Club makes investing easy and rewarding Area women find fun, friendship in lucrative venture BY EMILY HEDGES CONTRIBUTING WRITER For many people, investing in the stock market can be mysterious and daunting. They don’t know where to begin or how to avoid losing savings during the learning curve. That’s why many Boomers are choosing to join investment clubs, a safe place to learn, grow your nest egg and have a lot of fun in the process. “There’s safety in numbers. It takes something frightening and makes it easier,” said Lynn Ostrem, founder of the Crow River Investment Club. “Investment clubs can make saving money more fun than spending it. If I can get my hands on an extra $100, I go buy stock.” The Crow River Investment Club has members in New Hope, Minnetonka, Champlin and St. Michael. They are between the ages of 50 and 65 years old. The group meets monthly, usually over coffee, to review stocks, decide what to buy and sell, hear presentations on new ideas and discuss the economy. When Ostrem moved to the Twin Cities, she decided to start an investment club. She took out an ad in the local newspaper for members. “The ad came out on Sept. 11, 2001,” she recalled. “I thought it would be a waste of money, but believe it or not, we got seven new members off of that ad.” Ostrem remembers the early days of the club were difficult ones. “At the same time the country is dealing with this horrific thing of 9/11,
Pictured (left to right) are three members of the Crow River Investment Club: Beth Silverwater, Myra Snyderman and Lynn Ostrem. we’re trying to start our little club,” said Ostrem. In October 2001, the group was ready to register as a partnership with the State of Minnesota. “That’s when the state government shut down for a month. We couldn’t get our bank account open. That was our rough start 12 years ago, but we’ve survived it.” In the beginning of the club, dues were $25. “We made mistakes in the beginning, but $25 a month is a cheap education,” said Ostrem. At its largest, the group had 15 members. Now four women comprise the Crow River Investment Club. “We’re lean and mean and dedicated,” said Ostrem. “We’ve been clubbing
“Investment club has made saving money more fun than spending it. If I can get my hands on an extra $100, I go buy stock.” for so many years, we’ve grown in our sophistication.” In the investment club, each member gets a capital account and owns a percentage of the club based on the amount put in. “Even though money is comingled into one dollar amount, we each own a portion of that nest egg. Whatever dues you put in and whatever you make is yours,” said Ostrem. “You get to learn something in a group. A few people can make it more interesting. Everybody takes a small piece of it. You don’t have
to learn so much on your own that way.” Beth Silverwater of New Hope heard Lynn give a presentation on investing and wanted to know more. “I knew she was knowledgeable about investing. When I heard there were openings in the group, I immediately got in touch with her,” she said. Silverwater was excited to apply the things she learned in the club to her own personal portfolio to improve her retirement nest egg. INVESTMENT CLUB - TO PAGE 6
Page 2 Mature Lifestyles • Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013
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Feng shui – a tool in the kit of life BY EMILY HEDGES CONTRIBUTING WRITER Those looking to bring greater wealth and financial abundance into their life might be surprised to learn that knowing where to declutter your home or business, a water image or perhaps the right shade of purple could do the trick. Minnetonka resident and feng shui practitioner Hinda Abrahamson believes that connecting to financial prosperity and abundance is no accident; it’s all about understanding how the energy and placement of your home supports the practical aspects of your life. “I look at feng shui as another tool that we have in our tool kit, accumulated through experience, wisdom and helpful guides in our lives,” she said. Abrahamson began studying feng shui in the mid-90s. She is a founding member and current president of the Feng Shui Society of the Midwest (FSIM), a Minnetonka-based professional and social organization, open to the public, serving as a community resource for the art and science of feng shui. Feng shui, pronounced “fung shway” in English, is the Chinese art of arranging buildings, objects and environment in such a way as
