Finding a fee-only, family-friendly advisor is like striking gold for thinking through your finances and managing your wealth. Getting to work as that advisor is just as worthwhile. Trust me on that!
My Background
I graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and a Minor in Business Administration. I went on to receive my CFP® certification in 2008. I am a mom of two boys ages 8 and 9, yes, we had them very close together! When I became pregnant with our second son, my husband and I decided that it was right for our family for me to take a break from working full time and concentrate on raising our children. Previously, I worked for a family office in Boston as a CFP® practitioner and loved helping clients attain their goals. Now that the boys are older and starting to become more self-sufficient, we decided it was time for me to start looking for new opportunities in the working world. When I started looking for a new job, I knew I wanted to be in a planning office that was fee-only, where the clients’ goals come first (above fees and commissions)–and one with a family-friendly culture.
Finding Bartley Financial
When I found Bartley Financial (BF), I felt like I struck gold! Bob and the team not only create an atmosphere where clients come first, and all ideas are welcome, but they also do this while valuing family and helping to create a healthy work/life balance.
In my experience, many people say theirs is a culture that promotes work/life balance, but when the rubber meets the road, that really isn’t the case. I feel extremely grateful that at BF, Bob really and truly believes in that motto. We realize that finances and planning are important for our clients to get a handle on, but they are not the only important pieces of the puzzle.
At BF, we are committed to helping our clients achieve their wants and dreams. Of course we take the time to analyze the financial aspect, but at the same time, we encourage our clients to let go, relax and enjoy the ride! Bob encourages us here at BF, to both advance our financial knowledge and spend time working on ourselves.
In my first few weeks at BF, I attended an event to benefit Families in Transition and a fundraising walk with others in the office. I love that everyone here has a commitment to be a good steward to the community and desire to give back.
The Joy Of Working With Clients
The benefits of a fee-only planner are huge for clients–and for the employees as well. There is no conflict of interest, and there is no pressure to give advice to a client because you get paid more money. I like knowing that when I walk into the office no one is going to be pressuring me to make sales or push products that may or may not be suitable. Knowing that we always recommend the best in class to our clients, inspires me that our focus is truly to help.
As fee-only planners, we have an obligation to work for the clients’ best interest (as a fiduciary). No commissions mean there is zero pressure to point clients towards a good option instead of the best option.
I love the culture here and the fact that everyone always has the best interest of the client in mind. Some advisors say clients are the most important, but don’t always act that way. At BF I joined a culture where everyone is excited to come to work and advance the goals of our clients.
Moving Forward
I love helping clients achieve their goals–financial and otherwise–and it keeps it exciting to come to work every day. It is a lot of fun when we start a project with a client that may seem insurmountable, but by taking it step by step we are able to help them reach their goals.
When I’m not at work, I enjoy watching my youngest son do gymnastics, hiking with my family, hanging at the lake, skiing and knitting. Our boys have done four of NH’s 4,000-footers and our goal is to add another couple to the list soon. What’s your favorite mountain?
One of the great things about working at Bartley Financial (alongside the baseline value of always working for clients’ best interests) is that I know I can make time to do all these with my family. If you haven’t read Bianca’s recent post, How Self-Care Can Lead to a Better Life – Put Your Oxygen Mask on First, I highly recommend it! Being a family-friendly place to work isn’t just a saying at Bartley Financial, it is truly a value here!
Call us any time if you have important questions about your money or want an ally in achieving your big goals. We’re happy to help!