Financial Partners, Inc.

10/20/2026

“Speed and Greed Kill.”

How many times have you been so excited about something that you pushed it as hard as you could… and it collapsed?

It’s okay to be in a hurry.

It’s okay to want more.

However, you need to be thoughtful and skeptical about your processes toward success. When you have the best new idea or concept that you want to share, where do you begin? Do you just start posting everywhere, blurt your thoughts out to whoever will listen? Maybe, if you want some initial feedback on your thoughts. The key word being initial. More likely (or at least I hope so) you begin by putting your thoughts on paper. You know the drill: outline the concept, list what you need, list who you need, pros and cons, financials, your market and marketing.

Be thoughtful. Do your research. Use tools to assist you in looking at all the aspects of your idea that are crucial to success. Plan your path, don’t just jump in and figure it out as you go. I understand it’s really hard to slow down and do all the correct steps when you are so eager to make it all happen now, however this is where speed will kill if you leap over some critical step. You don’t buy the very first car you see on the lot when you’re shopping for a new vehicle, do you? I don’t. No matter how hard someone may push, I do things on my own time. So should you. And don’t skimp on your resources. We all certainly want to do things as inexpensively as possible, and make a lot of money, but don’t try to save a buck on one side to have it on the other. Use your financial resources wisely. Growth will come with your long-term success.

And nobody understands your path better than you. Be confident. You know your idea. You know your comfort zone. You know what skills and resources you have. You know what skills and resources you need to recruit for. You know what your success will look like. So, give yourself the time, information, and tools it will take to get there.

It’s okay to be in a hurry.

It’s okay to want more.

I wish you the greatest success in all your endeavors!

~Contributed by Melody Lowe

10/16/2026

Click the link to see Financial Partners, Inc.’s October video! Blake discusses common approaches to handling concentrated portfolio positions.

A concentrated portfolio can introduce significant risk to your financial plan, leaving your long-term financial future heavily dependent on the success of a single stock, company, or industry. Check out our video to learn more.

https://www.financialpartnersinc.net 1.641.684.0368 Intelligent C...

10/06/2026

Are you an active participant in your life? Yes, you say?

What if I take away your cell phone, your tablet, your laptop? Are you still an active participant in your life? Is it really considered “active” if you can’t physically see it, touch it, or be changed by it? I could talk about the tw***ie hot dog dessert recipe I saw online, however, does it matter what I say if I didn’t actually make it and taste it? I can have an opinion all day long but what is it based on?

I’m sure my family gets tired of hearing the word, however “participate” is a highly deployed word in my vocabulary. Participation leads to experiences, and nothing can make your soul richer than a wide variety of life-enhancing experiences. I want to make sure my family gets to participate in fun, enriching experiences whenever the opportunities come along. (We have to search out the positive things as those negative ones seem to find us all no matter what! Having a cast is an experience, but twice is enough…)

I can watch videos online of rescued dogs all day, or I could spend a few hours volunteering at my local animal shelter. Which one would be more rewarding and give me something to talk with others about? I sent one of my grandchildren on an introductory flight lesson. Do you think he still talks about it? Wondering through a field of sunflowers for an afternoon was a soothing reflection on nature. The younger girls still love looking back at those pictures. An afternoon of fishing requiring them all to touch fish and worms was an experience, I’m just not quite sure if that ended up being positive or negative. Worms are gross! Taking donations to a local youth shelter and spending a few minutes in conversation with those teens is good for the souls on both sides of those discussions.

Participate when you find an opportunity. Go to the Fair. Watch some local little league. Visit the museum. Try a different flavor of ice cream. Unexpectedly end up on the stage at the Comedy Club. Share it all with friends and family, and I guess you could share your experiences online, too, and let people live vicariously through you!

~Contributed by Melody Lowe

09/22/2026

“You’re a Winner”

I’m not sure how much writing I will continue to do because I just won $3,000,000 from Publisher’s Clearing House! And, if you believe that we need to have a serious conversation.

I had a message on my phone that I needed to contact someone as they were unable to deliver a package since it required a signature upon delivery. I was expecting some packages, so I phoned the number to see what was going on and to make appropriate arrangements.

It turns out it was “Todd” from Publisher’s Clearing House informing me he needed information “to register me” so he could send out my check for $3,000,000. Little did he realize who he was talking to. He’s obviously not read my article on hackers.

He verified my name and asked for my birthdate. I gave him that. Then he wanted more. I told him if I had won something he should already have all my information on file. He said he only needed a couple more pieces of information then asked for my mother’s maiden name. I informed Todd that I would not provide any information until I received something specific in writing that I could validate. Why? First off, it’s my impression that Publishers Clearing House died with Ed McMahon. (If you don’t know who that is, look it up.) Second, I have never in my entire life subscribed to anything from Publisher’s Clearing House, therefore, they don’t have any information except my name. I know this from all the junk mail this company used to send out.

Todd asked again for even more personal information. I responded again that I would not provide any information until I had something in writing from them that I could validate. We went back and forth in this manner for several minutes, with Todd trying to convince me he needed this information to register me to receive my check.

I’m sure he thought I was a poor and elderly widow, that was an easy target. However, I wore him down. He finally just hung up on me. So, I was either very smart by refusing to share my personal information, or very stupid because I just walked away from $3,000,000. I’m claiming the first one! And if you get a call like this, I want you to be smart, too!

~contributed by Melody Lowe

09/16/2026

FPI Video Update!

Blake discusses 3 tax moves you may want to consider before the end of 2026! Click the link below to watch.

https://www.financialpartnersinc.net 1.641.684.0368 "Intelligent ...

09/11/2026

We had a great time teaching the “Taxes in Retirement” class at Indian Hills Community College this week!

Blake discussed how the “One Big beautiful Bill” may impact retirement planning, reviewed potential strategies to help navigate the changing landscape, and discussed common tax traps that can affect folks in retirement.

09/11/2026

Your employer can contribute up to $2,500 a year to your child's Trump Account. The funds won't be taxable income for you and are a deductible business expense.