September 2026
Megan Ducan, Client Service Representative
The Ducan family: Logan, Shawn, Meg and Connor
BFG Employee Spotlight: Megan Duncan
Megan Duncan’s first cover story was published in the fall of 1988 when she was 10 years old. The first edition of The Guinea Pig Newsletter appeared on the doorstep of her three closest neighbors, reporting on the daily antics of Cinnamon and Ginger with regular appearances from Smokey the basset hound.
“I’ve always looked at life in a series of stories,” Meg said. “From silly to serious, the depth I could find in such simple places amazed me—and still does.”
Her own story is just the same.
It was a typical childhood growing up in Hannibal with her parents Ron and Lynda Ashburn and older brother Ben. After graduating from high school in 1996, her young life was spent waitressing and daydreaming about what she could do when she grew up.
“My dad was a pharmacist for 40 years and he was a great one, but he deeply regretted not following in his dad’s footsteps as an electrician,” Meg recalled. “So, he always encouraged my brother and me to find a profession we enjoyed.”
She met her husband Shawn at the Mark Twain Dinette in 1995, and they married on March 22, 2003. Connor was born in 2006 and Logan in 2009. She picked up writing again at the dawn of social media.
“I started a blog on Myspace and couldn’t believe I got three subscribers—one was my mom,” she said, laughing. “But I knew then I wanted to write for a living.”
With her kids at home, she decided to pursue her journalism degree, earning her associate’s degree online from John Wood Community College. Then, after dropping her oldest son off for his first day of kindergarten, she drove herself to her first class at Quincy University.
In 2013, she received her journalism degree. With her boys still in elementary school and Shawn now working a swing shift at Continental Cement, Meg decided to pursue freelance writing.
In 2014, she signed a contract with Hannibal Courier-Post as a columnist. Her weekly stories were based on family and faith, often with a humorous twist, but always aimed to share a lesson or encourage people through the mundane and hard times of life.
Hard times came for Meg in 2017 when her dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and shortly after her mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. Meg and Shawn learned to navigate raising their children while helping with their care.
“I had no idea how to handle two parents with advanced cancer. They were a huge part of our daily lives—basically our best friends,” she said. “Honestly, that’s the moment I grew up. I was scared, and it was the first time I couldn’t sit at their table and cry because it was my turn to hold them up.”
Her dad passed away on November 3, 2018. He was a spiritual mentor to Shawn and Meg, and his faith through his illness served as a reminder that God is good even in the hard times.
“Dad didn’t ask for healing; he asked for God’s will,” she said. “Truly, he wanted what God had for him, no matter what it was.”
Meg’s mom died only three months later in February 2019.
In the aftermath, God put a new desire in Shawn and Meg’s hearts. After 18 years in Meg’s childhood home on the corner of Saturn Drive, they purchased—and fully remodeled—a 21-acre farm outside of New London.
In the five years since, they have added nine goats, two cows, four peacocks, and seven ducks—on top of three dogs and one parrot.
Meg’s weekly column opened the door to a writing career that eventually included two books of her own, Life on Saturn: A Lifetime of Grace in Unexpected Places and What a Life, a collection of her newspaper columns.
Her freelance work led to full-time journalism. Meg served as editor of The Salt River Journal, reported for the Hannibal Courier-Post, worked as an editor and writer for Hannibal Magazine, and later joined Muddy River News, where she covered the Hannibal area and made weekly appearances on The Daily Muddy.
“There was so much I loved about being a reporter and I met amazing people,” she said. “But I also realized I am too tenderhearted to report hard news in a community I love.”
In 2025, she worked part-time as a contract media consultant for the United Way of the Mark Twain Area, an organization she came to love while reporting.
For a United Way article, Meg interviewed Connie Benson, who mentors students through the Hannibal School District. She left with an offer to help create a newsletter at Benson Financial Group.
Meg’s parents became clients of Pat early on, first meeting with Pat at his home. Pat advised her dad through retirement and became a good friend. Pat also became much more than an advisor to Shawn and Meg when her parents died.
“When Dad died, Pat knew we were overwhelmed. He continually prayed with us and reminded us that my parents were proud of us,” she said. “Pat was there for us every step of the way.”
The first Beyond the Numbers was published in December 2024, featuring Pat as the first spotlight. The following month, Meg took a full-time position on BFG’s service team, where she continues writing the newsletter.
“I don’t think anyone would guess I’d end up at a financial firm, but God sure knew,” she said. “I know I belong here, and I know my parents are smiling about it too.”
Meg leans on her favorite Bible verse for guidance in daily life.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make straight your paths. —Proverbs 3:5-6
“This verse reminds me that I can’t understand everything God is doing,” she said. “But if I acknowledge Him in my daily decisions then He will keep me on His path. And that’s the only place I want to be.”
/ Traditional 401(k) or Roth 401(k): Which Is Right for You?
By Aaron Hill, CFP®
When contributing to a workplace retirement plan, one of the decisions you may face is whether to make Traditional 401(k) contributions or Roth 401(k) contributions—or a combination of both.
While both can help you save for retirement, the primary difference comes down to when you pay taxes on the money.
Traditional 401(k): A Tax Benefit Today
With a Traditional 401(k), contributions are generally made before federal income taxes are taken out. This can reduce your taxable income in the year you make the contribution.
The tradeoff comes later. When you withdraw the money in retirement, those distributions are generally taxed as ordinary income.
For someone who expects to be in a lower tax bracket during retirement, receiving the tax benefit today may be appealing.
