The Rogé Report March 2007

March 2007

At R. W. Rogé & Company, Service Defines Our Mission
By Rosanne Grande, CFP^®, CSA, RFG^SM

Rosanne Grande, CFP^®,
CSA, RFG^SM
Managing Director

The other day I was speaking with a client who was telling me about a situation regarding the health of her parent, who still resided at home. Previously self-sufficient, the parent had become totally dependent upon our client, who, by the way, has a busy schedule that includes a full-time job.

During our conversation, I started to ask her various questions about Medicaid planning, home care services and how were she and her husband coping with these changes, just to name a few. I pointed out that looking after parents and family, they shouldn’t neglect themselves since they are the central component of the family’s financial equation. It’s fair to say they were relieved they had someone with whom they could discuss this new and difficult challenge in their lives.

This led me to thinking about all of the things we do for our clients that are not detailed in our brochures or discussed in client meetings. It was a very gratifying feeling, since our clients are like family … and we were taught to always go the extra mile for the sake of family. That in turn reflects directly on a fundamental aspect of our mission at R.W. Rogé & Company: to always support our clients with knowledgeable, personalized service. It is at the core of our philosophy as an organization.

We take great pride in working with our clients to create the "maps" that help them navigate the financial uncertainties they will encounter on their life’s journey and, ultimately, achieve their long-term objectives. But providing good service extends beyond investment strategies and performance.

While some of our services are very visible – such as the financial management, performance reporting on the portfolios you have entrusted to our care and the educational process we go through to orient new clients – others are more quietly integrated into our client relationships.

We value client input, from both new and more "seasoned" clients, so we can better serve you. Our approach to client relationships is "holistic," which is to say it encompasses not only finances but also family and lifestyle-related considerations as well. We feel that kind of relationship is a responsibility, and it’s a responsibility we value highly.

Our "seasoned clients" have become familiar with Rogé & Company’s attention to detail:

Our timely alerts and clear, thorough reports to help their accountants efficiently (and economically) determine capital gains and losses.
The ongoing review of managed accounts to keep them tax-efficient and taking losses to offset gains on that fabulous undiscovered fund.
Making sure you track your retirement plan by funding your IRAs and sending the paperwork to Schwab so they can journal funds from your individual account to your retirement account.
We make recommendations and interact with estate planning attorneys to make sure wills are up to date, health proxies and durable powers of attorney are in place and that you fund those Credit Shelter Trusts so that your family (and not Uncle Sam) gets all your hard-earned savings.
We make sure you take those IRA distributions before age 70½ so you don't inadvertently get bumped up to a higher tax bracket.
When that new baby arrives, an educational projection is mailed to you so that you know how much you need to save for your Harvard-bound scholar or scholarette!

Regardless of your stage of life or particular circumstances, our business is to help you. We’re always here to listen, consider and advise … never more than a phone call away.

For additional information about our services, please visit us at www.rwroge.com or call our office at 877-218-0085.

R.W. Rogé & Company, Inc • 630 Johnson Avenue • Bohemia, NY 11716 • Phone: 631.218.0077 • Fax: 631.218.0147