What do you do?

In my previous newsletters I have been sharing my journey as a Financial Advisor. Here’s the link if you haven’t had a chance to read them.

I first told you about my new year’s resolution and why it was important to share more of who I am this year. Then I shared my story as a child that shaped me to be who I am today; why insurance and money management was the right thing to do for me. I also shared the risks I took in my life and how that relates to taking risks with our money.

This time I will answer the question: What do you do?

You know the answer: I am a financial advisor!

I realize that this may mean so many different things so I’d like to explain what I do and how I do it.

1. The first step is to understand your goals and dreams so that we can plan accordingly. It is important for me to understand what money means to you.
2. Then we talk about risks along the way, and how much risk you can and want to tolerate.
3. I like a holistic (or big picture) approach. Planning is never only about investments; it is about life insurance, children’s college funding, estate planning, tax planning, etc. It is much better to look at the whole picture since all these different tools can work better together.
4. We review what you have done so far. I will say “no need to make any changes” if I believe that there is no room for improvement. I will never ask you to move your money or invest into something unless it is beneficial to you. I do not need a law to do what’s in your best interest.
5. If I believe you will benefit from making some changes we will go over the different options so you understand the pros and cons of each option. Since I am independent I have a lot more choices, i.e. I do not prefer some products or companies over the others. I recommend the one that will work for you the best. How do I know? Lots of experience with lots of customers. I have been working in this industry for the last 25+ years.
6. I give you the time you need to ask any further questions you may have about the plan; it is your hard earned money in the first place. You need to be comfortable with the choices you make.
7. When you make a decision, I do all the paperwork, and believe me, there is a lot of it! I mentioned that I am an independent financial advisor but that does not mean I can do whatever I want. Every transaction is reviewed by my compliance department to make sure it in line with the rules and regulations.
8. We monitor the progress of your plan periodically to see if we are on track or if we need to make adjustments.
9. You will receive some timely information you may need. My goal is to provide useful information without inundating your inbox. You have access to articles and videos on my website as well.

So please don’t keep me a secret. If you enjoy working with me and you have friends who would benefit from my experience in this field you can always send them my contact info or use the link Tell a Friend on my website.