By We’ve been talking this month about various assumptions and misconceptions people make when it comes to hiring a financial planning team. We sometimes get asked, “Do I need to be rich to hire a financial professional?” No, you don’t have to have everything figured out. That’s like thinking you have to already be in good shape to go the gym! Helping you get your financial life together is what we do, after all.
Today, I want to dive into the last, and probably biggest, misconception out there: “I have to have a lot of money or wealth built up to work with a financial advisor.” (Go read that gym analogy again.)
Although I do still firmly believe that, a few things have changed since Alex and I first founded this company. When I first got into this business, I would take anybody. If you could fog a mirror, you could be my client. But after a couple of decades, I now have to be more selective in who I work with so that I can make sure I have the time to give to those who have put their trust in me. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t come on board as our client.
Let me give you an analogy. When you go to the dentist, who typically does the actual teeth cleaning? The hygienist — unless your dentist is fresh out of dental school and still building a practice. After a few years in business building up a book of loyal patients, that dentist will likely hire a hygienist or two, and you may not see your dentist unless something is wrong. But you still trust your dentist’s office, right?
The same goes for us at Family Financial Partners. We do believe that anyone who is willing to work towards a successful financial future and be held accountable on that path is a perfect client for our team to work with. But as we’ve grown and built up our client base, we’ve also built up a team of financial professionals who hold the same financial beliefs and philosophies I do, and you may meet with one of these trusted team members in your update meetings going forward.
That doesn’t mean I’m not involved in your accounts and portfolio management. It simply means that I have a team around me to support and serve our clients with the same level of knowledge and professionalism you’ve come to expect.
So, if you are just starting out and haven’t built up your assets just yet, consider hiring a financial planning team like Family Financial Partners, rather than a one-person shop where higher levels of wealth likely do take precedence over smaller portfolios.
If you’ve been thinking about talking to someone about your financial picture, please, pick up the phone and call us. First meetings are always complimentary. We’re sure you’ll find a member of our team to starting building that trusted partnership with.
Article by David Smyth, Senior Partner at Family Financial Partners — a financial services firm in Lexington, Kentucky.