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MAY/JUNE 2025
Financial Horizons Your Connection for Wealth, Lifestyle & Legacy
McBeathFinancialGroup.com
309.808.2224
Blueprints for Success: CLARK PURDY SPOTLIGHT
When Clark Purdy joined McBeath Financial Group in November 2024, he brought more than just financial expertise — he brought a unique way of thinking about wealth management. Long before he was helping clients design financial road maps for retirement, Clark was fascinated by architecture. His early studies in high school and at Illinois State University sparked an appreciation for the art and precision of designing structures, a passion that surprisingly aligns with his career in financial planning. Just as a well-built home requires a solid foundation and a thoughtful blueprint, a successful financial plan is carefully constructed with strategy, adaptability, and creativity. Clark has found that the same principles guiding great architecture — structural integrity, forward-thinking design, and a balance of form and function — also apply to financial planning. A STRONG FOUNDATION A home’s foundation must withstand time, weather, and shifting conditions. Similarly, financial planning starts with a solid base designed to support a client’s long-term goals while withstanding economic changes.
strategies, and risk management in a way that supports a client’s bigger picture.
Clark sees his role as a designer and guide, helping clients follow a carefully crafted financial path that leads to their envisioned future. Just as an architect ensures a home isn’t just functional but also meets the needs of its occupants, Clark ensures financial plans aren’t just numbers on a page but reflect a person’s lifestyle, goals, and aspirations. CREATIVITY IN PLANNING While architecture is rooted in structure, it also requires creativity — finding innovative solutions within constraints. The same is true in financial planning. Every client’s situation is different, and Clark enjoys the challenge of designing financial strategies that balance security, growth, and adaptability. Whether minimizing tax burdens, protecting assets, or adjusting plans as life changes, he believes the best financial strategies blend practicality with vision, like the best architectural designs. He approaches financial planning as both a science and an art — combining data-driven insights with a deep understanding of individual client needs to craft truly personalized strategies. ADAPTABILITY AND VISION A great architect designs with the future in mind, ensuring a structure remains functional and adaptable over time. Likewise, Clark helps clients navigate an evolving financial landscape, adjusting strategies as tax laws,
markets, and personal circumstances change. His focus isn’t just on planning for today but on building a financial road map that can adapt and grow over time. A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE Clark’s unique perspective and strategic mindset are already impacting our team. His ability to blend structure with creativity brings a fresh approach to financial planning that benefits not just our clients but our entire firm. His drive to refine strategies, adapt to new challenges, and approach each plan with thoughtful precision makes him an invaluable part of our future. As we continue to grow, Clark stands among the next generation of financial advisors, bringing expertise and vision to the table. His commitment to excellence and innovation ensures the foundation we build today will support not only our clients but the success of McBeath Financial Group for years to come. –Krista McBeath
BLUEPRINTS FOR SUCCESS Architects rely on blueprints to guide
construction, ensuring each element serves a purpose and contributes to the overall vision. In financial planning, a well-structured plan is a blueprint outlining investments, tax
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You’ve Earned Your Break — Enjoy It! Spring Forward
As the chill of winter fades and the promise of spring (and soon-to-be summer) fills the air, many of us find ourselves dreaming of longer days. It’s a natural time for renewal and rejuvenation, and for those lucky enough to take a spring or summer break, it’s a great opportunity to recharge our batteries.
But did you know these seasonal shifts can remind us of the importance of balance in financial planning? At McBeath Financial Group, we see this seasonal transition as a perfect metaphor for managing a healthy financial life.
YOU’VE EARNED A BREAK. After diligent saving and wise investing, spring can be your time to shine and enjoy the fruits of your fiscal discipline. Financial freedom goes beyond watching numbers grow in your account. It’s about creating and seizing opportunities to live the life you’ve always imagined. Maybe it’s a leisurely week exploring coastal towns, reconnecting with loved ones, or diving into your favorite hobby. These breaks from your routine are essential to maintain joy and satisfaction in your journey toward long-term goals. FIND YOUR FINANCIAL SPRING. Embracing the spirit of spring doesn’t mean losing sight of the future. It’s about finding harmony between immediate pleasures and long-term aspirations, similar to maintaining a garden you’d like to see bloom yearly. Whether planning for a dream vacation or a sabbatical from work, integrating these desires into your financial plan can help ensure your goals are met without compromising your financial health.
IT’S A TIME TO REFLECT AND REFRESH.
Spring is also an ideal time for introspection and renewal of your financial strategies. Ask yourself: Are my financial goals still in sync with my personal aspirations and life changes? Does my current financial plan make room for my needs and passions? What tweaks should I consider to align my portfolio with my future vision better?
Ensuring your financial plan remains aligned with your life’s evolving script is essential for continued success.
