Are You Being Heard?
by Amanda Howerton, CFP®
We live in a time where there is so much
noise. Wonderful noises include the sound of
our loved ones talking to us, with us and near
us, making memories together, whether we
realize the significance of those memories or
not. Wonderful noises also include music of
all varieties that make us happy, lift our spirits
and entertain us. Necessary sounds such as
the running of the HVAC or the tapping of
the keyboard become so commonplace we
may barely notice them. Unpleasant noises
can be distracting, annoying or downright
painful. This list could be equally as long,
but for now, we will avoid listing those and
acknowledge they exist.
With all the noises that surround us, I think
we can all agree that the sound of a human
voice, especially of someone for whom we
love and care, can be one of the most
comforting. One of my top three voices
belongs to my sweet two-year-old daughter
with the other two belonging to my seven-anda
half-year-old daughter and my husband of
nearly ten years. This sweet two-year-old is
continually improving her speech, and her
tiny voice is precious, but she has one phrase
that cracks me every time; every day I hear
her say, “Want money, want money,
want money.”
The first time we heard “want money,” my
husband and I curiously looked at each other
with a bit of panic as the “want money, want
money” cries got louder. We let our little one
take us by the hand and guide us to a point
in which she reached the pantry and pulled
out gummies, and we finally understood
what she truly wanted. She wasn’t asking
for money (not yet at least, those years are
coming), but she wanted GUMMIES! There is
nothing audible in her request that sounded
like gummies, but we heard loud and clear.
I smile to myself thinking about how often
this plays out in real life. Oftentimes, we tell
our loved ones what we want and need, and
we hope they have heard us. Sometimes
they have listened to us, and sometimes they
have indeed heard us. My husband has heard
me say I’m exhausted at the end of the day,
and cleaning the kitchen is not high on my
priority come late at night. I knew he truly
heard me when we started tag-teaming the
kitchen duties and asking what else he could
assist with to make the evenings as enjoyable
as possible.
As a senior advisor, I genuinely want to
hear from you and your family. I want to
ask questions to which your answers guide
me to be able to listen to what you are
saying completely. I want every one of my
recommendations to take into consideration
what I hear you say is most important to you.
I want to listen to what you are saying but
also understand the meaning behind it.
Some of my clients tell me that leaving a
legacy is most important, some clients tell
me retiring and being confident in their cash
flow is most important and some clients tell
me portfolio stability and returns are most
important. My goal is to give each client the
attention and access they desire so that I do
hear what they are saying.
Your goals may sound like “money, money,
money” the first time we sit down and talk.
My job is to walk with you and ask the right
questions so that I hear what you are really
saying is, “Freedom, retirement, peace of
mind and legacy.”
Amanda Howerton, CFP®,
CDFA®, is a Senior Advisor
with Rather & Kittrell. She is a
graduate of Texas Tech
University with a Master
of Science in Personal
Financial Planning and a
Master of Business Administration.
She can be reached at
ahowerton@rkcapital.com .
Securities offered through Securities Service Network, LLC. Member FINRA /SIPC . Rather & Kittrell, Inc. is a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC.
SUMMER 2019 FARRAGUT LIFE 17
link