If "Custom-Designed Financial Peace of Mind" is an obvious solution to a problem important enough to write a short book about, then you might rightly ask: * What exactly is the problem that is being solved? * Who benefits from the solution to the problem? * What exactly is the solution, and why does it work? * And finally, if the solution is so obvious, why isn't it more widely applied? Before we dive in and answer these questions, please consider the following: Sometimes in life, the simplest things can make the biggest difference. Unfortunately, regardless of how unhappy or dissatisfied we might be, we are unlikely to notice or become aware of those simple things-even if they are right in front of us-if we are saddled with years of history and inertia. Like it or not, none of us can know what we don't know, and if we don't know that different and better options exist, then at a certain point, we are likely to just stop looking for them. The solution being presented in this book is not always easy to execute well. But it is in many respects a simple and obvious solution-one that really works-and can be stated as follows: We hope that by the time you have finished looking through this book, this simple and obvious solution will be so clear and will make so much sense that if it applies to your situation, you will take action and move forward in implementing it. (One way to move forward is to receive a free second opinion on your situation, which we'll discuss in Chapter IV.) Our firm may or may not be the right match for you, but no doubt there is a perfect fit for you or you and your family out there. Ultimately, if this book motivates even one individual or family to move from dissatisfaction to satisfaction, from doubt to clarity, or from haphazard handling of the many elements of their financial and financial-related life to a comprehensively secure and content state of mind, then it will have accomplished its purpose.