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Thursday, April 24, 2014

The 3 Things Every Financial Advisor Needs in a Partnership

As a financial advisor, your first priority is helping guide your clients on a clear and coherent path to financial success. As an entrepreneur, you want to grow your business and expand your reach. At Money Concepts, we understand these needs, and our mission is to be the partner you choose to help you reach these goals. We do that by offering you these 3 things:

1)    Entrepreneurial independence. A vital part of Money Concepts’ partnership is the complete independence you have when it comes to your business. We exist to supplement your resources, not buy out your hard work, by giving you a large selection of proven tools and techniques for success. You’ve put the time into building your brand. Our advisors are able to continue working with us under their own brand.

Barry Dayley, CFP, Executive Vice President explains, “Money Concepts was built on entrepreneurial ideas, and that’s one of the attractive points. That entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.” Structured flexibility is a large part of how we approach our relationship with our advisors. We offer a wide variety of tested and proven tools, but our partners enjoy full autonomy in how they choose to apply these programs and ideas.


2)    A strong support system. We operate by the phrase “You’re in business for yourself, not by yourself.”  As an independently owned Broker Dealer, we believe our partners need independence but also encouragement. We are constantly seeking to learn how our programs and instruments can be developed to better serve our financial family’s needs. No matter if you’ve been working with Money Concepts for two days, two years, or twenty years, your voice will always be heard. We operate with a culture of trust and cooperation, and our advisors are a valued part of our corporate family. We care about the people we work with, not the numbers.

Partnering with Money Concepts also gives you the financial professional, access to an incredible network of fellow advisors, and the ability to both share your experience and learn from others’ successes. As a member of our team, you’ll have access to conferences and meetings that are focused around Money Concepts advisors, rather than a home office agenda.

3)    Open communication. There is no chain-of-contact for your needs or ideas. Communication is a vital part of the financial advisor’s job, and we value communication with our partners.  Our advisors have valuable thoughts and experiences, and their contributions are always fully considered. We want to be the leader in our niche, and as such we want to have an ever growing and changing list of the most up-to-date financial planning systems. This is only capable with the expertise of our advisors, who are always encouraged to bring forward their suggestions.

We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. Allen Porter, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development finds that “until they’ve experienced it, it’s just words on a brochure, and the thing that [financial advisors] are most pleased about is that they’re experiencing what we told them they’d get. This among many other reasons is why 40% of our advisors have placed their trust in Money Concepts for 20 plus years.”

We’re a firm that was built by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, and that focus is on an open atmosphere for those who have a mindset to grow. If you are a financial advisor looking for the next step in serving your clients, consider making Money Concepts your partner, and experience what we can do for you. 

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Real Wealth: What is it?

Contrary to popular belief, financial wealth is not just about earning a large income, wearing expensive clothes, driving fancy cars, or owning a large home. Financial experts describe wealth as based on one’s ability to have enough assets to maintain their current standard of living after retirement. In addition, wealth is linked to their ability to regularly make charitable donations and eventually, build a legacy to improve the lives of their children and grandchildren.




Despite the U.S. being quantifiably one of the richest countries in the world, many Americans have little knowledge of how to effectively manage their assets prior to retirement. Consider this, at age 65, statistics show only 19 out of 100 people are financially independent, while 46 out of every 100 are dependent on their children or other resources to maintain their standard of living. Even more alarming is 15 of the 100 will be living below the poverty level established by the government. And while most of us were taught how to make a living, very few people have learned how to save their money, let alone how to increase their savings thru various investment opportunities.

So how do you overcome the potential roadblocks to financial success and create wealth? The first step is find a trustworthy and well educated financial advisor to serve as your guide.  Together you can create a roadmap to success that will account for typical hurdles like the ever rising cost of living and taxes, which can be one of the largest contributors to the erosion of your wealth if not managed appropriately.  Top advisors not only make recommendations on investment opportunities, they also help you plan for major life occurrences like buying a home, having children, college funds, retirement, etc.



Today’s investor has access to more information than ever. They also must find a way to cut through the “noise”. Compare how the investor faired against the S&P 500. According to Dalbar, from 1993-2013 the investor averaged a 4.25% return while the S&P 500 enjoyed 9.14%. Let’s face it, investing is hard and even harder when you go it alone.  “The investor’s chief problem–and even his worst enemy–is likely to be himself,” said Benjamin Graham, a legendary American investor, scholar, teacher and author. In order to make the most of your investments and your future, ongoing financial coaching and guidance is an absolute must.

Don’t become your own biggest roadblock to wealth. Seek guidance from a financial advisor today and begin creating your own roadmap to financial success and true wealth.

Written by:
Denis Walsh
CEO

Money Concepts International