to achieve harmony and balance. The objective is to assist people in creating a space that supports and nurtures their needs, desires and overall well-being. Debbie Miller, who has worked in interior design for 32 years, is another feng shui practitioner and member of FSIM. She became fascinated by feng shui while working with a practitioner on an Asianthemed designer showcase home. She brought in a certified feng shui practitioner to make suggestions on a design scheme. “The adjustments that she was making actually changed the way the room felt. I knew I needed to learn more about that,” said Miller. She went on to complete a master’s program in feng shui. “In space planning for design clients, and in my own home, I always use feng shui. I feel it makes my life and my family’s life healthier and more balanced,” she said. “Fellow feng shui practitioners call it looking at everything with ‘feng shui eyes.’” When it comes to building a person’s abundance and wealth, Abrahamson explains that most people only pursue the “mundane” steps, such as seeking a financial planner for assistance. Feng shui offers a “metaphysical” component that looks at your environment to
see how energy, colors, furniture and design of a room can support you financially. “There may be a missing piece. If it is in the wealth area, I might say to a client, ‘Your home isn’t supporting you in wealth and abundance. Let’s do something to finish that missing piece,’” said Abrahamson. Practitioners of Western feng shui, like Abrahamson and Miller, identify areas of the home using a compass and an energy map, called a Baqua, which they align with the front door of the home. The southeast corner of the home is associated with wealth and prosperity. “One of the things we can do to enhance wealth or prosperity in this area involves adding wood (one of the five feng shui elements) such as healthy plants and trees, or things that support that element, like adding water,” said Miller. “Water is also an ancient symbol for wealth and abundance. Images of flowing water and fountains work well as wealth energizers.” Miller says you want to stay away from destructive elements to wood in this area, like fire or metal. You wouldn’t want a fireplace there, but if you do, there are feng shui adjustments that can be made. For Abrahamson, the wealth or abun-
dance area of her home presented a challenge because it is the garage. The first thing she and her family did was to de-clutter and write the intentions for wealth and abundance on the wall. “We painted the back wall a gorgeous shade of redish purple. We then had a large storage closet built,” she said. “We painted those walls green to support the wood element. When the area was finished, we did a blessing and then hung a wind chime. Every time we drive into our garage, we are delighted with the energy of that space and know it is supporting our intentions.” Symbols — like wind chimes, fountains and crystals — and the use of colors, like purple, blue, and green for abundance, are used to attract chi and balance energy. Miller points out that making these physical changes impacts the way you think. “You are shifting the way you’re trying to improve your finances and your business,” she said. “It’s not so much the placement of crystals as it is the way you change your mindset. It’s all about your intention to make a change in your life.” For more information about FSIM and to find a local practitioner, go to fsim.org.
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For the love of money .... Edina financial advisors help seniors plan for decades ahead
SUSAN STILES ON MONEY: “I loved to collect it, pile it up, save it, and hide it. I was always meant to be in the money business.”
BY EMILY HEDGES CONTRIBUTING WRITER Susan Stiles loves business and managing money. The Edina-based financial advisor recalls sitting on her bed at midnight as an 11-year-old, piling up her cash from her thriving babysitting business. When her father came in and told her to go to sleep, she said, “I know this is bad, but I just love money!” “I loved to collect it, pile it up, save it, and hide it. I was always meant to be in the money business,” said the New York native. Even then, her entrepreneurial bent was evident. Her babysitting/house cleaning business became so popular that she hired her brother and several close friends to work for her. At 13, while managing that enterprise, she worked as a hostess and bus girl at a popular, high-end restaurant where the boss soon had her locating, training and managing extra help during busy times. “Even as a little girl, all my friends came to me for financial advice and guidance,” said Stiles. “People are comfortable confiding in me. They are looking for common sense advice without judgment.” After graduating from the business school at Cornell University with a MBA in finance and accounting, it didn’t take her long to strike out on her own again. In 1999, she opened Stiles Financial Services, Inc., an independent financial consulting and wealth management firm. Every year since 2008 she was named a Five Star Wealth Advisor for best client satisfaction in the Twin Cities. “When I work with my older clients who are nearing or already in retirement, they know I can be trusted. Elderly clients can sometimes be vulnerable and taken advantage of, particularly if they don’t
