The Lowry Letter®

We held our first “Ask the Joes® Live” on Wednesday and were glad to be able to connect with some of you in that way. This week’s Lowry Letter® will look at what we shared during that call. We will host another one soon, on a different day and time that might reach some of you who could not participate.

We will continue to meet with clients remotely for the present time. We can do this in a number of ways, from phone to Zoom to Facetime. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to talk. One of the nice things about videoconferencing is the ability to connect in a more meaningful way in the comfort of your own home.

We are adding a new member to our team, Briana. She starts on Monday and will be directly supporting Bea & Nicole. We look forward to introducing her to you soon.

We are now almost 2 months into restrictions imposed due to the COVID pandemic and our meetings with you have been limited to phone or video conference. We miss seeing you!

This week we are going COVID-free! Here are some interesting items to enjoy and uplift this week.

This week we are going COVID-free! Here are some interesting items to enjoy and uplift this week.

We read this week that humans “are pattern-seeking, story-telling animals.” As a rule, we don’t like uncertainty. This makes it easy to adopt absolute views on the challenges we face. We want to identify the best way to handle the balance between the disease and the economy, and it is very tempting to adopt a strict view about what must be done. But it isn’t that simple.

Our office will be closed on Friday April 10th, as will the financial markets, in observance of Good Friday. We hope that you have a peaceful weekend!

Keep Your Head Up

A few weeks ago, we visited New Orleans for a conference not expecting the COVID-19 situation to escalate to this point. While there, we listened to a small ensemble at Preservation Hall, a famous jazz venue. The music was great and while we were there, we picked up a small pin that read, “Keep your head up.” We thought that was a great sentiment at the time, and it seems even more appropriate now. There’s even a song.

Welcome to the 2^nd Quarter of what has been an unforgettable 2020.

At this time, our direct experience with COVID-19 itself has been limited, for which we are grateful. To our knowledge, no one in our personal acquaintance has been diagnosed and we hope that current measures help that trend continue.

We hope this week’s letter finds you safe and healthy. We are impressed by the way that many Americans have adjusted to the current situation and hope you are finding ways to care for your mental, physical, and spiritual health.

Alachua County is under a stay-at-home order, as are many areas. We remain open as an “essential business” and are available to answer questions and hold phone or video conferences using Zoom. Some of us are working remotely on occasion to manage other responsibilities that have come about or to limit contact according to guidelines.

We continue to be in a fluid and challenging environment. Among the greatest challenges is how difficult it has become to escape- to the movies, away for a weekend trip, or even to a restaurant with friends and family.

It is more important than ever to care for your whole self, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

We continue to maintain normal operating hours. Unless necessary, we recommend holding meetings via video conference or by telephone and are happy to schedule the time to discuss any concerns you may have.

In the event our operations are interrupted, or our phone systems are down, time-sensitive requests can be made by calling Commonwealth at 877-347-1982. Simply mention that you are a client whose advisor is affiliated with Commonwealth.

We have some important information to share in this week’s Lowry Letter®. Many times we have expressed the importance of focusing on the things that we can control. This means how much we spend, save, and (for most of us) how long we work. It means building an appropriate reserve and managing debt.