Referral

July 2023 – Newsletter

July 2023 – NEWSLETTER

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Independence Day Celebration

John Adams, our second president, may seem like a crusty old character as he stares out of school history books, but the man knew how to celebrate. After the Declaration of Independence was approved in 1776, he wrote that the day should be marked by “pomp and parade,” with shows, games, sports, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from “one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.”

WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE:

  • INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
  • CALENDAR
  • RSVP FOR “THE DANG Ps”
  • CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
  • WELCOME JOE McCOWEN
  • LIVING YOUR LEGACY
  • CONSTRUCTION ON BROWN ST
We certainly made good on that request. Across the country, Americans celebrate July Fourth with backyard barbecues, community events, parades of all kinds, and even simple gatherings around the TV to take in the fireworks display over New York City.

However you choose to celebrate – whether boisterously or otherwise – we wish you a wonderful, memorable holiday.

Please note that our office will be closed on Monday, July 3. Both our office and the financial markets will be closed Tuesday, July 4, for the Independence Day holiday. Of course, you can access your account(s) using Raymond James Investor Access anytime.

Calendar

July 3 – Paramount office closed for the Independence Day holiday

July 4 – Paramount office and the financial markets closed for Independence Day

August 25 – 2nd Annual Free Concert for our clients and guests featuring The Dangling Participles

September 4 – Paramount office and the financial markets closed for Labor Day

RSVP Today!

Join us for our second annual free concert exclusively for our clients and guests!

This year we welcome The Dangling Participles (The Dang Ps), a jazzy indie-folk band who won the 2022 Lansing City Pulse newspaper’s “Top of the Town” award for Best Folk Artist/Band.

Come hang out with us on the Granary Patio at Ella Sharp Museum on August 25th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. This is a great opportunity to bring family or friends that you want to introduce to our practice!

Sweet and salty snacks will be served along with 2 complimentary drinks per person.

RSVP by August 15

[email protected]

or 517-787-4444

Client Spotlight- African Safari

In May, Mary Anne Hershberger and four clients, Shaun Hitt, Carla Kennedy, Neva Ostrander, and Dave Zontek, went on an African safari in Tanzania. They visited four parks including the famous Serengeti.

Photo: Neva Ostrander and Dave Zontek

When asked about the sightings, some of the comments included: 86 lions, 5 cheetah, 5 leopards, ~300 elephants, ~200 buffalo, ~500 Impala, millions of zebra and wildebeest, identified 77 different birds, too many baboons to count, and animals I never heard of. “We just had a phenomenal trip, it was so much better than anything that I would have thought we would have encountered”, Dave explained.

They covered over 1600 kilometers while on safari and traveling from park to park. Carla described their travels as being in 3 distinct regions: a lush tropical forest, the floor of a crater, and the plains of the Serengeti. “There were 3 very different, very diverse places, and even though you could say we saw an elephant here, we saw an elephant there, it was different depending on the area they were in…I learned a lot more about the animals and their habitats because the different areas created different environments for them to survive in”.

With a local driver and a guide, a group of 6 went out each day in a Land Rover. The Rover had a pop-up top so people could stand to watch the animals or remain seated. No one is allowed out of the vehicle in the parks unless in a designated eating or rest area.

So, what did they see? It’s best heard in their own words.

Dave & Neva – [The animals] ate, slept, went on the prowl and played. We saw a lion charge into a herd of wildebeest, an Impala being eaten by cheetahs, baboons playing, and hippos relieving themselves with no regard to how close their neighbor was. Disgusting. We came upon a tree that was tipped over by elephants so they could eat the top of the tree.

Shaun – It was very interesting to see this leopard (which are very hard to spot)…The leopard was hiding in a bush by the road. It came out to get a drink of water from a mud puddle in the road because it was exhausted from taking down its kill. As we were driving away from the sighting, our guide pointed out the kill, a wildebeest, in a near-by tree. Leopards are the only animal who eats its prey in the trees. This is because no other animal will climb up to take the meal from them. We drove onward and when we came back, the leopard was in the tree, eating. It was sort of gory, but that’s just the natural way of life.