Edina financial planner Susan Stiles is passionate about educating clients on money issues and topics. have a good grasp of financial issues and topics,” said Stiles, who is passionate about education and volunteers her time toward financial and economic literacy in the Minneapolis Public Schools. “If you don’t have a strong understanding of money, how can you really know the person you’re working with has your best interest at heart?” Janel Goff of The Goff Investment Group with Benjamin F. Edwards Inc., also in Edina, shares Stiles’ commitment to education. When she started her career in finance 20 years ago, she launched a series called “Invest in yourself,” an informal gathering of clients to learn basic financial concepts. Over the years, it has evolved into an opportunity for business executives and small business owners to provide education and insight on issues of interest, along with the opportunity to
network professionally. Her love of education grew during a television stint delivering weekly economic reports for WCCO-TV. “I love the education piece of it. The most important key to financial success is to be educated,” she said. Although she has always enjoyed the market and staying on top of strategies, for Goff it’s the planning piece that keeps her in the business. “I enjoy helping people understand what they needed to be doing and what decisions they need to be making to achieve their goals,” she said. “Instead of selling them a bond, I want to help them determine if they should be investing in bonds.” She points out that financial planning is trickier these days than it was when she began her career. “Most people don’t have pensions,
and health care plans are not crossing over into the last decades of life. This makes planning even more important,” she said. Goff concentrates on helping clients plan in decades of life and how to create income flow to meet lifestyle needs. She believes that one of the biggest challenges these days is the pressure to make shortterm decisions on your long-term goals. “You’re always hearing about what’s going on in the market. Decisions are made every minute. It’s created frustration in planning for financial futures,” she said. Although it can be frustrating, Goff admits she loves what she does, and she’s good at it. Like Stiles, she has earned multiple Five Star Wealth Manager awards over the years. MONEY - TO NEXT PAGE
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JANEL GOFF ON MONEY: “One of the biggest challenges these days is the pressure to make short-term decisions on your long-term goals.” MONEY - FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “When I started, if I wasn’t able to be successful in the planning part, I would not have stayed in this business. I love being able to meet with people and figure out income flow to meet their lifestyle needs,” said Goff. Stiles also relishes the role she plays in helping clients pile up their own money for the future. “Working as a financial advisor puts you in the role of confidante. People share sensitive issues with me. We discuss their lives, dreams, goals and disappointments. It’s a privilege,” she said. For more information on The Goff Investment Group, go to benjaminfedwards.com/goff.investment.group, or on Stiles Financial Services, go to stilesfinancial.com.
Janel Goff of The Goff Investment Group with Benjamin F. Edwards Inc., also in Edina, shares Stiles’ commitment to education. (Sun Current staff photo by Lisa Kaczke.)
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Investment club FROM PAGE 1 “The club is both a hobby and an essential part of our financial planning,” said Silverwater. “The money that my husband and I invest for ourselves is what we’ll be living on the rest of our lives.” Ostrem believes that investing is an economic necessity. “I don’t believe there will be Social Security for me when I’m 67, or at least not in the shape it’s in today. I don’t calculate Social Security into my retirement,” said Ostrem. “We’ve turned into a society that expects everyone to take care of us. People need to get in and take responsibility for retirement sooner than 50.” She would like to see more young people get involved in groups like theirs. “If a young person gets in an invest-
ment club at 25 years old and spends $25 a month, in 30 years they’re going to be a millionaire,” said Ostrem. Ostrem loves to help others start their own investment club, which is the reason she has offered a class on how to do it for a number of years. She estimates that over the last 12 years, she’s helped more than 100 new clubs across the country gets started. Although Ostrem and Silverwater won’t say how much money they’ve made through the club over the years, overall they’ve done well. “We’ve beat the market,” said Ostrem. “We took a bath in 2008, but during that time we learned how to protect our money to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” For more information on the Crow River Investment Club, or starting your own club, go to bivio.com/crowriver.
Lynn Ostrem speaks at InvestEd about investment clubs.
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