The old adage goes “If you fail to plan, your plan will fail!” It's obvious but more often than we think, we rely on hope and good fortune to get us to our goals, cry foul and seem surprised when bad luck befalls us. Today the need to consider our futures and plan for our retirement is no longer an option, it's essential. Add to this the desires we all have for our kids college education, a second home or just less of a mortgage and relying on nothing but fate is simply stupid. Have you read a Social Security statement? You should, it clearly states that the challenge facing social security is immense, after 2041 the legally approved payout will be reduced by approximately 27%. Put a $1.00 in and get 73 cents back at retirement – that is not a plan any one should be relying on. In the meantime the pressures are well reported and clearly a problem, taking responsibility for your own affairs is now more relevant than it ever has been and working with a planner just makes sense.
The financial services industry as a whole has come under immense scrutiny [due to the activities of the few] and will be subject to further regulation and legislation. Clients often lack trust, planners are seen as glorified pitch men and the news seems to center on bad people doing bad things to good people. So why do people chose to be planners and what makes them successful? Where do the best planners gain the edge over the average planners? What characteristics link the good guys and what should a graduate looking for a career be aware of ? Equally – why should we as a general public use a planner? What should we look for and how do we choose the right planner for our personal situation?
To answer these and other questions Allen Duck began talking to planners with differing degrees of industry experience and roles within it. Some are registered investment advisors and provide only advice, others offer products and make their living from commissions they gain from the sale of their products. Each discipline has its place and brings great value to those who seek assistance with their financial goals.
Financial planning is a noble occupation, often maligned unfairly. Average Americans need an advisor in the same manner they may need a doctor, and it pays to have a check up once in a while so you can plan rather than react to bad and unexpected news.
Volume one offers candid interviews with 25 successful planners:
FINANCIAL PLANNERS
-Don Barton
-Larry Carroll
-Dick Coe
-Michael Curtis
-Vinton Fountain
-Steve Girard
-John Grillo
-Sheldon Harber
-Lorraine Hart
-Lisa Heath
-Bryan Kelly
-Greg Makowski
-Chris McGrath and Josh Schwartz
-Harris Nydick
-Cheryl Patterson
-Dave Petso
-Jim Regitz
-Jared Roskelley
-Darin Shebesta
-Gerald Steffes
-Keith Wetjen
FINANCIAL PLANNERS/EDUCATORS
-Henrietta Nye
-Jeff Rattiner
-Joel Weiner
INDEPENDENT BROKER DEALER EXECUTIVE
-Amy Webber
Consider this is your 'inside view' of the financial services industry, and you'll get a glimpse of the future of financial planning - a field that is under intense pressure and undergoing a transition unlike anything ever witnessed before.
