Sally Hass was one of the more memorable and inspiring characters I met while researching THE NUMBER. Sally, you’ll recall, was the indomitable education manager at the Weyerhaeuser Company (Chapter 7, “The Forest for the Trees”), the leader of the company-sponsored, pre-retirement workshop I attended a couple of years ago. At the end of that chapter, Sally reflected on plans for the twilight of her own career, no small detail of which was the 120,000 pound, steel-hulled, full-displacement trawler she and the man in her life – lately arrived – were building by hand. The other day, Sally sent an update on where things stood.

“The pre-retirement planning seminars continue to be a smash hit,” Sally wrote in her note. “Unfortunately, Weyerhaeuser, like other large manufacturing companies, is currently involved in some downsizing and restructuring. For me, this means working with employees who are losing their jobs. As far as many of them are concerned, this is devastating due to a lack of readiness for an early, or unplanned, retirement. The message is clear — none of us knows the hand we might be dealt. Thoughtful and early planning, monitored regularly, is the only answer.”

Then, on a happier note, Sally proudly announced that she and Dan, now engaged, had just the other day launched their beloved Spirit of Balto, whose baby picture I’m pleased to share here. “We plan to sell the big house and move aboard soon,” she said. “And who knows…wedding bells may not be too far off. Let the adventure begin!”

I wanted to pass along word that the Financial Planning Association has asked me to give a general session talk at its 2006 conference, to be held this coming October. The meeting, one of the most prominent on the industry’s annual calendar, draws several thousand attendees from throughout the financial planning universe. The subject of the talk will be an outside-in view of how people like you and me – i.e. clients or prospective ones – view the standards and practices of the planning profession: What do we most need or want from an adviser? What are the biggest civilian concerns about the business? How can a financial adviser best serve our interests? What don’t we like, or understand? I intend to do a good deal of original research and reporting in connection with this talk, and I thought I’d start with you. Please drop me a line with any thoughts, questions, or suggestions you think ought to be brought to the attention of the assembled crowd. You can email me at LeeEisenberg@TheNumberBook.com. Thanks!