They Laughed When I Said I wanted To Be A Fee-Only Financial Planner

While most folks enjoy reading a good book or watching a movie… I prefer soaking up the financial news, testing new financial strategies, and discovering new investment opportunities!

Now that I think about it, I have spent a good part of my life learning as much as I can about financial stuff that most folks hate to even think about. I suppose some folks might call me a financial geek.

As a young boy, my dad (a banker with a sense of humor) and I were in the YMCA’s Indian Guides together (similar to Cub Scouts). And while all the other fathers picked traditional Indian names like “Big Bear and Little Cub,” what did my dad pick our Guide names to be??? “Big Money and Small Change”

My mom used to say our dinner conversations could get pretty boring with all the financial talk. And my friends even snickered when I said I wanted to be a financial planner when I “grew up.” What’s funny is that now many of them are clients!

Most of my clients dread making financial decisions, and the mere mention of a 401k makes their eyelids feel heavy. They don’t have the time to keep up with the ever-changing “rules of money,” nor do they want to.
So, they hire me to help them manage their retirement accounts and guide them.

Would you also like a “certified” second opinion about your financial situation?

Then please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Conrad Seastrunk. I’m the President of Seastrunk Financial Management, LLC, and we are currently accepting new clients who are serious about wanting help with their money.

Will you be one of these people? Maybe, maybe not. The first thing it depends on is me. If I’m not the financial planner you want to work with, we can save each other a lot of time. So, let’s first start with me.

So Why Write An Ad?
Do I Need To Advertise
For New Clients?

Am I inexperienced in the financial world? Am I some financial huckster in disguise looking for my next victim? Nope. I am not. I am a reasonably intelligent, board-certified CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERP®P Practitioner in my early 60s, have lived in Florence all my life, and (for the last 35 years) have provided financial solutions for individuals and families primarily in the Southeast.

I earned my Bachelor of Business Administration from Francis Marion University in 1988 and was awarded the advanced designation of CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®) in 2002.

After graduation, I worked with a boutique-style independent planning firm and then a year later at a prominent New York firm. After seeing both sides of the business (large/corporate vs. small/independent), I realized that to do the best job for my clients, I needed to be apart from Wall Street… so I struck out on my own and opened Seastrunk Financial Management, a “fee-only” Registered Investment Advisory Firm.

Meanwhile, back in 1995…

Early in my career, I discovered many people made costly mistakes when withdrawing money from their retirement plans.

So, I wrote the first edition of my retirement planning book, “What You Ought To Know Before You Sign Your Retirement Papers,” for soon-to-be retirees (now in its fifth edition). Over the next five years, I did the seminar circuit in Florence to warn folks about the pitfalls and traps waiting for them in retirement. This was a great way to let folks know more about financial planning and our firm.

So, once again, why do I have to advertise for clients?

Well, actually, I don’t. After 35 years I have a fairly impressive list of outstanding clientele I genuinely enjoy working with. And you are likely reading this right now because a current client of mine thinks we can help you as well.

So the idea of this ad is to put a little “science into the search” and to eliminate me having to spend a lot of time with people only to discover that I can’t help them (or much worse) that they are not interested in my services!

Who Needs A
Financial Planner?

Let’s start with a more fundamental question: how much can I improve your financial situation? You might be thinking, “I have a good salary, I’m maxing out my 401k, I pay my bills on time, I know how to do my taxes, I have insurance… I’m handling my finances well; spending time and money on financial planning is not worth it.” But let’s face it. Often, what you don’t know can hurt you! You may think that your plan is acceptable, but a closer look could reveal money leaks, overcharges, and time bombs that won’t explode until you go to withdraw income. Not hearing about new financial opportunities or getting tripped up in the ever-changing “rules of money” can ruin the best-laid plans.

Remember:
It’s Easier to Avoid a Problem
Then It Is To Solve One!

I would rather hear you say, “Hey Conrad! I have been thinking about doing…” instead of, “Hey Conrad! Guess what I just did!?”

I cringe when I hear the latter because many financial mistakes are irreversible and costly.

So, what type of client do I enjoy working with? Well, I must admit, I am pretty flexible when working with my clients. However, I have a very clear idea of what I don’t want in a client, and it is here that I am not flexible at all. So, let’s start with that.

2 Things Conrad Does
NOT Want in a Client!

1. SECRET SQUIRRELS: Are you looking to sneak money in or out of the country? Is your cash dirtier than Bernie Madoff’s and desperately needs laundering? Then please, please do NOT respond to this ad.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Privacy is important to me and my clients, so we sign confidentiality agreements to ensure that what happens in Conrad’s office… stays in Conrad’s office.

However, I do enjoy my freedom and would prefer not to spend any time in jail for trying to help you hide money from the authorities. So please don’t ask me to! 

