My CFP® Journey by Adam Werner

The title of my last article about the start of my journey towards becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ was “How Hard Can It Be?” [original article]. Well here I am 16 months later and have the definitive answer for you which is.... VERY. There’s a reason the CFP® designation is widely considered the highest credential…

Trust is Earned, Not Given

We all know that real trust has to be earned over time through positive experiences. Especially in our world as planners, it can take several years for clients to faithfully allow us into their “Circle of Trust”. We’ve also noticed that as client relationships mature over time, meetings naturally become less frequent due to the…

SEC’s Decision Hinders the Transformation of Financial Advice

I saw very little news coverage this week on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approving a variety of changes on how investment professionals will be regulated. Instead, I saw more news about China trade, the potential for Federal Reserve action and other bits of economic data that are also important issues, but not directly…

It’s Time to Find Out If Your Advisor Is a Fiduciary

Adam and I have been fortunate to meet several new families over the course of the last couple weeks. They found us in many different ways. Two came to us based on a referral from someone working with us already. Another sold a business after 30 years, and now needs to consider what’s next in…

Alert: Read the Fine Print!

Alert: Read the Fine Print! As independent financial advisors, we don’t represent any one firm, strategy or product. So financial service vendors solicit us all the time, asking us to consider recommending their products. We’ve had a huge uptick in solicitations over the last couple months, and I think I know why. As of April…