Behind The Advisor

How financial advisors are charging for services and what should be considered fair and reasonable for the consumer have become quite the hot button issues. Today Michael Kitces and Scott Gill join the show to dive into these topics and clarify the areas that are under scrutiny. Both men bring valuable information and advice to the issues presented and shed some light on how we can move forward as a community. Listen in to hear Michael and Scott discuss how regulators see financial services differently, as well as how we can communicate better and more clearly to them. You will learn what specific areas and action items to work on regarding consistency and communication, what regulators are trying to evaluate, and why these regulators are being triggered in the first place. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here:http://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/213

Antowoine Winters spent 10 years working for the Internal Revenue Service, and after seeing so many individuals fall victim to poor or even fraudulent financial guidance, he decided to leave the Service to run a practice where he could be an advocate for the average American citizen. Today, Antowoine joins the show to discuss the process of starting his own RIA and what led him to working with so many creatives. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/212

Grant Bledsoe is the founder of Three Oaks Capital Management, and he joins the show to discuss what gave him the confidence to make the move from institutional trading to starting his own RIA. After realizing that his business was not growing as fast as he wanted it to, Grant decided to get his CFP and has seen his company growing rapidly ever since. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/211

Today we have XYPN Member and South Bay Financial Partners founder Tara Unverzagt on the show! Inspired by her mother—who was one of financial planning's early pioneers—Tara knew from an early age that she wanted to be a financial planner. She joins us in this episode to share her experience growing up in the field, the valuable lessons she learned from having an advisor as a parent, and how she put her own twist on financial planning to do things differently. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/210

After working for his previous firm for 19 years and then being unexpectedly fired, Mark Wilson was forced to reset his life. Now the owner and only employee of Making It Look Easy (MILE) Wealth Management, Mark joins the show today to discuss what pushed him to start his own firm and how he is focusing on the successes ahead. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/209

After coming on the show two years ago to talk about her first year in business, Meg Bartelt has agreed to come back to share her journey and progress since then. In this episode, Meg gives a raw and authentic look at the life of an entrepreneur and opens up about how she handles the many different stressors that come along with that. You'll hear about her process, methods, mistakes, and triumphs over her first three years in business. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/208

After attending Colorado State University on a football scholarship, Jason Speciner graduated with a degree in business administration in 2004 and has been a practicing registered financial advisor ever since. Today he joins the show to discuss how his firm has implemented a comprehensive services model, which he says is helping to shift the value conversation to the planning side while charging the client a simple and transparent fee. Listen in to learn what Jason is doing to lay the foundation for growth and hear about his experience with finding, hiring, and managing his first employee. You'll discover what it took to find the right person to help grow his firm, get his hiring tips based on what he learned, and see how his persistence has paid off. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/207

Michelle Smalenberger has over 12 years of experience working at a nationally-recognized firm and has been mentioned in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Financial Advisor IQ. Today she joins the show to discuss the benefits of owning a business with your spouse and how she and her husband manage the relationship stress that comes along with that. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/206

Today XYPN member Sara Stanich, founder of Cultivating Wealth, joins the show to discuss her unique journey to finding her place in financial planning. We will discuss why she made a career change out of marketing after 12 years and how having experience in multiple industries has led to her success as a financial advisor and business owner. Sara will share what pushed her to launch her own SEC-Registered firm in 2016 and why she sought out full independence. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/205

Sidney Divine, founder of Divine Wealth Strategies, joins the show to share how he climbed his way to the top and ended up being voted Financial Planner of the Year in 2017. He explains how he is fulfilling his dream of helping good people live better lives and how that passion has helped him build strong, lasting relationships with his clients. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.xyplanningnetwork.com/204