Page 88 - BusinessWest September 28, 2020

There’s great strength in numbers.
But a greater strength in ways we can make a difference.
While the Coronavirus/COVID-19 continues to confound and challenge us, we believe the virus will not defeat or break us. For those on the front lines of this battle, we offer our gratitude for your continuing sacrifice and our sincere wishes for your safety. For those struck by the virus, we wish you a quick rebound to good health.
It’s been seven months and counting since the lockdowns began in March. We
will prevail through this pandemic, but the total damage to populations—and how quickly markets will recover—remains unknown. We feel confident the vast majority of people will recover, and so will the global economies. However, that fact doesn’t make the present moment any less frightening, and while we can’t alleviate your personal health concerns, we hope we can help to calm the angst you may have around market volatility and the impact on your portfolio.
As a firm, we have weathered many crises that have deeply affected the financial markets before. In the last 20 years alone we have survived 2 major crises: an unprecedented and devastating act of terrorism in the heart of our country on 9/11; and a financial meltdown that shook global markets, which brought the banking industry to its knees, and dissolved storied financial institutions in 08-’09. And
we have survived each of them, with the markets contracting and rebuilding with amazing fortitude. They do that well, because they are responding to investors’
fear and despair, as well as to their enthusiasm and exuberance. And though each crisis, including this one, feels “different” and “not like anything we’ve seen before,” this well-established market behavior pattern repeats itself because it is based on human behavior. We have no reason to believe it will be any different this time.
We are advisors, as well as spouses, brothers, sisters, parents, neighbors and more. We want you to know that we understand the anxiety this pandemic produces, and we are here to help. Our managers and advisors are working diligently to absorb the constantly changing information, seeking to understand as best we can the risks and opportunities presented in the market and keeping an objective eye toward helping maintain long term financial success.
Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have. While our offices are not taking personal visits during this time, we are here for you via phone, e-mail and our websites.
We encourage you to remain strong, patient, confident, hopeful and above all, helpful.
stgermaininvestments.com octobermountainfa.com gagewiley.com
D.J. St. Germain Investment Management & Co., Inc.
1500 Main Street Springfield, MA 01115 T: 413-733-5111 F: 413-747-0848
October Mountain Financial Advisors is a d/b/a of St. Germain Investment Management in Berkshire County. Gage-Wiley is a d/b/a of St. Germain Securities, Inc.
New England Capital is a d/b/a of St. Germain Investment Management.
Member SEC, FINRA, SiPC