Go Green

Candy and her husband Rocke support initiatives for a cleaner kinder environment, especially when they can enjoy the effort.

The Smart Car

Rocke put his name in queue to receive a Smart car in 2006 prior to them opening up the US market. We were ecstatic when it arrived in 2008 as gas prices were hitting $4 dollars a gallon.

Rocke commutes from Ballard to Everett most days in the Smart car. He has it tricked out with heated leather seats and a great stereo system. He is getting around 40 miles to the gallon and has no problem cruising along at 70 miles an hour down the freeway. You really don’t feel like you are in a small car except for the small wheel base make it rough on speed bumps, potholes and mud puddles. The real joy in the car is driving it around downtown Seattle, where its tiny size means any spot is a parking spot. On stormy commute days he takes the pickup. When your hobbies include remodeling and woodworking you can never live without a pickup.

Here is an interesting article on the Smart car. It is the same color as ours, however you can swap out the panels any time you want to change the colors.

The Telsa Model S

We both fell in love with the Tesla Model S at first sight. We immediately went down to the local Tesla dealership in January and put a down payment on one. We are in queue at number 1,457 which is expected to arrive the first quarter of 2012.

The Tesla Model S is a full electric mid-size automobile that can seat five comfortably takes $4 to fill up, has a 300 mile range and a 45 minute quick charge capability. They are being built in California where they have already produced several hundred of the Tesla Roadster sports car. The factory to build the Model S is under construction in Long Beach.

I was going for the grey one until they introduced a new red that I like better, however we don’t have to make the final color decision until number 1,457 heads into production.

Tesla Model S Video

Trust But Verify

The bonds of trust are strong between an advisor and a client. There is no way an average investor can understand all the complexities of money management and the securities industry, which is why they put their trust in an advisor to guide them to their financial goals.

Sometimes that trust is abused. The stories of Madoff and Stanford are very disturbing and the news hit closer to home this week. Rumors are flying in the press that an advisor in Kirkland produced false account statements and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from her clients.

With today’s technology it would be very easy to create false statements. So how do you know your money is safe? The best thing you can do is verify your investments are where they are supposed to be. We use large publicly traded companies to hold your accounts and you can call them to verify your assets. Those of you that access your account online have independent verification, but if you don’t then give Raymond James a call at 1-800-248-8863, hit zero and ask for customer service. We appreciate your trust but a couple of minutes on the phone is prudent and may help you sleep better at night.

At our securities firm it is amazing how often we receive checks made out in the name of the advisor instead of the name of the institution holding your funds. Make sure when you write a check to purchase a security you make it out to the name of the company holding your funds. We recommend you only hold your investments at companies that are large publicly traded securities firms where you can verify your funds are safe.

Candy Successfully Lands 787!

Rocke and Candy attended the American Lung Association’s kick off event for their annual Lung Walk at the Boeing Customer Experience Center. We were able to tour a full mock-up of a 787’s interior and play in a flight simulator. The 787 ceilings are so tall that I could stand up straight from a seat right next to the window. The windows are much wider and taller than today’ jets. I had a great time on the 787 simulator piloting a 787 by our office building in Seattle over the stadiums and landing at Boeing field.

The American Lung Association event was a sober reminder to us of the consequences smoking has had on our families. Both of us and our parents were smokers and Rocke’s parents died from lung disease. My mom was the first to kick the habit then Dad and I quit after Dad’s first open heart surgery. My parents are now in their 80 and very healthy. If you smoke, quit now. It is the hardest thing you will ever do but it is the best gift you can give yourself and those you love.

RockCandy Favorite Recipe: Salmon with Ginger, Black Pepper and Celery Puree

We thoroughly enjoyed this salmon with its unique flavor. Enjoy!

Click here for the salmon recipe.