400 Life November 2022

contents

THE COVER:

of Financial Consultants Group, Inc.; Client Services

financial planner and office manager, and Client

on retirement at the group’s new office

HEALTH:

READS:

Fountain of Retirement

400 Life readers already know David Fountain.

He’s been recommending Forsyth’s latest and tastiest for years and we’ve tracked almost every bite! He knows good food, but what he’s really great at is taking men and women smartly into retirement, something he’s been doing for decades. You could say that’s truly his bread and butter.

Financial Consultants Group helps plan for the best parts of life

Story by Jennifer Colosimo | Photos by Vicki Alsup Photography

With fellow CFP® Sandee Fricks, he’s curated a team to deliver value to their clients’ overall financial situations through a simplified yet detailed process that’s heavy on relationships and reliant on their extensive experience.

In fact, David Fountain moved his firm to a new location last month with more space and a growing team to better serve those clients and the ones com ing in. Just like with a retirement plan, they’re prepped for the future.

“What we do is financial planning, and what we call, retirement analysis,” said Fountain.

“Most people’s objective is to retire, and to make sure they’re on track for achieving their ideal retire ment outlook. A lot of times, there is a lot of uncer tainty around this, because there is a lot to manage in our lives.

“I’ve been doing this for 30 years and I think the experience we have helps people put those pieces of

Sandee Fricks and David Fountain, both certified financial planners, work together to help clients reach retirement goals.

David Fountain, CFP® and owner of Financial Consultants Group, Inc., works out of the new office at 1080 Sanders Road, Suite 300, in Cumming.

life together and show them they are on track or determine the things they might need to do to get on track to achieve their goals for retirement.”

At Financial Consultants Group, Inc., Fountain’s team agrees that it’s never too early to start seeking financial advice, but when it’s too late — too much debt, too stubborn of habits or too late in a career to start saving money — it’s still about crafting a plan and getting on track. It’s all about the ‘what happens next.’

For the majority of the clients, retirement is just a few years away, but that also comes with a lot of uncertainty and many questions. Fountain offers clarity on where they are and what their outlook appears to be in return.

“Most of the time, if we can touch people a little earlier in life to make sure they’re on track, that’s ideal,” said Fountain. “That’s worth a lot. We can put together a plan of how to get to where they want to be.”

“Ideally we’d like to see people coming to us when they’re about five to 10 years before retirement,” added Fricks. “Rather than putting an age on it, though, it’s more about when you want to retire. A lot of people want to retire early, and they talk about retiring at 50 and maybe going to do something else. We like to have a good runway to be able to make changes, if necessary, to reach their goals.”

That’s exactly why FCG stands out among the pack. The way they work puts clients before everything else, customizing every single plan based on that particular client’s goals and financial behaviors.

Knowing the relationship between those two factors makes the experience a lot more personal. Clients know that they’re more than planners and advisors — they’re counselors. They can put their trust in the team at FCG who keep them accountable for staying on track and helping them reach those retirement goals.

Of course, there are plenty of reasons why people don’t come

to them sooner. Many are scared to let go of the control they’ve had over their finances, some are going through big transitions in life and perhaps have never had to make financial decisions, oth ers are worried Fountain is going to put them on a budget.

The bottom line is an old adage: change is hard. But what both Fricks and Fountain will tell you is that most of the people they do a plan for are actually relieved.

They either learn they’ve been doing a great job, or they devise a plan to get back on track. Both situations can reach their retire ment goals.

“One thing that really sets us apart in how we do things is the fact that while we do spend a lot of time on investment and asset management, we like to understand the purpose of the assets before we advise how to invest,” said Fricks.

“We do a comprehensive financial plan. We look at all their finances, discuss their goals, talk about how much they’re spend ing, learn about what’s coming in, and from that, what they can expect.

“We can show them what they need from their investments and make a plan from there. We happily manage them after that, but it’s not a one size fits all. That transfers year after year — now that we understand their finances and what their goals are, we can help them through all those big transitions.”

“We give clients the family approach,” said Fountain. “We’re going to do what’s right for our clients and their family, just like we would do for ours.”