Roth 401(k): A Potential Tax Benefit Later
Roth 401(k) contributions work differently. You pay taxes on the money before it goes into your retirement account, so you don't receive an immediate tax benefit.
However, qualified withdrawals from a Roth 401(k) in retirement are generally tax-free, provided the applicable requirements are met.
That may make Roth contributions attractive to someone who believes their tax rate could be higher in retirement than it is today.
What Will Tax Rates Look Like in Retirement?
Unfortunately, none of us knows exactly what tax rates will look like years—or decades—from now.
Your own circumstances can change as well. Your future income, retirement needs and tax situation may look very different from what they are today.
That's one reason the Traditional-versus-Roth decision isn't necessarily about finding one option that is universally "better." It's about considering your current circumstances along with what you anticipate for the future.
You Don't Have to Choose Just One
Depending on your employer's plan, you may be able to contribute to both a Traditional and a Roth 401(k). (Keep in mind that Traditional and Roth 401(k) contributions share the same annual employee contribution limit.)
Using both can provide tax diversification. You may have retirement savings that are taxable when withdrawn alongside savings that may be withdrawn tax-free if the requirements for qualified Roth distributions are met.
Having money in different tax categories may also provide greater flexibility when deciding where to draw income from during retirement.
Don't Leave Your Employer Match on the Table
Regardless of whether you choose Traditional, Roth or a combination of the two, don't overlook your company's matching contribution.
At a minimum, consider contributing enough to receive the full employer match available to you. Your company's match is part of your overall compensation, and not contributing enough to receive it could mean leaving part of that benefit behind.
Focus on the Bigger Goal
It's easy to become so focused on making the "perfect" Traditional-versus-Roth decision that you lose sight of what may matter even more: saving for retirement.
Take advantage of your employer match. Save consistently. Consider increasing your contribution as your income grows. Stay invested with your long-term goals in mind.
Traditional or Roth is an important decision—but building the habit of consistently saving for your future may be the most important decision of all.
/Turn the Page with Connie
by Connie Benson
In his book Irrational Kindness, Kevin Williams uses stories from his own life to challenge readers to show the world what irrational kindness looks like.
Last December, Pat and I had the pleasure of getting to know Kevin and his wife, Gwen, at a three-day couples conference hosted by authors Bob and Maria Goff.
Kevin and Gwen’s warm Southern personalities made us feel like we had known them for years. Their kindness and love for people were evident from the moment we met them, making Kevin’s message in Irrational Kindness even more meaningful to us.
Kevin owns and operates three Chick-fil-A locations in Atlanta. Chick-fil-A is well known for its emphasis on customer service and hospitality. Driven by his faith, philanthropic heart, optimism and love for people, Kevin encourages others to approach life with that same spirit of generosity and kindness.
In today’s world, this type of kindness can feel countercultural. But perhaps what seems “irrational” shouldn’t be irrational at all. As followers of Christ, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus and show His love to the people around us.
I found Irrational Kindness to be a practical guide for putting kindness into action. The book is described as part employee handbook and part operating manual for life, one that “flips traditional wisdom on its head.” Kevin challenges us to consider what could happen if this level of kindness became the norm rather than the exception.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as Pat and I did. Stop by either our Hannibal or Quincy location and pick up a copy—we have one ready for you!
BFG Team Members Attend LPL Conference in San Diego
In August, members of the Benson Financial Group attended the annual LPL Financial Conference. The event draws nearly 10,000 financial professionals and staff from around the country.
Justin Gibson, part-owner and financial advisor at BFG, said the event highlighted a bright future with continued growth for LPL Financial.
“It’s important for us to hear how a company we are affiliated with is doing, and to get industry insights from a higher level,” Justin said. “It was also great to hear from the CEO; he seems really personable and down to earth.”
The team also enjoyed in-person meetings with several LPL professionals they regularly work with over the phone and learned from several hundred industry-related vendors about new companies and technology.
Watching team members at LPL interact with one another, Justin noticed their culture seems to align with BFG’s relationship-driven culture. He also saw one of BFG’s core values on display: excellent client service.
“They are constantly looking for ways to bring more value to their clients. We don’t want to just stay the same, but strive to do even better,” Justin said. “Something else I enjoy about the conference is meeting advisors from around the country and learning from them.”
While Justin enjoyed the professional and educational opportunities offered at the conference, he was even more grateful for relationship-building time with the team.
“When we travel together, we take advantage of the time away from the office to do non-work-related activities too. We find tours to take, eat together, and so on,” he said. “This sweet downtime builds lasting bonds that are so important professionally—but also personally.”
Building Update
Many things are happening around the Hannibal office, as construction moves into some of the main traffic areas. Several of the new conference rooms are now in use and front offices are being updated.
Benson Financial Group recently recognized the hard work of those at Bleigh Construction, Klingner & Associates, and subcontractors with a thank-you luncheon.
“We are grateful for the outstanding work on our office build and remodel. From the start of the project to now nearing completion, the craftsmanship, professionalism, and attention to detail have been top-notch,” Justin Gibson said. “We're grateful for the hard work and care that have been put into this project and appreciate the relationships that have been built along the way.”
September Celebrations at Benson Financial Group
We are so grateful for what each staff member brings to the team!
Congratulations to Amanda, client service representative, and Alex Tuley, who recently welcomed their son Andy!
Work Anniversaries:
Amanda Hall, client service lead: 14 years (2012)
Becky Luebrecht, marketing coordinator: 8 years (2018)
Birthdays:
Kristina Corzatt - September 11
Elaina Foreman - September 21
Megan Duncan - September 25
Becky Speckhart - September 26
/Upcoming Holidays & Closings
