December 2020/January 2021
Happy Holidays Writer Tracy Lawson James Turner The Richie Family
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The Connection Magazine, Wylie Chamber of Commerce
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A Wylie Chamber of Commerce Publication Online Version: www.wyliechamber.org
Please Recycle This Magazine After Reading!
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Well, we made it. Now what? It has been the weirdest year in recent memory in the Southeast Collin Corridor, and we have come to the end of the 2020 journey with more questions than answers. And people are buying up toilet paper again! Reflecting on what a year of ups and downs, highs and lows 2020 has been, we decided to put together an issue equally as varied: a cornucopia of stories about the different people who live, work, and play in, and have an impact on, the area. We have a little holiday flavor mixed in with a look at December family celebrations in Wylie ISD. We meet the McClure family and learn a bit about McClure Partners in Wylie, a developer family whose members loved Wylie so much, they relocated the business here. We also meet Tracy Lawson, an accomplished author who was drawn to Wylie because of its history, heart – and OMG Creamery! We spotlight the tradition of higher education in one family, as we meet the Ritchies’ sextuplet of Collin College
graduates – seven taking classes, six associate degrees. We think they get a front row parking spot or two with that Costco-like tuition bill! And our pal Trace Dennis with the Jal Dennis Group throws us a Wylie Chamber President curve in this human interest issue: a robo-advisor! Pros? Cons? The magazine is also filled with local businesses who are still kicking and looking to survive through whatever 2021 throws at them. Help them out if you can and use their service, stop by their store, or just get a quote to see if you can make a connection. As always, we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at the Connection magazine. Here’s to new things in the new year!!
future
Scientist
future
Musician future
Firefighter
FIND YOUR FUTURE More than 100 academic & workforce degrees and certificates Explore the possibilities at collin.edu
2 • The CONNECTION • December 2020/January 2021
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General Dentistry for Adults and Children
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COVER PROFILE OF SUCCESS 6 McClure Partners CONNECTION FEATURES 8 The Write Stuff
Cover Photo by Ethan Good
6 McClure Partners - Charles McClure, John McClure, and Susan McClure.
CONNECTION COLUMNS 14 EDUCATION
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CONTENTS
December 2020/January 2021 • Volume 15 - Issue 6
On The CONNECTION Cover
December Celebrations Center on Family HEALTH Back from the Brink HIGHER EDUCATION And Everett Makes Seven MONEY Robo-Advisors vs. Human Financial Advisors
18 A Wylie Chamber of Commerce Publication
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www.wyliechamber.org • 5
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S
ince becoming involved in the community in 2018 and moving its corporate offices to Wylie, McClure Partners has been responsible for relocating and opening more than half a dozen new businesses in town. “Wylie is a wonderful part of the Metroplex that appealed to us to because of its people, its value system, and its way of life,” said John McClure, Vice President of McClure Partners. McClure Partners was looking for development opportunities in Collin County for one of its brand partners, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. “After performing our retail demand site analysis models and spending a lot of windshield time driving, we discovered the corner of FM 544 and Regency in Wylie,” John said. “The challenge here was there was no median break for westbound traffic to access the site and there was not enough capacity in the current storm system design for this development.” McClure was able to partner with the Wylie Economic Development Corporation and work with city of Wylie staff to assemble the four lots, secure a median break through the Texas Department of Transportation, and install more than 400 linear feet of off-site storm sewer. That “enabled us to develop what is now Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, a barbecue restaurant, Wylie Dentistry, Posh Nail Salon and Inverness Pharmacy,” John said. Finding a lot and making it into a vibrant business area
– “taking a raw piece of land and turning into a greatlooking commercial building from scratch” – is one of the things McClure Partners likes best to do. McClure’s services include general contracting, development, land planning, tenant representation, and many others. “We are a one-stop shop that can handle it all,” according to Charles A. McClure, chair of the company’s board. Full-service development includes feasibility studies, site selection, underwriting and acquisition, financing and loan negotiations, architectural and contractor selection and negotiation, permitting and zoning, accounting and reporting, development and construction management, and move-in coordination. Charles and his mom, Frances L. McClure, incorporated McClure Partners Jan. 2, 1975, in Abilene as a residential real estate company. Charles holds numerous designations and honors including being a Certified Commercial Investment Member and a Counselors of Real Estate member. He is a senior instructor for the CCIM Institute, an instructor and lecturer for the North Texas CCIM Chapter and numerous other CCIM Chapters in the U.S. (CCIM is commercial real estate’s global standard for professional achievement, according to the organization.) In 2009, Charles was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS) in London, receiving the highest Fellow designation under the group’s eminence program. He is a past president of the Abilene Board of Realtors
