SUMMER REFLECTIONS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2014

Summer Reflections

November 2014

MAINSAIL WEALTH ADVISORS IN THIS ISSUE

There are five estate planning documents you may need, regardless of your age, health, or wealth:

1. Durable power of attorney

2. Advanced medical directives

3. Will

4. Letter of instruction

5. Living trust

The last document, a living trust, isn't always necessary, but it's included here because it's a vital component of many estate plans.

Durable power of attorney

A durable power of attorney (DPOA) can help protect your property in the event you become physically unable or mentally incompetent to handle financial matters. If no one is ready to look after your financial affairs when you can't, your property may be wasted, abused, or lost.

A DPOA allows you to authorize someone else to act on your behalf, so he or she can do things like pay everyday expenses, collect benefits, watch over your investments, and file taxes.

There are two types of DPOAs: (1) an immediate DPOA, which is effective immediately (this may be appropriate, for example, if you face a serious operation or illness), and (2) a springing DPOA, which is not effective unless you have become incapacitated.

Caution: A springing DPOA is not permitted in some states, so you'll want to check with an attorney.

Advanced medical directives

Advanced medical directives let others know what medical treatment you would want, or allows someone to make medical decisions for you, in the event you can't express your wishes yourself. If you don't have an advanced medical directive, medical care providers must prolong your life using artificial means, if necessary. With today's technology, physicians can sustain you for days and weeks (if not months or even years).

Key Estate Planning Documents You Need There are five estate planning documents you may need, regardless of your age, health, or wealth:

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Summer Reflections

Looking back on our summer at Mainsail and great times we had with friends and family.

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Key Estate Planning Documents You Need

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Other benefits of a living trust:

• Gives someone the power to manage your property if you should become incapacitated

• Lets a professional manage your property for you

• May circumvent state laws that limit your ability to give to charity, or force you to leave a certain percentage of your property to your spouse

There are three types of advanced medical directives. Each state allows only a certain type (or types). You may find that one, two, or all three types are necessary to carry out all of your wishes for medical treatment. (Just make sure all documents are consistent.)

First, a living will allows you to approve or decline certain types of medical care, even if you will die as a result of that choice. In most states, living wills take effect only under certain circumstances, such as terminal injury or illness. Generally, one can be used only to decline medical treatment that "serves only to postpone the moment of death." In those states that do not allow living wills, you may still want to have one to serve as evidence of your wishes.

Second, a durable power of attorney for health care (known as a health-care proxy in some states) allows you to appoint a representative to make medical decisions for you. You decide how much power your representative will or won't have.

Finally, a Do Not Resuscitate order (DNR) is a doctor's order that tells medical personnel not to perform CPR if you go into cardiac arrest. There are two types of DNRs. One is effective only while you are hospitalized. The other is used while you are outside the hospital.

Will

A will is often said to be the cornerstone of any estate plan. The main purpose of a will is

to disburse property to heirs after your death. If you don't leave a will, disbursements will be made according to state law, which might not be what you would want.

There are two other equally important aspects of a will:

1. You can name the person (executor) who will manage and settle your estate. If you do not name someone, the court will appoint an administrator, who might not be someone you would choose.

2. You can name a legal guardian for minor children or dependents with special needs. If you don't appoint a guardian, the state will appoint one for you. Keep in mind that a will is a legal document, and the courts are very reluctant to overturn any provisions within it. Therefore, it's crucial that your will be well written and articulated, and properly executed under your state's laws. It's also important to keep your will up-to-date.

Letter of instruction

A letter of instruction (also called a testamentary letter or side letter) is an informal, nonlegal document that generally accompanies your will and is used to express your personal thoughts and directions regarding what is in the will (or about other things, such as your burial wishes or where to locate other documents). This can be the most helpful document you leave for your family members and your executor.

Unlike your will, a letter of instruction remains private. Therefore, it is an opportunity to say the things you would rather not make public.

A letter of instruction is not a substitute for a will. Any directions you include in the letter are only suggestions and are not binding. The people to whom you address the letter may follow or disregard any instructions.

