I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

By Paul Morrone, CFP®, CPA/PFS, MSA

With social distancing being the trend for the moment, we are aware there is already speculation about what’s next. I wanted to take a few minutes to reassure you that even under more restrictive quarantine scenarios, our capabilities to serve our clients will not be diminished. There has been a flutter of conversation recently as to what further measures may be taken to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in our backyard. In the event of a total lockdown, which we feel is very unlikely, we want to assure you that our ability to communicate with you and get things done will not be inhibited. You may physically miss seeing our smiling faces in front of you in the conference room, but we will still be readily available via phone or email, just as we are now. 

We plan to keep our office open, but with a twist. We are limiting foot traffic to pick-ups and drop-offs only. We’re also encouraging all client meetings to occur over the phone and are using video conferencing for those that are interested, which is kind of a fun change of pace. We appreciate everyone’s flexibility and willingness to work with us as we want to protect you, ourselves and our families. Fortunately, we have the flexibility to do such things in a small office and can limit our personal interactions while maintaining a professional environment. 

For those of you that may be unaware, businesses like ours are required, by law, to have a business continuity plan for occasions such as these. In addition to having a written plan, we’re also required to test the plan annually and modify it as our business changes to account for the unexpected or worst-case scenario. In the event that ‘social distancing’ becomes ‘mandatory lockdown’ (which we doubt), we’ll have the same capabilities as if we were sitting at our desks. Both my dad and I have home office setups that allow us to seamlessly operate our business from a distance. In other words, it is business as usual. 

Additionally, the firms we conduct business with, including US Wealth Management and LPL Financial, also are required to have plans in place to ensure that our clients can transact business without disruption. Over the past several days, we’ve witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of these plans and have confidence in our, and our partners’, seamless ability to continue serving you. Many folks from our support teams have been working remotely with no disruption to our day-to-day business. Crazy markets aside, its ‘just another day in the office’ here in North Haven.

On a personal note, Jill, Kyle and I are laying low, much like many of you reading this message. I’ve talked to numerous people over the past couple of weeks whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus. Some have seen travel plans squashed, others are stuck abroad, many have children or grandchildren who have seen their school and sporting events cancelled, and all of us have friends and family that may be out of work or have a significant disruption in their business because of the recent travel restrictions and quarantine measures. I’d be remiss not to specifically mention those working in the healthcare field, of which we know and work with many, who are on the front lines during what are certainly crazy times. We hope you and your loved ones are being prudent, staying healthy and doing everything you can to make the best of this difficult period. 

Please know that we are always available to answer your questions. 

Sincerely,  

Tom and Paul

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