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Forecast 2013: Past & Present
On February 21, 2013, Melissa Motz presented the Forecast 2013: Past & Present at the Hotel Fiesole in Skippack, PA. Melissa began the evening with some fun Westminster Kennel Club dog trivia. Prizes were awarded to guests with the correct answers.
The objective of the update was to review where we've been, where we are now, and where we may be going. Melissa reviewed the big stories of 2012, some of the things the "pros" predicted for 2012, and the actual performance for the year. The 2012 Word of the Year was "Uncertainty," as
political turmoil dominated market headlines during the year. The S&P 500 (Domestic Stocks) had a 16% increase for the year. While this may look promising for investors, Melissa pointed out that 90% of these earnings came from 10 companies. The housing market finally appears to be stabilizing
and consumer confidence was at its highest level at the end of 2012 since before the last recession, but business investment had slowed due to the uncertainty of taxes in 2013. Items to watch for in 2013 include Political action and whether the two parties will work together to find a way to stop our debt from rising to catastrophic levels; Geopolitical risks and the growing level of risk to the energy supply in the Middle East and North Africa; and "on-shoring" – the return of jobs to North America that had been previously shipped overseas. Manufacturing could be less expensive in America than in China after you factor in the costs of transportation and increasing wages in China. Melissa ended the evening with the thought that while the world may be filled with uncertainty, if we look back at our history, we have endured much more difficult times yet have persevered and continued to improve.
We would like to thank David Fiorita from Delaware Investments for sponsoring the event and the Hotel Fiesole for hosting us at their venue.
Click on the image below to view the presentation.
Melissa Invited to Participate in Cambridge Leaders Club
On January 22, 2013, it was announced that Melissa Motz has been selected by her broker-dealer, Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. to participate in an exclusive Leaders Club workshop. Cambridge rep-advisors were asked to participate based on their outstanding service and exceptional levels of production.
"We are committed to supporting our advisors by offering events where they can network and learn from one another because we believe that the insight shared between thought leaders during these valuable sessions is invaluable," said Eric Schwartz, CRO and founder. "We plan to add even more events for our advisors in the near future."
The Leaders Club workshop will be held in conjunction with Cambridge's annual Ignite conference, September 25-28 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Melissa looks forward to attending this wonderful workshop in the fall.
C offee, Tea and Chocolate Shopping Night
On November 14th, 2012, Motz Wealth Management hosted a night of shopping and coffee, tea and chocolate pairing to benefit the Montgomery County Community College Foundation. Thanks to those who joined us, we were able to raise over $560 for the college's student scholarship fund. The event was held at Ten Thousand Villages in Souderton, PA. Guests were able to get a head start on holiday shopping while sampling organic and fair trade treats! Ten Thousand Villages is one of the world's largest fair trade organizations, specializing in unique handmade gifts, jewelry and home decor representing artisans from around the world. We had a great time at the event and appreciate everyone's support!
2012 Wine Tasting Dinner
The 2012 Wine Tasting Dinner was held on Wednesday, October 24th at the Indian Valley Country Club in Telford, PA. This year's dinner featured wines from Montes Winery in Chile. The evening started off with hors d'oeuvres and two select wines – a Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinot Noir, both from the Casablanca Valley. An arugula salad with poached pears, Roquefort cheese and candied walnuts was accompanied by a delightful Rose of Syrah, a favorite by many who attended. The main course was an incredibly tender Filet Mignon and perfectly cooked Chilean Sea Bass paired with Montes Twins (a blend of Cabernet and Malbec) and a Chardonnay from Curico Valley.  As a perfect ending to the evening, a vanilla crème brulee with marinated Black Mission figs, raspberries and chocolate ganache was served with a late harvest Gewurztraminer.
The room was filled with good food, great conversations and wonderful people! We even had some trivia questions and raffles, complete with prizes for the winners. Motz Wealth Management would like to thank our sponsors for the evening: Invesco Investment Services, ICON Investments, Cole Real Estate Investments, Oppenheimer Funds, Franklin Templeton, Lincoln Financial, and MFS. A special thanks to Vanguard for providing wonderful raffle gifts. We would also like to thank Indian Valley Country Club and Capital Wines for the beautiful venue, delicious food and fantastic wines.
Cambridge Unveils New Advisor-focused Initiatives at Annual Conference in Chicago
Melissa Motz and Jeanne Helmar recently attended the Cambridge 2012 annual Ignite conference in Chicago, Illinois, October 3 – 5. Conference participation set a new record as nearly 1,000 Cambridge advisors from across the country gathered together at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile to share best practice ideas between rep-advisors, engage with company executives, and meet new and long-time sponsors.
Melissa Motz invited to take part in Cambridge's Leaders Club
Melissa also participated in the Leaders Club at the conference. Cambridge invited advisors to participate in this exclusive event based on their exceptional performance and high levels of production.
Leaders Club participants were welcomed by Cambridge to Chicago with an exclusive reception and networking event before a full-day workshop on October 3.
Announcement of E-signature
Webber also announced the launch of a new eSignature program for use with clients by Cambridge's independent financial advisors. Partnering with DocuSign, Cambridge is rolling out an electronic signature option compatible with most desktop and mobile devices.
"Electronic signature is still fairly new across the financial services industry, but very appealing in our mobile society as a convenience for independent advisors and their clients," said Webber. "We are excited to be an early adopter among independent broker-dealers and are eagerly working with custodian and vendor partners to maximize the scope of electronic signature options available to our advisors and their clients."