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where he received a Realtor of the Year award; a past regional vice president of the Texas Association of Realtors; a former trustee of the Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee; and a life member of the Realtors Political Action Committee. He was the 2009 International President of the CCIM Institute. A nationally recognized speaker on commercial and investment real estate and an author of several articles for various real estate publications, Charles – known as Mac – earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree from Hardin Simmons University. Both degrees are in management and finance. “Our firm is run by professionals in the commercial real estate industry from the disciplines of tenant representation, landlord representation, property management, and consulting,” Mac said. “Our firm also is a development company and general contractor with over 45 years’ experience.” McClure Partners has represented the eight largest pension funds in America including GE Capital, New York State Teachers, Commonfund, Stanford University endowment fund, and the State of Alaska permanent fund. “Our development company has done over $250 million of commercial construction, and our brokerage arm has completed over $1 billion in transactions,” Mac said. Mac’s wife, Susan McClure, is president of the company. She specializes in representing tenants and landlords in lease negotiations for product types that include office, industrial, and flex and retail space assignments. She holds numerous professional distinctions and is a senior instructor in CCIM’s 101 core course (financial analysis for commercial real estate). She spent 27 years as a broker with Cushman & Wakefield and has held several leadership positions with CCIM Institute and the North Texas CCIM Chapter. Susan is a member of Commercial Real Estate Women, the National Association of Realtors, the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and a graduate of Dallas Leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration and history from Stephen F. Austin State University. Mac and Susan’s son, John, is the company’s vice president. He specializes in site selection and demographic studies, all phases of entitlement and permitting, and construction and project management. He has been licensed as a broker by the Texas Real Estate Commission and also holds the CCIM designation. John is a member of the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors, International Council of Shopping A Wylie Chamber of Commerce Publication
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Centers and the CCIM North Texas Chapter. He has previously served as president of the North Texas CCIM Chapter and is currently a regional vice president for the CCIM Institute. He is the current chairman of the board for the Wylie Chamber of Commerce. He has been on the chamber board of directors since 2018. John has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management degree from Baylor University. He and his wife, Mary, have one daughter, 10-year-old Lila, and two sons, 7-year-old Luke and 4-year-old Sam. “We find that our family is very close. Charles A. McClure Sr., one of our original directors, always said if you can’t trust your family, you can never trust anyone,” John said. “We are very proud of our professional reputation which we have spent years developing. And we are enjoying doing business and meeting the people in Wylie.” •
McClure Partners 105 N. Jackson Street PO Box 2935 Wylie, TX 75098 (972) 661-0205
mcclureusa.com www.wyliechamber.org • 7
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The Write S T
racy Lawson, author of 10 books, including nonfiction, historical fiction, and young adult dystopian thrillers, says her spidey senses went into overdrive when she spied the yellow Victorian house at 405 N. Ballard for sale. “I’m so glad I took a break from writing to surf Zillow that afternoon!” she said. The Lawsons moved to Wylie in October but had become acquainted with Wylie’s welcoming spirit and the charming downtown area when Tracy participated in Bluegrass on Ballard as a vendor. “With appropriate caution, we’ve been trying the restaurants and checking out the shops,” she said. “My husband is a big fan of Soft Serve Sundays at OMG Creamery.” Her books have won numerous awards, and, whatever the genre, they all feature characters who are in pursuit of personal liberty. Her latest work, “Answering Liberty’s Call,” (available in January 2021) is based on family legend and events in the lives of Anna and Benjamin Stone, her great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents (yes, that’s six “greats”) during the American Revolution.