The advice they’d give their family is two-fold: No matter where you stand in retirement, take advantage of your retirement plan at work to help you prepare for the future and save on taxes now; and set a budget so that you know where every dollar goes, giving purpose to those dollars and beginning with the end in

Page 8

Sheila Bryant is the Client Relationship Manager at Financial Consultants Group, Inc.

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Dollars, emotions, relationships — all of that goes together when we’re talking about finances. It’s never been about just managing money.

- David Fountain, CFP and owner of Financial Consultants Group, Inc.

mind. It’s a lot more fun to save knowing what you’re going to use it for.

“Dollars, emotions, relationships — all of that goes together when we’re talking about finances. It’s never been about just managing money,” said Fountain.

“We connect those dots for people, giving them confidence in where they are and what they need to do. It’s that goal of peace of mind or being able to get to that important part of life. People go to work with the purpose of someday not going anymore, so they can do what they want to do and enjoy life. We provide the plan to make that happen.”

The new location celebrates with an open house the first week of November. Learn more about Fountain, Fricks and the experience from their team at ForYourFuture.net.

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FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS GROUP, INC.

Where: 1080 Sanders Road, Suite 300, Cumming, GA 30041 Contact: (770) 627-2121

www.ForYourFuture.net, or find them on Facebook at Financial Consultants Group, Inc.

Navigating the holiday season

By Sudie Crouch | Health & wellness columnist

As the holidays approach, we are all excited about get ting back to some of our regular festivities, many of which may also mean overindulging and feeling a bit of stress for many.

Given the last few years, this season may feel extra special as we try to make up for all the get-togethers we missed.

As we see our calendars fill up with different events, it also may be a time where we start to feel a bit more lax with our own personal boundaries when it comes to our

diet and our overall health, which may include our sleep and stress levels.

Do we give in to the last couple of months to those temptations, with the plan to start anew on January 1?

Or is there a balanced approach that we can take to help us get through our holiday season and all the events? Actually, there is.

Many of those holiday events are often focused on foods that are heavier and richer than what we normally consume.

MODERATION & PORTION CONTROL

The holiday spreads can be full of so many favorite foods that are only made once a year — how can you possibly enjoy all of them? Portion control can be helpful in this area. Sometimes, just a taste of those foods is enough to satisfy the craving we have for them (and sometimes, they don’t taste as good as we remember, too.)

Another approach can be really concentrating on those foods that are non-negotiables. Love the pecan pie but not so much the pumpkin? Then eat the pecan and maybe take a taste of the pumpkin.

HAPPY HOUR & COCKTAILS

Enjoying a glass of champagne, eggnog, or even traditional wine and spirits is commonplace at many holiday gather ings and can often make us feel less than jolly. Know you’ll have an event in the evening with a lot of cocktails?

Give yourself a limit of how many drinks you’ll have and alternate them with a glass of water in between. And make sure you have a designated driver to ensure you get home safely; depending on the pour or serving, two glasses or drinks may have more alcohol in them than we realize.

PRESENT PRESSURE

It can be a natural response to want to rush out and buy a ton of gifts or to feel like we need to do ‘more’ this year. It can be stressful to try to find the perfect gift or to feel like we have spent a certain amount on our loved ones.

However, the amount we spend does not equate to more happiness or joy; rather, focus on the people you’re able to spend time with and not the presents and creating the memories together.

STRESS LESS

The holidays can be stressful for many reasons — travel ing, juggling family obligations, shopping, planning, baking — the list goes on. Even when we’re looking forward to these events, it can still create stress in our lives and disrupt our routine.

We worry. Did we make enough food? Did we buy the right gift? We anguish over every detail, and there may even be some situations or people we don’t exactly look forward to seeing, too. Focusing on what we can control in these events can be helpful.

We may not be able to control a family member’s com ments, but we can control how we respond (difficult, I know) and choose not to engage.

Managing your stress during the holidays can be helpful, too. Getting some quiet time to relax and recharge can make a huge difference; meditating can also be helpful and help quiet a lot of the anxiety we experience during the holidays.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

Celebrating and enjoying crowds and parties can also cre ate an environment conducive to spreading germs. Sticking with some basic, foundational steps can be helpful measures to hopefully keep you healthy.

