A prospective client called the other day, concerned about the lack of attention from her current Financial Advisor. I asked her a few questions and realized why this was happening. It made me think that her situation was no different than many of yours. Her account was at a big brokerage firm you know. The lack of attention she was getting was not her fault. It happens quite often at the big brokerage firms.
Brokerage firms set minimum asset requirements on a relationship before the advisor can be compensated. As a result, if the minimum is not met, the client is usually directed to a call center where a different person may answer on any given day. To me, this is not good service. After all, even though your account size may be smaller, you are still paying a fee to that firm to advise you. That fee is usually the same (or higher!) percentage as if you received personal service from an individual advisor who knows and cares about you.
As an independent advisor, I can work with any client whether their assets are $25,000, $250,000, or $25 million. Prior to being an independent advisor, I worked for a couple of big brokerage firms. For me, the decision to leave that business was simple: I wanted to help as many people as possible. Will Thompson and I started this firm to help investors achieve their financial goals. We did it so we could decide who we wanted as clients, and we do not discriminate based on a dollar figure. If someone comes in with a goal to reach retirement or get through retirement, we are uniquely qualified to help.
Both Will and I cut our teeth working at major firms. Our backgrounds are completely different though. Will worked on the institutional side, investing and managing hundreds of millions of dollars, and got his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) certification while doing so. The CFA® is the most highly respected designations in our industry, and involves years of high-level experience and study to achieve this designation. His experience is vast and sophisticated, and he has used it within our firm to make it a unique independent firm in Stuart. There are not many advisors around that hold both the CFA® and Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designations, which sets him apart from other advisors. His credentials are impressive, but the most impressive part to me is that Will cares about every client we serve.
My background is advising clients like you. I worked for two major brokerage firms as well as a large independent Registered Investment Advisor prior to starting Chapman Capital Advisors, and have helped hundreds of clients reach their financial goals. I have passed multiple securities licensing exams and hold my Certified Financial Planner™ as well. I believe everyone deserves knowledgeable financial advice that is not conflicted by a commission. As a result, I work with clients in many different stages of life and financial situations.
Although Will and I come from different sides of the industry, we both share two common traits: We care about our clients, and we have unique, vast experience to help them succeed. If you are tired of being a number and want to work with knowledgeable advisors who care, please give us a call to set up a free consultation.