Early Days
Tracy was a dancer before she was a writer. An Ohio native, she began taking tap and ballet lessons when she was five and studied dance through high school, performing with the drill team and in school productions. She met her husband Bob in high school. (He was in Spanish class with one of Tracy’s friends, who invited him to eat lunch with them.) Following high school courtship and graduating from Ohio University, they were married. “My dance and theater career began when my husband, fresh out of grad school, took his first teaching job at Shawnee State University in a small Ohio town,” Tracy said. “With limited employment opportunities, I started teaching dance classes at a local studio.” She soon opened her own studio in a neighboring town, and, although she left that endeavor behind when she and Bob moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1996, she treasured the opportunity to be a positive force in her students’ lives and maintains contact with many of them to this day. She carried her passion for influencing young people to pursue their goals with her; “Stay Motivated and Write,” a guide for teens, is available on her website. 8 • The CONNECTION • December 2020/January 2021
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Once in Columbus, Tracy continued to teach dance, and developed the curriculum for the tap dance program at BalletMet. When the Lawsons’ daughter Keri, now a Ph.D. candidate at West Virginia University, was in sixth grade, she auditioned for her middle school musical, and Tracy offered to choreograph the show. The director jumped at the chance. Tracy signed on as the school district’s choreographer and went on to choreograph some 30 productions in Ohio. Keri stayed active in the school theater program through high school, performing in musicals, working stage crew, and serving as a mentor for younger students. Tracy returns to Columbus several times a year for auditions, choreography “boot camp,” and shows.
Texas Bound
The Lawsons moved to North Texas in 2011 when Bob joined the faculty at Southern Methodist University, teaching economics in the MBA program and running the Bridwell Institute for Global Freedom. “We’ve always owned older homes, and after living happily on M Streets and Junius Heights in Old East Dallas, we were casually looking for a historic property. We fell in love with the house in Wylie.”
Stories to Share
It was the move to Texas that prompted Tracy to adopt the “have laptop, will travel” plan, leaving her dance studio schedule and trying her hand at a long-time goal to write. Her first book, “Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More,” published in 2012, is based on the 1838 travel journal of Henry Rogers, her great-great-great-grandfather on her dad’s mother’s side. Henry and his father-in-law, Jediah Hill, ran a mill in Mount Healthy, a town near Cincinnati. In 1838, the family traveled east, visiting other mills to get ideas about how to improve their own. Henry kept a journal as he traveled, writing about such events as his first time on a mountaintop, witnessing a tavern brawl, doctoring a sick horse, falling asleep in church, going on board a ship that was under construction in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, and seeing “newfangled railroads” operating in the eastern states. McDonald & Woodward Publishing expressed interest continued ~
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e Stuff
~
By Judy Truesdell
Award-winning author wasn’t born in Wylie, but she got here as fast as she could!
Author Tracy Lawson with Leo. Photos by Ethan Good.
