LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Giving with JOY

Did you know there is such a thing as joy marketing? It is a marketing strategy aimed at making an emotional connection and eliciting feelings of joy when a customer thinks about a particular product or brand. Coca-Cola has famously used this strategy in many of its campaigns … Share a Coke, Open Happiness, and Taste the Feeling, just to name a few.

FM Financial is also in the business of marketing joy. You have probably heard us speak of planning with purpose, investing with discipline, and GIVING WITH JOY.  Planning and investing involve methodical work over time … but giving is where the fun begins! Unlike a product that can only bring momentary happiness, giving brings meaningful, lasting joy.

When it comes to financial giving, the simplest and most popular way to give is cash. And sometimes that is best. However, there is a wide array of giving strategies that offer additional tax advantages and help you maximize your gift. Some are quite simple, such as giving an appreciated stock or mutual fund. Others can be a bit more complex, such as gifts that also involve paying you an income for a period of time.

When your heart is moved to give, FM Financial is ready to help you discover which of these creative methods might be right for you. But be warned … it just might lead to contagious joy!

Mark S. Olson

President & CEO