Senior market analyst
The Difference Between Financial Advisors and Financial Planners Recipe of the Month Kim's Reads
This Month
June Newsletter
Grateful for our beautiful trip to Italy this month. We had much to celebrate!
Financial Advisors vs. Financial Planners
We know that when it comes to choosing a person you trust your financial well-being and future with, you have a lot of options. There are a multitude of investment professionals very much capable of assessing your current financial situation and providing direction on how to best move forward. One of the first questions we often get from new or perspective clients is “what makes you different from other financial advisors out there?” The quick answer here is that there’s a broad range of financial advisors, all with different specialties and certifications. We prefer to best clarify what sets our team apart by comparing the differences between financial advisors and financial planners. The term financial advisor encompasses most types of professionals who help manage your finances. It can basically be viewed as the umbrella that all advisors fall under, including financial planners. So, in other words, a financial planner is one type of financial advisor. However, a financial advisor is not always a financial planner. Someone could market themselves as a financial advisor but might not employ the same strategies and techniques as a comprehensive financial planner. As financial planners, we have a fiduciary duty to do more than just
manage your assets, i.e, buying or selling stocks, bonds and mutual funds. We believe that asset management is a very important aspect of your complete financial profile, but not the only thing to be considered. As comprehensive planners we address risk, cash management, tax management and estate planning, among several other areas. Solely advising ones financial assets does not meet the standards of comprehensive financial planning. Our firm likes to refer to our financial management pyramid chart on page 3 to give a more visual example of the specialized areas we are able to assist with here at FSG. These services are based on the education and certifications that our advisors have completed. These certifications ensure that the financial planner you've chosen is capable of fully servicing your unique needs. Here at FSG all advisors are certified financial planners, or enrolled in the CFP® curriculum. Meaning that, they either have completed or are working towards completing the required education, work experience and final CFP® exam. While this isn’t required across the board at firms, it’s something we deemed necessary to be able to provide our clients with a full-service, comprehensive financial plan.
It also reiterates the fact that any advisor that works for us is able to successfully apply what they’ve learned in textbooks to real-life financial scenarios. Because, isn’t that what we’re here for? While the qualifications, work history, investing approach and even fee structure vary across financial advisors, one thing that should remain parallel across all investment professionals is their capability to give informed, transparent advice. When you chose us as your financial planner, it was hopefully because you felt we were best qualified for you and your family’s financial needs. We focus on creating a strong financial plan for all of our clients, as well as developing a relationship of trust that allows us to be your partner throughout the many transitions in your life. Lastly, as financial planners we believe that compatibility between the advisor and client is one of the most important factors when choosing an advisor, and we’re grateful that you chose us.
LPL Financial Representatives offer access to Trust Services through The Private Trust Company N.A., an affiliate of LPL Financial. Financial Strategies Group and LPL Financial do not offer legal, health insurance or Property & Casualty (P&) services.
Financial Advisors vs. Financial Planners continued..
Recipe of the Month
Instructions: Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water according to package directions. While it boils, finely grate (with a rasp-style grater; here’s the most common one the zest of half your lemon into the large bowl you’ll use to serve your dish. Add the juice of the whole lemon (about 4 tablespoons). Use the same rasp to grate the parmesan on top. Add olive oil, about 1/2 teaspoon salt (and more to taste), and several grinds of black pepper and combine them with a whisk until very well mixed and as smooth as possible. When the pasta reaches the ideal texture, scoop out 1 cup of cooking water, set it aside, and drain the rest. Quickly turn piping hot spaghetti to lemon-parmesan mixture in bowl and use tongs or spoons to toss it until all of the strands are coated. Don’t worry if the mixture seems too thick or sticky — first get the strands as evenly coated as possible. Add reserved pasta water, a tiny splash (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) at a time, tossing the whole time, only until the spaghetti looks glossy and lightly sauced, but no so much that you “wash” the sauce off the pasta. You might only need a single splash to achieve this. Add basil leaves and toss to combine, then serve. If you finish each serving with a little extra olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan, you’ll be glad you did. *Source: Smitten Kitchen
Simplest Spaghetti al Limon Keeping our Italian memories alive! Ingredients: 1 lemon 1/2 pound of dried spaghetti coarse salt ground black pepper 3 tbsp of olive oil 3 1/2 oz of parmesan cheese fresh basil leaves, torn
Kim's June Read
Beneath a Scarlett Sky: Mark Sullivan "Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders. Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share." We loved this book, such an amazing story!