A Wylie Chamber of Commerce Publication
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www.wyliechamber.org • 9
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in the project, and also published a companion book, “Pride of the Valley: Sifting Through the History of the Mount Healthy Mill,” in 2017. Tracy’s latest book, “Answering Liberty’s Call”, is her first historical fiction work. It’s the story of her six-timesgreat-grandmother on her dad’s father side, Anna Stone, who gets involved in the fight for liberty, despite being told that war is “men’s business.” When her soldier husband and brothers face starvation at Valley Forge, Anna strikes out alone on horseback, traveling over 200 miles on rough roads to bring them supplies. During this weeklong journey, Anna overcomes frigid weather, hazardous river crossings, and threats from highway robbers and enemy soldiers. She can’t even risk stopping in a tavern for a meal for fear she will be mistaken for a prostitute. “We rarely see books about war from a woman’s perspective,” Tracy said. “Even when we do, it is usually the view from the home front. In ‘Answering Liberty’s Call,’ Anna travels into the action – not into battle, but into conflict, as she confronts some of the lesser-known issues and problems faced by Americans during the war.” Tracy explained that though all authors conduct research, the final product is presented differently. Fiction writers use information gleaned from research to create realistic but made-up situations and characters, and nonfiction writing is more like news reporting. “Answering Liberty’s Call” is, she notes, the best of both worlds. She was able to dig into her own family’s genealogy as well as general research of the time period to create the exciting tale. The premise for the story is true; family legend has it that Anna’s husband left her and their young children with relatives when he enlisted. When she heard about the dire circumstances at Valley Forge, she decided to bring them food and supplies. Along the way, a congressman asked her to carry a message to George Washington, and she became involved in patriotic intrigue. In addition to her ancestors’ written words and family lore, Tracy’s sources included other historical novels, letters written by soldiers, and accounts of the winter at Valley Forge, including George Washington’s Orderly Book, a day journal of happenings at the camp. She used lunar calendars to help her know whether Anna would have had moonlight to guide her on her nighttime travels. Maps drawn in the 1770s assured her that she wouldn’t send Anna off on roads that didn’t exist at the time, and excerpts from a sermon on marriage in the early 1800s provided the preacher’s remarks at a wedding – between two characters who shall remain nameless to avoid providing a plot spoiler. Two scenes in “Answering Liberty’s Call” were inspired directly by entries in her ancestor Henry Rogers’ journal. One is in the opening chapter when Anna searches for her soldier brothers in a church serving as a makeshift hospital. Henry had mentioned a small cemetery in Chester County, Pa., with a monument to 22 soldiers of the Revolution who died of fever in the winter of 1778.
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Bob and Tracy Lawson on the porch of their Victorian home in Wylie.
Young Adult Dystopian Tales
Tracy has also been successful at writing full-out fiction. Her award-winning futuristic Resistance Series, a young adult saga that includes “Counteract,” “Resist,” “Ignite,” and “Revolt,” plus the prequel, “Collide,” involves teens struggling to survive after a terrorist gas strike. Tommy Bailey, age 18, has only one remaining dose of a government-mandated antidote, which he shares with Careen Catecher, a young woman he just met. The two discover that the attack wasn’t real, and the antidote was meant to dull their thoughts and make them easy to control, rather than to protect them. Tommy learns that his parents were operatives in an underground resistance group fighting to overthrow the government, and he’s expected to continue their crusade.
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Tracy Lawson is a valuable addition to the Collin County family, and will no doubt continue providing unique peeks into history, creating new worlds to be explored, and introducing us to inspirational characters. All her books are (or will be) available on Amazon in multiple formats, and her social media links are: tracylawsonbooks.com, Facebook.com/TracyLawsonAuthor and twitter.com/tracyslawson. •
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Tracy said she realized Anna would pass the cemetery and site of the church on her way to Valley Forge. She also drew a tavern brawl scene from the journal. “It was my husband’s favorite moment from Henry’s account of his trip, and it was fun to re-imagine Anna being present for a similar disturbance,” Tracy said. Tracy has another book coming out in January: “The Red Thread,” co-authored with Rebekah Pace. It is also historical fiction, but with elements of magical realism. It was inspired by the Chinese legend, “The Red Thread of Fate.”
