As I write these words, the holiday season is beginning—this year, earlier than ever. I hadn't even turned my Halloween pumpkin into pies when I found the first gift catalogues in my mailbox, and emails too.

It's easy to understand retailers' desperation. What will get Americans back into stores when jobs keep disappearing and businesses continue to fold? For although statistics tell us that the recession is over, and the stock market is roaring ahead as this magazine goes to press, it's hard to feel, as you go through the day, like people's lives are changing for the better.

That, of course, is where you come in. As a group, financial advisors have had one of their most challenging years ever, and you've worked harder, in many cases, than ever before. You've counseled panicky clients when you would have preferred to have been thinking about your own finances—or, even better, relaxing at home. You've written the emails, led the webcasts and town hall meetings, updated your websites, and posted chipper tweets.

It's been a wild and crazy year. The best thing about holiday time is that it forces you to stop, breathe and appreciate.

Many people work on this magazine who have changed my life for the better. The very talented editors, writers and designers, both on-staff and freelance, plus the sales and marketing people, production staff and quite a few others collaborate to make a great publication. There are never enough resources or time. And yet, somehow, we manage to pull this off, month after month.

All of these people have family and friends who wait for them, not so patiently, when the magazine goes to press. All devote energy and creativity to a project whose greatest pleasures have been muted as the world of media struggles to revamp its business model. The people here are great, and I try to show them my esteem all year round.

How do you communicate your appreciation for your staff, colleagues and clients? Have you felt sufficiently appreciated during this difficult, exasperating, andrenaline-charged year? Are you looking forward to 2010?

We at Financial Planning would be honored if you would continue to share your thoughts and concerns with us, whether by posting on our discussion boards, participating in our online events and conferences, or sending us an email from time to time. You mean a lot to us. We are—I am—grateful for your time and attention, and hope to continue to deserve them.

We wish all of you, and your loved ones, a happy, fulfilling, healthy and prosperous New Year. May you find satisfaction in your work, joy in your friendships and passionate engagement in your personal pursuits. May your suggestions all be wise and your clients content. Wouldn't it be nice if all those wishes came true?

Marion Asnes became the editor of Financial Planning magazine in 2005. Financial Planning is the leading professional magazine for independent financial planners and has a circulation of 115,000. The topics covered on its pages range from industry news and trends to sophisticated discussions of portfolio management, estate planning and philanthropy. Asnes is the first female editor in chief of Financial Planning in the magazine's 38-year history.

Before joining Financial Planning, Asnes was a senior editor at Money, participating in the magazine’s coverage of personal finance, retirement, investment and health care issues. Her areas of expertise included retirement and 401(k) planning, asset allocation, estate planning and the particular financial challenges faced by women. In addition to her regular editorial duties at Money, Asnes co-edited Money for Women, an annual special issue that was featured exclusively on “The Today Show” on NBC.

A 27-year service journalism veteran, Asnes has contributed to a long list of national publications including Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, More, Mirabella, Working Woman and Lear's. She has spoken at conferences and symposia ranging from the National Endowment for Financial Education’s Retirement Summit to the National Football League’s Rookie Symposium. In addition, Asnes has appeared on national television programs as an expert on financial and economic topics including CNN, CNN Headline News, NBC's Today, ABC's 20/20, PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.

Asnes graduated with a B.A. from Cornell University.