Financial Advisor Success

Larry Kriesmer is the Chairman of Measured Risk Portfolios, an RIA based out of San Diego that oversees $350 million in assets under management for a combination of internal retail clients and external financial advisor clients. What's unique about Larry, though, is how he is able to get clients comfortable with taking equity market risk using an approach that actually puts 85% or more of client funds in Treasuries (effectively creating a floor on potential losses) while investing the rest into options on equity indexes to offer potential upside that still can approximate the returns of a conservative, moderate, or even aggressive balanced portfolio that might have otherwise simply allocated directly to the S&P 500. 

Listen in as Larry shares how he implements this strategy and introduces its potential benefits and risks to clients, the tax benefits available when using options, the importance of careful management when using options due to potentially rapid pricing changes, and his commitment to reinvesting in his firm to build a lasting business.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/411

Emily Biehler is the co-founder of TrailWise Financial Partners, an RIA based out of Colorado that oversees approximately $80 million in assets under management for 200 client households. What's unique about Emily, though, is how her firm ensures every client can be served profitably through a combination of a complexity-based minimum fee arrangement, coupleed with a strucutred data gathering, plan delivery, and client communication processes that encourage client accountability and follow-through on action items recommended by their advisor severy client really sees the value they receive for the fees they are paying. 

Listen in as Emily discusses the custom workbook she uses that asks clients to explore their goals and values, how she uses asynchronous video messages to efficiently communicate with clients between meetings, and why she decided to start her own firm with a focus on accountability and client-centered comprehensive planning following a failed succession at her prevoius firm.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/410

Travis Hornsby is the founder of Student Loan Planner, an RIA and student loan consulting company based out of North Carolina that serves nearly 1,400 households with ongoing financial planning and has consulted with over 15,000 clients on student loan debt. Travis quickly expanded his financial planning client base to 1,400 in just over a year by leveraging his extensive pool of student loan consulting clients, which had significantly grown over the past decade.

Listen in as Travis shares how he carved out a niche in student loan planning, which laid the groundwork for transitioning into comprehensive financial planning. He discusses his strategic approach to pricing and client service that spurred rapid business growth, and delves into the personal and professional transformations that prompted his move to establish an RIA. Travis also reflects on how his personal journey through FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement influenced his business decisions, allowing him to seize growth opportunities that aligned with his values and effectively broaden his service offerings.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/409

Maddi Keegan is a financial advisor and the Director of Operations at Frazier Financial Advisors, an RIA based out of Ohio that oversees $860 million in assets under management for 650 client households. After building a successful solo advisory firm, Maddi merged her business with Frazier Financial Advisors, where she secured a stake and stepped into both advisory and operational roles to help scale the business.

Listen in as Maddi shares how her strategic merger with Frazier Financial Advisors allowed her to expand her impact, blending her expertise with the firm's resources to enhance client services. She details her journey from a solo practitioner to a key player in a larger firm, including her initial investment in SEO that significantly boosted her client base, and her decision-making process that led to successfully transitioning her clients to the new firm. Maddi also discusses the broader benefits of networking and her proactive role in community leadership, which opened doors to opportunities that shaped her career trajectory.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/408

Mark Asaro is the Chief Investment Officer of Noble Wealth Management, an RIA based out of Colorado that oversees $320 million in assets under management for 160 households. Mark stands out with his liability-driven investing approach, which builds retirement portfolios focused on managing sequence of return risk, leveraging the use of closed-end bond funds to generate income to cover client expenses during the critical early retirement years.

Listen in as Mark shares how Liability-Driven Investing (LDI) matches retirement portfolios to client spending needs, securing early retirement finances through strategically allocated fixed income to generate income and equity to manage inflation risk. He dives into his tactical approach to rebalancing portfolios, using market conditions to optimize asset allocations between equities and bonds. Mark also reflects on his firm's strategic shift during the 2022 market downturn, when it capitalized on high bond yields, why he believes investment management isn't a commodity, and how the LDI approach ultimately supports clients' long-term financial stability and peace of mind.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/407

Michael Kramer is the Manager of Natural Investments, an RIA based out of San Francisco that has offices across the country and oversees $1.9 billion in assets under management for 1,300 households. Michael's firm uniquely employed a perpetual purpose trust structure for its internal succession plan, which allowed the founding partners to monetize their ownership without burdening new advisors with debt. This approach also fostered a more equitable leadership structure, not solely based on share ownership.