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www.wyliechamber.org • 13
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Education
December Celebrations Center on Family
T
By Ian Halperin
hroughout the world, December is a time for celebrations steeped in customs and traditions. From Kwanzaa and Hanukkah to Christmas and Boxing Day, families across Wylie ISD will be sharing the special times that we each hold dear. While the origins of these holidays may differ, they all draw people together around food, fun and fellowship. “Mental health experts tell us that holiday traditions are an important part to building a strong bond between family and our community,” said Reggie Bibb, Wylie ISD director of diversity and inclusion. “They give us a sense of belonging and a way to express what is important to us. Holiday traditions are particularly important for children.” Shari Sanders, who has children in Wylie ISD, sees Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights, as a way to share their family’s traditions with her children’s classmates. “We enjoy sharing our holiday with others who haven't had a chance to experience it,” Shari said. “While the kids were in elementary school, I would visit the class to read a story about Hanukkah, show how we light the menorah and then teach everyone how to play the dreidel game.” Abish Dominguez was born and raised in central Mexico while her husband was born and raised in Texas. They have five children, with four still in Wylie ISD schools. “In our home we have a mix of traditions; we have kept our Mexican culture but also celebrate our American culture,” says Abish. “It’s important for us to share these traditions with our children because that helps them understand who they are, where they come from and, in the future, to be able to pass those traditions and culture to their own children.” One of their Mexican traditions is getting together with extended family to celebrate the holidays and have a mini “Posada.” “Posadas” are Mexico festivals to commemorate the journey Joseph and Mary made from Nazareth to Bethlehem. People go from house to house, singing songs (like Christmas caroling) as a way of asking for shelter like Mary and Joseph did. Homes typically have large nativity displays where they have prepared a manger to lay down “baby Jesus.” Even though Hanukkah is centuries old, Shari believes the message is relevant today. “It reminds us to be the light in the lives around us and in our community. It also reminds us that the flame can endure, with enough energy to survive difficult days. With the light comes hope, and that hope is renewed every year at Hanukkah.” For both the Sanders and the Dominguez families, the messages of the holiday extend beyond the celebration. “One of the most important traditions we have and love doing every year is taking meals, hand warmers, gloves and blankets to the homeless,” says Abish. “We feel this is more of a blessing for us and our kids than the little we do for our fellow men.” For the Sanders family, it’s volunteering to work for those who celebrate Christmas so they can be home with their families. However your family celebrates, Wylie ISD wishes you all the best. Happy holidays! •
Jacob and Sydney Sanders light the Hanukkah candles as they celebrate “the Festival of Lights.”
Isaac Dominguez takes a swing at a piñata during his family’s traditional Christmas celebration.
Sydney and Shari Sanders drop off meals to firefighters working on Christmas day. Photos courtesy of Wylie ISD.
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NOW ENROLLING! Please stop by for a tour.
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A Wylie Chamber of Commerce Publication
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16 • The CONNECTION • December 2020/January 2021
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Health
Back From the Brink
Vietnam veteran celebrates the holidays after overcoming COVID-19 thanks to a dedicated medical team and his unshakeable faith. By Jan Arrant
W
hen James Turner was wheeled out of Methodist Richardson in May, the 71-year-old Vietnam veteran was greeted by a multitude of well-wishers cheering and singing gospel music. From hospital staff members to friends and family, they were celebrating his recovery from COVID-19, as well as respiratory and renal failure, that happened against all odds. “It’s the most remarkable recovery I’ve seen in my career,” said Anthony Boyer, MD, a pulmonologist on the medical staff of Methodist Richardson, who treated James. James became ill with COVID-19 in early March. No one knows for sure where he was infected. After less than a week in the hospital, his health took a dramatic turn for the worse. He suffered respiratory failure and needed a ventilator to breathe for him for five weeks while he lay in bed James & Kathy Turner under heavy sedation — a “medically induced coma” as it’s sometimes called. Adding to the complications of COVID-19, his underlying diabetes forced his kidneys into acute renal failure, which required dialysis. “Regardless of COVID, when someone develops respiratory failure and renal failure, their mortality is very high,” Dr. Boyer said. “There were definitely periods when I thought he wasn’t going to survive.” But because of the medical team’s dedicated efforts, James slowly started to get better during his seven weeks in the hospital. “Once he turned a corner, every day his breathing was a little better and X-rays were a little better,” Dr. Boyer says. James’ turnaround required a team of experts including Dr. Boyer and his partner pulmonologist Michael Foster, MD; infectious disease specialists Serge Lartchenko, MD, and Sofia Ansari, MD; as well as nephrologist Parin Makadia, MD, MBA, who was instrumental in treating James’ kidney failure. A Wylie Chamber of Commerce Publication