Living trust

A living trust (also known as a revocable or inter vivos trust) is a separate legal entity you create to own property, such as your home or investments. The trust is called a living trust because it's meant to function while you're alive. You control the property in the trust, and, whenever you wish, you can change the trust terms, transfer property in and out of the trust, or end the trust altogether.

Not everyone needs a living trust, but it can be used to accomplish various purposes. The

primary function is typically to avoid probate. This is possible because property in a living trust is not included in the probate estate.

Depending on your situation and your state's laws, the probate process can be simple, easy, and inexpensive, or it can be relatively complex, resulting in delay and expense. This may be the case, for instance, if you own property in more than one state or in a foreign country, or have heirs that live overseas.

Further, probate takes time, and your property generally won't be distributed until the process is completed. A small family allowance is sometimes paid, but it may be insufficient to provide for a family's ongoing needs. Transferring property through a living trust provides for a quicker, almost immediate transfer of property to those who need it.

Probate can also interfere with the management of property like a closely held business or stock portfolio. Although your executor is responsible for managing the property until probate is completed, he or she may not have the expertise or authority to make significant management decisions, and the property may lose value. Transferring the property with a living trust can result in a smoother transition in management.

Finally, avoiding probate may be desirable if you're concerned about privacy. Probated documents (e.g., will, inventory) become a matter of public record. Generally, a trust document does not.

Caution: Although a living trust transfers property like a will, you should still also have a will because the trust will be unable to accomplish certain things that only a will can, such as naming an executor or a guardian for minor children.

Tip: There are other ways to avoid the probate process besides creating a living trust, such as titling property jointly.

Caution: Living trusts do not generally minimize estate taxes or protect property from future creditors or ex-spouses.

This information was developed by Broadridge, an independent third party. It is general in nature, is not a complete statement of all information necessary for making an investment decision, and is not a recommendation or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investments and strategies mentioned may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Raymond James Financial Services Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC does not provide advice on tax, legal or mortgage issues. These matters should be discussed with an appropriate professional.

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Summer Reflections

Nicholas Shedd:

One of the highlights of our summer at Mainsail was adding our intern Nick Shedd to the team. Nick is a senior at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, where he is working on his double major in B.A. Business Administration and B.A. Economics. Nick is also a member of the Guilford golf team, where he is a standout Academic All-American Scholar and earned Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2013 and 2014. Nick has a 3.8 GPA which qualified him to the Dean’s List. Nick learned a tremendous amount this summer at Mainsail and appreciated being part of our team. He assisted on many projects during the summer, ranging from portfolio analysis to organizing our Client Relationship Manager application. It was a great experience for everyone, and we thoroughly enjoyed having him with us.

Linde Reed, Client Associate:

This summer was exceptional for the Reed family, with time spent with family and friends. My husband, JW, and I are blessed as our immediate family is local and we are able to celebrate birthdays and other milestones on a regular basis. This also gives us the ability to spend all the weekends we want with our eight year old grandson, Ayden, whose parents, our oldest daughter Heather and her husband Marcus, live in Newport

News. This summer our youngest daughter, Amanda, was married to a wonderful young man named Travis. Both my daughters and I enjoyed every moment as we planned and prepared for a beautiful day and celebration. And what a celebration it was! As summer ends, JW and I will celebrate thirty years of marriage. I am eager to see the fall season arrive as Mainsail Wealth Advisors prepares to celebrate its one year anniversary. I look forward to the celebration, along with the future of Mainsail, and I am honored to be a part of it.

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Ellen Satchell, Senior Registered Client Associate:

One of the highlights of my summer had to be the graduation of our daughter, Emily Jane, magna cum laude, from Virginia Commonwealth University. She received the VCU Faculty Award as the broadcast student who best exemplifies the standards of the Robertson School of Media and Culture. She is now working fulltime at WRIC8 in Richmond as a Digital Content Producer. Additionally, we had a wonderful vacation at the Outer Banks over the Memorial Day holiday week with all my family and friends, which we fondly call “Mayfest”. Spending time with my husband, Bob, our children, and the cast of all the family dogs always makes my summer special.