Listen in as Michael talks about the firm's governance by "trust stewards" and the unique role of a "trust enforcer" to ensure accountability as well as why the firm chose this model over traditional ESOP or cooperative structures. Michael also reflects on building his practice from the ground up, leveraging public speaking to attract like-minded clients, and embracing his role as a "seed planter" to foster a business that embodies his values and sustains beyond his tenure.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/406

Gaetano Sacco is a partner and senior financial advisor at Fountainhead Advisors, an RIA based out of New Jersey that oversees approximately $900 million in assets under management for 1,000 households. Gaetano transformed his early career challenge of perceived inexperience into a distinct advantage, highlighting his youthfulness to reassure retirees that he can be their dedicated financial advisor for the long haul. Since breaking away from the insurance world, he has impressively grown his practice to $75 million in AUM in just five years, capitalizing on his long-term commitment to clients as a major selling point.

Listen in as Gaetano shares how his early experiences in insurance sales and, ironically, achieving "Financial Planner of the Year" led him to transition from insurance to the RIA channel, driven by a desire for deeper client relationships and personal life changes like marriage and fatherhood that enhanced his ability to connect with clients. He also discusses how leveraging his age as an asset has helped grow his practice through proactive client communication during the COVID-19 downturn and by hosting in-person client appreciation events to build loyalty and attract new clients. You'll learn the pivotal role of joining an advisor study group in Gaetano's professional development, his decision to reject a job offer due to poor company culture, and how his commitment to a client-centric, planning-focused career provides daily motivation while maintaining work-life balance.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/405

Ann Garcia is a partner of Independent Progressive Advisors, an RIA based out of Portland that oversees approximately $115 million in assets under management for 120 clients. Ann has distinguished herself by developing a nationally recognized expertise in college financial planning, a specialty that has grown alongside her advisory business, now focusing on mid-career professionals who balance saving for their children's college education with their own retirement planning. This dual focus reflects the evolving needs of her clientele as they navigate significant financial milestones.

Listen in as Ann shares how she developed her reputation as a college planning expert by transforming client queries into a specialized blog that gained national attention, eventually leading to the publication of a book on college planning and the creation of an online course. She also discusses how her expertise has attracted mid-career professionals, to the point where her firm is nearing capacity in its current form, how purchasing a retiring advisor’s practice laid the groundwork for the firm she desired, and how she refined her sales skills early on by taking meetings with all prospects who approached her, even if they were not a good fit for her firm. Ann also emphasizes the importance of initiating early discussions on college affordability within families and describes her decision to leave a prominent firm to create one that aligns with her values, allowing her to serve clients she truly understands and appreciates.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/404

Eric Stein is a Partner at East Bay Investment Solutions, a firm that offers fractional Chief Investment Officer services, supporting over $6 billion in assets under advisement across 26 advisory firm clients. In this episode, we discuss how Eric leverages his extensive investment expertise not by managing portfolios for individual clients as a traditional financial advisor, but rather by embracing his role as an 'investment nerd' serving as a fractional Chief Investment Officer, supporting multiple advisory firms and their clients.

Listen in as Eric shares how his fractional Chief Investment Officer service operates, providing investment research, portfolio design, and market commentary while leaving portfolio implementation up to the advisor themselves. He also discusses his winding career path, from commercial banking to Goldman Sachs Asset Management and as a CIO for a national RIA, to his current role, which he found after a careful 'dating' process with his business partner to ensure their visions aligned. Eric also reflects on his experiences across large national businesses and smaller firms, emphasizing the importance of role exploration, effective management practices, and learning from both successes and failures to navigate challenges that arise.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/403

John Mason is the President of Mason & Associates, an RIA based out of Virginia that oversees $370 million in assets under management for approximately 390 client households. What's unique about John, though, is how joining a firm that served the niche of Federal government employees allowed him to quickly accelerate his own learning curve and demonstrate his expertise early in his career as a 20-something—ultimately enabling him to more quickly begin bringing in his own clients.

Listen in as John shares how his firm’s specialization in serving Federal employees allows it to operate efficiently and develop deep relationships with clients, and how his firm generates client leads through a podcast focusing on the issues facing its ideal target client. He also discusses his firm's transition from a broker-dealer to the RIA model, which boosted its per-client revenue while bringing down all-in costs for clients, how he managed the delicate process of transitioning unprofitable clients to more suitable advisors, why he thinks fee-only advisors sometimes underrate the importance of insurance planning, and more.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/402