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The nursing staff was also instrumental in James’ recovery as they offered continuous crucial care: monitoring vitals and equipment, administering medication, adjusting intravenous fluids, and tending to his hygiene and overall well-being. “Words can’t explain how kind they were to me,” James said. “I hadn’t seen my family in a while, which made me feel like I would break down, but the nurses encouraged me and helped me with the strength that I needed to make it through those times.” Methodist Richardson was especially well-equipped to respond to COVID-19 having just completed construction on two additional floors of the hospital, which were swiftly reorganized for COVID-19 care. “It’s not a small feat to get all of the supplies and equipment up there, but we responded quickly to the unfolding situation,” Dr. Boyer said. James doesn’t remember most of his harrowing health ordeal, including the three or four days that he spent in the hospital before lapsing into unconsciousness. Memory loss after sedation is common, Dr. Boyer says. However, the deeply religious man and church deacon had vivid visions of his wife, Kathy, their five children, and others praying for him and even heard gospel music while in a coma. “I know God brought me out of this. The prayers of the righteous and the amazing medical staff at Methodist are why I’m here today,” James said. “God worked a miracle in my life.” • Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System.
www.wyliechamber.org • 17
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Higher Education
And Everett Makes Seven: Photo by Nick Young, Collin College photographer.
Ritchie Family Embraces Educational Tradition By Heather Darrow
T
Attending Collin College is a Ritchie family tradition. Pictured here (left to right) are Eric Ritchie, Elsie Ritchie Dalton, Ellen Ritchie, Kim Ritchie, Eliot Ritchie, Emily Ritchie Palmer, and Everett Ritchie.
he wafting aroma of cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter elicits a cascading rush of mental snapshots of cherished family gatherings for Kim Ritchie. And while this Wylie mother of seven can recount more than 30 years of this special holiday treat, her household has another longstanding tradition — higher education at Collin College. “I think every person can continue to learn,” said Kim. “Extra study should be your life’s work. It’s the thing that makes you useful to your family and community.” Kim and her husband, Mark, shared a lifelong love of learning with their children. When Everett graduates in 2021, seven family members will have taken classes at the college with six earning associate degrees. “I’m glad to be attending Collin College, carrying on the tradition of so many family members,” said Everett, who first enrolled at the college as a dual credit student and is taking classes at the new Wylie Campus. “We are a one-income family, and for my children to go straight to a university would have been impossible without taking out loan after loan after loan,” said Kim. The first members of the Ritchie family to attend Collin College, Eric and Ellen, graduated in 2003 and transferred to Texas Tech University. Both earned graduate degrees, one in architecture at TTU and the other in library sciences at the University of North Texas. Eric said Collin College prepared him for his bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Ellen agreed and added, “My experience at Collin gave me the confidence and ambition to move for-
ward. It’s been a few years, but I still have a special place in my heart for my first college.” Emily describes her photography education as a “remarkable, exceptional experience.” Her sister Elsie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UNT, said she appreciated the musical performance opportunities. Their brother Eliot, who regularly performs in Wylie and Farmersville coffee shops, added that while taking classes at Collin he realized music was something he wanted to discover and not just be taught. “Elsie and I sang in the chamber choir together and had the same piano and voice professors,” Kim said. “Eliot and Elsie took speech together, and Eliot and I were duet partners in aural skills. Elsie, Eliot, and I — along with special guest star, Everett — sang in a musical theater ensemble under the direction of Professor Natalya Pitts.” Kim graduated from Collin College in 2012 and is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at UNT. The first in her family to attend college, she teaches piano lessons to beginners and said her Collin College musical experience provided the platform for her to be selected as a vocalist in the Dallas Symphony Chorus in 2016. “As a parent and as a student, I highly recommend Collin College to everyone in the community,” Kim said. “The professors, campuses, and resources are incomparable for the price, and the education we all received set us up for success in our various ventures.” For more information about the Wylie Campus, visit www.collin.edu/campuses/wylie/. •
18 • The CONNECTION • December 2020/January 2021
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AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
A great constructive alternative to daycare or other extended care programs.
Register Now!
Photo by Nick Young, Collin College photographer.
Make your child’s after school time a combination of fun and knowledge while learning Martial Arts and the ABC’s of life: Attitude - Behavior - Character.
EVENING CLASSES for ADULTS, KIDS, FAMILIES Pay for your first week and receive a free Uniform. New Students Only
1234 Parker Rd. - Wylie, TX
214-293-8057 info@wyliekarate.com
www.WylieKarate.com
THANK YOU! In collaboration with 5 Loaves Food Pantry, Wylie Community Christian Care Center and Amazing Grace Food Pantry, Team Up to Fight Hunger would like to thank these restaurants for helping us to feed the community. Next time you are looking for a dining option, please support one of these businesses that support our community.
TeamUpToFightHunger.com
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Money
Robo-Advisors vs. Human Financial Professionals If an investor chooses a non-human financial advisor, what price could they end up paying? Provided by Trace Dennis, CMT ®
I
nvestors have a choice today that they did not have a decade ago. They can seek investing and retirement guidance from a human financial professional or put their invested assets in the hands of a robo-advisor. What exactly is a robo-advisor? Robo-advisors are a class of financial advisors that provide financial advice or investment management online with moderate to minimal human intervention. They offer digital financial advice based on mathematical rules or algorithms. Signing up walks the user through a series of questions, and based on their responses, creates portfolio choices for the investor. Which begs the question: why would you trust your finances to a robo-advisor? Robo-advisors are an attractive option for those just starting out investing. Some robo-advisor accounts offer very low minimums and fees and can be a solution for younger investors who want to "set it and forget it." Even so, less than 8% of investors responding to a survey from data analytics firm Hearts & Wallets said they had used a robo-advisor. Out of the $43 trillion in the North American wealth management market, an estimated $410 billion is invested with robo-advisors. That number may grow to $830 billion by 2024. The inherent problem is robo-advisors lack the human element to ask questions and dig deeper. Investors in all life stages appreciate when a financial professional takes time to understand them and their situation. A software program struggles to gain that understanding, even with input from a questionnaire. The closer you get to retirement age, the more challenges you may face with a robo-advisor. The software continues to evolve and understand retirement investing. After 50, people have financial concerns far beyond investment yields. Investment management does not
equal retirement preparation, estate strategies, or risk management. Many investors are taking advantage of a hybrid model that has emerged. Per the Hearts & Wallets research study, more than half of investors use robo-advisors only as an extension of their existing wealth manager. Once their balance reaches a certain threshold, investors may transition to working with an actual financial professional. It appears the traditional approach of working with a human financial professional may be hard to disrupt. The opportunity to draw on experience by having a conversation with a professional who has seen his or her clients go through the whole arc of retirement is essential. These responses point to uncertainty about the process of financial and retirement strategies. The process is quite worthwhile, quite illuminating, and quite helpful. It is not just about improving "the numbers," it is also about discovering ways to sustain and enhance your quality of life. • Trace Dennis may be reached at 972-429-0603 or tracedennis@jaldennis.com.
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From Our Family To Yours! This Holiday Season Call Us To Schedule A Complimentary Portfolio Review.
www.jaldennis.com
972-429-0603 601 Commerce St., Wylie, TX 75098
Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC.
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The Connection Magazine, Wylie Chamber of Commerce
Happy Holidays
