Staggs Financial Services

It was 7 pm on a Sunday night and a client who we're calling Georgia, 55, from Missouri called our CEO Stephanie on her personal cell. She never calls on the weekend - especially not a holiday. Her husband passed away unexpectedly. She'd made a list and wanted to know which to do next. Monday we reviewed her estate documents and financial picture.

Now, she is left cash flowing his funeral. No one ever knows when the unexpected will happen. The best time to put protections in place is before they're needed.

DM "CHECKLIST" and we'll send you our Estate Planning Essentials Checklist. Let's make sure your estate avoids probate and isn't in court for 6 months - 1 year.

"I called to set up an education fund for my children and got told not to use the money on my nails," said Margaret.

This Missouri RN and Mom is upset. All she wanted was to do the right thing by her kids, provide for their education, and maximize state tax savings. Instead, she felt talked down to by a different advisor in town.

According to the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, Margaret and her husband can deduct up to "$16,000 for contributions made to a 529 education savings plan." That's a big savings for this young family. We've helped them seize these state tax savings.

With Margaret and her family, in less than a week, we had the account open, funded, and some of the money sent from the 529 plan to her children's schools.

Now, Margaret's youngest invited us to her birthday party.

I wasn't looking at a patient's chart.

I was looking at shelves of donated food.

As a financial planner, that's exactly why I shadow physician associates.

My team and I can learn a lot from reports, compensation surveys, and student loan statistics. But if we want to truly understand the people we serve, we need to show up.

Recently, I had the opportunity to shadow Robyn Yost, PA-C and Missouri Academy of PA member, at the MSU Cares Clinic.

One moment from that day has stayed with me.

We stepped out of an exam room and into what used to be another patient room.

Instead of an exam table, there were shelves stocked with food. Ozarks Food Harvest has donated easy-to-open meals and disposable utensils for what Robyn affectionately calls their "homeless friends."

Thank you, Robyn, for allowing me to spend the day with you and your team at Mercy's MSU Care Clinic

$1,800,000.

That's how much three local families lost to scams, including a cryptocurrency fraud scheme that wiped out hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings.

Three of the victims were respected community leaders and business owners.

The scary part?

None of them thought it could happen to them.

That's why we're hosting a Fraud Prevention Event to help our community recognize today's most common scams before they become tomorrow's victims.

📅 September 23
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 Staggs Financial

Guest speakers include leaders from the Springfield, MO Police Department and State Representative Melanie Stinnett .

Drawing on my background in journalism and my experience leading the Better Business Bureau, I've seen firsthand how quickly fraud tactics evolve.

You'll hear real stories from fraud victims and learn the exact warning signs they missed, including the text messages, emails, and investment pitches that convinced them to hand over their money.

You'll leave with a practical checklist you can use to spot red flags before you click a link, send money, or share personal information.

Seats are limited.

To reserve your spot, send me a DM or text 417-674-3638.

“My husband will take the money and use it,” Julie, a Missouri grandmother nearing retirement and expecting a $100,000 settlement, told me. “He lost me my first house. I'm not going to have that happen again.”

Julie was terrified her $100,000 would disappear the same way other opportunities had. Her current plan was to deposit her money into a bank account that her husband had access too.

Instead, we helped her move the money into an investment account that her spouse could not access. Then we built a spending plan around what mattered most to her.

First, a reliable vehicle.

Julie had been driving a car with failing air conditioning in July and replacing it couldn't wait. We budgeted $25,000 for a Honda Civic she could depend on.

Then we earmarked a ROTH IRA account specifically for retirement so her future wouldn't depend on anyone else's decisions.

A few weeks later, after everything was in place, Julie looked at her new plan, looked back at me, and said:

“For the first time in a long time, I don't feel scared about what's going to happen to my money."

$80,000 lost.

Six years later, Maddie's $600,000 had lost money. She was promised so much and got nothing she was promised.

Six years later, she found herself alone without her financial advisor. Not that she hadn't tried. She had. He just hadn't picked up - for six years.

She had been sold expensive products that didn't grow - some even lost value - and when she needed guidance, the advisor who sold them was nowhere to be found.

So Maddie drove 160+ miles to meet with our team.

We spent hours going through everything.

We compared where her portfolio was six years ago to where it is today. We reviewed her estate documents. We looked for tax planning opportunities. We identified investments she didn't fully understand and answered questions that had gone unanswered for years.

Most importantly, she finally got an explanation.

After six years of silence, Maddie left knowing exactly what she owns, why she owns it, and what needs to happen next.

That meant more to her than any investment recommendation ever could.

That's what bothered us most about her story.

Losing money is painful.

Going six years without advice after you've entrusted someone with your life savings and have tried repeatedly to reach them is worse.

Recently, our youngest had a nursemaid's elbow injury.

We spent hours in the ER waiting to be seen for something that ultimately took just minutes to treat.

During those long hours, I kept thinking about how different that night might have looked if we'd had immediate access to a provider who knew our family and could help us determine the best next step.

That's why I'm excited to see fellow Missouri State University Bear Bryce and Kyle open Wolf & Willow Direct Primary Care in Hollister.

No single practice can solve Missouri's provider shortage. But for the families who now have another place to call when a child gets sick, a question comes up, or they simply need care, it matters.

A few years from now, most families won't remember the ribbon cutting or grand opening.

They'll remember the appointment they were able to get, the concern that was addressed, or the problem that didn't turn into an ER visit.

Congratulations, Bryce and Kyle. I suspect there are a lot of parents who will be grateful Wolf & Willow was there when they needed it most.

One of the biggest mistakes we see physicians, PAs, and business owners make is trying to serve everyone.

The organizations that grow aren't always the ones working the hardest.

They're often the ones willing to get crystal clear on who they serve and why.

That's one reason we've enjoyed watching Hope Counseling Center's evolution under Kyle David's leadership. They made intentional changes to their priorities, branding, and the populations they serve.

Those aren't easy decisions.

In our own work, we've seen the same thing happen with medical practices and business owners.

The most successful ones aren't usually asking:

"How can we help more people?"

They're asking:

"Who can we serve exceptionally well?"

When that happens:

• Messaging becomes clearer.
• Referrals become easier.
• Growth becomes more intentional.
• The right opportunities start showing up.

As the only financial planning firm in the nation with an official partnership with the American Academy of Physician Associates, we've made similar decisions about who we serve best. Trying to be everything to everyone is a difficult business model. Becoming known for solving specific problems for specific people is often what creates real momentum.

Congratulations to Kyle David and Hope Counseling Center on being named Nonprofit of the Year.

But more importantly, congratulations on having the courage to evolve.

That's what sustainable growth looks like.

What a blessing it is to work alongside people who truly care about the future of healthcare.

This week, we had the opportunity to sit down with Freeman Health System's Family Medicine/Internal Medicine Chief Resident, Dr. Tammy Wicke, to map out next year's financial literacy education series for residents.

One thing is clear: Freeman is filled with passionate MDs and DOs who are deeply invested in helping residents succeed, both professionally and personally. By listening to resident feedback and working closely with leadership, we're able to build educational programs that address the real-world financial questions young physicians face during training and beyond.

We're excited to announce that we've already scheduled our financial literacy classes for next year and are looking forward to another year of providing practical, unbiased education on topics that matter most to residents.

Thank you to Dr. Wicke and the entire Freeman team for your partnership, collaboration, and commitment to supporting the next generation of physicians. The best programs happen when great people come together with a shared mission.