Carla – …to see lions, cheetah, and leopards in close proximity. We could be parked for 30 minutes or more to just really, really watch them. The cubs got up, started stretching, drank water from mud puddles, and then crossed the road.

Dave – We got so close that we could count the flies on the nose of a lion. That’s how close we were.

Neva – There were some cute little baby elephants. When very young, they don’t have control of their trunk. It was really funny to watch them try to pick the grass and then get it into their mouth. They don’t succeed all the time.

As a whole, the group seemed most impressed by the zebra and wildebeest migration in the Serengeti.

Dave – We saw hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebras. The horizon was probably 6 to 7 miles away. As far as our eye could see, both ways, left and right, there were zebras. It was just incredible…I mean, it’s hard to even comprehend.

Shaun – The Serengeti is absolutely the most remarkable place I’ve ever seen because it is so big and you see so many animals…It’s most famous for the migration. Our driver said there are 2 million wildebeest, which I would describe as sort of like a horse, and 2 million zebras. You look out on the horizon, and you see something’s moving, but it looks like a mountain or hill of a darker color because there are so many of these animals. The numbers are just incredible. Really incredible.

Photo: Carla Kennedy and Shaun Hitt pictured in front of a “termite mound”.

Carla – Our guide saw, like a mile away, a black line. As we approached, the line was a herd of wildebeest 2 or 3 animals wide, running across the road right in front of us. Then, referring to a photo of this event, she said, “look at the back of the film where that line disappears on the horizon. Those are still wildebeest and they’re all still running. They’re all part of this line that is just running; running to migrate to God knows where. That was amazing to see. That was my highlight”.

Next month the adventure continues with more about the food, accommodations, and people.

Welcome, Joe McCowen

We are very excited to announce the addition of Joe McCowen to our staff. Joe is a recent graduate of Spring Arbor University where he pitched for the baseball team while earning a degree in Financial Planning. He is joining us as an Intern while he finishes graduate school to achieve an MBA.

Joe grew up in Kalamazoo and has a Dachshund named “Bear”. He enjoys fishing, hanging out with his family, and hunting. As a matter of fact, last December Joe got his first deer, an 8 point buck!

Please help us in welcoming Joe to the Paramount family!

Living Your Legacy

Making a difference can start with how you live your everyday life.

When you think about your legacy, perhaps you hope to one day be described as a philanthropist. You don’t have to be Bill Gates to earn that title, though: All those passionate about making a difference can claim this identity. If the chance to give to communities here and around the globe is what’s driving you, here are some ways to incorporate that sense of purpose into your life now. Click the blue button below to read about six actions that can build an enduring philanthropic legacy.

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Road Construction on South Brown Street

Brown Street will continue to be have only one lane going southbound until mid-July, when the road will be re-surfaced. During paving, there will be a period of time that our driveway will not be accessable from Brown Street. To the best of our ability, we will keep you informed on the status of the construction.

If you wish to avoid the construction on South Brown, you can enter our parkinglot from Franklin Street as an alternate route.

The Paramount Wealth Management Team

Don Hershberger, CFP®, AIF®, CRC®, Founder and President, PWM, was named on the 2023 Forbes Top Wealth Advisor Best-in-State list.

420 South Brown Street
Jackson, MI 49203

517-787-4444

517-795-2530 (F)

www.paramountwealth.com

Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Paramount Wealth Management is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

2023 Forbes Top Wealth Advisors Best-In-State, developed by Shook Research, is based on the period from 6/30/2021 to 6/30/2022 and was released on 4/4/2023. 39,007 nominations were received and 7,321 advisors won. Neither Raymond James nor any of its advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award. More: https://go.rjf.com/3KsXbF7. Please see https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors for more info.

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