Colds and flu are still going around as well as Covid, so make sure to wash your hands properly and cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.

Sleep is also important to maintaining a healthy immune system, too; so trying to stick to a regular sleep schedule dur ing the holidays can be a helpful measure. Getting in enough water can also lessen feelings of fatigue, as well as trying to balance some of the more decadent treats with some fresh vegetables and fruit.

The most important thing to remember is to try to find bal ance and joy in the season, so you can enjoy all the moments and memories fully. Here’s to Healthy Holidays and looking forward to 2023.

Sudie Crouch is a health & wellness coach, helping clients create healthy, attainable changes using positive psychology and cognitive behavior approaches.

Toa Heftiba, Unsplash

Pumpkin Cranberry Chocolate Chip Bread

By Erica Jones

Each year when the weather outside starts feeling like fall, this is my go-to recipe to ring in the season with. The balance of pumpkin and spices blends so well with the tastes and textures of the cranberries and chocolate chips — you’ll have to pace yourself not to eat a whole loaf in one sitting!

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cin namon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil and stir into dry ingredients until combined. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Helena Yankovska, unsplash

legal

Motorcyclists should recognize dangers on the road

Many people say there is nothing more beautiful than riding through the North Georgia mountains on a motorcycle.

Our beautiful North Georgia weather beckons motorcycle riders from all over to enjoy the crisp clean air and colorful fall leaves.

Typically, the months of October and November are the months most visited in the North Georgia mountains. Because so many people enjoy motorcycle riding, they must be aware of the dangers that await them when there are motorcycle accidents.

Although most wrecks on the roads involve vehicles, a high percentage of serious injuries and deaths involve motorcycles.

Whether these accidents are because of the negligence of a single rider or the driver of an automobile, when a motor cycle and an automobile collide the driv er of the motorcycle usually suffers worse injuries.

Motorcycle drivers understand how dangerous cars can be when they fail to react to them being on the road.

It is our thought that to stay safe,

motorcyclists must do everything they can to protect themselves when riding in an environment with a lot of twists and turns.

Motorcyclists owe a duty to themselves and their passengers to drive as safe as possible and recognize all dangers.  Staying alert and con centrating on the road are important ways for motorcyclist to stay focused and remain safe while enjoying our beautiful North Georgia.

All insurance companies recognize how dangerous motorcycle riding can be. Most people only receive the mini mum amount of coverage from $25,000 to $50,000 which really equates to a sin gle person receiving $25,000 as a maxi mum amount of liability coverage and uninsured motorist coverage reduced to approximately $10,000.

When insuring a motorcycle, it is rec ommended that you speak with an inde pendent insurance agent.

Because of low limits, it is highly rec ommended that the person operating the motorcycle have adequate and complete health insurance.

Most times this will be a primary way to pay for the treatment to recover from any type of injury due to an accident.

Because motorcycles are not as safe as automobiles and trucks, the dangers associated with trauma coming from a wreck can be life altering. These can include brain injury, broken bones, and other spinal injuries.

Motorcyclists owe a duty to them selves and passengers to drive as safe as possible and to recognize all dangers around them.

Steven Leibel is a well-respected personal injury lawyer in Cumming and Dahlonega. He has consistently been recognized as a GA SuperLawyer in Personal Injury; rated 10 by AVVO, and he is considered “preeminent by his peers, as an Martindale AV rated attor ney.”

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Steven Leibel

Gratitude: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

In this season where thanks and giving are the dominant themes, I’m excited to share that feeling grateful may actually be good for your health!

According to the Mayo Clinic, feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity, and decrease depression, anxiety, chronic pain and risk of disease.

A quick online catalog search at Forsyth County Public Library confirms that gratitude is a hot topic these days.

Titles such as Gratitude: The Essential Practice for Happiness and Fulfillment, Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks, and The Gratitude Diaries: How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Transformed My Life indicate that gratitude has had a profound effect on some people’s lives.

The power of gratitude is nothing new. Plato, Buddha, Socrates, Epictetus, St. Luke, and Shawnee Chief Tecumseh all knew the trans formative effects of cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Recent studies have shown that “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.”

Specifically, “gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

Source: “Giving thanks can make you happier” by Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School.

WRITING THANK YOU NOTES, keeping a gratitude journal, praying, and meditating are simple ways to practice gratitude. Some researchers say even ‘mentally’ thanking someone produces oxyto cin, one of the happiness hormones.

A wonderful thing happened recently at one of our libraries that demonstrates the positive effect of gratitude. An 11-year-old girl donated $28 to the library that she and six friends raised with a lem onade stand over the summer.

LEAP INTO LITERACY WITH BRUCE THE BEAR

Sponsored by South Forsyth Rotary Meet Bruce, the grumpy yet lovable bear, enjoy a simple meal, and learn early literacy activities to prepare your child for kindergarten. Admission is free!

• 5:30-7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 1, Cumming Elementary School cafeteria, 540 Dahlonega St.;

• 5:30-7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, Chattahoochee Elementary School cafeteria, 2800 Holtzclaw Road.

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES

Make an appointment in advance at www.RedCrossBlood.org.

• 2-7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, Sharon Forks Library

• 2-7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 14, Post Road Library.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DURABLE POWERS OF ATTORNEY

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Take the mystery out of why and how to create durable powers of attorney. Michelle Wilson of

When she delivered the money, she told one of our librarians, “We want to donate our profits to the library. We love the library and love reading, and we check out books and books and books.”

That librarian shared the lemonade stand story on the library staff blog, and it received more comments from our staff than all other staff blog posts combined over the previous two months. Every single comment was a variation of “THIS IS AWESOME” and “I love this so much!”

Sure, those kids could have just mentally thanked the library and gotten their private oxytocin boost, but they put their gratitude into action and shared it aloud. That act of gratitude had an enormous rip ple effect on our entire library staff.

Everyone who keeps Forsyth County Public Library’s four branches and Bookmobile running every day – the Materials staff who select and process all the books, the Collection Support Aides and volunteers who shelve all the books, the Librarians who directly serve library patrons, and all the support personnel behind the scenes – relished reading the impact we had on that little girl and her friends. You bet ter believe we sent them a thank you note for their donation.

SO GO AHEAD, PRACTICE GRATITUDE. You might improve your health, and if you share your gratitude out loud, you’ll probably make someone’s day as well. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Leslie Marinelli has lived in Forsyth County for 19 years with her husband and three children and is the Communications Manager at Forsyth County Public Library. She may be reached at leslie.marinelli@forsythpl.org or on social media @forsythpl.

Wilson Legal will tell you when to use one.

• 7-8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, Cumming Library.

ART FROM THE HEART: PAINTING FOR KIDS

• 2-3:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12, Cumming Library. Kids in grades K-5 will create an art piece about their best day ever.

DANCING JOY: FILM SCREENING AND LIVE DANCE PERFORMANCE

Enjoy a screening of the film Dancing Joy with remarks from the director and one of the danc ers in the film. There will also be a live dance performance by the Sharmadayini Dance Academy.

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12, Sharon Forks Library.

THE CHEROKEE NATION IN GEORGIA: CELEBRATING NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

• 3-4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 13, Sharon Forks Library, Sharon Forks Meeting Room Side B. Dr. Sneed of the Georgia Tribe of the Eastern

For more information about FORSYTH COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY or any resources or upcoming events, visit WWW.FORSYTHPL.ORG or connect with FCPL on social media @forsythpl

Cumming

Cherokee will share the history of the Cherokee people in Georgia. For high school students, adults.

BOOKMOBILE VISIT AND MOBILE FOOD PANTRY

The Place of Forsyth County Mobile Food Pantry will be onsite to serve families, as well as volunteers from Eastgate Church and Northside Hospital, providing family activities and medical screenings. Drop by to do a craft for kids and check out books for children, teens, and adults in English and Spanish.

• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2055 Atlanta Highway.

CHEROKEE TALESA SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR KIDS by Bright Star Touring Theater

Celebrate the Cherokee People during Native American History month.

• 2-2:45 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 27, Post Road Library.

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