ADD SOME COLOR THIS SPRING. Let this season inspire you to appreciate and make the most of now, enjoying the peace that can come with having prepared with a solid financial plan. Just like spring breathes new life into the world, it’s a great time to bring fresh energy into your daily life — whether picking up a new hobby, reconnecting with an old passion, or even making space for a little spontaneity. After years of careful planning, financial security isn’t just about the future — it’s about making sure you have room for joy, creativity, and experiences that make life richer today. WE’RE YOUR PARTNER THROUGH EVERY SEASON. Spring reminds us to pause, appreciate where we are, and welcome what’s ahead. It’s a season of renewal — not just in nature, but in life. Whether you’re savoring the moments you’ve worked hard for or considering what’s next, a solid financial foundation can allow you to embrace each season with confidence. If this time of year has you thinking about new opportunities or small adjustments, we’re here to help with planning that supports both the life you enjoy today and the future you envision.
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Stay Strong New Research Backs Creatine for Aging Adults
SUDOKU
What aging athlete or weekend warrior doesn’t wish for a safe nutritional supplement to improve performance and strengthen muscles and bones?
A growing body of research on a popular supplement, creatine monohydrate, supports its use to preserve muscle and extend older adults’ healthy years. Studies show that when coupled with exercise, creatine can benefit men and women alike. The supplement has long had detractors who fear it will cause them to retain water, lose their hair, or cause kidney damage, but research dispels those myths.
SOLUTION ON PG. 4
CREATINE IS SAFE. A 2021 research review shows that a widespread fear that creatine is linked to kidney dysfunction appears to be unfounded when
healthy people take the supplement in recommended dosages. The study also found no support for the idea that creatine causes hair loss, dehydration, muscle cramping, or increased fat mass.
CREATINE CAN IMPROVE PERFORMANCE. Research has found that taking creatine supplements in recommended amounts benefits older adults’ musculoskeletal tone and physical performance, especially when combined with exercise. A 2019 study found that creatine can combat sarcopenia, or age-related decreases in muscle mass and strength, helping prevent falls and fractures. USE CREATINE AS DIRECTED. Based on limited research, creatine does not appear to affect liver or kidney function negatively. However, sticking to recommended dosages is essential. Experts recommend small doses of 0.1 gram of creatine monohydrate per kilogram of body mass. This translates to 5.4 grams of creatine for a 120-pound person or 6.8 grams for one weighing 150 pounds.
Taken together, the potential benefits of creatine suggest it is worth a try.
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203 Landmark Dr., Unit A - Normal, IL 61761 - 309.808.2224
INSIDE
1
Spotlighting Clark Purdy
2
Relax, Refresh, Replan
3
Warding Off Aging: New Research Shows Benefits of Creatine
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The Monsters History Tried to Forget
SOLUTION
Advisory services are offered through Landmark Wealth Management Inc, dba McBeath Financial Group, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor firm. Insurance products and services are offered through McBeath Tax and Financial Services, LLC. McBeath Financial Group and McBeath Tax and Financial Services, LLC are affiliated. All content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of McBeath Financial Group and our editorial staff. Material presented is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representations as to its accuracy or completeness. All information and ideas should be discussed in detail with your individual financial professional prior to implementation. © 2025 McBeath Financial Group.
Monsters Lost to Time
Weird, Wild, and Once Feared
Monsters have always been prominent in popular culture. Looking back through history — long before today’s iconic monsters — people had vivid and often bizarre ways of describing the monsters of their folklore. These strange creatures that time forgot may not haunt our collective imaginations today, but their names and stories provide a fascinating glimpse into the fears of the past. BYCORNE Bycornes were a popular monster from the mid-1500s with the body of a plump cow and a human face. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) definition of Bycorne describes the beast’s specific diet, which consisted of “patient husbands” who kept him “always fat from the abundance of his diet.” The OED also describes Bycorne’s spouse, Chichevache, who “fed upon patient wives and was always lean.” The legacy of Bycorne shows how folklore often blended humor and fear with ideas about marriage and other cultural norms. POLYPHEMUS Polyphemus is best known from Homer’s “The Odyssey,” in which the one-eyed giant terrorizes Odysseus and his men. By the mid-1600s, the term was generalized to describe any cyclopean creature. Traces of this linguistic shift can be seen today in science with the Polyphemus moth, which got its name from the eye-like spots on its wing.
LAMIA Lamia refers to “a mythological creature depicted as a woman who preys on humans, especially children, by sucking their blood,” according to the OED. In Greek mythology, Lamia was once a beautiful queen Zeus loved, but in an act of vengeance, she transformed into a monster that roamed the night, preying on children. Over time, her name became synonymous with witches and female demons. SNALLYGASTER Unlike ancient legends, the Snallygaster emerged in American folklore, fueled by newspaper reports in the early 1900s. This winged beast, described as “a fabulous reptilian bird of vast size,” inspired public hysteria before the legend faded into obscurity. The creature itself has been largely forgotten, but its name left a linguistic mark, morphing into the term “snollygoster,” a term for a shrewd and unprincipled person, which is said to have originated from the Snallygaster legend. Although these creatures have faded from everyday language, their stories reflect the fears, humor, and beliefs of the past. They also remind us that monsters and the words used to describe them are constantly evolving.
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