2. GREY AREA JUNKIES: Are you the type of person that enjoys being audited? Do you get a rush from jumping through tax loopholes and fudging on tax returns? I’m sorry, I really am, but I didn’t go to school all those years to become someone’s “accomplice.”

I love to point out ways my clients can reduce their taxes while uncovering little-known deductions, credits, and techniques that can significantly reduce your tax burden. But I will NOT help you cheat on your taxes!

However, I will look over your past three years’ tax returns for errors and missed savings opportunities! (About one of every five tax returns I review as part of my free financial checkup has a mistake.

Well, anyway, that’s my laundry list of things I don’t want and, in fact, can’t handle in a client.

Now comes the hard part.

I feel awkward about saying what type of folk I prefer working with. I’m afraid if I get too explicit, it will seem like I am an insensitive clod ordering something from a Gourmet menu.

On the other hand, if I don’t set some guidelines, I’m afraid people with whom my services would not be compatible will answer this ad. So here it goes.

Our clients are typically:

• Entering retirement and want to minimize income taxes on pension income and social security income and avoid penalties for 401k/IRA withdrawals.

• Recently unemployed folks who suddenly need penalty-free income from retirement accounts or help managing their investments.

• People going through divorce or after the death of a spouse that “used to handle all the financial stuff”.

• Busy executives and professionals who do not have the time to manage and plan their personal finances properly;

• People changing jobs who need advice about their new benefit plans or who want to roll over and invest their old 401k money.

The Secret to Earning 20% Without Any Risk

Would you like me to tell you how to earn a guaranteed 20% per year without risk?

Well, I’ll tell you: I don’t know how.

And if I did know how, why would I tell you, a total stranger?

Ask yourself that question the next time someone tempts you with the hottest deal. After all, if they have such a great investment, why would they tell you about it?

Look, I’m a nice guy, but let’s face it: If I had a “sure thing,” I’d be so busy investing my own money that I certainly wouldn’t have the time to tell you about it. And assuming I had time to make a few phone calls, why would I call you, a total stranger, instead of telling my clients, family, and friends?

Professional financial help goes far beyond picking stocks or mutual funds. Hiring a Financial Adviser armed with the latest investment and financial planning techniques can reduce financial risks, lower taxes, avoid probate, and help protect your assets from unexpected life-changing events.

This can help you to make the most of the changing financial cycles of your life.

Our Advice Depends On Your Goals.

• Saving for Retirement? You’re more than five years from retirement. How much income will you need, and how much should you save now? How should you be invested?
• Transitioning to Retirement? You’re preparing for retirement. Will your assets provide the income you need? What’s the impact of delaying retirement? How will taxes affect your retirement income?
• Retirement Income Plan? You’re drawing income from your assets. How long will they last? Should you adjust your portfolio to generate more income? Are you minimizing the impact of income taxes?
• Portfolio Evaluation? You may want a second opinion about your investment choices. Are you taking too much risk? Are you suffering returns that are too low? Are you paying too much in fees? Or do you own unsuitable or inappropriate investments based on your individual or family situation?
• College Planning? Should you use the latest tax-advantaged accounts when saving for a college education?
• Estate Planning? Do you have assets you want to pass on to your family quickly and with the least tax and expense?

Can’t I Do This On My Own?

The question is, do you need help to design and stick to an effective financial plan?
Making good financial decisions requires a lot of time to learn and research. While the Internet’s easy access to information has helped make it possible for individuals to manage their finances independently, the level of investing skills and information that you need can be overwhelming.

The financial world is also filled with con artists, greedy financial institutions, esoteric language, legal rules, and misleading methodologies.

You Should Be Afraid!
You Should Be Very Afraid!!

OK, that might be overdoing it a little, but you get my point (I hope).

These ten simple yet powerful words, “I’m going to run that by my financial advisor first,” often help keep my clients from getting taken for a ride and have been known to save thousands while negotiating mortgage and other financial fees.

So, whether you want to develop a portfolio, plan for retirement, pay for college, or reach any other major financial goal, there are professionals (like me) who have spent their careers serving people with the same concerns. It is a good idea to take advantage of our experiences.

While I have made a modest attempt to make this “ad” entertaining, please know that I am very serious About financial planning and helping my clients solve their financial problems.
So, unless you are a little on the odd side (like me) and enjoy this kind of thing, you probably wonder if you are making sound financial decisions.
Who Else Wants a Second Opinion?
If you would like a “Certified” second opinion about your financial choices, I invite you to call my office directly at 843-661-0220 and tell my assistant that you want to set up a free, no-obligation financial check-up to see if we can help.
Sincerely,
Conrad E. Seastrunk, CFP®

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERP® Practitioner