This Week’s Blog Is Written By Matt Totsky, CFA®, IAG Wealth Platform Manager
June 17, 2026

Navigating Blindly

This past week, my father and I went on our annual fishing trip to the Chippewa Flowage in northern Wisconsin, a tradition we’ve shared with two other father-son duos for nearly three decades.

The 15,300-acre lake was created when the Winter Dam was constructed in 1923, flooding the surrounding area.

It created a maze of islands, bays, floating bogs, and channels with numerous stumps, logs, and rock bars hiding beneath the surface. Those features provide fantastic fishing spots, but they make the lake incredibly intimidating to navigate, especially at night.

On a cloudy evening, the starless sky and countless shadowy trees make the water seem even darker and more disorienting.

There are no painted lines demarcating lanes. No street signs indicating “Resort NEXT LEFT.” No streetlights. In fact, given how undeveloped most of the land is, lights of any kind on the shoreline are few and far between.

In those first few years, heading back to our resort from our last post-dinner fishing spot was an adventure. We relied on paper maps and flashlights to identify channels and landmarks to navigate our way back to the resort. Often, we motored on slowly. There were numerous stops and starts. Wrong turns were made. Backtracking needed to be done.

Today, advances in technology like onboard electronics and GPS tracking (as well as years of experience on the water) make the journey back to the cabin much easier. We’ve marked submerged hazards on the electronic map. We can see the route we’re traveling in real time. We can cruise at a measured pace without having to worry we’re off course and will need to turn around.

Your financial journey can be like navigating those unfamiliar waters after dark.

What route do you chart that gets you to your destination safely? Are you moving too aggressively and hurtling toward unforeseen dangers? Or are you moving much too slowly to arrive at your goal with what’s left in your tank?

While it can be done alone, wouldn’t setting your financial course be much easier if you had someone available to you that offered years of experience navigating investing dangers to guide you on a safer path?

That’s where our dedicated, knowledgeable financial advisors can help. They can identify potential risks, help avoid costly mistakes, and design a personalized financial plan tailored to your specific goals and circumstances.

Whether it’s preparing for retirement, responding to a major life change, legacy planning, or simply looking for greater assurance in your financial future, our qualified advisors can strive to provide the clarity and confidence needed to navigate whatever lies ahead.

Quote of the week: George William Curtis: “It is not the ship so much as the skillful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage.”

Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through IAG Wealth Partners, LLC, (IAG) a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial. Jason Ganiere is solely an investment advisor representative of IAG Wealth Partners LLC, and not affiliated with LPL Financial.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.

Any opinions are those of IAG and not necessarily those of LPL Financial. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. This information is not intended as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security referred to herein. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Investing involves risk including loss of principle.

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Photo Credit: iStock 906834606