear your ideas for future podcast topics!
FIRM UPDATES
New Podcast Episodes
John Christy joins the show! We've added 2 more episodes to the podcast library.
Episode 4 — When Disability Changes Your Family's Financial Plan
Megan closes her 3-part conversation on death, divorce, and disability. She discusses steps families can take before a crisis, from reviewing account access and insurance coverage to understanding cash flow and updating an estate plan. Megan also shares why caregivers need support and room to care for themselves.
Episode 5 — Beyond Being a Landlord: Real Estate Investing with John Christy
In this episode, John and Megan explore how real estate fits into a broader financial plan. John shares his experience as both a financial planner and a real estate investor, including how he got started with his first rental property. Together, they discuss active and passive investing, balancing property ownership with access to cash, and how 1031 exchanges and Delaware Statutory Trusts may support changing income, retirement, and legacy goals.
We'd also love to hear from you.
What topics would you like us to cover? Is there a question you'd like us to answer or a guest you think we should invite?
Send us your ideas — we want this podcast to reflect the conversations that matter most to you. And please share the podcast with anyone you know who might find the information we cover valuable.
NICHE FOCUS
REALTOR® Presentations
Continuing with the real estate theme, John Christy presented two sessions at the Kansas Association of REALTORS® annual conference in Manhattan earlier this month, sharing how financial planning and real estate decisions can work together for REALTORS® and the clients they serve.
These conversations reflect our focus on helping real estate investors connect their properties to their broader financial goals. Areas we help investors explore include:
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- 1031 exchanges and Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs)
- Rental income and cash flow planning
- Property sales and tax planning
- Concentration risk and diversification
- Real estate legacy planning
Whether you're building a portfolio, considering a sale, or thinking about passing properties to the next generation, we can help you evaluate how those decisions fit into your overall plan.
Explore our approach to planning for Real Estate Investors →
BEHIND THE SCENES
Morningstar Due Diligence
Our Director of Investment Strategies, Dustin Palmer, CFP®, CIMA®, recently visited Morningstar's corporate headquarters in Chicago for a 2-day due diligence meeting. Morningstar Wealth manages portfolios we use in some of our investment models, and this visit provided an opportunity to take a closer look at the people, research, and investment decisions behind those strategies.
Dustin met with Morningstar's leadership, research professionals, and portfolio managers for discussions covering:
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- Market outlooks and Morningstar's investment philosophy
- How portfolio managers build and manage investment strategies
- Behavioral research and how emotions influence financial decisions
One of the most valuable parts of the trip was direct, 1:1 access to the portfolio managers making investment decisions, with time to ask questions and better understand their thinking.
This is part of the work happening behind the scenes on your behalf: evaluating the investments we use, understanding the strategies available, and considering how they can support your financial plan.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
She Means Business KC
Sharing a meal has a way of making it easier to get to know someone. That's the idea behind She Means Business KC: Grateful for Connections, which we're hosting at Craft & Sage Wealth on November 19.
Megan co-founded She Means Business KC with partners from Bounds Law and AM CPA to give women business owners and leaders a welcoming place to meet, swap stories, and support each other.
These quarterly gatherings are one way she brings our Women & Wealth focus into the community, helping women build connections alongside the businesses and lives they're creating.
This evening will bring a little holiday spirit to the table, with:
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- A fully catered dinner and time to get to know other women in business
- A relaxed, welcoming atmosphere as we head into the holiday season
- An optional gratitude exchange
If someone comes to mind who would enjoy the evening, please pass the invitation along!
CLIENT APPRECIATION
A Taco Tuesday Thank-You in Topeka
We recently gathered with our Topeka-area clients and guests for a Client Appreciation Taco Tuesday, co-hosted with Penny Morgan Tax Associates. It was a chance to share a meal, catch up, and spend time together outside our usual meetings.
Thank you to everyone who joined us! We're grateful for the relationships we've built and the trust you place in our team, and we enjoyed having an evening to celebrate you.
