By Richard W. Stout III

Are you tired of hearing the word “unprecedented”? Unfortunately, it’s really the best word to describe what we’ve all lived through this past year. A global pandemic marked by nationwide lockdowns—who could have seen that coming? Political, economic, and social unrest, as well as the stress of adapting to new work schedules and environments…probably not what you expected. Perhaps you or someone you know has experienced a job loss or a change in company structure. After a year of our lives being turned upside down by COVID-19, change and uncertainty have become the norm rather than the exception. To say this is a stressful and confusing time is an understatement.

But the good news is that you have someone on your side who is committed to you, your life, and your finances. No matter what happens, you have us to rely on.

Do your friends and family have this kind of support system?

Guidance in Hard Times

Social distancing and isolation measures have resulted in many of us spending much more time at home with our families. At the same time, we’ve been separated from our extended families and social support systems. This has all served to remind us of the importance of friendship and community and forced us to learn how to be there for each other in new ways. We know that you are not just concerned about yourself, but also your loved ones.

There is a lot of fear in our world right now, and fear can make people do unwise things with their money. Our goal is to see you and those you care about weather this storm with confidence and come out the other side ready to move forward and work toward your goals.

If you have friends or family members who are in need of financial guidance during this stressful time, we’d love to be there for them like we are for you, analyzing and evaluating their financial picture and sharing solutions to help them stay on track to reach their goals despite market turmoil and economic uncertainty.

We Are Here for Your Friends and Family…Virtually

We want to let you know that we at Benchmark Wealth Management are still working and operating our business…just not in the same way as before. Whether you are quarantined, sheltering-in-place, or adhering to social distancing guidelines, you are not alone. If you or your loved ones have any questions or concerns about finances, goals, asset allocation, risk, what the markets are doing, or anything that’s causing financial stress, we are available virtually or in person, if needed. Contact us anytime at 860.434.6890 or email me at richard.stout@bwmllc.net and let your friends and family members know we offer a complimentary introductory meeting!

About Rick

Richard W. Stout III is managing director of Benchmark Wealth Management, LLC, with 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He specializes in financial planning and asset management for individuals, families, and institutions seeking to build and monitor durable and sustainable plans for their financial futures. Rick is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation. He has earned a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning and holds the Master Planner Advanced StudiesSM (MPAS®). He obtained his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his BA in Economics and Anthropology from the University of Connecticut. He also completed the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWM®) program through the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University. He has extensive background experience in lending, credit review and analysis, and real estate and partnership management. Learn more about Rick by connecting with him on LinkedIn.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2, available upon request or at the SEC’s Investment Advisor Public Disclosure site, www.iapd.com, searching with our company name or unique identifier, CRD # 160192. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results

Securities offered by Registered Representatives through Private Client Services, Member FINRA, SIPC in the following states: AZ, CA, CT, FL, KY, MA, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, RI, TX. (Securities-related services may not be provided to individuals residing in any state not previously listed) Advisory services offered through Benchmark Wealth Management, LLC a Registered Investment Advisor. Benchmark Wealth Management and Private Client Services are unaffiliated entities.

By Richard W. Stout III and Thomas Britt

We are pleased to announce the launch of our updated website, redesigned to offer a fresh focus on who we are and what we do.

Our Why

Our hope is that our redesigned site conveys our commitment to unparalleled service. Providing fiduciary care is the starting point of what we do, and we take this very seriously. But the level of care and attention we give our clients is what we believe truly sets us apart. We love what we stand for and we know from all of you that you do too. We wanted our goal – the delivery of unsurpassed wealth management – front and center on the new site. Did we hit the mark?

We also wanted our mission to come across loud and clear! When you work with a financial planner, you develop a long-term relationship with them that only grows as you weather life’s storms. That means that in addition to highlighting the services we offer, it’s important for visitors to be able to get a sense of who they will be working with and the mission and vision of the firm to ensure that who we are and what we do aligns with their philosophy.

Exciting Features

Our updated site features photography by Kim Tyler of Kim Tyler Photography, who made us look far better than we deserve. We also invite you to check out two featured videos, created by Pat Lore and her team at Headline Productions. The main video provides an overview of our firm, while the second highlights our community involvement, something to which we are firmly committed. Video is a new format for us – let us know what you think!

We’re especially excited about what we hope you’ll find is an interesting new feature in our “Resources” section: recommendations from Rick and Tom on books and podcasts that made them think, sparked new ideas, grabbed their attention, and ones they feel will add value to your life (and they aren’t all about finances)!

The vast majority of prospective clients have no idea that what we provide and deliver exists. We hope that after clicking around our site, meeting the team and watching the videos, a visitor’s interest will be piqued and perhaps a new relationship formed.

We invite you to share our website with friends, family, and coworkers. We truly hope you enjoy what we’ve created and welcome any feedback you’d like to share! Take a live tour now!

About Rick

Richard W. Stout III is managing director of Benchmark Wealth Management, LLC, with 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He specializes in financial planning and asset management for individuals, families, and institutions seeking to build and monitor durable and sustainable plans for their financial futures. Rick is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation. He has earned a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning and holds the Master Planner Advanced StudiesSM (MPAS®). He obtained his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his BA in Economics and Anthropology from the University of Connecticut. He also completed the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWM®) program through the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University. He has extensive background experience in lending, credit review and analysis, and real estate and partnership management. Learn more about Rick by connecting with him on LinkedIn.

About Thomas

Thomas J. Britt is managing director of Benchmark Wealth Management, LLC, with 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He specializes in executive financial planning, retirement planning, investing, as well as the management of trusts and endowments. Thomas is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) professional and holds the Master Planner Advanced StudiesSM (MPAS®), Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®), and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC®) designations. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of New Haven, an MBA in financial technology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning. He is also a proud veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Force. Learn more about Tom by connecting with him on LinkedIn.

Additional information, including management fees and expenses, is provided on our Form ADV Part 2, available upon request or at the SEC’s Investment Advisor Public Disclosure site, www.adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/160192

Securities offered by Registered Representatives through Private Client Services, Member FINRA, SIPC in the following states: AZ, CA, CT, FL, KY, MA, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, RI, TX. (Securities-related services may not be provided to individuals residing in any state not previously listed) Advisory services offered through Benchmark Wealth Management, LLC a Registered Investment Advisor. Benchmark Wealth Management and Private Client Services are unaffiliated entities.