Ignite Attendees Give Back to Chicago
Conference participants received a warm welcome from Chicago, and in response combined their efforts to raise funds for Off The Street Club, Chicago's oldest not-for-profit club for boys and girls. Off The Street Club serves as an alternative to street violence for nearly 300 children ages four to eighteen. Prior to the conference, Cambridge and sponsor companies donated items for rep-advisors to bid on during a silent auction. On the closing day of the conference, Cambridge presented a check for over $35,000 to members of Off The Street Club in the spirit of giving back and holding true to their values of integrity, commitment, flexibility, and kindness.
Cambridge Named 2012 Broker-Dealer of the Year
The CEO of Cambridge sent us this announcement on their receipt of this prestigious award! We absolutely agree and look forward to our continued future together.
Fairfield, IA – August 29, 2012 Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (Cambridge) reported that Investment Advisor magazine has announced Cambridge as '2012 Broker-Dealer of the Year in Division IV' – the division representing independent broker-dealers with over 1,000 producing advisors. The honor is based on the results of the annual poll conducted by the magazine in June of this year. Cambridge was previously honored in 2010, 2008, and 2007 as Broker-Dealer of the Year in Division IV and in 2003 for Division III.
"We view this honor as an important vote of confidence that our value-added offerings are meeting our advisors needs as we support their successful and growing independent businesses," said Eric Schwartz, Cambridge CEO and Chairman of the Board. "The Broker-Dealer of the Year honor is a key metric we follow as we continually assess the satisfaction levels of our rep-advisors for the support we offer for their independent businesses."
According to the statement issued by Investment Advisor magazine, Cambridge 'prevailed in the largest division ... by scoring particularly high ratings among its advisors for its communication with the home office, management and its product list'.
Cambridge's honor is based on receiving high marks in all categories, and a composite score that was highest among its peers. Over 5,000 credentialed voters – representatives of independent broker-dealers – cast ballots, and those broker-dealers that gained the highest composite scores were awarded the honors in four different divisions based on their number of producing rep-advisors. The winning broker-dealers are profiled in Investment Advisor's September 2012 issue.
Half-Time Report 2012
On August 16, 2012, Melissa Motz presented our seventh annual Half-Time Report at the Hotel Fiesole in Skippack, PA. Melissa began the evening with some fun Olympics trivia and prizes were awarded to guests with the correct answers. Did you know that the oldest Summer Olympics' medal winner was 72 years old? His name was Oscar Swahn; he was from Sweden and won a shooting event in the 1920 games.
Melissa reviewed the growth we've experienced since the depths of the economic crisis, but it hasn't been as fast as we would have hoped. Employment recovery is slow. There were 8.9 million jobs lost in the recession, and so far we've only gained back 4.3 million jobs. However, corporate earnings are increasing and existing home sales and new home sales have both started to rebound - good news for the economy. Melissa ended the evening with some "words of investing wisdom" and raffle prizes!
We would like to thank Erick Bodge from Invesco Investment Services for sponsoring the event and Hotel Fiesole for hosting us at their venue.
Can Women Have It All?
Melissa was quoted in Philadelphia Business Journal's July 20, 2012 article "On Topic: Can Women Have It All?" To read the whole story, click here.
Indian Creek Roll & Stroll
 On June 16, 2012, the Motz Wealth Management team participated in the Indian Creek Roll & Stroll. Our thanks go out to everyone who supported us.
We raised over $250 for the Indian Creek Foundation!
2012 Leading Women's Symposium and Golf Outing
 On June 7, 2012, the team of Motz Wealth Management joined other area professional women for a day of golf, fun and fundraising. Melissa and Pam played in the tournament while Jeanne and Jen went through the Learner's Program. The weather couldn't have been better for a whole day outside for fun in the sun. It was a great day to fundraise for Montgomery County Community College!
5 Mistakes Women Make to Mess Up Their Financial Lives
In May 2012, Melissa presented her new video series, 5 Mistakes Women Make to Mess Up Their Financial Lives. Do you truly understand your value? Have you planned for your financial success? To view the video series, please click here.
The Top 10 Mistakes Women Make When Going Through a Divorce
In April 2012, Melissa presented her new video series, The Top 10 Mistakes Women Make When Going Through a Divorce. From thinking 50/50 is fair to not understanding the value of retirement accounts, there are a lot of things to consider during a rather turbulent time. To view the video series, please click here.
Forecast 2012: Past & Present
On February 23, 2012, Melissa Motz presented the Forecast 2012: Past & Present at the Hotel Fiesole in Skippack, PA. Melissa began the evening with some fun Oscar trivia and multiple choice questions about market language. Prizes were awarded to guests with the correct answers.
The objective of the update was to review where we've been, where we are, and where we may be going. Melissa reviewed the big stories of 2011, some of the things the "pros" predicted for 2011, and the actual performance in 2011. The stock market increased dramatically from its lows in March 2009. Unemployment rates are improving, but they're still high. Retail sales have been solid, consumer confidence is up, and after-tax corporate profits are at a record high. Melissa also highlighted some things to watch for in 2012 with the global economy, U.S. housing market, and the U.S. job market.
We would like to thank Matt Delzingaro from Cole Real Estate Investments for sponsoring the event and the Hotel Fiesole for hosting us at their venue.
Click the thumbnails to the right to view the presentation.
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