Monday, December 20, 2010

Where Has all the SERVICE gone???


I was having a conversation the other day with my executive assistant and had the same conversation that evening with my wife. (who is our Director of Operations)  We were talking about service, not only in the financial industry, but also every other industry that you can do business with today.

I am amazed at how poor the customer service is in most businesses and I don't believe they care, if they did I think we would see some drastic change.  Every day, I see the importance of having specific systems in place to ensure that the service we provide is far above every other firm in our field and industry.  I know that sounds a little self-serving and I apologize for that, but our level of service is regularly evaluated by our clients and that is where this review is coming from.   

I have always been a big believer in continually looking for ways to make things easier and do things better and that is why I welcome all types of feedback from our select families (clients) that we serve.

Why is it so hard for most businesses to have good follow through?????  I believe it is because their business model for growth was not and is not fully evaluated on a regular basis.  How's this for an idea... Instead of working with everyone, everywhere, our firm works with only a specific type and a limited number of clients each year to make sure that we can be "All things to some people" in relation to their finances, estate and tax planning needs.  Sure we are still growing and accepting new clients, but we are doing it with a plan!

What if other companies, before they decided to grow to the utter most parts of the earth, actually sat down and asked if they could really service that kind of volume first!  What would the business world and the trust for the business world look like if SERVICE BECAME THE PRIORITY INSTEAD OF SALES???

Service with a Smile :)  ... wouldn't it be great if all companies brought back not just the smile but also the service.

To Get better service with your retirement needs click here

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Knowing the total RISK to your Investments!

Did you know that you can actually know what your risk is in relation to your portfolio and what your approximate loss could be if we have another 2008?

Well you can by using a factor called "Standard Deviation".  Most folks don't like to lose money and that is why most of our clients are safe and some have not lost a dime in the previous down markets, but if you know in advance what your total exposure is at least you were aware of what is possible and if your not comfortable with that you can make changes.

IT'S ALL ABOUT FULLY UNDERSTANDING YOUR CURRENT SITUATION!  When we meet with someone for the first time we do in-depth research to help them understand this which helps them make a more informed decision about their future.   I believe that is why it is so important when it comes to investing that you look for or work with someone who specializes in a particular group of people, just like you would look for a doctor who specializes if you needed brain surgery.

In our firm we work only with folks who are retired or soon will be and they have a minimum of 150,000 of investable assets.  This ensures that we can focus on their needs specifically.  Things like proper investment allocation, client interaction (meeting with them for progress meetings every six months), estate planning and advanced tax planning.

This is where we have decided to specialize, so whatever your situation is, it is always wise to have a second opinion on your "LIFE SAVINGS" and a good idea to work with a specialist who takes care of the needs of folks just like you!

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