Jason Koptish, Managing Partner | Financial Advisor:

For the main highlight of our summer, my wife, Leigh, and I took the kids to Disney World in June and had a wonderful time. Noah was obsessed with riding the Tomorrowland Speedway at the Magic Kingdom, and Parker had a great time meeting Anna and Elsa. They both were a bit too scared to ride Space Mountain, but assured Dad that “next time” they would. Much like any summer for the Koptishes, the majority of it was spent on a baseball field. Noah made the All-Star team for New Kent. He played short stop, which he constantly pointed out to dad was a position “that even he didn’t get to play”. Their team ran the table and won all three tournaments with only one loss. Astoundingly, they won a game 34-3 over a Rockville team that handed them their only loss of

the season. As for Parker, this summer was her first year on the swim team. She took to it very well, and even though she was one of the youngest swimmers, she managed to place in a few heats against much older swimmers. When she started the summer, she could barely make it a length of the pool, but by the end of the summer, she was swimming like a fish.

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Scott Glaze, Managing Partner | Financial Advisor:

Our summer was filled with day camps for my boys, Patrick and Shelton. Shelton loved the William & Mary basketball camp, as basketball is one of his many favorite sports. Patrick’s favorite camp was the William and Mary football camp, as he is in his second year playing for his school. It was a fun-filled experience for him, as the camp brought in NFL pros LeSean McCoy, Wes Welker, and Richard Sherman. They also attended the Chesapeake Experience Kayaking Camp, Beaverdam Nature camp, soccer conditioning camp, and football conditioning camp. As a family, we spent a week in Myrtle Beach revisiting old family favorites and continuing family traditions with our newest and

youngest family members. Most of all, though, we enjoyed being home together. Laura is a kindergarten teacher, and she loves her time at home with the boys during the summer. We cherish our time together at home and on our boat, relishing opportunities on the Mobjack Bay boating, tubing, and fishing.

Scott Haley, Managing Partner | Branch Manager and Sarah Haley, Senior Client Associate:

The Haleys had an eventful summer this year. Once again, the Mainsail U12 soccer team, coached by Scott with son Sam as a player, came away with the Gold Medal in the Gloucester Surf and Turf Tournament. In late June, we traveled to Tennessee and Nags Head to visit Sarah’s parents and to start the college search with our daughter, Jessica. We visited several schools, including Scott’s and Sarah’s alma mater, Elon University. We also traveled to Quebec in July for a Leaders Conference that Scott was invited to attend. This turned out to be a wonderful trip - not only did we learn a lot, but we also met some great people from Raymond James. At one point, we were working out and ended up alongside Scott Curtis, President of RJFS, what a nice guy. In late July, we took our annual vacation in Michigan and stopped at the Greenbrier on our way home for a Top 40 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, which was again very informative. Scott played in the Piankatank Club Championship in September and came away with the title, this is very exciting in our household! All in all, we had a wonderful summer and are looking forward to our one year anniversary as Mainsail Wealth Advisors.

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Judy Mansfield, Managing Partner | Financial Advisor:

This summer, my husband, Pete, and I welcomed four of our grandchildren for a week of “Camp Mansfield” at our home on Urbanna Creek. Needless to say, energy levels were high and dramatic, and breathtaking events were plentiful. A very memorable moment for all took place as we discovered there was a hole in the hull of our boat while we were motoring up the creek to have dinner at Shores and Ruark Seafood. All hands were on deck to help Captain Pete quickly return to our boathouse before we sank the boat. The children loved the excitement, but Grandmother Judy will tell a different tale. To the left is a picture of the children enjoying building a campfire.

Mainsail Soccer Team

6965 Fox Hunt Lane

Gloucester, VA 23061

804.693.5500

www.MainsailWealthAdvisors.com

Mainsail Wealth Advisors is an independent firm. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC.